By Lisa Miguez The region’s plans to build ramps connecting Hunt Club to the Airport Parkway have been stalled by a call for a wider environmental assessment. The City Centre Community Coalition sent a request to the Ontario Environment Ministry to force the region to conduct a more detailed environmental impact review. The review will cause up to a 66-day delay in the start of construction. This would put the date for the beginning of construction past the Nov. 10 municipal elections. The new council could put a halt to the plans. Clive Doucet, a candidate in the coming election for Capital Ward, says the application is a way to stall the ramp until after the election, which could lead to a change in council. Without the delay, the ramp could have been started as early as Oct. 7. The coalition says the region is cutting corners on its construction that could result in a serious impact on communities along Bronson Avenue. Members of the coalition are concerned the Hunt Club ramps are only the first step in a plan to convert the Airport Parkway and Bronson Avenue into an urban expressway. Jim Millar, the region’s director of the engineering division in environment and transportation, says there is no mention of turning Bronson into a major expressway in the region’s Transportation Master Plan. A study commissioned by the region found traffic on Bronson could increase up to 220 cars per hour in the morning peak hours and 115 at peak time in the afternoon. The study examined the short-term traffic impact of the Hunt Club ramps. Doucet says this extra traffic can only lead to a break-down in the quality of urban living. “People really don’t understand the importance of the issue . . . if you have that head of traffic moving downtown, there won’t be a house or residential area that won’t be affected,” he says. He says the current council lacks balance, favoring suburban interests over urban concerns. In the meantime, community groups concerned over the impending changes to the Airport Parkway will have a chance to voice their concerns starting in mid-October. As part of an extended study being performed for the region by MAXGROUP Associates, a steering committee of community representatives will be set up to look at the long range impact of the proposed changes. The committee will also review the earlier study conducted by the group on the short-term traffic impact. In addition to the Hunt Club ramps, the region approved plans to twin the Airport Parkway, as well as add access ramps at Walkley Road, as part of the 25-year plan approved this July. The committee will be made up of representatives from communities such as the Glebe, Centretown and Old Ottawa South, representatives from Transport 2000, proponents of a regional light-rail system, and pedestrian and cycling agencies. Pat Steenberg, a member of the coalition, says the committee will give community groups a chance to convince people there are alternatives to building the road. “We need to start talking about what is going to happen after. If you expand that road, you’re dead,” she says. Steenberg says the region should consider more affordable and accessible transit as an option to the construction. David Gladstone, an executive member of the Centretown Citizens’ Community Association, agrees the region spends too much time making it easier for cars to get around, and not enough looking at other options for the parkway corridor. He says the corridor would perfectly suit a light rail system on the already existing Canadian Pacific rails. “I’m very hopeful when we sit down and look at transportation needs in the corridor, light rail will be shown as a viable option, not a cute toy, but a way of saving tens of thousands of dollars.” The committee will be meeting until the end of November. Findings from the extended study are expected to be presented to the transit committee when it re-convenes after the election.
By Jill Renaud The chips are down and the dice will be ready to roll as early as next spring at two new charity casinos in the Ottawa region. The Ontario alcohol and gaming commission announced Sept. 26 the names of two gaming companies which will operate permanent casinos in the Ottawa region. The casinos will be about one-tenth the size of the Hull casino and limited to 150 video lotteries and 40 table games. Locations for the casino are yet to be announced but many are betting that at least one of the casinos will be in downtown Ottawa. “We believe one of the casinos must be placed in the downtown area,” says Willy Bagnell, president of the Ottawa-Carleton Board of Trade. He says that potential locations such as Sparks and Rideau Streets are ideal because of the close proximity to hotels and other tourist attractions. “The Hull casino is a tremendous facility, but the fact is that it is not in the downtown of Ottawa and geography works against it,” says Bagnell. He says the other casino should go where it has the greatest economic impact, whether it is Nepean, Gloucester, Ottawa South or some other area. One of the companies, Star of Fortune Management, is a newly formed Toronto-based group that is owned and operated by Canadian business and gaming experts. The other competing casino will be operated by Carnival Hotels and Casinos Corp. (CHC), a U.S.-based conglomerate, which bills itself as the world’s largest cruise corporation and North America’s leading casino and hotel operator. The company also operates Casino Rama in Orillia and the Casino Rouge riverboat in Louisiana. The charity casinos are slated to replace three-day roving Monte Carlo gambling events and are expected to provide $180 million annually to charitable organizations. Under the current system charities receive about $10 million a year from charity casinos. Ottawa Mayor Jacquelin Holzman hopes both casinos will be located in Ottawa. She has been in contact with both groups and says CHC has already expressed interest in the downtown area. “My understanding is that Carnival tours is definitely going to be in the city of Ottawa,” says Holzman. CHC is not a new player in the Ottawa area. The company was invited by the city of Ottawa to study the feasibility of a charity casino in the early 1990s. CHC proposed to construct a permanent charity casino on Sparks Street and was turned down by the province. But there is speculation the company is still interested in the street. “Four or five years ago, when they were first looking, they decided that was the best location,” says Holzman. She added that the city supported a Sparks Street charity casino several years ago. Ken Dale, of the Sparks Street Improvement Area, says some landlords from the street have already contacted the companies with potential sites, but declined to reveal which ones. Other potential locations include the Rideau-Carleton Raceway in Gloucester and the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park. The other company, Star of Fortune Management, is new to the region and is beginning to look at potential locations. “We were precluded from looking at locations until the final announcement was made,” says company spokesperson Barbara Fox. However, she says the company has received many suggestions from landlords, community groups, and municipalities in the region. “Right now we have no preferred site,” says Fox. Once sites are chosen, the companies operating the new casinos will not only have to compete with each other, but also with the Hull casino. “Any competition is desirable,” says Holzman. The casinos will be part of 44 charity gaming clubs in Ontario which are expected to gross $1 billion annually. The provincial government hopes to skim $250 million a year off the proceeds.
By P.C. Pethick
A local video artist is looking for a few good hens...and he’s no chicken when it comes to shelling out the big bucks to find them. Ottawa documentary maker Rob Thompson began the search, last Saturday, for two “chickens” to star in his newest project Wire, a video he says will, “raise public awareness about how animals are treated in the food industry.” The search ended Monday when Pam Meldrum, a 27-year-old pharmacy technician, and Eric Wolf, 23, a salesman were chosen from among 74 other applicants. A local video artist is looking for a few good hens...and he’s no chicken when it comes to shelling out the big bucks to find them. Ottawa documentary maker Rob Thompson began the search, last Saturday, for two “chickens” to star in his newest project Wire, a video he says will, “raise public awareness about how animals are treated in the food industry.” The search ended Monday when Pam Meldrum, a 27-year-old pharmacy technician, and Eric Wolf, 23, a salesman were chosen from among 74 other applicants. The two participants will receive $2,500 each to live in a cage like chickens for a week. The chicken wannabes showed up at the SAW Gallery to audition for the documentary. The scene was a colorful mosaic of performance artists, students, philosophers, and animal rights activists. Each was given the chance to tell an interview panel, made up of Thompson’s associates Ian Reid and Susan Terrill, why they should be one of the privileged chickens. The reasons they gave ranged from “personal growth” to “fighting inequality.” Few listed money as the prime objective. “In order to be able to do it you’d have to have some other motivation,” says Reid. “I think if you were doing it only for the money it might be a little problematic.” “The main reason (for doing this) is to test my ability to empathize,” says Pam Meldrum. “I have confidence in my ability to stay in there for a week.” Meldrum went as far as to practice the role for the documentary. She has already spent eight hours in a small wooden cage she and her boyfriend built to give her an edge over the competition. Meldrum admits one week will be considerably more difficult under the conditions Thompson has planned. Clad only in long-johns, running shoes, and a toque; the two participants will be cooped up in a cage slightly larger than a refrigerator. There will be enough room in the cage for the chickens to stretch out when lying down but not enough to stand up. The cage comes equipped with a curtained off port-a-pottie, but it will not have an area for the chickens to wash themselves. They will get their drinking water from a regular old garden hose and will be fed a vegetarian mash three times a day. If you think these conditions are rough, the cage and its tenants will be on display at the SAW Gallery for one week beginning Oct. 25, where both the video camera and the public will get a chance to see how they fare. “These are still pretty luxurious conditions when compared to battery hens, who are crammed into cages literally one on top of each other with their beaks cut off,” says Thompson. Although Thompson is not a vegetarian himself, he says he will aim his video at society’s mistreatment of food industry animals. “Most people know what’s going on and they’re horrified by it,” says Thompson. “Yet they still eat bacon, eggs, and meat.”
