SAFETY IN NUMBERS AT THE BYTOWNE CINEMA - BY JULIET O'NEILL UNTIL THE PANDEMIC, THE BYTOWNE CINEMA WAS NEVER ONCE FORCED TO
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novembre - decembre 2020 volume 11 numéro 5 Gratuit - Free November-December 2020 Vol. 11 No. 5
Safety in numbers at the ByTowne Cinema
By Juliet O’Neill
U
ntil the pandemic, the ByTowne Cinema was never once forced to
close its doors in the 31 years owner Bruce White has been on the job.
The widely-beloved repertory theatre was shut twice for a total of
five months, four after the COVID-19 lockdown hit on March 15, and
a month after Ottawa was declared a “red zone” on the eve of Thanksgiving.
Re-opened on Saturday, Nov. 7, the ByTowne is following strict provincial rules
and city bylaws. Only 50 of the 650 seats may be filled, and patrons are kept at
mandatory distances by caution tape on the seats. Moviegoers and staff are required
to wear face masks. Seats and other surfaces must be sanitized between showings.
“It’s not an easy business to scale back,” White said in an interview. That’s be-
cause costs are steady no matter how large or small the audience. Is he complaining?
No, although he’s sure 100 patrons could be safely seated. Movies are not an essen-
tial service, White said. “We’re fortunate to be open at all.” Plus, there is a time to
complain and a time not to complain. “Now is not the time.”
He had to lay off three part-time employees, but they got government wage as-
sistance. Revenue has plunged but the building itself is paid for and a government
supplement has helped maintain salaries for three full-time staff. The ByTowne’s
lively ad-filled newspaper, with a two-month calendar of upcoming shows and re-
views of each one, is no longer printed. That’s because movie-distribution compa-
nies cannot make commitments that far ahead anymore. A printer-friendly calendar
for three weeks at a time is online now, along with other content. The exception is
the often-amusing “suggestions box” which may make a comeback.
Is White worried the theatre, which opened way back in 1947, will have to close
ByTowne Cinema, March 2011. Caravaggio
for good? White is not a worry wart. He’s sanguine. “The rainy-day fund is getting
drier and drier,” he said. But there is no real way to fathom the future, given big
we’re batting a thousand.” Indeed, he said, no cinema in the world has been reported
unknowns, notably the duration of the pandemic and government rules about peo-
as the source of an outbreak. While the big multiplexes in Ottawa are closed because
ple gathering. He empathizes with government officials who have “a monumentally
they are restricted to 50 people per building, they have remained open in many other
difficult job.”
countries with fewer restrictions.
But it’s so far so good, the way White talks. It’s a problem to be solved by being
Maybe it should be a struggle, White said, but running an independent theatre is
nimble. The 50 seats are frequently filled. He speaks with a hint of pride about com-
always a struggle and he’s trained for overcoming the odds. “I don’t feel that much
petently adjusting the cinema to the pandemic world, creating a “super safe” place to
different.”
enjoy the big screen, and having grown-up customers who respect the rules. “So far
Shop Local
In-person shopping isn’t where it’s
at these days. But there’s more to
life and more to like than
Amazon. Local stores offer loads
of creative gifts available on-line.
See page 18 for more details
Real Estate Business Shopping
News Heritage Politics 12 Profiles Quiz LCA 18 Community Arts &
2 3 89 10 14 & 15 15 16 19 Culture
22
Page 2 ECHO novembre - decembre 2020
ByTowne racks
IMAGE lining. Mr. White offered the racks,
O
SANDY
HILL
C TE DE
SABLE By John Chenier
free of charge, to community newspa-
ne victim of the pandemic pers. The Echo managed to obtain 20
is the familiar two-month of these. The plan is that many of the
listing and reviews of the racks will be shared with other commu-
shows coming to the By- nity papers. For instance, the racks in
Towne Cinema. Bruce White, the own- the ByWard Market Building, the Ride-
er of the cinema, made the decision to au Street Loblaws and other locations
cancel the publication in the summer. A along the Rideau corridor will be shared
couple of factors led to the decision to with the Sandy Hill IMAGE.
cease publishing the program.
Hopefully similar arrangements can
At the top of the list was the fact be made with the New Edinburgh News
that the ByTowne was no longer able to along with eastern fringe of the Echo
get firm commitments from distributors circulation route for locations such as
as to what films would be available or the seniors’ residence on Porter’s Is-
when, so that Mr. White could produce land, the New Edinburgh Pharmacy and
a program. Another was that many of the Beechwood Books.
places where the racks had been placed
were either closed or open for take-out The Echo will be looking to find
only. In short, there was no content for a homes for a dozen other racks in Lower-
The ByTowne racks alll touched up with a new layer of paint and
program and few locations to display it. town once businesses return to normal.
new labels will hold about 300 copies
But every cloud must have a silver
Sébastien Lemay is a winner
O
By Sandra Milton crime prevention tips, encourages
residents to report crimes, and
n November 2nd, Con- actively works to reassure the com-
stable Sébastien Lemay munity when crimes take place.
received the Police Pro-
fessional Award from Notably, Cst. Lemay helped
Crime Prevention Ottawa for his efforts demystify police for youth by co-
to make our community safer. As many ordinating a soccer game between
of you already know, Sébastien is the youth and police officers during the
Community Police Officer for Lower- Lowertown Celebration. He also
town and Sandy Hill and over the past contributed to a new partnership
summer was often seen riding his bicy- between Ottawa Community Hous-
cle along our streets as part of the re- ing and De La Salle High School to
cently formed Neighbourhood Resource reduce mischief in Lowertown.
