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September 2009 Hintonburg Voice
The September 2009 Hintonburg Voice is now online: HCA President's annual report, committee reports, upcoming events, road construction update and more! Download it here.
HCA alerts province to need for greater addiction treatment funding
(December 2008) The HCA on December 19 made a presentation to Ontario's Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs requesting greater funding for drug addiction treatment. The Committee is currently doing pre-budget consultations. Many of the security challenges faced by our community in past have stemmed from the effects of drug addiction, including property crimes and prostitution. The HCA alerted the Committee to the lack of drug treatment beds and supportive housing that contribute to ongoing challenges to our long-term safety, and to the overcrowding of detention centres that recently made headlines in the Ottawa Citizen. The full text of our presentation is available here in Microsoft Word format.2008 Kringle Event a success!
(December 2008) Thanks,
Hintonburg, for another successful Kringle
evening
on December 12. We
had around 30 kids and their parents participate with hot chocolate,
crafts, and free photos with Santa!
Thanks to Monique Lachapelle of the
Hintonburg Community Centre and her staff,
the Bacque family, Wayne
Rodney, Paulette Dozois, Pat O'Brien and Jeff Leiper of the HCA, and
especially Sgt. Jean Lamothe of the Ottawa Police services for helping
pull it off again. We're looking forward to doing it again in 2009!
Chamber Theatre Hintonburg announces winter season
(November 2008) Chamber Theatre Hintonburg will present David Mamet's Sexual Perversity in Chicago at the Carleton Tavern, 223 Armstrong Street at Parkdale. Directed by Will Somers; Wednesday January 14 7:30 pm, Thursday January 15 10:00 pm, Friday January 16 7:30 pm, Saturday January 17 5:00 pm, Wednesday January 21 7:30 pm, Thursday January 22 10:00 pm, Friday January 23 7:30 pm, Saturday January 24 5:00 pm. Featuring Garrett Quirk, Matt Smith, Elise Gauthier, Lisa AitkinArthur Miller's A View From the Bridge, At the Elmdale House Tavern*, 1084 Wellington Street West, Directed by Lisa Zanyk, Sundays and Mondays at 7:00pm, February 22,23 March 1,2 8,9 15,16, Featuring Kate Hurman, Donnie Laflamme, Cleo Clatney, Bob Reynolds, Mitchell Doucet, Tim Finnegan
La/The Mechanicsville Monologue opens at the Carleton Tavern April 22.
Tickets $20, (613) 792-4471 or (613) 791-0097, admittance restricted to 19+.
November newsletter now online
(November 2008) The November 2008 Hintonburg Voice is now online: road reconstruction, new Board of Directors, Business Improvement Area update and more. Download it here.
Grace Manor Bazaar: Saturday 29 Nov
(November 2008) This event will be held at the Grace Manor, 1156 Wellington Street West on Saturday 28 November from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. For further information please contact Marcia Goodfellow at 613-722-8025
Artisan(e) Craft Fair & Silent Auction: Friday 28 Nov and Saturday 29 Nov
(NOVEMBER 2008) This event will be held at the Hintonburg Community Centre, 1064 Wellington Street West on Friday 28 November from 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.and Saturday 29 November from 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Interested vendors should contact Donna Silver by 22 November at 613-228-1191 or donnasilver@mac.com.Rosemount Public Library 90th birthday celebrations
(NOVEMBER 2008) Rosemount Library is celebrating its 90th birthday! In honour of the library's enormous contribution to our community, the HCA invites the public to sign a birthday card for Rosemount. It will be available in the Hintonburg Community Centre's lobby from November 22 to 28.
Come help the library celebrate! There are several events planned with refreshment served.