Four Hopewell public school teachers have won awards for their contributions to the arts in the Ottawa Board of Education school system. Marcelle Belanger, Marilyn Carter, Diane Croteau and Allison Woyiwada were chosen by the board’s advisory committee on the arts for “exemplary service to students under extremely difficult conditions," said Hopewell principal Marg Dempster. Some Hopewell classes had to be relocated to the Bronson Centre on Bronson Avenue in 1996-97 while the school was undergoing major renovations. “Although this move caused tremendous upheaval, these teachers still maintained school arts programs, decorated the school, and organized many concerts," Dempsey said. She added that the hospitality of the Centretown community greatly facilitated the relocation, especially the nearby Boys and Girls Club. The awards were presented at a recent meeting of the OBE trustees. — John Leefe
OC Transpo has been given the go-ahead to buy and install on-board transfer-issuing machines. The 90-minute passes, which are expected to be installed early next year, will allow unlimited rides in any direction before they expire. OC Transpo received confirmation last week that the Province of Ontario will cover half of the $2.3 million cost of the system. —Spencer Ferron-Tripp AIDS Walk helps local programs The Seventh Annual AIDS Walk raised awareness and over $108,000 towards preventative measures against the epidemic. More than 3,000 people participated in the five-kilometre walk that attracted politicians, local businesses, youth groups and persons living with HIV. Money raised from the walk will go towards prevention/education programs and local AIDS support services. —Spencer Ferron-Tripp
By Howard Nason An electric car is an unusual place to carry out an interview. But when one of three candidates for mayor invites you for a ride in his personal hot-wired matchbox car, it’s as good a place as any. Robert Gauthier is one of the three candidates running for mayor of Ottawa. Driving around the city in his pollution-free vehicle, he takes time to answer questions. Why would he want to be mayor of Ottawa? “I don’t,” he says. Then why run? “I’m running in self-defence. Anybody who’s in business here in this city knows what that means,” explains Gauthier. He’s referring to a number of different issues that he feels need to be addressed: safer streets, more community participation, and, you guessed it, a cleaner environment. “I think a city like Ottawa should be more. . .convivial. The streets should be safer,” says Gauthier. “It’s a people place. I’m more concerned about the people side.” For these reasons the 60-year-old entrepreneur decided to run for public office for the first time, against Jim Watson — the widely favored candidate. Gauthier has worked in an engineering firm, in marketing with Xerox, and currently produces his own paper, the Ottawa National Capital News. Gauthier’s platform focuses on ideas such as replacing city- owned vehicles with electric ones, working towards safer streets, and making public facilities like swimming pools and museums free to keep young people off the streets and out of malls. It’s an idealistic approach, but the soft-spoken Gauthier sees it as a simple problem. “We need more participation,” he says. “People have to feel that it’s their city.” For Watson things are simpler, and can be broken down into straightforward points. “The city can’t create jobs,” says Watson. “We can create the environment that encourages people to create jobs by reducing some of the regulations and rules that hinder economic growth.” He wants to reduce the government to a one-tier system, like in Calgary, by the year 2000. With a similar population, Calgary has 15 municipal politicians, compared to Ottawa’s 84. Watson also plans to create community councils where two or three wards would work together on local issues. “There’s no sense bringing everything back up to the mother ship at City Hall when decisions can be made back down in the community,” explains Watson. His other plans include increased programming for younger people, such as internships, and controlling taxes and spending. The third candidate is Raymond Loomer. In a somewhat bizarre twist, Loomer has essentially vanished since confirming his candidacy for mayor, and could not be reached for comment. He can only be found through his web site on the Internet. Among his proposals, Loomer advocates making public transit free — except during peak hours. He thinks this will encourage economic growth in the city, decrease traffic, and help the environment. Loomer also hopes to examine the possibility of placing tunnels under Ottawa’s streets to fulfil long-term transportation needs and to allow access to public utilities. This could mean no more dug-up roads — something most Ottawa residents can relate to.
By Roslyn McGilvery Gay men in abusive relationships have nowhere to turn in Ottawa-Carleton, says a John Howard Society worker, so the organization is working to establish a referral service to provide support. There is currently no service in the Ottawa-Carleton area that provides counselling or emergency shelter for gay male domestic abuse victims. As a result, gay men looking for help are redirected from one organization to the next and in some cases end up calling John Howard. But John Howard is not the best source of assistance because its mandate is on the other side of the issue: it helps those who have been in conflict with the law. Jody Cooper, literacy co-ordinator at John Howard, decided to do something about this problem when she realized these men were getting the runaround. She says abused gay men needing help would first call Pink Triangle Services, a gay and lesbian umbrella organization. They would refer them to the police, who would refer them to John Howard. Cooper says she once directed a man to Pink Triangle, only to find he had called there already and had been redirected to her organization. That’s when she decided to spearhead this project. “There is a counselling or agency gap in our community and there is no reason it can’t be filled,” she says. She says she wants to provide these men with the same types of support offered to women in similar situations. “If it’s going to work it will have to be a co-operative effort,” she explains. “We want to put something together so that all community agencies are aware of each other.” She wants to form a subcommittee through which agencies can pool their talents and skills to set up a service. “So the next time someone calls John Howard, I can refer him to a counsellor or an emergency shelter where he can receive the help he needs.” Cooper says she has already begun discussing the project with agencies such as the Ottawa-Carleton Police Liaison Committee for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities.
By Katherine E. Reyes With a possible teachers’ strike around the corner, parents could be left scrambling for places where their children can stay during the day. Teachers plan to strike if the Harris government adopts its education reform plans. The government plans to pass Bill 160 any day. The bill seeks changes such as a reduction in the number of teachers, the number of professional development days and class-preparation time. If there is a strike, some parents working outside of their homes may have problems re-arranging their schedules to watch their children during the day. Parents with flexible working hours say they know some parents aren’t as lucky. “If necessary, I’d watch other children whose parents need to work,” says Eddy Napoleon, whose daughter attends McNabb Park school on Percy Street. Napoleon is a security guard and works the evening shift but his wife, Amber Khan, works during the day. “I know we’d manage well,” Khan says. The couple said their six-year-old daughter would still be working hard at home if there was a strike. “She wouldn’t be on vacation,”Khan says. “As usual, we’d make sure she’d have to read and learn at home.” The working mother added: “I know it would be difficult for some parents to find day care on such short notice.” For low-income parents, paying for day care could be tough if there is a strike. “I think it would be difficult for parents to pay for day care because some people in this area don’t have that extra cash,” says Caroline Hawthorne, chairwoman of Connaught public school council. Hawthorne says some parents may be forced to leave their children home alone. Despite problems a strike would cause, Hawthorne says she supports teachers. “I’m 110 per cent behind the teachers,” she says. “The teachers at my son’s school have children’s best interests in mind.” Despite the support of some parents for teachers, others think a strike would hurt students. “Parents haven’t shown any hostility towards teachers but I know not everyone will be able to make arrangements for the strike,” says Joan Spice who’s daughter attends Elgin Street public school. “Parents and children will obviously be hit hard if the strike lasts for several weeks.” Khan says she’s worried some parents aren’t taking the strike seriously and haven’t started making plans. “It’s a different thing when something’s in the process of being planned,”Khan says. “When it actually happens is when people begin to think about it and then it’s too late.”