Team.
Cst. Lemay has made a con-
As the media release for this crime scious, consistent effort to improve Community Police Officer Constable Sébastien Lemay seen here at one of his
prevention award stated: relationships between police and many community gatherings addressing people on how they can work with
the community. Cst. Lemay makes the police to keep their neighbourhood safe and free from crime.
He is well-liked and has proven everyone feel comfortable with his
himself to be available, attentive, warmth and humour. This makes Sandra Milton is Chair of the Safety
non-judgemental and sensitive to him an invaluable liaison between Congratulations and Félicitations and Security Committee Executive
residents’ issues and concerns. Cst. the community and the Ottawa from the Echo and from Lowertown
Police Service.
Committee of the Lowertown
Lemay is an active member of sev- residents! Community Association.
eral community groups. He shares
Notre personnel et nos @CRCBV Our staff and volunteers
bénévoles sont toujours en are still on the front lines
poste et on prend toutes les and we are taking all the
mesures de sécurité. necessary precautions.
Le besoin est plus criant que The need is greater than
jamais pour de l’aide avec ever for food and groceries,
la nourriture, les couches diapers and winter clothes.
et les vêtements d’hiver.
Soutenez votre
Help your fellow
quartier. Aidez
Lowertowners.
vos voisins de la
Donate today!
Basse‑Ville!
Veuillez visiter notre site Please visit our website
web www.crcbv.ca/fr/ www.crcbv.ca to learn
pour en savoir plus et pour more and to make a
faire un don. 40 Cobourg, Ottawa K1N 8Z6 613.789.3930 donation.
Numéro d’organisme de bienfaisance/Charitable number: 896719796RR0001
November - December 2020 ECHO Page 3
RAPPORT DE
MI-MANDAT
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advertisers and the Lowertown Community Association. Opinions expressed are
those of contributors and advertisers and do not necessarily represent those of the
volunteer editorial staff.
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Lowertown Community Resource Centre, the public library, and various public
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The Echo welcomes articles, letters, photographs, notices and other material of RÉPONSE COVID-19
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Editor: John Chenier les coins de la ville
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Page 4 ECHO novembre - decembre 2020
A parliamentary couple
By Michel Rossignol riding, but described herself as an
Independent Conservative. She won
he article “A Prime Min-
T
and thus became the second woman
ister’s happy retirement” (and the first woman from northern
in the September-Oc- Canada) to be elected to the House of
tober 2020 Echo noted Commons.
that in the 1930s when Sir Robert
Borden lived on Wurtemburg Street, The day after the elections, the Ot-
a neighbour shot Lady Borden’s cat. tawa Citizen noted in an article that
The neighbour was George Black, two women were now in the House
who had a colourful life, but his wife, of Commons, Martha Black and Ag-
Martha Black, also made history. nes Macphail, the first woman to be
elected.
George Black was a lawyer who
Just before the 1940 Federal Elec-
went to the Yukon in 1898 during
tion, Martha Black decided to let her
the famous Yukon Gold Rush. He
husband, now in better health, take
became involved in local politics and
her place as candidate in the Yukon
a senior administrator of the territo-
riding. He was elected, but while
ry. He was a soldier during the First loved the Yukon wilderness and en- she was no longer a Member of Par-
World War and was wounded in 1918 joyed success in business ventures, liament, Martha Black was often
on the battlefields of France. managing a sawmill for example. called the First Lady of the Yukon.
She wrote many books and was also A mountain and a coast-guard ship
In 1921, George Black was elected
an artist. are among the things named in her
for the first time as the Member of
Parliament for Yukon and in 1930, he In January 1935, George Black honour.
became the Speaker of the House of resigned as Speaker of the House George and Martha Black proba-
Commons. He was often seen hunt- of Commons because of health bly stayed in Ottawa only when Par-
ing rabbits on Parliament Hill. problems and moved to Vancouver liament was in session, but for a brief
during his convalescence. Since her
Martha Black, George Black’s period they were part of the commu-
husband was not well enough to seek
wife, was also a Yukon pioneer who nity.
re-election in the October 1935 fed-
arrived in that region during the Gold
eral election, Martha Black took his
Rush. She was an American, but she
place as a candidate in his Yukon
Un couple parlementaire
Par Michel Rossignol des Communes comme député du Yu-
kon et en 1930, il fut nommé Prési-
’article « La bonne re-
L
dent de la Chambre des Communes.
traite d’un premier minis- On l’a vu souvent sur la colline du
tre » dans l’Écho de sep- Parlement en train de chasser des lap-
tembre et octobre 2020 ins.
a noté que dans les années 1930, un
voisin de Sir Robert Borden, alors Comme son époux, Martha Black
qu’il demeurait sur la rue Wurtem- est arrivée au Yukon à l’époque des
burg, avait tiré sur le chat de Lady pionniers et de la ruée vers l’or. Elle
Borden. Le voisin en question était était une Américaine, mais elle aimait
George Black qui a eu une vie haut se promener dans les forêts du Yukon
en couleur, mais son épouse, Martha et elle a connu beaucoup de succès
Black, a aussi marqué l’histoire. dans les affaires, notamment en as-
surant la gestion d’une scierie. Elle a
George Black était un avocat qui écrit plusieurs livres et était une ar-
s’est rendu au Yukon en 1898 lors de tiste. En janvier 1935, George Black
la célèbre ruée vers l’or. Il s’est im- a démissionné de son poste de Prés-
pliqué dans la politique locale et il est ident de la Chambre des Communes
devenu le principal administrateur du à cause de problèmes de santé et il
territoire. Soldat pendant la Première a déménagé à Vancouver pendant sa tha Black a décidé de prendre sa
guerre mondiale, il a été blessé en convalescence. place comme candidat dans le comté
du Yukon. Cependant, elle s’est
présentée comme Conservateur in-
dépendant.