- Tuesday 25 November, 7-8:30 p.m. -- Heritage and History of Hintonburg with author John Leaning, heritage display by the Hintonburg Community Association
- Saturday 29 November, 1-2 p.m. -- Open House; 2:30-3:30 p.m. -- Doug Barr Children's Show
Kringle holiday celebration: Friday 12 December
(NOVEMBER 2008) Children of all ages welcome! Arts and crafts, snacks and free photos with Saint Nick at the Hintonburg Community Centre, 1064 Wellington Street West on Friday 12 December from 6-8pm. Sponsored by the Hintonburg Community Centre and the HCA with support from Euphoria(a community arts supporter), Beament Green (leaders in dispute resolution), Barbara Long (Lake Monro Real Estate), GT Express, West Wellington Business Improvement Area, Susan Chell (ReMAX Metro-City Realty), Westboro Massage Therapy, Collected Works, Lucas Smith (Coldwell Banker Sarazen Realty), Artemis Consultants, Levonian the ShirtmakerNotice of Public Meeting Proposed Byward and Parkdale Market Program By-law
On November 20, 2008, the Community and Protective Services Committee will be considering replacing the existing interim Markets By-law with a separate by-laws to regulate City's Byward Market and Parkdale Market to:*Adopt a licensing and stand permit program for vendors and performers
*Regulate produce, art and craft and other goods and services
*Establish license fees and stand permit fees
*Allocate stands based on quality and variety off product, and vendor attendance
*Provide incentives for local producer and products
*Establish a formal appeal process and informal first-instance resolution process
*Establish consultation groups, product and programming review committees and resolution teams to help chart Markets future
Individuals wishing to obtain more information, provide comment, support or object to the proposed recommendations may do so in writing before November 13, by email to parkdalemarket@ottawa.ca or may visit ottawa.ca for more information or complete the e-survey. For additional information please call 613-224-4410.
The final recommendations report will be available on November 14, 2008 at Ottawa.ca (Council and Committee Agendas and minutes-November 20, 2008 Committee Agendas and Minutes-November 20, 2008 Community and Protective Service Committee). The November 20, 2008 CPSC meeting will start at 9:30 a.m. in Andrew Haydon Hall (Council Chambers) on the first floor of Ottawa City Hall. Those wishing to address the Committee in person or enencouraged to register in advance by contacting the Committee Coordinator Marc Desjardins at 613-580-2424 ext. 28821 or marc.desjardins@ottawa.ca.
HCA Security Committee information now online
(NOVEMBER 2008) The Hintonburg Community Association is now posting important neighbourhood safety and security information online. The HCA's Security Committee meets monthly, usually on the second Tuesday of each month. Police representatives are often on hand for these meetings. Contact us for more information, and visit the new HCA Security Committee page.Chow down with your neighbours at the Hintonburg Supper Club
The Hintonburg Community Association is pleased to announce that we have revived the Hintonburg Supper Club. The main objective of the Club is to support local restaurants. In addition, it provides a chance for Hintonburgers to get to know their neighbours in an informal setting, while eating delicious food and enjoying themselves. No agendas, no speakers and no requests to take minutes!Here’s how it works. On a rotating basis, we’ll contact local restaurant owners to determine their interest in hosting a supper club event. There are no membership fees – attendees just pay for what they eat and drink. The number of times we meet throughout the year will be determined based on the degree of interest.
We will aim for a variety of restaurants. Details will be provided about whether or not the restaurant can accommodate special requests (e.g. vegetarian meals or food allergies). We’ll also let Supper Club members know if the building is accessible to people with mobility issues and whether or not there is a liquor license.
Hintonburg is fortunate to have an eclectic selection of restaurants, including an impressive array of ethnic foods: Lebanese, Japanese, Chilean, Ethiopian, Persian, Vietnamese, Cambodian, Thai, French, as well as good ole “Canadian” favorites like chicken & ribs & burgers.
Members who have e-mail will automatically receive notices. Notices will also appear in Newswest and on our web site. For further information, please send an e-mail to supper@hintonburg.com or call 798-7987. We welcome any other suggestions, and look forward to hearing from you.
