February/March 2005 Vol. 24, No. 5

CHAMPLAIN SPEAKERMosque parking meeting March 10The Community Association has

called a meeting for March 10 to dis-cuss the rezoning application for com-mercial parking at the Central Mosqueon Northwestern Avenue.

We have already stated our opposi-tion in writing. The meeting is to discussthe presentation to a city of Ottawacommittee that is scheduled for April.

If you can't attend, but would like

to attend the city hall hearing to expressyour views, you can call Jonathan, Lynneor Amy (phone numbers on page 2).The meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. in thefieldhouse.

As many of you know, there is somehistory that explains why the associationwould oppose the rezoning.

In 2004, the Ottawa MuslimAssociation (OMA) was able to pur-

chase their existing parking lot (former-ly leased from the federal department ofPublic Works) plus some adjacent land.

This step was supported by the com-munity association.

The mosque has now applied tohave the land rezoned from “govern-ment” to “place of worship” use, asrequired by the City.

(Continued on next page)

DOGS IN THE HOOD.

It was good to read the above sec-tion in last month's Champlain Speaker .

Amongst other things, it helps toidentify good dogs from bad dogs.

I customarily enjoy a daily walkthrough the woods in our area north ofPontiac and south of the Parkway. Buttoday was the third time in the past fourweeks that I have been seriously con-

cerned for my safety when threatenedby an aggressive dog.

On all three occasions during mywalks, I have been obliged to stand stillto minimize what was to me an unam-biguous threat of being bitten. The dogswere large, unleashed, unmuzzled, andnot in the immediate control of theirguardians.

I do not have a general dislike ofdogs, and have sufficient experience of

them to recognize both friendly andaggressive canine behavior when I see it.The offending dogs were three differentanimals, and in each case I suggested tothe guardian that, were the dog to bemuzzled, I would be much happier.

Consider.There is the stress that I and many

people experience during such inci-dents.

(Continued on back page)

Unleashed, out of control: Bad dogs in our woods?

Hey! Wait up! The Pinto Valley Ranch sleigh ride was a big hit at Winterfest this year. See story on next page.

TEENS AT WORKJessica (babysitting) 728-8413Morgan (yard chores) 728-6530Kym (babysitting) 729-5439Paul (yard chores) 728-2583Rory (yard chores) 798-0036Karl (yard chores) 728-7589Nick (computer help) 798-7652Daniel (yard chores) 722-6134Joey (babysitting) 728-5792Katrina (babysitting) 725-5423Elisabeth (babysitting) 722-0454

Community AssociationChair: Jonathan Chaplan (728-7670)Vice-chair: Mark Cianfaglione (722-5674)Treasurer: potter (728-4980)Secretary: Lynne Bankier (729-0955)Planning:Amy Kempster (722-6039)Membership: Amy Kempster (722-6039)Neighbourhood Watch: MichaelCheng (722-3344)Fieldhouse co-ordinator: Laurie Fagan(728-1945)Rink co-ordinator: Greg Doswell (722-7705)Adopt-a-Riverbank co-ordinator: DonMonet (728-1750)

CHAMPLAIN SPEAKER

Editor: Kelly Egan, 728-1945lfagan@magma.ca

197 Daniel Ave. K1Y OE1Delivery Chief: Laura Robin

On-line project: Alexander Smithagmsmith@rogers.com

Carriers: Kay Young, Terri

Blanchard, Sandy Milne, Philip Cutfield,Patrick Mates, Rita Palin, Laura Robin,

Becky Rynor, Jim Hay, Olivia Frank,Heather Pearl, Ann Potter, Carole AnneCopeland, Emma Morris, Linda Steele,Nancy Leigh-Smith, Benjamin Holland,

Marlene Kells.

The Speaker is produced monthly withthe generous supportof the Ottawa Citizen.

1SPRING FLING

Dinner and family entertainment atNorthwestern United Church onSaturday, March 12 . Doors open at5:30 p.m., entertainment about 7 p.m.Tickets $10.00 for adults, $5 for chil-dren. Contact: Marion Reid 722-0274.

2 AEROBICS

If your NewYear's resolu-tion includesgetting moreexercise (andhaving fundoing it), why not join the ChamplainPark aerobics class? Low impact aero-bics classes, taught by certified Yinstructors, are held at the fieldhouseon Mondays and Wednesdays at 6:45p.m. For more information or to regis-ter, call Liz at 724-2162.

3GARDEN CLUB

Tuesday, March 8: Rideau WoodlandRamble was created as a result of theIce Storm of 1998. Come hear DaveDunn talk about unusual conifers andsmall shrubs. For info, 728-1945.

Vital stuff

Blue Box:March 7, 21

Black Box:Feb. 28, March 14,Tuesday, March 29

Dating Yourself

Mosque Parking:(Continued from front page)

They have also applied to use theland for commercial parking.

However, as a condition of pur-chase, the OMA agreed to accept alegal covenant prohibiting commercialparking on the land, which now will beable to hold about 300 cars.

Purchase of the land was intendedto:

Help alleviate mosque-associatedparking and traffic problems for the

surrounding community;Relieve the OMA of the high leas-

ing fees it was paying to the federal gov-ernment;

Provide much-needed additionalparking for Mosque visitors.

The request to allow commercialparking is contrary to the original reso-lution (a “win-win” solution arrived atby both communities with assistancefrom Coun. Shawn Little) passed byCity Council in 2000.

Consequently, the community asso-ciation opposes it.

Winterfest was a smokin’ successagain this year.

Many thanks to Don Monet, thechief organizer, for pulling togetherthe many pieces. The live music duringlunch-hour was a delightful additionthis year. Well done, Don McVey andthe Black Hanky Boys.