Elle a gagné ses élections, deve-
nant ainsi la deuxième femme (et la didat dans le comté du Yukon. Il a gagné ses
première femme du Nord canadien) élections, mais même si elle n’était plus la
à être élue à la Chambre des Com- députée de la région, on disait que Martha
munes. Le jour après les élections, Black était la Grande Dame du Yukon. Pour
le Ottawa Citizen a noté qu’il y avait l’honorer, on a donné son nom à une mon-
maintenant deux femmes à la Cham- tagne, à un navire de la garde côtière et à au-
bre des Communes, Martha Black et tres choses.
Agnes Macphail, la première femme
Il est probable que George et Martha Black
à être élue.
demeuraient à Ottawa seulement lorsque le
1918 sur les champs de bataille en Étant donné que son mari n’était Juste avant les élections fédérales Parlement était en session, mais si seulement
France. pas assez bien pour se présenter de de 1940, Martha Black a décidé de brièvement, le couple parlementaire a fait
nouveau comme candidat aux élec- laisser son mari, alors en meilleur partie de la communauté.
En 1921, George Black fut élu tions fédérales d’octobre 1935, Mar- santé, prendre sa place comme can-
pour la première fois à la Chambre
November - December 2020 ECHO Page 5
A beacon of light in Lowertown
By Sally Kearsley and Caroline Nowadays, it is hard to understand
how a patient’s creed can matter when
D
Lavoie
it comes to saving lives. However, back
id you know we owe the in those days, religion was a much more
existence of one of Low- important part of people’s identity.
ertown’s jewels, Wallis
House, (formerly the Car- Though the Sisters treated all pa-
leton County Protestant General Hospi- tients regardless of creed, there were
tal), to a major typhus epidemic that rav- rumours of pressure for bedside conver-
aged North America in the late 1840s? sion of the dying, which Sister Bruyère
vehemently denied.
In Ottawa (then Bytown), the disease
broke out with the arrival of some 3,000 Although inter-faith collaboration
Irish immigrants in June 1847. Approx- was exemplary during the epidemic,
imately 200 of them died while quar- things changed towards the end. “Gen-
antined in what were at the time called tlemen of the Protestant persuasion”
“fever shacks”. Those fever shacks were started resenting the fact that the town’s
located where Union Station would later only hospital was not technically “pub-
stand, now the temporary Senate Cham- lic” or “general”, but “under the sole
ber at the corner of Rideau and Sussex. control and management of the Roman
Catholics”.
After land was granted to the Sis-
ters of Charity for the construction of
a new hospital (private and Catholic, and, according to death records from the miliar?
though open to all patients), Bytown’s late 1890s, there was a working morgue
The Spanish flu may have played
Protestant community rallied around a in the basement.
a role in the decision by then Mayor
project of their own. The “benevolent
The hospital continued to treat some Fisher to build a new hospital far from
Protestant Ladies of Bytown” organized
cases of contagious diseases and during downtown. This led to the construction
bazaars and soirées to raise funds for a
the 1912 typhoid epidemic, tents were of the Ottawa Civic Hospital on Carling
Protestant hospital. They were granted
erected on the grounds of the hospital to Avenue , in what was then a vast ex-
land on the north side of Rideau Street,
house the overflow of patients. panse of fields across from the Exper-
between Wurtemburg and Charlotte.
imental Farm. In 1924, the Carleton
Tents around Protestant Hospital But Wallis House was not the first
When Wallis House was converted County Protestant General Hospital was
into condos in the mid-1990s, large yel-
during the 1912 Epidemic Protestant Hospital. A smaller two-sto- one of the institutions that closed their
low crosses painted over the brick were
LAC-PA-042769 rey stone building, with only 10 beds, doors and transferred their services to
discovered by the construction workers. the Civic.
was built to the east and was demolished
It is thought that this may have been a
Sister Élisabeth Bruyère had found- at the beginning of the twentieth centu-
mark with arsenic paint for the wards Born out of an epidemic, and closed
ed the Sisters of Charity in Bytown two ry. It was managed by a “steward” and
reserved for typhoid patients. down in the aftermath of another, the
years earlier and her small group worked a “matron” (husband and wife). This
former incarnation of Wallis House,
tirelessly to provide the sick with basic building became known as the “old Then, in 1918, came the Spanish the Carleton County Protestant Gen-
necessities and medical care. Their fa- stone hospital” and was used until 1904 flu. Spread largely by the return of sol- eral Hospital, has a rich history which
as an isolation ward for smallpox and diers from Europe after World War I,
cilities were located in the area where continues to echo what is on everyone’s
the Bruyère Hospital is now standing, other contagious diseases. the Spanish Flu hit Ottawa as well as the mind these days. We hope to be able to
north of the ByWard Market in Lower- rest of the world. All Lowertown hospi- explore these links further as we pre-
Robert Surtees designed the west
town. Although most Irish immigrants tals were called on to take in patients. pare to celebrate the 150th anniversary
wing of hospital and on May 16, 1873,
were Catholics, the disease spread with- On October 4th, 1918, the public health of Wallis House in 2023.