Western phase of Wellington reconstruction begins
(JULY 2008) Now that the Parkdale to Holland portion of Wellington Street West reconstruction has been completed and the roadway reopened to vehicles, the next phase has started. Lane closures will be in effect from Western Avenue to Holland Avenue through November 2008. Sidewalks will still be open in the area so pedestrians will be able to continue patronizing local businesses. Westbound route #2 buses will use Holland Avenue then travel along Spencer and then south on Western. East-bound buses will continue to use Wellington. Check the City's website for updates.Hintonburg on YouTube
(JUNE 2008) A Hintonburg filmmaker, Jake Hannah, has been retained by the City of Ottawa as part of the neighbourhood planning process to document the community in cooperation with the Carleton Urban Research and Education Network. Two of the productions were unveiled at the 18 June neighbourhood planning open house. The first three productions, ArtsPark, Hintonburg Tulip Festival and Public Art Consultation, have now been posted to YouTube. While you're on the site, try a search using "Hintonburg" -- you never know what you might find.Wellington Street
West public art contest winners
(JUNE 2008) According to The
Ottawa Citizen of Thursday 5 June, Almonte
sculptors Marcus Kucey-Jones and Ryan Lotecki have won a $255,000
commission from the City's public art program to create 18 sculptures
as part of the Wellington Street West reconstruction which has now
begun. The marble sculptures will stand more than a metre high and will
be installed on
platforms at intervals along Wellington from
Western to Somerset. The installation is expected in 2010.
Hintonburg resident named Ottawa's "Citizen of the Year"
(MAY 2008) According to the Ottawa Sun, some 300,000 volunteers in Ottawa contribute approximately $730 million worth of free service annually. To celebrate this important contribution, the City of Ottawa honoured about 120 volunteers and distinguished residents at the annual Civic Appreciation Awards on Monday 5 May. Paulette Dozois, a long-standing director and member of the executive committee of the Hintonburg Community Association, was declared adult Citizen of the Year. The City's write-up about her achievements notes that "She has been a catalyst in creating pride within her community and setting a high standard for community involvement." Echoing that sentiment, Mayor Larry O’Brien commented that each recipient was "a wonderful example of what it means to be a volunteer... [making] the City of Ottawa a better place to live." A local blogger enthused that "Her dedication to the improvement of her community can only be described as tireless."Armstong Street to be partially closed on May 11 for ArtsPark
(MAY 2008) The Hintonburg Community Association has applied to the City of Ottawa for a temporary closure of a portion of Armstong Street on Sunday 11 May 2008 from 10am to 4pm. Only the block running east from Hamilton Street N to Parkdale Avenue will be closed. ArtsPark, which is being held that day in Parkdale Park, normally attracts several thousand visitors and the temporary closure is a public safety measure. The same section of Armstrong was closed last year for the event with little inconvenience for motorists. The Wellington Street detour will route traffic along Spencer Street for that day only.New public art for Wellington Street West: Have your say!
(MAY 2008) From the Office of Cultural Affairs, City of Ottawa: You are invited to meet the artists who are competing for a public art commission as part of the Wellington Street West reconstruction project. Five artists or artist teams have been short-listed to create detailed designs of their creative concepts for the Wellington Street West corridor... In keeping with its percent for art policy, the City’s Public Art Program initiated a competition for a site-specific work of art that will be integrated into the soon to be rehabilitated Wellington Street West, from Western Avenue to Champagne Avenue North.Nineteen local artists responded enthusiastically to this opportunity with their submissions for the March deadline... Selection criteria includes such things as artistic excellence, experience, reflection of the community, character of the site and durability. Five finalists [or teams] were chosen to develop scale models or maquettes, preliminary sketches of the proposed artworks and detailed work plans including budgets: c.j. fleury; Marcus Kucey Jones and Ryan Lotecki; Janet MacKay and Mitchell Webster; Jennifer Macklem; Carolynne Pynn-Trudeau and Chandler Swain
The public is invited to meet the artists, view the proposals and [make] comment. The Art Selection Committee will take the public’s comments into consideration when they meet again to jury the artworks and choose the winning design. The maquettes and sketches will be on display for public viewing on Thursday, May 15, 2008 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Hintonburg Community Centre at 1064 Wellington Street West, Ottawa. For more information, please call 613-244-4429.