Ignoring the dozen wasps swarming around a large, open-topped crate of grapes sitting outside Il Garage Ristorante, Sophie Raynor-Grignon, 5, gingerly stood up and stomped barefoot in the fruit. Applause broke out in the crowd of watchers, who had gathered to celebrate Preston Street’s first annual Grape Harvest Festival, La Vindemmia, held Sept. 26-28. With 15 cases of grapes from Musca Wine and Il Garage, anyone who wanted to could participate in a traditional Italian grape-stomping. The celebration was part of an effort to revitalize Preston Street, and also included traditional dance demonstrations, wine-tasting, special desserts and various displays. “One-two-three! One-two-three! The top is easy, you have to squish real hard to get the bottom!” said Tony Ronzoni, wearing rolled-up sleeves and a straw hat as he encouraged the stompers. He and his wife, Diane Robert, run Il Garage at 225 Preston St. Kyra Bélanger-Theil, 7, shook her head firmly when asked if she wanted to jump in. “I’m scared of wasps,” she said. Twenty minutes later, she’d changed her mind and was purple to the knees, pronouncing the experience to be “cold, smushy and gooey.” Adrian Gregorich, 11, agreed. “It’s kind of like stepping on soft marbles.” Kyra’s grandmother, Micheline Bélanger, wasn’t concerned about grape stains. “This is fun,” she said. “When they’re old ladies and old men they can tell their children they did this. Probably by then they’ll be doing it by computer or something.” Teenagers and adults also joined in the squishy fun. Giuseppe Tancredi, 60, bounced up and down to furious applause, yelling, “Olé!” and splattering grape juice up past his bare knees. “When I was young, I did this every October in Italy. We did a different farm every day,” he said. “The wine is much better this way. Every country would make better wine if they used feet!” Mary Wood, a local resident who came to watch the grape stomping, said, “This street has lots of character, and if they’re going to have a festival we should come out and support them.” As the last batch of stompers washed their feet and were given a free glass of wine, the crowd moved across the street to watch local children demonstrate Italian dances. Diane Robert, who was busy waiting tables, said she thought the event was a success. “People enjoyed themselves. Next year I’ll have a manager, so I can have some fun too.” She said that the newly-stomped grape juice will be used to make wine, although it won’t be sold at the restaurant. “Tony will probably make about 60 gallons to keep at home,” she explained. And how long will 60 gallons of wine last? Robert just grinned. “He’s Italian.”
By Jason Kirby It looks the same as any garden this time of year, with a few sunflowers standing beside wilted patches of vegetables, but the roar of the Queensway only 30 metres away signals you’re not in a quaint country garden. This small green plot at the corner of Catherine and Metcalfe streets is the Bytown Urban Gardens and it’s part of a growing trend to bring green space back into city centres. “It’s been happening all across Canada, but especially here in Ottawa,” says David Duffy, community programs co-ordinator for the City of Ottawa. Twelve groups run urban gardens in Ottawa, including the city’s 10-year-old allotment gardens in Alta Vista, he says. There are 355 plots, each measuring 112 square meters, which people can rent for $50 during the summer. “You can grow just about anything, as long as it’s legal and it’s not for resale,” he says. Dwayne Hodgson, one of three founders of the year-old BUG, says urban gardens help develop communities. When volunteers first arrived to cultivate the land, where military barracks once stood, they found mounds of rubble. “This site had been abandoned for five years,” he says. “Now we’re putting it to productive use.” This summer, BUG had 45 members at its Catherine Street location and 15 members at a smaller garden in the east. Each member volunteered 15 hours towards the garden’s upkeep in exchange for rent-free plots. The volunteers get a nine-square metre plot complete with water provided by the towering YMCA/YWCA next door. This ensured low-income earners were not excluded, Hodgson says. “We’ve got a real mix of people, some nine-to-fivers, some on social assistance,” he says. In keeping with the green space trend, the regional government will release an inventory of undeveloped land within the next month. Deborah Irwin, an environmental officer with the region’s engineering department, says 349 areas have been assessed for their environmental and social value as part of a study launched in February 1996. Irwin says the region won’t dictate that land be set aside for gardens. However, if a community wants to create one, this report could be used to recommend a good location. And if someone wants to develop a site, she says, the report will show how to proceed with the least impact on that specific land. Despite expected increases in the demand for urban land to farm, the city won’t be opening any of its allotment gardens in Centretown, Duffy says. “We’ve got enough land (in Alta Vista) to double or triple the number of people,” he says. Standing in the Catherine Street garden, Hodgson says he has received calls from people seeking advice on how to start their own community gardens. But, he warns, community gardens are a heavy investment in time and effort, and he currently has no plans to open any others. “I’ve heard folks are really pleased how it’s going,” he says. As if on cue, two elderly men stop by the fence. “It looks really good,” one of them says. “We get that all the time,” says Hodgson.
By Julie Delaney It’s dark. A woman walks alone on Lorne Street. What’s that shadow at the bottom of the stairway? Is that a noise coming from the bushes? These are questions women may no longer have to ask themselves while walking in the Dalhousie Community Centre neighborhood. A safety audit of the blocks surrounding the 755 Somerset St. W. building was carried out this week The audit was organized by Women’s Place and Women’s Action Centre Against Violence. Women’s Place employee Ann Rose says the audit is to help area women determine the level of safety in their neighborhood. Audit participants walk up and down streets, keeping a checklist of safety hazards such as poor lighting, overgrown bushes that obscure visibility, and lack of pay phones in case of emergency. Women’s Place encouraged members of the community association, people from neighborhood businesses, nurses from the nearby hospital and area politicians to participate in the audit. Rose says within a couple of weeks, audit participants will draw up a list of suggestions to make the neighborhood safer. The suggestions will be presented to the city, which will pass them on to the appropriate departments. Keri McNulty, 24, says she walks alone through the audited area about five nights a week. Even though she’s never had any serious problems, she admits it can be an unsettling. “It is quite dark and there is nobody around to help you. There are all these little dead-end streets and stairways.” Although Rose hasn’t heard any reports of women being assaulted in the area, she says such incidents often go unreported. “Audits are an important tool in helping women feel confident walking alone at night,” she says. Coun. Elisabeth Arnold has been involved in similar safety audits in Centretown. She says most of the concerns she hears about from her constituents are related to safety. Arnold says audits almost always improve the level of safety on audited streets citing an audit conducted in the Gladstone Avenue and McNabb Park area. A direct result of the Gladstone Avenue audit is an upcoming notice on Ottawa Hydro bills inviting people to light up their neighborhoods by keeping their porch lights on at night. “Walking down the street and seeing houses with porch lights on really helps you orient yourself and it gets more people on the streets,” she says.
By Spencer Ferron-Tripp In the middle of a municipal election, posters abound and portraits sound the considered image of our politicians. Take a closer look, and recognize the art of portrait photography. That’s the idea behind the Portraits of Our Past: A History of Photography in Ottawa collection at the Bytown Museum, an exhibit substantially dedicated to political portraits since Confederation. From a yellowed photograph of Sir John A. Macdonald to a photo of Charlotte Whitton, Ottawa’s first woman mayor, in her trademark gunslinger pose, political figures dominate the exhibit. The collection features the work of 13 world-class local photographers in over 100 photographs. But this “history of photography in Ottawa” does not constitute a portrait of our region. Museum visitors may be disappointed to find no portraits of local celebrities, and few local landscapes and scenes such as the Byward Market. Shallow attempts at introducing some breadth and scope to the collection only clutter the small viewing area. For example, a novelty item like the “Leningrad 4” light-meter from Russia has no thematic place in the collection, except that it was once used by an Ottawa photographer. But this doesn’t overshadow the vivid portraits taken by some of the most celebrated photographers in Canada. Yousuf and Malak Karsh are the most recognizable names among the ensemble cast. Karsh’s portrait of the Queen once graced the front of the Canadian one-dollar bill from 1974 to 1987. His brother Malak decorated the other side of the bill with his image of log rollers on the Ottawa River. “You talk about Hale-Bop coming around every 10,000 years, how often do you get Yousuf and Malak Karsh in one collection together?” asks Michael Bedford, one of the featured photographers. Bedford’s own collection is just as good. One stand-out photograph is of a brooding George Chuvalo, the former Canadian heavyweight champion, curling his hands into a fist. The passive emotion in his stare is gut-wrenching. The main room of the exhibit is devoted to the black and white prints of Ottawa’s lesser-known photographers. Artists such as Samuel McLaughlin, the “Official Photographist” of the Parliament Buildings, whose own studio was located in the attic of the West Block. Unfortunately, almost all of the photos are slightly blurred by a matte mylar covering which protects the prints. The filmy covering makes it impossible to appreciate the detail in the photography. Certainly, it is difficult to argue with the need to preserve these historic prints, but it is to the detriment of an otherwise fine exhibit. If, as they say, a picture is worth a thousands words, this collection is singing the praise of Ottawa’s portrait photographers.