the corner stone was laid with full Ma-
in the general population of Bytown, in- sonic rituals by the Governor General,
authorities closed all schools, theatres
cluding Protestants. and places of worship for a few weeks
Lord Dufferin. The new hospital had
to try and contain its spread. Sound fa-
significantly more capacity (75 beds)
Page 6 ECHO novembre - decembre 2020
Remembering “The Store” : A brief history of
Larocque’s Department Store
By Robert Vineberg
hen I was a kid, I knew
W it as “The Store”.
Customers knew it as
Larocque’s, but to me
and my family, and to all of the employ-
ees of Larocque’s it was “The Store.” Its
official postal address was 169 Rideau
Street, but the store’s labels gave the ad-
dress as “Rideau, Dalhousie and George
Streets” because the big building cov-
ered the length of the entire block on
Dalhousie and extended 70 feet on both
Rideau and George.
People walking down Rideau Street
couldn’t help but notice the huge ver-
tical “Larocque” sign on the corner of
Rideau and Dalhousie: it was the larg-
est neon sign in Ottawa. At night, the
blue, red, green and white neon letters
lit up one by one from top to bottom,
like a beautiful waterfall of light.
The Larocque building was
built in 1922-1923 by Joseph Alphonse
Larocque, who had operated a gener-
al store at the corner of Dalhousie and
Murray since 1909. Larocque took a
huge gamble by building a big store
on Rideau to compete directly with the Above: The J.A. Larocque Department Store 1923-1971 now renamed as the Mercury Court Building.
English-owned department stores of the Below: The Larocque management team in 1953
city.
Street to bring the building to about every employee who wanted to continue
50,000 square feet. to work found another job. The closing
of “The Store” symbolized the end of a
However, post-war prosperity way of life in Lowertown brought on by
led to the demise of community depart- its unfortunate redevelopment.
ment stores everywhere. They could
not compete with the buying power of My Dad and uncle continued to
national chains and most did not have own the building and operated it for a
the financial resources to open branch- number of years as The General Store,
es in suburban malls. Larocque’s also renting space out to other retailers.
fell victim to another sad event: Low- They sold the building to John Toth in
ertown redevelopment. Hundreds and the early 1980s and Mr. Toth engaged
hundreds of the families displaced by architect Barry Padolsky to restore the
the expropriations in Lowertown in the building. Mercury Court, crowned by
late 1960s had accounts at Larocque’s. the flying Mercury that once adorned
Without those loyal customers, the store the old Sun Life Building at Sparks and
was no longer profitable and my father Bank, opened in 1989. Unlike so many
and uncle concluded that they had to other Lowertown landmarks, the beau-
close the business. tiful Larocque’s building has survived,
restored and reincarnated as Mercury
Its last day was December 31, 1971. Court.
As the sales area was reduced, floor by
His big new three-storey store berg, came from Montreal to run the
floor, during the closing-out sale, my fa-
opened on May 19, 1923 to great ac- liquidation sale. The sale was very suc-
ther and uncle used their connections in
claim. It was a fine example of Com- cessful and he realized that if it wasn’t
the Ottawa business community so that
mercial Gothic architecture. carrying a lot of debt the store could be
successful, so he bought the business in
M. Larocque operated the store on 1927 and, in 1931, moved his family to
the ground floor and the basement. The Ottawa.
government rented the two upper floors
as the headquarters of the Royal Cana- Business was good because
dian Mounted Police. even during the Great Depression Ot-
tawa, as a government town, remained
Sadly for M. Larocque, his prosperous. My grandfather purchased
dream of competing with the other big the adjoining property on Rideau Street
Rideau Street stores was not realized. and when the government no longer
He was carrying too much debt, and on needed the upper floors, he expand-
September 9, 1925, the company was ed the store to fill the entire building.
taken over by a bankruptcy trustee. The Later, my Uncle Nordeau and my dad,
trustee was looking for someone to liq- Lloyd, joined the business.
uidate the stock in the store prior to sell-
ing the building. The forties and fifties were boom
years for the store and in the mid-fifties,
My grandfather, Joseph Hirsch Vine- a further addition was built on George
November - December 2020 ECHO Page 7
“Lest We Forget.”: The memorial windows of the French
Baptist Church on King Edward Avenue
on the Somme in November, 1916. Perhaps John George Tell Reymond knew the Law-
rence family through involvement in the church and
The other, a very artistic one, facing on King felt that he should also do his bit. In May 1917, when
Edward Avenue, is a portrayal of Holman Hunt’s he was only 19 years old, he enlisted for the Cana-
famous picture, “The Light of the World”, show- dian Overseas Expeditionary Force. His previous oc-
ing the figure of Christ, knocking at the ivy-cov- cupation was listed as chauffeur and clerk. He was
ered door. This was a gift of Mr. and Mrs. John described as 5 feet and 8 inches in height with a fair
Reymond in memory of their son George, who complexion, blue eyes and brown hair. His mother
fell at Cambrai in September, 1918.” Bessie was named as his beneficiary. After training,
Edmund Clifton Lawrence was the first to enlist and he sailed from Halifax in September and within a year
the first to die. He was 37 years old when he enlisted in was in France.