Temporary road closure: Wellington between Parkdale and Holland
(APRIL 2008) From 14 April to approximately 14 June, Wellington Street West between Parkdale Avenue and Holland Avenue will be closed to through traffic, according to a City announcement. Parkdale Avenue and Holland Avenue will remain open but, from 14 April to 5 May, there will be lane reductions at the Holland/Wellington intersection. Wellington Street West will not be affected east and west of the construction zone.- Westbound detour: North on Parkdale Avenue, west on Spencer Street, south on Holland Avenue to Wellington Street West
- Eastbound detour: North on Holland Avenue, east on Armstrong Street, south on Parkdale Avenue to Wellington Street West
Ottawa Citizen: Hintonburg's "hip, urban edge"
(MARCH 2008) Editorial board
member Elizabeth Payne, in the Ottawa Citizen
on 4 March 2008 under the headline "You can't rush success", paints a
highly positive, if cautious, picture of our urban village -- saying
that we seem to have become "Ottawa’s newest 'it' community." She adds
that "residents like the funky, affordable, multi-cultural and
multi-generational aspects of their neighbourhood and would like it to
remain that way... "Part of the reason Hintonburg is getting so much attention is that it remains one of the few ungentrified Ottawa neighbourhoods close to downtown. It also boasts the nearby Parkdale Market and close proximity to cycling paths and the river... But Hintonburg is still a work-in-progress... Five years ago, Hintonburg decided to reinvent itself as the city’s arts community. In addition to the GCTC, there are now numerous art galleries and graphics studios. There are several theatre troupes, and local haunts such as the Carleton and Elmdale taverns have introduced drama to their premises...
"You have to squint a little to see what it will become -- the neighbourhood still features boarded up storefronts and businesses that don’t look like they are there for the long haul. But... the once-seedy Elmdale Tavern... is fast becoming a hipster hangout."
ArtsPark 2008: Calling all craft, fine art and food vendors
(MARCH 2008) The organizers of the fifth annual ArtsPark are now
inviting submissions from vendors. This
outdoor event at Parkdale Park on Sunday 11 May 2008 (Mother's Day)
will feature an invitational art exhibit, food stalls and a Designer
Showcase. 
ArtsPark has created a loyal following, typically attracting 2000 or
more people.
The ever-popular ArtsPark Designer Showcase features work from fine art
jewellers, textile, clothing and other designers who create limited-run
original pieces that are manufactured locally.
Specialty or ethnic food appeals to ArtsPark visitors and last year the
five food vendors reported excellent sales.
This is an outdoor event and weather-dependent. The program for the
day, running from 10am to 4pm, will include children's activities, live
music and heritage walking tours. For more information contact Charles
Reynolds of the Hintonburg Community Association, 613-729-5680 or arts@hintonburg.com.
The deadline for all applications is 31 March.
Tables, which measure 4x8 feet, are available for $50 and space is
limited. Vendors normally bring a table cover and sun umbrellas.
Electricity and other such services are NOT available in the park.
Wellington Street West Centennial Photo Contest winners announced
(FEBRUARY 2008) The Bayswater
to Western Avenue section of Wellington
Street was so named almost one hundred years ago, in June 1908. Marking
this centennial, the Neighbourhoods
in Motion photo contest has captured the spirit of the street linking Hintonburg
and Wellington Village and the people who make it special.Images for the contest were submitted from last fall through mid-January of this year and the four "best of show" along with eight runners-up will on display at the Parkdale Gallery (in the QUAD arts district, 229 Armstrong Street near Parkdale) from Sunday 2 March until Sunday 16 March. The top four images will also be featured in the 28 February issue of the Kitchissippi Times. Thanks to all who took part in the contest!