By Andrea Martell A female clown stands on stage in a pretty white dress and a black hat. Her face is painted white and she wears a round red nose. She turns and sees a clown in a black leather jacket holding a knife. She screams and rushes to the clown. She falls on the knife accidently and dies. The actors’ movements are executed perfectly but one mistake could’ve caused an accident. In some cases it has. Peter Maxwell and Libid Zyla, the clowns in Scratch and the Box have some big shoes to fill. They are performing in place of their mentor clowns, Mump and Smoot, who cancelled all their shows at the Great Canadian Theatre Company because “Mump” got hurt. Mump and Smoot were forced to cancel their show Caged! at the GCTC when Mike Kennard, “Mump”, was ordered by his doctor not to perform because of a back injury. Their show Something was popular at the GCTC last year. GCTC publicist Liam Horrocks says that the back injury was likely due to an accumulation of clowning injuries. Barry Caplan, producer of the NightHowl Series at the GCTC, says “anytime you do a clowning show it’s physically demanding.” Zyla and Maxwell, the producers and actors of Scratch and the Box, which is playing at the GCTC this week, learned from Mike Kennard and John Turner of Mump + Smoot at their workshops in Toronto. “They taught us everything we know about clowning.” says Zyla. Maxwell says he saw Mump and Smoot perform in 1991. Five minutes into the show he wanted to learn what they did and how to do what they were doing. The duo learned clowning based on native american spirituality, European clowning and circus clowning. Zyla calls it “A little bit of everything mixed in together.” “Most of it’s physical,” says Maxwell “But it’s no more dangerous than when you’re doing anything on stage.” Maxwell says he twisted his knee once when he “zigged instead of zagged”. They were forced to cancel a show because of the injury. Both actors say that choreography and practice are vital to making the performance safe and convincing. “You have to rehearse the tricky bits,” Maxwell says. “Case in point. When one clown has to fall and the other has to catch. You have to catch them and catch them and catch them until you get it right.” Zyla laughs, “If you miss the moment your partner falls on their butt.” Perhaps the two clowns say it best as they play for the camera before the show. “Don’t! One clown already got hurt.” says the female clown. “Yeah, I know. It’s my trick knee.” Scratch answers and points to the knee that he once twisted. “You always think it’s about you! I was talking about Mump!” the female clown yells. The female clown, with a sad look on her face says, “Mump got hurt.” Sometimes clowning around is more dangerous than it looks.
It’s no secret Ottawa’s major event locations—the National Arts Centre and the Corel Centre—are suffering some serious financial dilemmas. While the folks out at the Corel Centre struggle to fill seats in their enormous house, the NAC’s federal funding is on a steady decline. In this time of financial need there is no time to mess around. The two centres have put the best people on the job of pulling up their financial socks. A few dependable business people have been called in to work their commercial magic: Peter Pan, Annie and the Backstreet Boys. Ottawa has sold its artistic soul to the devil. To get culture back on its feet, we have turned to surefire money-makers: the best of broadway and the hottest of mainstream pop sensations. The NAC has turned to filling its stages with flamboyant money-makers like Annie, Peter Pan, Grease, Tommy and Forever Plaid. Can the NAC really justify using its federal government funding to pay for these garish American shows? The Corel Centre has resorted to America’s hottest teenage sensation, along with Aerosmith and Elton John. Ottawa’s event circuit has become a slave to popular taste, but at a price. Suddenly we’re slighting the NAC Orchestra, theatre, experimental dance and classical music in favor of flashy touring musicals and rock concerts. Instead of supporting local artists by displaying their work, these centres are pushing them into the margins. Moving mainstream may turn a quick buck, but it makes Ottawa artistically indistinguishable from commercial culture. If we depend on American pop artists and Broadway hits to boost our box office takes, we might as well be tied up with puppet strings. We’ll beg for these popular American artists to come to our stages, making them look like volunteers coming into a third world country to clean up the ruins of disaster. It’s O.K. to offer some big commercial acts — better to have our residents pay to see them here than in Toronto. But the Corel Centre and the NAC have proclaimed these performances as miracles, guaranteed potions that will heal the financial wounds suffered by the cultural scene in our city. Ottawa audiences seem bored with local shows. Giving them popular musicals and hot U.S. pop stars may draw them out, but don’t expect any long- term dedication. When the flashy mainstream show is over, audiences won’t be loyal enough to stick around.
After almost two years of journeying to Hull to play black-jack, roulette, and slot machines, Ottawa residents will soon have two casinos to call their own. The Ontario government granted licenses for two Ottawa area mini-casinos, one tenth the size of Casino de Hull. The operators, CHC North and Star of Fortune, now search for a site. Sparks Street should be given serious consideration. The street is one of Ottawa’s oldest and most popular attractions. A casino would profit from an association with such a well-known street. Sparks Street is centrally located. Steps from the transitway, it’s easy to get to in the city or from immediate suburbs. But the real advantage to a downtown location is attracting people who are already there. Sparks Street is in a densely populated area, close to shopping malls, offices, cinemas, and restaurants. These other interests, which bring people to Sparks, have the potential to generate a sizeable walk-up crowd for the casino. A casino is a unique brand of entertainment, because it’s so flexible. One can visit for 10 minutes or stay for 10 hours. It can be easily incorporated into a night out, or it can be the entire night out. One can dine from 6:00 to 7:00 at a restaurant, visit the casino for a few rounds of blackjack, and still make a 9:15 movie around the corner at Capital Square. But only a casino located downtown, which shares the marketplace with other attractions, can capitalize on this flexibility. Sparks Street is also situated steps from Ottawa’s major hotels. Tourists would sooner visit a casino which is close by, rather than outside of town. By choosing Sparks, owners can cut costs because they won’t need to build from scratch. The buildings at 172 and 180 Sparks St. can facilitate a mini-casino, but face demolition. This option is best considered quickly. A casino would revitalize Sparks Street’s night life, and bring back customers lost to the Byward Market. The economic spin-offs help stores and restaurants. A casino for Sparks Street is a win-win situation. The Ottawa Senators were faced with the same decision. They moved to the suburbs. Arguably, they’ve lost the spontaneous walk-up crowd a downtown location may have generated. Let’s hope the two companies have learned from the Sens and don’t roll the dice on a remote location in some distant suburb.
By Rachel Lajunen The fate of the old Woolworth and Kresge buildings on Sparks Street has already been decided, but the future use of the site is still in the hands of Ottawa city council. The buildings have been ordered demolished by the owners of the property, the Bank of Nova Scotia. The bank wants to turn the site into a parking lot but needs city approval. The permit was rejected 6-4 at last week’s council meeting. Now, the bank must wait until the next council meeting scheduled for Nov. 5. The result may have been different if all councillors had been present at the meeting, says Stephen CameronSmith, senior project manager for the bank. One council member, Coun. Ron Kolbus, was unable to attend. “I think it would have gone in our favor if full council had been there,” says CameronSmith. Council will have to reach a decision next time because the buildings will be torn down, he says. Asbestos and leaky oil tanks are being removed from the buildings before full demolition can occur. “It looks like a disaster area. The buildings are virtually shells,” says Coun. Karin Howard. She visited the building site the morning of Oct. 1 to see the inside of the buildings “totally gutted.” Ken Dale, executive director of the Sparks Street Mall Management Authority says some councillors are in a state of denial over the demolition of the buildings. “Some councillors say when the building is knocked down, they will pass a parking permit,” he says. “Yet, it’s being knocked down.” Howard voted against the motion because the buildings were still standing, she says. “If the buildings were down, I would agree with a parking lot.” Demolition is no longer an issue, however, says Coun. Allan Higdon. The debate is between a “hole in the ground” or a parking lot, he says. The bank wants to have the land used in the best possible way, says Patti Jordan, senior consultant, Public Affairs, at the bank’s head office. “According to the Sparks Street authority, there is a public demand for parking. This is the most desired option.” The Sparks Street Mall Management Authority and the staff of stores and restaurants in the area say anything is better than what is there now. A temporary parking lot could work, says Dale. “With the old buildings sitting there, it’s blocking up any forward movement.” Jill Costello, a sales clerk at Ottawa Leather Goods, which is across the street, agrees. “Parking would be better because there is no parking around here,” says Costello. Alain Miguelez, an urban planner running for regional council in the upcoming civic elections, disagrees saying there is already plenty of parking downtown. “There’s the World Exchange Plaza. It’s never used to capacity and it’s free on weekends,” he says. Miguelez says although the buildings may be lost, a parking lot may not be the answer because of the heritage of Sparks street. “Those lands are extremely important to maintain the commercial continuity along the sidewalk on Sparks... it’s the only remaining main street which has an uninterrupted frontage of buildings.” he says. The bank could renovate the buildings to maintain the heritage character of the buildings, suggests Coun. Elisabeth Arnold, who represents the area. The Woolworth building dates back to 1941 and the Kresge to 1929. But, if the buildings cannot be salvaged, she wants immediate re-development of the site. The buildings are beyond repair, says CameronSmith. A demolition worker told him that electrical work alone would cost $600,000 “and a quarter million for this and a quarter million for that.”