By Nancy Miller Chenier July 1915. At the time, he had a wife Frances and four
children aged 9 months, 3 years, 6 years and 8 years. George was killed in action the following year, on
ar memorials in Ottawa can be large September 28 1918, a few months after being sent to
W and clearly visible to any passerby or
they can be small and noticed only
occasionally by casual observers. In
the case of the memorial windows at the French Bap-
tist Church, the images are seen most clearly when it is
dark outside with light shining from the inside.
When dedicated in 1920, the French Baptist Church
at the corner of King Edward Avenue and Clarence
Street was the only one of this denominational cate-
gory in Ontario. In the decades since 1890, Reverend
George R McFaul and his fellow missionaries had
taken the faithful from meetings in homes to a small
chapel on the Clarence-King Edward corner to this
building designed by local architect and fellow Bap-
tist, W.J. Abra.
Adding grace to this building are two stained glass
windows that tell a story of sacrifice by two ordinary
soldiers during the First World War. Like the two men the rose window on the Clarence Street side, the gift of the Young People’s Society in memory of
and the small Baptist congregation of about 130 ad- Edmund C. Lawrence of the 38th Royal Ottawa Battalion.
herents, the windows are modest examples of church
His previous occupation was wire splicer. He was 5 the field. He was just 20 years of age and died the day
stained glass. But the artistic work of Ottawa’s Colo-
nial Art Glass Company tells a compelling story. feet 10 inches in height with a fair complexion, grey after Canadians had secured the Canal du Nord and
eyes, and brown hair. He sailed via Bermuda to En- captured Bourlion Woods. He is buried in a communal
The story of two windows is really a tale of two gland in 1916. In August of that year he was at Havre cemetery at Raillencourt, a village near Cambrai. He
families in the congregation and the death of their be- France and killed in action on November 18, 1916. was one of the more than 30,000 Canadian killed and
loved men. The Canadian Baptist journal in reporting wounded in the Battle of Cambrai.
the dedication describes the windows as follows: Edmund was a casualty of the final attack of the
Battle of the Somme in an offensive recalled as one of Two families of this small French Baptist church
the war’s most significant campaigns and one of the not only experienced the distant and isolated death
“There are two memorial windows. A beauti-
bloodiest in human history. Historical sources claim of loved ones but they were not permitted the usual
ful one of stained glass, the rose window on the
Clarence Street side containing a picture of an that “The Somme had cost Canada 24,029 casualties, personal and intimate rituals that follow such losses.
but it was here that the Canadians confirmed their rep- Instead, the installation of these stained glass windows
open Bible, the gift of the Young People’s Society
utation as hard-hitting shock troops.” Edmund’s name provided the enduring memory of ordinary men, their
in memory of Edmund C. Lawrence of the 38th
is inscribed on the Vimy Memorial. wartime sacrifice, and their link to this small Lower-
Royal Ottawa Battalion who was killed in action
town church.
The National Military
Cemetery
To the men and women of
Canada's Armed Forces
who have served their nation with
distinction in war and in peace
280 Beechwood Avenue, Ottawa
- 613-741-9530 –
www.beechwoodottawa.ca
Owned by the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation and operated
by The Beechwood Cemetery Company
Page 8 ECHO novembre - decembre 2020
Parking the problem, and rolling forward with a fix
ty Association, we have made sever- Last Winter, we launched a survey Standardization of on-street park-
al changes, including expanding the discussing options for reducing parking ing in Lowertown is needed. The idea
neighbourhood’s permit parking area hours and restrictions in the neighbour- is that by standardizing parking from
into one large zone, which gives equal hood. Initially, responding to a request Monday to Friday to 2 hours between
access to permit holders for all who live from the Lowertown Community Asso- 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., this could dras-
in our community. ciation, there was a desire to set daytime tically reduce employees working in the
on-street parking in residential area to 1 area from overusing on-street parking
Still, the desire to improve the on- hour during weekday hours. to benefit Lowertown resident’s livabil-
street parking situation remains in the ity.
residential areas of Lowertown. The idea was it could increase turn-
over and limit access to those who come To ensure that the results achieved
The office receives hundreds of re- and work in our area and park on street, are indeed the best for the communi-
quests about this issue – the proximity free of charge, every day. ty, we have launched a second survey,
of homes to the commercial area and Parking Standardization In Lowertown.
major employment nodes which influ- The survey results were varied – with I encourage all residents to reach out
ences on-street residents’ parking avail- concern about reducing the times and and have their say. Visit mathieufleury.
Mathieu Fleury ability. comments about who may benefit from ca and click on the link Parking Stan-
Councillor, Rideau-Vanier changes. All the survey comments and dardization In Lowertown to complete
The fix may be as simple as altering concerns were indeed valid and have
Standardizing options for the times of the current parking restric- the survey.
helped shape our next steps to resolv-
parking in Lowertown tions. The way to fix this is to stan- ing the issue. We’ve heard from the
dardize parking times in Lowertown’s survey to not proceed with a one-hour
inding parking downtown residential area (North of St. Patrick).