Honourable Mention
David Owen, Mimi Richard-Golding, Mark Rowsell, Paul Wing
Best in Show
The four outstanding entries were determined by the public through online voting which ended 13 February 2008.
| 16 Years of Age and Under
Category Georges Richard, Roches, arbes et ceil |
Wellington People Category Mimi Richard-Golding, San Rocco |
 |
 |
| xx |
|
| Wellington Historical
Category Norman Dimock, Slushy |
Wellington Architecture
Category Rick Livingston, Maps |
 |
 |
The Neighbourhoods in Motion photo contest is brought to you by
- Camera Club of Ottawa
- Hintonburg Community Association
- Kitchissippi Times
- Parkdale Gallery
- West Wellington Community Association
Third Wall Theatre moves to the QUAD
(FEBRUARY
2008) The Third
Wall Theatre Company,
founded in 2002,has joined the Great Canadian Theatre Company at the
Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre in Hintonburg's QUAD arts district. The
first of this season's plays to debut at their new venue, Empire
Builders,
was well received by critics. "Overall it works well and is noteworthy
for bringing together members of Ottawa's English and French theatre
communities'" said Patrick Langston in The Ottawa Citizen. Denis
Armstrong, writing in The Ottawa Sun under the headline "Difficult
production pulled off in aces" continues "It's fitting Third Wall's
first production in their new home should be one as ambitious as Empire
Builders.
Vian's comedy is demanding in virtually every sense of the word. It's
heady, intellectual stuff. Fortunately, director Joel Beddows is
obviously comfortable with all this French absurdity." The next
production is Tartuffe by Moliere, 27 May 27 to 7 June. Tickets are $26
or less. Welcome Third Wall!
Wellington Street West public art competition
(FEBRUARY 2008) Following intensive lobbying by the Hintonburg Community Association for full implementation of the "1% for public art policy", the City of Ottawa is inviting applications from artists to develop, design and implement a public art project on Wellington Street, within the limits of the reconstruction project. Installation of the artwork envisioned for 2009. The request for proposals is open to all professional artists living within the 150-km radius of Ottawa. Participants must be Canadian citizens, or have landed immigrant status. Artist and/or artist led teams are encouraged to apply.The public art project for the Wellington Street West corridor will integrate visually significant elements that provide identity and distinctive character, referencing the history, community or social commentary of the adjacent neighbourhood and roadway. Completed works of art will demonstrate artistic excellence, be conceptually timeless, address site characteristics including surrounding structures, reflect the community profile and character of the site through historical, aesthetic, environmental, material or technical references. There are many possible locations for proposed artwork and artists may even incorporate art elements into the light standards along the Wellington Street West corridor. Complete details are available on the City's website and the deadline for submissions is 3pm Monday 3 March 2008.
Raising funds for the Rosemount Library
(FEBRUARY 2008) On January 8, 2008, the Hintonburg Community Association Board of Directors voted to contribute $500 to a newly announced campaign to fund needed improvements at the Rosemount Library, our community library.“The Rosemount Library plays such an important role in our community,” said Jeff Leiper, President of the HCA Board. “The library serves this diverse neighbourhood. People of all ages and cultures are made welcome here and many use the services of the library every day for school, business or pleasure.”
The Ottawa Public Library Foundation is asking supporters of the Rosemount Library to contribute to a campaign to raise $5,000 which will be used to provide more convenient and compact magazine storage and new tables and chairs.
Built in 1917-18 as the West Branch, Rosemount is the oldest library building in Ottawa and the sole surviving Carnegie library, constructed with a grant from the Carnegie Foundation. As David Daubney, the volunteer chair of the OPLF, reminds us in his fund-raising letter: “Large windows illuminate a beautiful heritage library; an original Carnegie Library, Rosemount has all the modern features in an old-world setting.”