Many hands made the event hap-pen. Here are some of them: LauraMuldoon, Anne Doswell, Diane Merhi,Becky Rynor, Emma Monet, AmyKempster, Paul Andracik, Sue Bradley,Kathy Kott, Joyce Mortimer, TheresaKott-Brander, Tom Sauve, Buck Sauve,Laurie Fagan, Craig Wells and DougSchearer.

(Apologies to anyone left off thelist.)

In the chili contest, meat category,first prize went to Diane Merhi, sec-ond to Bob Kempster and third toPaul Andracik. Among the vegitarianentrants, first went to MoraghMuldoon and second to EmmaMonet and Shelby .

Special thanks also to PierreParadis of C.A. Paradis on BankStreet. He kindly gave us a whack ofnew dishes for this and future commu-nity events.

All hail Winterfest!

DOGS IN THE HOODBy Thomas and Meredith Lauzon

There’s a good dog, Chloe!

If you would like us to profile your dog, callor email Thomas and Meredith c/o their

mother Kim (785-0770 or kim.haliburton@bell.ca.)

Chloe is one of many GoldenRetrievers on Patricia Avenue and

probably the friendliest!FAMILY: The Fowlers, Ali, Doug, Sam,

and Hannah.AGE: 10 years old, slowing down a little,

a bit of grey around her eyes, but the new kit-ten in the house keeps her moving.

TRICKS: The usual. Sit, lie down, butalso “lick a hand” on command.

FAVOURITE ACTIVITIES : Going to thecottage; swimming at the cottage; being petand rubbed. By far her favourite activity is sit-ting on her front lawn waiting for someone,anyone, to come along and pet her.

NEAT INFO: Chloe is the most gentle,friendly dog you’ve ever met! She actually isprobably too friendly for some people, butwouldn’t hurt a flea.

AHH! FACTOR: She loves her family somuch that she once followed their canoe forquite a while across a large lake.

The Fowlers only noticed Chloe afterthey had pulled up on a shore to have a pic-nic. Chloe came out of the water to jointhem!

TOP: Chloe strikes a pose onthe lawn. Looking good, girl!

LEFT: Here she is at the cot-tage, leaping off the dock, withSam in the background.Youbet she’s a Retriever!

Our neighbouring community ofWestboro Beach has a history

committee and Hintonburg has had alocal history published.

Shall Champlain Park be left reallyfar behind?

This year is the 150th anniversaryfor the City of Ottawa and what betterproject for the neighbourhood thansome research into the history of whatused to be called Riverside? Students,budding authors, seniors and others, canwe get some entries in a contest for thebest local history of our neighbourhood?Do we have some people who would actas judges of such a contest? Or wouldwe rather form a committee to do thehistory?

If there is a volunteer out thereinterested in heading up a committee toresearch and write up our local historyplease call me at 722-6039. Past issues ofthe Champlain Speaker may help.

(Editor’s note: Amy, good soul thatshe is, has very kindly offered to donatea cash prize to anyone prepare to puttogether a local history.)

City Budget:By the time you read this, the budg-

et debate will be over and the decisionswill be made.

We will have to face increasedcharges for water and taxes increased byroughly four per cent.

While an efficient city administra-tion is desired by everyone, there are dif-ferences as to what the city should sup-port in its budget.

Myself, I keep in mind that if thereare too many gaps in the things support-ed by the city, some area of our qualityof life may suffer: either in more home -less on the street, icy streets, a city withfewer trees and worse air, a city with lesscultural attractions and thus less attrac-

tive to visitors and residents, etcetera.Personally, I believe our councillors

have very difficult decisions to make andI do not envy them the problem.

Giving a presentation where I wasmainly asking that greenspace items inthe budget be retained and not cut, Iheard some of the requests for addition-al funds and they all seemed worthy.

One case was an example of wherethe liability problem had created a situa-tion which might have been handledsome years ago by other means: appar-ently the Highway Traffic Act requiresthat adult crossing guards be employees.

So if more are needed the cityneeds to supply the money to the organ-ization that hires and trains them.Volunteers cannot be used.

Just for your information, therewere several items in the capital budgetof interest to this community: replace-ment of playground equipment and ofthe school-age play structure in thepark.

Also included were minor repairsand upgrading of the changerooms areaof the structures at Westboro Beach.

We are also due for water pipeswork on Premier; resurfacing of theParkway where it is used by theTransitway (between Dominion andLincoln Fields) and more work onRichmond Road (between Kirkwoodand Western).

For Scott Street, we have sewerwork (between Ross and Holland) andresurfacing (between Winona andLanark).

(P.S. Assuming none of these projects iscut from the budget.)

Amy’sCorner

by Amy Kempster722-6039

Know thyself:Anyone want

to tell our story?

Unleashed:(Continued from front page)

Then again, the merest nip whichdraws blood requires at least the need todetermine quickly that there is docu-mentary evidence the dog has had avalid rabies injection.

Then perhaps I would myself haveto undergo an extended and oftenpainful inoculation process.

My mind also boggles at thethought that I might meet an unmuz-zled and aggressive dog while walking

through the woods with my younggrandchildren.

I understand that dogs like to runfree in the open, but I believe that itshould not be at my or other people'speril. The suggestion of a good, stout,muzzle is a minimum for animals withthe capability of causing serious injury.

My preference is that dogs taken fora walk should be both muzzled and onan adequate restraining leash, especiallywhere pathways are quite narrow.

I do not believe that a dog is to beallowed even one unprovoked bite.

Muzzles and leashes would be an ulti-mate kindness to the animals them-selves.

I have laid no complaints or had anydiscussions with city authorities, wishingrather to bring the situation to theattention of Champlain Park residents.

It would be encouraging to havesome responses to this note in nextmonth's Speaker.

Garfield, a resident of Patricia Avenue.