F
limit weekday (daytime), and we want Mathieu Fleury
can be difficult. Whether It is essential to know that this request to move ahead and propose a two-hour City Councillor|
it is looking for a spot for a to change parking restrictions does not parking limit on weekdays (daytime). Conseiller municipal
business, visiting a friend, or propose any changes to the paid parking
Ward |Quartier 12 (Rideau-Vanier)
parking your vehicle – it can be stressful in the Byward Market or to King Ed- We believe in minimizing the busi-
(613) 580-2482
if you can not find one. ward Avenue signage. This area is be- ness/employee impacts on streets week- mathieufleury.ca
tween Guigues, Boteler, King Edward day which would free up more daytime
Over the years, working with resi- and Sussex. on-street parking options for residents
dents and the Lowertown Communi- and their guests.
Résoudre le problème de stationnement
Options d’uniformisation du sta- principaux pôles d’emploi, ce qui a une le secteur résidentiel à une heure en se- es de stationnement sur rue pendant la
tionnement dans la Basse-Ville incidence sur la disponibilité des sta- maine. journée pour les résidents et leurs in-
I
tionnements sur rue pour les résidents. vités.
Le principe était que cela augmente
l peut être difficile de trou- La solution pourrait être aussi sim- la rotation et limite l’accès à ceux qui L’uniformisation du stationnement
ver du stationnement au cen- ple qu’une modification des heures des travaillent dans notre secteur et qui se sur rue dans la Basse-Ville est néces-
tre-ville. Que ce soit pour cher- restrictions de stationnement actuelles. stationnent gratuitement en bordure de saire. Nous pensons que l’uniform-
cher un emplacement pour une Pour régler le problème, il faut unifor- rue chaque jour. isation du stationnement du lundi au
entreprise, rendre visite à un ami, ou miser les heures de stationnement dans vendredi à deux heures entre 7 h 30 et
stationner votre véhicule – ce peut être le secteur résidentiel de la Basse-Ville Les résultats du sondage étaient 17 h 30 permettrait de réduire de manière
stressant de ne pas en trouver. (au nord de la rue St. Patrick). Il est es- variés et comprenaient des préoccupa- considérable l’utilisation excessive des
sentiel de savoir que cette demande de tions concernant la réduction des heu- stationnements sur rue par les employés
Au fil des années, en travaillant avec modification des restrictions concernant res et des commentaires sur ceux qui qui travaillent dans le secteur au profit
les résidents et l’Association commu- le stationnement ne propose aucune bénéficieraient des changements. Tous des résidents de la Basse-Ville.
nautaire de la Basse-Ville, nous avons modification au stationnement payant les commentaires et les préoccupations
effectué plusieurs changements, nota- du marché By ou aux panneaux sur tirés du sondage étaient valides et ont Pour nous assurer que les résultats
mment l’agrandissement du secteur de l’avenue King Edward. Ce secteur est aidé à définir les prochaines étapes atteints soient réellement les meilleurs
stationnement avec permis du quartier situé entre l’avenue Guigues, la rue Bo- pour résoudre le problème. Un certain pour la collectivité, nous avons lancé
en grande zone, ce qui donne un accès teler, l’avenue King Edward et la prom- nombre de répondants au sondage ont un deuxième sondage, Uniformisation
égal aux détenteurs de permis pour tous enade Sussex. demandé de ne pas procéder à la lim- du stationnement dans la Basse-Ville.
ceux qui habitent dans notre collectivité. ite d’une heure en semaine (de jour), et J’encourage tous les résidents à nous
L’hiver passé, nous avons lancé nous voulons aller de l’avant et propos- faire part de leurs commentaires. Vis-
Toutefois, le désir d’améliorer la un sondage sur les options permettant er une limite de stationnement de deux itez mathieufleury.ca et cliquez sur le
situation du stationnement sur rue per- de réduire les heures et les restrictions heures en semaine (de jour). lien Uniformisation Du Stationne-
siste dans les secteurs résidentiels de la de stationnement dans le quartier. Au ment Dans La Basse-Ville pour rem-
Basse-Ville. départ, en réponse à une demande de Nous pensons qu’il faut minimiser plir le sondage.
l’Association communautaire de la l’incidence des entreprises et des em-
Le bureau reçoit des centaines de de-
Basse-Ville, il y avait un désir de fixer ployés sur les rues en semaine, ce qui
mandes à ce sujet, soit la proximité des permettrait de libérer davantage de plac-
le stationnement sur rue de jour dans
maisons au secteur commercial et aux
L’honorable Mona Fortier
Députée | Ottawa-Vanier | Member of Parliament
Joyeuses fêtes! | Happy Holidays!
À VOTRE SERVICE ! WORKING FOR YOU!
Connect with me. Communiquez avec moi.