We urge other library fans to make a tax-deductible contribution to the Rosemount Library. Please send a cheque to the Ottawa Public Library Foundation/Fondation de la Bibliothèque publique d’Ottawa at 101 Centrepointe Drive, 2nd floor, Ottawa, Ontario, K2G 5K7. Please indicate that your donation is for the Rosemount Library – and watch for those improvements.
Metered parking in Hintonburg
(FEBRUARY 2008) The following letter was sent in January to city councillors upon learning of the metered parking proposal. Not only will local businesses suffer but we anticipate a large increase in parking on our side streets -- some of the narrowest in the city!The Hintonburg Community Association (HCA) objects in the strongest possible terms to the implementation of metered parking on Wellington Street West in Hintonburg. The proposal is poorly conceived and was arrived at without consultation with area businesses and residents.Update from the Councillor's office, 14 February: A motion put forward by Christine Leadman yesterday calling for the delay of implementation of on-street parking meters for Hintonburg until the end of the neighbourhood planning (NPI) process was passed by Ottawa City Council. However, meters MAY BE CONSIDERED after the road reconstruction and NPI process. Therefore staff may consider recommending Hintonburg in three years from now. And if they do, a study would be required as well as intensive public consultation.
There are two simultaneous processes underway in our community changes in Hintonburg: the Neighbourhood Planning Initiative and the planning for Wellington reconstruction. Both are seeking to assist businesses and the broader community through considered design, zoning, streetscaping and other measures. A decision to implement metered parking is best taken in the context of these broader initiatives, taking advantage of community participation along with the City's expertise in planning. The need for a considered discussion is amplified by the fact that many businesses in our community continue to struggle, and measures which disadvantage them compared to suburban centres offering free parking run counter to smart planning.
The current proposal offers no rationale for its timing and there have been no efforts to understand or address the impacts in this fast-changing community. We are deeply disappointed that metered parking is being considered in such a hasty and ill-conceived fashion. A debate over the introduction of metered parking in Hintonburg is worthwhile but it must be conducted in an environment of transparency and in the course of due time and process. The HCA looks forward to participating in such a discussion in future but its Board is unanimous in calling on Council to oppose this proposal at this time.
Friends and neighbours meet at Wellington reconstruction open house
(JANUARY 2008) The Wellington Street West Reconstruction Open House,
held on
Wednesday, January 30, 2008 at the Hintonburg Community Centre was well
attended by
area residents. Many used the opportunity to meet up with friends and
neighbours and exchange ideas related to the reconstruction. There is
clearly a lot oft interest on the part of the community in the project
and many
hopes for major improvements to our main street.
A detailed design plan for the corridor was posted for people to look
at and provide feedback on. Councillor Christine Leadman, City of
Ottawa staff, volunteers
from the Neighbourhood
Planning Initiative (NPI), consultants from Delcan and a
landscape architecture firm were on hand to answer questions. Residents
were
also encouraged to provide feedback by way of a questionnaire provided
by the
City of Ottawa.
How bicycle-friendly can we be?
Some of the comments made by attendees at the Open House include the
need for better accommodation of cyclists on Wellington Street West. At
present there is
a plan to promote an alternate cycling route on Armstrong Street, one
block north of Wellington. A
resident expressed his concern that cyclists prefer to use Wellington,
where all the shops are located,
because it’s a more direct route. According to the City, the
alternate route was established because Wellington
is not wide enough to accommodate a dedicated bike lane. Another
resident
suggested not allowing cars to park on one side of Wellington during
peak cycling months to
allow for a bike route that goes in both directions, east and west.
This would
improve safety for cyclists and promote a sustainable form of
transportation in
our community.