By Aloma Jardine Business owners on Preston Street may soon find new customers in their backyards. A proposal for a light rail transit system running from Bayview and Scott Streets to the Greenboro transitway station in South Keys was included in a new regional plan. “It could be up and running by September 1998 if we wanted to get it done and done quickly, and if the political direction was there,” says Tim Lane, a member of Transport 2000, a group that promotes public transit. The rail system would use track belonging to CP Rail, and cost $10 million to implement. That covers the cost of refurbishing the existing tracks and building stations, but not the cost of the trains. The route runs almost parallel to Preston Street, then south under Dow’s Lake, through Carleton University, and Confederation Heights. Lane says the rail system will take 10 minutes off commuting time for people from the south travelling to Carleton University, Carling and Preston, Tunney’s Pasture, or the west end of downtown. Peter Harris, board liaison for the Preston Street Business Improvement Area, says the rail system should benefit businesses on Preston. “Any business will really gain,” he says. “People could stop at Preston Street on the way home.” Several business owners were also enthusiastic about the plan, although many hadn’t heard about it until they were asked to comment. “I completely support anything that would bring more traffic into this part of the city and improve the traffic flow,” says Craig Pedersen, owner of Ristorante Il Piccolino on Preston Street. Pedersen also believes the train would help business. “I certainly do think it would help to improve business by improving pedestrian traffic,” he says. “It would certainly alleviate our parking problems down here.” Pat DeGrazia, owner of Leonardo’s Restaurant, also supports the planned rail system, adding that noise shouldn’t be a concern. “The train goes by now and we don’t really hear anything,” he says. The rail system will bypass Bank Street, but Ed Mitchell, owner of Somerset House and chairman of the Somerset Village Business Improvement Area, says it shouldn’t hurt businesses there. “The concept is good,” he says. “It will have a minimal effect on businesses, maybe a few less cars downtown, which is good.” Ron Manson, associate owner of Shopper’s Drug Mart at the intersection of Bank and Laurier Streets, says the rail system would benefit businesses on Bank Street. “If it’s viable economically, then it’s a great idea. It would be quick, and when you’re on rails, there’s no traffic at all.” Lane says light rail transit is much more cost efficient than current plans to expand the transitway. “We can get eight kilometres of track for a quarter of what they want to spend for two kilometres of transitway.” The light rail transit system would be interconnected with the transitway, so people could transfer from the train to a bus or vice versa. “The beauty of the rail system is that it’s very flexible,” Harris says. “When it comes to consumer comfort, you can’t beat rail.”
By Crystal Kingwell We’ve all heard the appeals for volunteers, people who can give even a couple hours of their time to help the community. But why would someone choose to work for free? Maybe because the reward is worth more than money. For the past year, Peter Cook has been a volunteer teaching furniture refinishing at the Good Day Workshop. The workshop is a non-profit program that teaches marketable skills to disadvantaged people. It operates entirely with volunteer help. Cook, 56, retired two years ago and started teaching at the workshop on the advice of his cousin. Now he’s there five hours a day, four days a week. “It offered me so much, an opportunity to give back to the community. And I receive a lot in return,” he says with a smile. “I wouldn’t give it up now for all the money in the world.” Cook says he recently had an experience which made it all worthwhile. “One of the clients came to me who’s been here for almost a year and he thanked me for being here, helping him not only in woodworking, but just to be here to listen and to talk to. It was a real tear jerker.” According to the Volunteer Centre of Ottawa-Carleton, four common reasons people volunteer are to help others, to assist a personal cause, to do something enjoyable and to gain a feeling of accomplishment. Tony Hahn combines something he loves with a more pragmatic reason for volunteering: he wants a job. Hahn, 23, is a Carleton University student who does volunteer work for the Reform Party in Centretown. “I’m in political science right now, in my fourth year, and truth be told, a B.A. in political science doesn’t get you much,” he says. He volunteers because he loves it, but he also hopes the work he does will lead to career possibilities. “Gaining employment, I hope, will be a spinoff effect.” Pat Bennett interviews potential volunteers at the Volunteer Centre and tries to match them with organizations looking for help. She has heard a wide range of reasons for volunteering: students want experience for their resumes, young mothers want to fill time after their children have started school, and new immigrants want to improve their English. Bennett herself is a volunteer. “It was just something I felt I wanted to do. I wanted to give something back to the community. People are so appreciative when you give a little bit of your time. That makes it really wonderful.” That sense of appreciation seems to be the number one reason for volunteering. Sister Margaret Sinnott, of the Grey Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, is a volunteer who co-ordinates welcoming services at the Bronson Centre. She arranges potluck lunches with various groups to make them feel like part of a wider community. Like Cook, Sinnott says her goal is to be there for people who need to talk. “Very frequently I pass my day just walking around and talking to the different people. I may find myself just sitting with them and talking about some of their concerns. “I like my life to be worthwhile, I like to do worthwhile things. When it amounts sometimes to where I can’t even say, well what did I do today,” she shrugs, “maybe I did this, and that’s okay.” Perhaps the best reason for volunteering is a simple one, expressed by Cook: “I go home, I fall asleep at night, I feel good. You feel good about this. You really do.”
“Very frequently I pass my day just walking around and talking to the different people. I may find myself just sitting with them and talking about some of their concerns. “I like my life to be worthwhile, I like to do worthwhile things. When it amounts sometimes to where I can’t even say, well what did I do today,” she shrugs, “maybe I did this, and that’s okay.” Perhaps the best reason for volunteering is a simple one, expressed by Cook: “I go home, I fall asleep at night, I feel good. You feel good about this. You really do.”