613 998 1860 · mona.fortier@parl.gc.ca · www.mfortier.liberal.ca
@MonaFortier @EquipeTeamMona @MonaFortier
November - December 2020 ECHO Page 9
but they have faced obstacles every step to give us a call at 613-744-4484 or send Je continuerai de faire pression sur le
of the way. us an email at lcollard.mpp.co@liberal. gouvernement pour qu’il fournisse un
ola.org. soutien accru aux entreprises à mesure
Overall, Ottawa businesses have qu›elles s›adaptent au nouveau système
been operating in accordance with pub- ien que la pandémie im-
B
de restriction par couleur.
lic health requirements. Our restaurants pose toujours des restric-
and health and fitness centres not only tions à nos vies, nous dev- Pendant ce temps, j’encourage tout
contribute to keeping us sane, but they ons rester positifs et suivre le monde à soutenir et à magasiner lo-
also contribute to the health of our activement les directives qui nous per- calement, comme beaucoup le font déjà.
economy. I will continue to pressure the mettent d’aller de l’avant. Une partie du À l›approche de la période des fêtes,
government to provide more support to défi consiste à protéger notre économie on ne sait pas comment nous pourrons
businesses as they adapt to the new co- locale. Nos petites et moyennes entre- célébrer. Une chose est certaine, c›est
lour-coded restriction system. prises rassemblent nos communautés qu›il y a de nombreuses entreprises lo-
et jouent un rôle fondamental dans nos cales à Ottawa-Vanier qui offrent des
Lucille Collard In the meantime, I encourage every- vies. Ils ont travaillé fort pour s’adapter idées de cadeaux uniques et de délicieux
MPP, Rideau-Vanier one to support and shop local as so many aux directives de santé publique en con- repas à emporter à la maison. Alors que
are doing already. As we approach the
W
ith the pandemic still stante évolution, mais ils ont fait face nous devrons peut-être adapter nos tra-
imposing restrictions holiday season, it is unclear how we will à des obstacles au fur et à mesure des ditions pour nous mettre dans l’esprit
on our lives, we need be able to celebrate. One thing that is changements. des Fêtes, continuons à nous soutenir
to remain positive and certain is that Ottawa-Vanier has many les uns les autres.
actively follow the guidelines that keep local businesses offering unique gift Dans l’ensemble, les entreprises
us moving forward. Part of the chal- ideas and delicious meals to take home. d’Ottawa opèrent en respectent les di- Comme toujours, merci de faire votre
lenge is to protect our local economy. As we may have to adapt our traditions rectives de santé publique. Nos restau- part dans la lutte contre le COVID-19.
Our small and medium-sized business- to get into the holiday spirit, let’s con- rants et centres de santé et de condi- Mon équipe reste disponible pour vous
es bring our communities together and tinue to be supportive of one another. tionnement physique contribuent non aider. N’hésitez pas à nous appeler au
play a fundamental role in our lives. seulement à préserver notre santé phy- 613-744-4484 ou à nous envoyer un
As always, thank you for doing your sique et mentale, mais ils contribuent courriel à lcollard.mpp.co@liberal.ola.
They have worked hard to adapt to the
part in fighting COVID-19. My team re- également à la santé de notre économie. org.
ever-changing public health guidelines,
mains available to help. Please feel free
COVID-19, everyone should choose
H
beaucoup et apportera un soutien de appy Holidays dear
31,9 millions de dollars aux gens et aux residents, I hope ev- lower risk activities to keep them safe.
familles vulnérables ici à Ottawa. eryone enjoys these
holidays, although Happiness and health to you and
En investissant dans le logement abor- this year, the holiday season is yours in the coming year.
dable, nous pouvons créer des emplois much different from other years.
et faire croître notre classe moyenne As always, my constituency office is
This year with the coronavirus pandem- there to help you with any interactions
ainsi que bâtir des communautés solides ic, we need to be careful and continue to
et stimuler notre relance économique. with federal services. It is open Monday
be COVIDWise. to Thursday from 9:30 to 4:30, and Fri-
Par la même occasion, nous contribuons
aussi à réduire l’itinérance et à soutenir day from 9:30 to 4:00. Give us a call at
les Canadiens vulnérables. Ces nou-
Recent events have reminded us, 613-998-1860 or send an email at mona.
more than ever, that nothing is more fortier@parl.gc.ca.
veaux logements seront disponibles rap-
important than having a house, and that
idement et permettront de faire face à
all Canadians deserve a safe and af-
la saison de la grippe et à la deuxième
fordable place to call home. The Rapid
vague de COVID-19.
Housing Initiative will help make this
Hon. Mona Fortier
Je vous rappelle que les temps de fêtes a reality for many and will provide up
J
MP, Rideau-Vanier et les célébrations seront différentes to $31.9 million in support to vulnera-
pendant la pandémie de COVID-19. ble people and families here in Ottawa.
oyeux temps des fêtes cher(ères)
résidentes et résidents, J’espère Toutes les personnes devraient éval-
uer leur propre niveau de risque et la By investing in affordable hous-
que tout le monde profite bien
santé de chaque membre de leur fa- ing, we can create jobs and grow our mid-
de ces temps de fêtes bien que
mille lorsqu’elles décident de la façon dle class and build strong communi-
cette année, la période de fêtes soit
ties and boost our economic recovery. At
beaucoup différente d’autres années. de célébrer. Si un membre de votre
ménage est plus à risque de souffrir de the same time, we are also help-
la COVID-19, vous devriez tous choisir ing to reduce homelessness and sup-
Cette année avec la pandémie du
coronavirus, nous devons être prudents des activités à faible risque pour assurer port vulnerable Canadians. These new
homes will be available quick-
et continuer à être COVIDavisés. sa sécurité.
ly and will help to address the flu sea-
Les événements récents nous ont rap- Bonheur et santé à vous et les vôtres son and the second wave of COVID-19.
pelé, plus que jamais, que rien n’est plus dans l’année à venir.
I’d like to remind you that holiday sea-
important que d’avoir un logement, de
Soyez assurés que mon bureau de cir- son and celebrations are going to look
plus, tous les Canadiens méritent d’avoir
conscription est toujours là pour vous and feel different during the COVID-19
un chez-soi sûr et abordable. C’est pour
appuyer avec tous les aspects des ser- pandemic. All individuals should assess
cette raison que notre gouvernement a
vices fédéraux. Communiquez avec their own level of risk, and the health of
mis en place l’initiative pour la création
nous au 613-998-1860 ou envoyez un every person in their household, when
rapide de logements, qui contribuera à
courriel à mona.fortier@parl.gc.ca deciding how to celebrate. If anyone in
ce que cela devienne une réalité pour
your household is at higher risk from
Lu
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(613) 695 - 6366 www.LynnsTailoring.com
Page 10 ECHO novembre - decembre 2020
A COVID Real Estate Success Story
Very quickly in the New Year he
found and purchased a beautiful condo Lowertown Update August 27-November 6th
in the market area. He moved in tempo-
rarily with just the basic necessities be- Residential
cause his wife was still at home working Active Listings 9
and awaiting a job offer in Ottawa. Conditional Sales 1
SOLD 8
Then the COVID lockdown hit. He
Sold over list price 4 (selling from $8K to $74K over list)
began working on-line from his home
Condominium
base in Southern Ontario. He never
Active Listings 47
did come back to work in Ottawa but
Conditional Sales 3
continued to work remotely. What to
SOLD 29
By Lynda Cox do????? Sell and perhaps take a loss or
Sold over list price 7 (selling from $100. To $160K over list)
rent for a while. Well as you all know
et me tell you an interesting the COVID crisis enhanced property
L client story that will give
you a picture of this strange
COVID Real Estate season.
Before Christmas a childhood friend of
mine referred an acquaintance of hers
values here in Ottawa and after staging
the property we sold at a price that, af-
ter all expenses, still left money in his
pocket even after owning it for less than
6 months. A happy ending.
resale market is holding steady and then
some. Condominium properties have
increased in value by approximately
19 % over this time last year and resi-
dential properties 25%. October’s new
Who would have guessed it? So yes,
now is a very good time to sell.
Lynda and Jim Cox form the COX
HOME TEAM and are Sales
that was moving to Ottawa to work on condominium listings have increased by
the refurbishment project on Parliament That is the real estate reality in Ot- Representatives with Royal Lepage
70% over 2019 and residential listings
tawa. Now that we are into the second Performance Realty. lynda@
Hill. by 48%.
wave of the COVID crisis the Ottawa coxhometeam.ca
Condo Corner : The Court system during COVID-19
In the condo world, this means that certain condominium disputes. There fast as possible.
the courts are still an available tool if are also other types of disputes must be
needed. Of course, some matters may resolved through mandatory mediation Of course, this doesn’t mean that a
not need court action right away (in my and (if necessary) arbitration. Having court proceeding is the first step when
view, going to court is very often the said this, there are still many condo dis- dealing with non-compliant behaviour
last resort). Furthermore, the court’s putes in Ontario that are decided by the at condominiums. Trying to resolve a
capacity has not (as far as I’m aware) courts. problem through communication is al-
completely returned to pre-covid lev- most always the logical “first step”. Of-
els. However, for some situations where Over the past several months, our ten times, engaging with the person di-
Court is absolutely needed, such as se- firm has dealt with several compliance rectly (sometimes with the involvement
rious violations of a condo’s governing matters that required a court’s immedi- of legal counsel) will stop the non-com-
documents, the court system is absolute- ate intervention. This has included deal- pliant behaviour. However, for those
ly a viable option for recourse – even ing with instances where individuals instances where engagement doesn’t
during the pandemic. breached COVID regulations/restric- work, recourse through the court system
I
By David Lu
tions at condominiums. In our experi- is still available during this pandemic.
hope everyone is staying well. I should also add that some types of ence, the courts are definitely willing
We planked the first wave and condo disputes aren’t resolved in the to assist in such cases. There have been David Lu is an Associate at
we can do it again. We are all in courts. The Condominium Authority instances were the courts have granted Davidson Houle Allen LLP
this together. Tribunal (which is completely online) us an urgent hearing for these types of
now has added jurisdiction to decide issues, so that they can be dealt with as
COVID-19 has significantly impact-
ed the court system; although in many
ways for the better. When COVID first
struck, the courts pretty much shut down
SO
SO
(except for the most pressing criminal
LD
LD
matters). Since then the courts (includ-
ing civil proceedings) have opened up
considerably. COVID has forced the
court system to innovate, transitioning
from a predominantly paper-based sys-
tem to one that is now predominantly
electronic. Before COVID, you pret-
ty much had to send everything to the
courthouse by paper. But now many of
the same documents can be submitted
electronically.
700 Sussex Drive 222 Bruyere Street
Court hearings have also changed Need to move during this Covid time?
dramatically. In-person hearings have Call for your complimentary evaluation.
resumed somewhat (with significant
COVID precautions put in place). But Let our Family Help Your Family.
we’ve also seen an exciting increase in
virtual hearings. I have personally done
a few of them (both through Zoom and Lynda Cox & Jim Cox
through teleconference) and they’ve all Sales Representatives
gone extremely smoothly. I fully expect info@CoxHomeTeam.ca
these types of virtual hearings to contin- Not intended to interfere with existing agency relationships www.CoxHomeTeam.ca
ue even after COVID-19 is over.You can also read