FACTS ABOUT VOLUNTEERISM - Over a 12 month period, five million Canadians volunteered, contributing over one billion hours. This is the equivalent of over half a million full-time, full year jobs. - In 1994, 150,000 citizens of Ottawa-Carleton donated their time as volunteers. - Volunteering initially increases with age, from a low of 20 per cent for youths aged 15 to 24 years to a peak of 37 per cent for 25 to 44 years old. It then declines with advancing age, to 20 per cent for persons aged 65 and over. - A direct relationship exists between the participation rate of volunteers and their educational background. Forty-six per cent of those with a university degree do volunteer work, compared with 27 per cent of the overall population. - The likelihood of any one person volunteering rises with household income. Only 18 per cent of persons with household income under $10,000 volunteer, while 39 per cent of persons whose household income in $60,000 or more do so. - More than 63% of all volunteers are married. There is a significant correlation between volunteerism and longer life and better health. - Religious organizations, sports and recreation, and care and support organizations have the highest rates of volunteer involvement. - Over half of Canadians do so for two or more organizations. SOURCE: Volunteer Centre of Ottawa-Carleton
By Meranda Waters There are people in this world who leave a lasting impression on their community. Sybil Cooke, 69, was one of those people. A dedicated volunteer at the Ottawa Little Theatre since 1954, Cooke lost a battle with cancer this September. “There goes our heart. There goes a huge chunk of our history,” says Raven Drake, assistant to the office manager at the theatre. Cooke gave 43 years of her life to the theatre. She participated in many areas of play production, from acting to directing. She spent the last seven years as the president of the theatre’s board of directors. “She couldn’t stand to be away,” says Drake of Cooke’s three-to-five-day-a-week commitment. Cooke is an example of the ultimate volunteer and for the Ottawa Little Theatre, Drake says the reliance on volunteers is “total.” They have a staff of nine full-time and 15 part-time employees. But it is the 60-70 volunteers that “keep us up and going,” Drake explains. The Ottawa Little Theatre is not alone in its need for volunteers. The Volunteer Centre of Ottawa-Carleton helps more than 350 non-profit organizations find volunteers in some 5,000 different positions every year. Nathalie Charette, manager of education and promotion at the centre, says that while the desire to help others remains strong, what drives people to volunteer has been changing over the past several years. Government cutbacks and downsizing have played a major role. As more and more people lose their jobs or are unable to find work, they put their skills to use in the volunteer sector. More than 28 percent of the volunteers who passed through the Volunteer Centre last year were unemployed. As well, Charette says that organizations are on the lookout “for more professional volunteers.” Charette points out that although the need for volunteers has increased with loss of funding and support, “you can’t replace a paid job with a volunteer job.” There is another side to the need for volunteers. While many organizations would happily welcome an extra set of hands, any old hands will no longer do. With the introduction of legislation that calls for screening potential volunteers, organizations seeking volunteers must do so cautiously. While volunteering lets you get involved in the community and offer your skills, it is also being used for other purposes, such as gaining valuable work experience. At CDI College, a volunteer work program is in place to help students get involved with different corporations in Ottawa for work related experience. Chris Donnelly, corporate relations manager at the college, says volunteering “is an invaluable asset to have on a resume.” He says volunteering speaks highly of the individual. It shows they have a real interest in the field they are pursuing because they were willing to work for free. Donnelly says companies are looking for volunteering on people’s resume and that “(companies) will always, always be worried about people who don’t have experience.” While the face of volunteering is changing and becoming a volunteer isn’t quite as easy as it used to be, the need is there. And whether a volunteer gives three hours a week or five days a week, organizations in Ottawa couldn’t make it without their support and dedication.
By Vicki Newton Tight brown ringlets adorn the smiling face of Cora Guenette who gazes up at Bethany Bryson knowing this is their day to spend together. “This is so you don’t get cold,” says nine-year-old Cora, gently slipping a towel over the shoulders of 26-year-old Bethany. The pair decided to spend a Saturday afternoon swimming at the YMCA, after stopping for ice cream at McDonald’s. To passersby, they appear to have known each other for years–but they haven’t. They became “sisters” in May through the Big Sisters of Ottawa-Carleton Big Sister/Little Sister match program. It’s easy to see the match is a good one. It’s clear, as Cora begs for a bag of ketchup chips and twirls a knapsack around her body in the YMCA lobby, that Bethany loves her new-found role in Cora’s life. “I’d wanted to be a Big Sister for a long time but I went away for university and you have to make a year-long commitment so when I was done I just started the process,” says Bethany, focusing her gaze on a dizzy Cora, who has just stopped twirling around. Bethany says to get involved she went to a Big Sisters’ orientation and then sent in her application along with three references. Next, she was called for an interview to talk about her personal history, childhood and goals. She also had to let Big Sisters know what type of match she would be at ease with as situations such as custody problems or a handicap were included amongst the possibilities. Social workers choose pairs based on compatibility and personality. After a criminal record check, medical reference and training session, the Big Sister meets the Little Sister and her family. Executive Director, Diana Carter says the process takes about six to eight weeks. In 1996 the Ottawa-Carleton organization made 315 matches, an increase from 297 in 1995. Currently, there are about 350 volunteers in the matching program, many of whom Carter describes as women in their mid-20s to late 40s, looking for career-related experience or who may simply want a one-to-one friendship. Cora and Bethany were matched about two months after Bethany had completed the process. “I wanted a Big Sister because I was really lonely and my mom called for a Big Sister because I didn’t have anybody to be with and no one to play with,” says Cora, spreading her arms wide and then resting her hands on Bethany’s shoulders. She then turns her attention to her ice cream, blowing on it and saying that it’s too cold. Carter says Little Sisters range from six to 16 and there must be a reason for them to need a Big Sister. Reasons vary from family breakdown to parents unable to spend time with the child because they may work shift-work or six days a week. Bethany laughs when she remembers the time she introduced Cora to her own sister and her sister’s fiance. “My sister had said ‘Oh, so this must make us sisters too!’ but then Cora’s jaw just dropped and she said ‘But I only ordered one!’” For Bethany, the four- to six-hour weekly commitment has just become part of her already busy routine. She works full-time at New Orchard Lodge Nursing Home and is used to a full after-work schedule of working out at the gym and playing various sports. “It’s a lot of fun. We do lots of fun things I wouldn’t do otherwise, I mean when you live in Ottawa you don’t end up going to places like museums. “I know that I’m helping her and giving her the opportunity to do some things she might not have been able to do. So, it’s really rewarding.” When it comes to expenses, Bethany says sometimes it’s hard because most activities cost money, but it just takes creativity to think of inexpensive activites. “Sometimes, we spend money and sometimes we don’t, we’ll just go over to my house for dinner and watch movies so two or three weeks might cost nothing and then the next week we’ll go to the movies or Gym Jam (Merivale Mall) so it all kind of evens out.” When asked how long she sees the relationship lasting, Bethany looks over at Cora, who is looking for the lucky penny she wants to throw in the pool, and smiles. “I think we’ll go ’till she’s 16 and then we’ll see after that.”
By Lisa Marchitto When NHL star Sheldon Kennedy announced that he had been sexually abused for nine years by his coach, parents across Canada worried about something like this happening to their child. “We were fielding 30 to 50 (telephone) calls a day,” says Paddy Bowen, executive director of the Canadian Association of Volunteer Bureaux and Centres (CAVBC), “from concerned parents, the media, people in hockey associations. . .” Little did parents know that the CAVBC was already on top of volunteer screening. The National Education Campaign on Screening was launched in 1994 by the CAVBC in order to make the public and organizations aware of the need to screen potential volunteers. With funding from the federal government, the CAVBC developed educational resources — a video, handbook and pamphlets — about screening volunteers and paid staff members who work with children and other vulnerable people, including those with mental and physical disabilities. The CAVBC also held training workshops last fall with more than 4,000 agencies across the country to educate agencies about the need to check into the background of who they’re hiring. Many organizations have tightened up their screening policies in the last year or two. But Bowen says it’s hard to measure the success of the campaign because it’s impossible to know if the agencies who participated in the workshops are making screening a part of their mandate. “The screening workshops are excellent and very well-organized, with good, solid information,” says Warren McMeekin, executive director of the First Canada Region of Scouts Canada. The provincial government joined the CAVBC’s initiative a year later. In February 1995, they passed legislation that required all provincially funded organizations to have a police records check done on potential volunteers and staff who work one-on-one with vulnerable individuals such as children. McMeekin says the first Canada region of Scouts Canada, which includes Ottawa-Carleton, has been doing police records checks since last year. “You can never be too careful, I guess,” he says. “You do everything you possibly can to make sure your youth members are well-protected and you get the best possible volunteers.” “Police records checks are only a part of the screening process,” warns Nathalie Charette, manager of education and promotion for the Volunteer Centre of Ottawa-Carleton. Other steps in the screening process include the candidate filling out application forms and participating in one or more interviews. The organizations also do reference and medical checks. Police records checks can be the most time-consuming part of the screening process. If potential volunteers get a police records check done on themselves, it takes a day and costs $10 dollars. A non-profit organization can have a police records check done for free but it can take as long as two months. Authorities caution that the public shouldn’t be hesitant to volunteer their services just because many agencies have tightened up their screening policies. “(Screening) doesn’t hinder your chances of getting the job,” says Charette. “We’re not eliminating candidates, we’re checking them.” Funding from the federal government ended in May but the CAVBC will continue to educate the public and organizations by holding workshops this fall and into 1998. The CAVBC has applied for two more years of federal funding to develop more educational resources for the campaign. A decision on the funding will be made by the solicitor general later this month.
The Sports Beat, Brian Salisbury
It’s Monday night. You settle into your favorite chair and grab for your trusty remote. The TV flickers on. Seems relaxing enough, right? Wrong. Now that Major League Baseball’s playoffs are in full swing, the NFL is off and running, and the NHL is back on the ice, sports fans around Ottawa are going to be pulling their hair out trying to decide which game to watch. Let’s see — you can either watch bubblegum-chewing jocks hurling 90 mile per hour fastballs at each other, or 300-pound brutes chasing around an inflated pigskin, or better yet, follow a tiny piece of rubber coveted by stick-wielding, toothless warriors. Decisions, decisions. The most devoted sports fans might want to get two VCRs so they can watch one game and tape the others; while the less-dedicated may choose to rotate games between commercials. After the tough decisions have been made and the game chosen, you might want to try some of the following suggestions for a more realistic viewing experience. During baseball games, you could move your TV out to the back yard and set up some bleachers. Hopefully, you won’t get rained out. While you’re out back, fire up the barbecue for some ballpark-style hot dogs — always a fan favorite. And let’s not forget to water down the beer in true major league stadium fashion. Not to be outdone, football fans could throw a pre-game tailgate party out in the driveway. Invite all of your buddies over — that way you’ll have enough people to spell out your favorite team’s name with paint on your stomachs. If that doesn’t get you into the game, nothing will. Quality bonding all around. Lastly, hockey buffs out there have a great opportunity right now to emulate their favorite players. Instead of holding out for more money, hold out for a bigger TV. It’s the next best thing. After you’ve received your new TV, have your buddies over. Charge them only five dollars a beer, just like at the Corel Centre; better yet, how about asking $75 for a front row Lazy-boy. You’ll feel like you’re at the game in no time. Now that you’ve got the pre-game viewing instructions, go out there and do some major cheering. But remember, it’s all in good fun. If you’ve thought of asking your loved ones to sing the national anthem before sitting down to watch, you’ve you’ve gone too far. Happy viewing.
By Mark Kuiack The Ottawa Gee-Gees are used to being the No.1 university football team in the city, but this year they may be No. 1 in the country. Despite a 41-24 loss to Concordia Oct. 4, Ottawa is still optimistic about their chances to top the Canadian Interuniversity Athletic Union. They now trail Guelph and Western in the CIAU standings. With a 5-1 record, a national championship may be in sight for the first time in over 20 years. Big plays in clutch situations have been a trademark of their season so far. But head coach Larry Ring says there’s more to the team’s success. “When you get big plays they sure help,” says Ring. “But we also have a cohesive coaching staff and a talented bunch of kids who have developed a winning attitude.” Ring says winning isn’t going to his players’ heads, because their offence has had trouble scoring. The Gee-Gees averaged about 20 points in their first six games and still have not won a game by more than six points. “Even though they were ranked No.1, they felt they hadn’t played to their capabilities,” says Ring. Quarterback Phil Côté says the team should relax and take time to perfect its offence. “We’re just putting a bit too much pressure on ourselves,” Côté says. “We’ve still got lots of time to gel.” Backup quarterback Trevor Monaghan says pressure isn’t the only thing a top-flight team has to contend with. “Players will take liberty at hitting us after the play,” says Monaghan. “But you can’t take players out or put bounties on their heads. We just have to play our game.” If anyone can help make the offence come together it’s National Football League prospect and All-Canadian receiver Ousmane Tounkara. Scouts from the Washington Redskins and the Miami Dolphins have come to evaluate Tounkara and it is expected he will be picked in the fourth to sixth round of next year’s NFL draft. But Tounkara says he’s staying focused on the task at hand. “If I was thinking about the draft it would be too much pressure for me to handle,” says Tounkara. “All I’m thinking about right now is winning every game and going to the Vanier Cup.” Ring says experienced players like Tounkara will help the team achieve their goals and improve on last year’s semifinal finish. Tounkara shares Ring’s optimism. “Our offence is starting to click so I think we’re going to be unstoppable.”
By Travis Brine The gloves are off in the battle for Ottawa’s hockey dollar. While the Senators may be the pro team in town, when it comes to families it seems the little guy is coming out on top. The Ottawa 67’s are regaining fans after feeling the initial punch of the Ottawa Senators. The 67’s say the reason for the resurgence is their affordable prices. Season ticket sales have increased almost 50 per cent from last year. Doug Drain, 67’s director of marketing and communications, says the increase is because families are simply finding it too expensive to attend Senators games. “The Senators originally had a big effect on us,” says Drain. “But now the fans are coming back because we provide affordable family entertainment.” Drain adds that many residents in areas such as Orleans and Centretown don’t want to travel to Kanata to see the Senators. The 67’s ticket prices are significantly lower than its competitor in Kanata. The top price for a 67’s ticket is $9.50. Seniors, students and children also receive discounted prices and parking is free. The total cost for a family of four is just over $30. These prices look good compared with the cost of attending a Senators game. Unless a family grabs a few of the limited number of $15 family zone seats, the cost for a game is going to be high. If one includes $8 for parking it will cost a family of four around $120, not including taxes, to attend a game. This price doesn’t include food or souvenir purchases. The Senators have made an attempt to be more affordable by offering 1,144 seats at $15 each. However, nearly half of these seats were scooped up by season ticket holders. This makes it difficult to get these tickets, especially for more popular games. Phil Legault, Senators’ director of media relations, says he doesn’t know if tickets are too expensive for families. “You have to talk to fans. I can’t address what the fans think,” says Legault. Some hockey fans who’ve chosen to attend 67’s games say the price of an NHL ticket is too high. Claude Leduc has begun attending 67’s games with his son Tyler, 6, because of its affordable prices. “I think they (Senators games) are overrated, especially for a kid my son’s age,” says Leduc. “He may get bored after an hour and over there it costs me a hundred dollars.” A survey taken by the Ottawa 67’s found the average fan was a family person with one or two children. For this reason, the 67’s have geared their marketing towards families. “The Senators and us (67’s) target two different markets,” says Drain. “The Senators are after the corporations and not the family. We, on the other hand, target the families and not the corporations.”
By Sandra Klaric Defending a championship title is tough for any team. But when your star player is injured in the first game of the season... This is the situation for Lisgar’s senior girls basketball team, who lost star point guard Vanessa Maxwell in its first game against St. Patrick’s High School. Maxwell, Grade 12, will be out for six to eight weeks with ligament damage. She sees her injury as something that will produce a positive outcome for her team. “Other players are going to be able to step up and see what they can do. Other people will become used to having me not there. They can’t always count on me or the other key players.” Natalie Johnston, another key player in the team’s success, says she will “take on a little bit more leadership,” but thinks some of the other girls will step up as well. Team members are confident they will win the city championship again this year, with or without Maxwell. Coach Bill Fraser thinks they can win again, but says this year’s league is very competitive, with Lisgar, Nepean, Glebe and St. Patrick’s all capable of beating each other on any given night. How far Lisgar goes “will be determined by how quickly Vanessa returns, and how well she plays when she does return,” says Fraser. Maxwell says she, Johnston, and Caitlin Jenkins, are the core group that will have to carry the team this year. Lisgar has two rookies in the starting lineup, as well as a number of rookies on the bench, who Fraser hopes will mature into a solid team as the season goes on. But for now, without Maxwell at the point, the team will be susceptible to pressure defence. Fraser says his team is not “going to lie down and roll over for anybody if we don’t have Vanessa back. We’ll claw and play some defence and see what happens.”
Today was more or less election day in Ottawa- Carleton — it’s a little known fact but it’s true. Many of our city and regional councillors were chosen today. Why? Quite frankly, there was just no competition. With nominations closing today for the Nov. 10 election, these candidates are unopposed. The school boards are no better off. Despite the current furor about the future of our education system, some areas may end up having no trustees to represent them. There are three plausible explanations for this severe case of election apathy. One: residents of Ottawa-Carleton are overwhelmingly content with the way the city is being run. Not very likely. Two: despite the media coverage, people just didn’t know about the election. Or three: people just don’t give a damn. The last reason is the most plausible. There is no doubt that Ottawa residents have election apathy. Municipal and regional governments may be at the bottom of a complex network of government, but that by no means diminishes what they do. Municipal and regional governments are, in fact, the engines that drive our day-to-day lives. With its recently increased responsibilities, 80 per cent of our property tax dollars will be spent by regional government. These governments make sure our garbage is picked up regularly, that our water is clean, that we have police officers on the street, paved roads to drive on and beaches and parks to enjoy. Are these things of no importance? Our local government does more than serve as a stepping stone for those who want to get to Queen’s Park and Parliament Hill. With responsibilities of the provincial government downloaded to the local level, these governments are more important than ever. Municipal politics has an enormous impact on our lives — so why the apathy? But more important, why are so few people willing to put their energy into the betterment of their community? Without competition, there’s less room for ideas to be challenged. Residents have repeatedly voiced their concerns over the way this region is being run. Yet, in Centretown, both the municipal and regional candidates are unopposed. Both are incumbents. For some of us, there’s no point in rushing to the ballot box on Nov. 10 because the choice has already been made — by sheer public laziness.
October The Ottawa School of Art gallery, 35 George St., is presenting an exhibition by local artist Diane Woodward until Nov. 1. The exhibit features Woodward’s oil and acrylic paintings portraying Hindu gods and goddesses in a non-classical sense. Admission is free. The Valley Writers’ Guild Poetry Competition will be accepting poetry from local writers for the first writing contest of the season until Nov. 6. Guild members may send an unlimited number of unpublished poems with two at no charge and all others at $1 each. Non-members are limited to four poems at $2 each. Send two copies, one with name/address/phone number to: VWG Contest, c/o Timothy Paul, 3-20 Main St. W., Smiths Falls, K7A 1M5. October 15 “Taking Charge of Your Health” is held on Wednesday afternoons at the Centretown Community Health Centre, 340 MacLaren St. On Oct. 15 art therapist Claire Cohen will lead a drawing workshop 1-2:30 p.m. A dance class “Moving Creatively” will be held Oct. 22, 1-2:30 p.m. There is no charge for workshops and free child care is provided if participants call in advance. Call 563-4771. October 16-18 The Heritage Canada Foundation is holding “Lightening the Burden: Taxation, Regulation and Heritage Property” at the Conference Centre. For more information on the conference call 237-1066. October 18 There will be a one-day AIDS Workshop at the Anglican Church of St. John the Evangelist, 145 Somerset West (at Elgin) beginning at 9 a.m. The workshop will focus on changing demographics as well as spiritual and pastoral/social care issues. For information call 232-4500. October 18/19 Railfare 20, a model railroad show, will be held at Algonquin College, Woodroffe Campus, Woodroffe and Baseline. Cost is $6 for adults, $3 for teens/seniors and $1 for children aged five to 12. Parking is free for the show, open 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m to 5 p.m. Sunday. October 19 The RMOC Headquarters on Lisgar Street hosts WorldWalk, a day of fun and activities beginning at 10 a.m. Events include a scenic eight-kilometre walk/roller blade route, international displays, entertainment and ethnic foods. Proceeds benefit youth programs in Ottawa Carleton and worldwide. For more information or to register for the walk, call the WorldWalk Hotline at 232-3569, ext. 247. October 19 Christ Church Cathedral on Sparks Street near Bronson presents the Three Cathedrals Festival at 4:30 p.m. The concert combines choirs from Montreal, Kingston and Ottawa in a massed-choir performance. Each choir will also perform separately and there will be a number of congregational hymns. There will be a freewill offering. Billings Estate Museum is hosting an antique care and repair seminar from 1 to 4 p.m. Cost is $15 and participants should register early. The museum is located at 2100 Cabot Street, off Pleasant Park Road near Riverside Drive. Call 247-4830. October 20 The Centretown Community Health Centre, 340 MacLaren St., hosts “Medications and Glucometers” 7-9 p.m. in the board room. The workshop is part of a series of similar seminars relating to diabetes. Call Olly or Sharon at 563-4771. October 22 The Parkinson’s Society of Ottawa-Carleton is holding a Family Education Program 7-9 p.m. at the Ottawa Civic Hospital, in the main boardroom. The meeting is designed to answer questions concerning Parkinsons. People with Parkinsons and their friends and family are encouraged to attend. Call 722-9238.
He’s hilarious, original and thoroughly entertaining. He also has the balls to say what’s on his mind — a refreshing change in a society that is anally correct. And now the shock jock of radio is here in Canada. Hallelujah! On Sept. 2, Howard Stern’s blockbuster radio show exploded over Canadian airwaves for the first time in Montreal and Toronto. The two radio stations which air the Howard Stern show, Q-107 in Toronto and CHOM-FM in Montreal, broadcast the show with a 60-second delay. With this luxury, the stations did not have to ask the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission for permission to air the show. The two stations bought the rights to syndicate Stern’s New York-based show to increase ratings, and presumably to give Canadian radio a much- needed face-lift. CHOM-FM general manager Lee Hambleton says he thinks Stern is brilliant because he knows how to push the envelope by saying things people would like to say themselves, but simply can’t or won’t. Stern is undoubtedly the biggest radio personality in North America. With over 40 radio stations broadcasting his show in the United States, 20 million Americans tune into Stern’s show each week. And now that he’s aired in Canada, another one to two million people listen to him weekly. That’s about two million reasons why Stern’s show has staying power in Canada, and will probably expand into new Canadian markets. In fact, Q-107’s overall ranking went from seventh in the market to fourth after an Angus Reid telephone survey (conducted during the first two weeks of September) asked Torontonians what their favorite morning show was. These are staggering numbers for a show that has barely been on the air for a month! Stern, however, is used to breaking records and new ground. In the eight years he has been on American airwaves, he has been the first disc jockey to bring a woman to orgasm on radio, have a naked woman in his studio, talk about lesbian sex, and make the word penis sound like any old body part instead of a taboo five-letter word. Though some Canadian radio personalities may stray from the polite norm (for example, Doc and Woody from Ottawa’s station The Bear) no one can touch Stern’s controversial show which is steeped in satire and irony, rightfully earning him the title of “shock jock.” But like Stern says in his movie, Private Parts, “[e]verything I do is misunderstood. I just wanna be funny, but everyone thinks I’m an asshole.” That’s putting it mildly. During Stern’s Canadian debut, he called French Canadians “scumbags,” “peckerheads,” and “pussy-ass jackoffs,” causing a furor of reaction. But Stern doesn’t take himself seriously, and he doesn’t expect his audience to either. He is simply a disc jockey who makes jokes. Most people switch the radio dial if they didn’t like the programming, but Canadians have to launch an investigation to see if he has breached our code of ethics! Lighten up, Canada! In fact, the Canadian Broadcast Standards Council is forming a six-person committee right now to determine if Stern’s comments on French Canadians did, in fact, breach the Canadian Association of Broadcasters Code of Ethics. The council has received 300 written complaints so far about Stern’s “inflammatory” comments. Yet we praise and laugh when we watch Canadian satirical shows , such as Royal Canadian Air Farce and This Hour has 22 Minutes. Are Canadians saying they can laugh at themselves when a Canadian is making fun of them, but, behold, an American mocks us and we become uptight? Apparently, Section 2(b) of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom which guarantees “freedom of thought, belief, opinion and expression, including freedom of the press and other media communication” is not in vogue this year. Who knew repression was in? And the notion that Stern’s comments might have an impact on the Canadian unity debate is utterly ridiculous. If we start letting one comedian’s words govern our country’s stability as a nation, then it’s our government that is the joke. Ultimately, the reaction to Stern’s comments on French Canadians was blown out of proportion. Holy cow, Batman, the shock jock of U.S. radio shocked Canadians! Isn’t that what he does for a living? We should be congratulating the man on a job well done, not complaining because he does it too well! At a Canadian press conference, Stern said that we put him on the front page of Canadian newspapers because, “I’m the freshest, wildest radio host in the world. You’ve now been introduced to good radio.” He’s right on both accounts. Stern could have been another dime-a-dozen radio disc jockey in the United States, but, instead, he decided to go out on a limb and create a new genre of radio. That’s admirable, especially as his risk paid off. Last year, Stern earned a salary of $15 million US. So, if he does put his foot in his mouth, cut him a little slack. Everybody makes mistakes, and Stern is the first person to admit that he tends to make a fool of himself in public. “Hey, after all, being misunderstood is the fate of all true geniuses, is it not?” says Stern at the end of Private Parts. Stern may not be another Albert Einstein or Isaac Newton, but his formula for being a genius is pretty straight forward: Howard = wild + crazy. So come on Canada, take a ride on the wild side.