Others mentioned the need for flat sidewalks, more trees and more bike
racks along the length of the corridor. Some also mentioned concerns
related to
the use of interlocking brick (also known as pavers). Seniors or those
with disabilities are especially concerned about the potential for an
uneven
surface to develop over time. According to the City, pavers will not
shift or sink over time if installed properly. One resident suggested
the
need to do away with the many newspaper boxes that litter our street
corners
and implement a well-designed box for all newspapers instead. The City
has been examining this option and there is support from volunteers
with the
NPI for this idea.
Overall, the road reconstruction will make a huge difference to the
enjoyment of our main street. We are very fortunate to live
in a
community where it is feasible for many people to walk or
cycle to shop,
play and work. As a result of the reconstruction our main street will
have wider sidewalks, more trees and benches, improved lighting and
better
landscaping in areas fronting on to Wellington.
Monitoring progress
Elaina Mack and Christopher Stoney from Carleton University’s
Centre for Urban Research and Education (CURE)
were on hand to distribute information concerning their research into
the
Hintonburg/Mechanicsville Neighbourhood Planning Initiative.
They are
interested in how the Neighbourhood Planning
Initiative is doing so far. They encourage
those interested to take a few minutes to complete the survey which can
be
accessed at www.cure-crfmu.org.
The
findings of the study will be made available to the public by summer
2008.
If you wish to provide more detailed comments concerning the Wellington
Street West
reconstruction plans please contact Max Ross, Senior Engineer,
Infrastructure
Projects with the City of Ottawa
at 613-580-2424,
Ext. 16011 or by e-mail at max.ross@ottawa.ca.
Feedback is requested by February 6, 2008.
"Mostly empty" urban schools should be judged fairly
(JANUARY 2008) The following letter to the editors at The Citizen was sent by Hintonburg Community Association in response to their 28 January editorial about downtown schools.Congratulations to The Citizen for highlighting the disconnect between the city's best planning principles and our school boards' perspectives concerning schools in the urban core. While the thrust of your editorial was on target -- that downtown living is increasingly seen as the most viable way to deal with growth and that downtown schools should be preserved -- your editorialist should be mindful of perpetuating dangerous myths. One of the most persistent of these is that downtown schools are "mostly empty". School boards use a density measure that compares apples to oranges. The most learning-friendly schools in urban communities, with their airy classrooms and large hallways and foyers, were built several generations ago before the current trend to building to the greatest possible density took hold.
Urban schools are, in effect, unfairly punished for being built at a time when space and good architecture were in vogue. We have learned the hard way that school board statistics must be taken with a grain of salt. During the last major inventory exercise, the Board used planning projections about urban demographics that turned out to be absolutely wrong. Urban communities are in the midst of a new baby boom for precisely the reasons identified by your writer: access to amenities in livable, walkable communities. As discussion continues about the urban school inventory, it is critical that everyone be aware of what the numbers say and what they mean. Guidance from the province to boards directing them to take into account the long-term plans of the cities in which they operate would be very helpful, as well.
Corridor planners recommending more trees and green roofs
(NOVEMBER 2007) “The reconstruction of Wellington Street West next year could lead to a much greener future for our community,” says Paulette Dozois who is one of about 20 volunteers working with the City of Ottawa on the Neighbourhood Planning Initiative (NPI).By 2009, more trees — a lot more trees — along Wellington from Northwestern Avenue to the O-Train will create a much more appealing main street. City planners are also suggesting a collaborative approach whereby private landowners along the corridor can green the fronts of buildings as well as vacant or underutilized properties such as parking lots.
Improving the pedestrian experience
As a result of the NPI, we can all look forward to better-looking, wider sidewalks along with new street furniture, innovative bus shelters and creative public art blending with trees and gardens to provide more meeting places and rest stops along the corridor.
Pedestrian-friendly intersections are also on the NPI agenda. The committee has been looking at ways to increase safety at high-traffic crossroads along Wellington such as Parkdale and Holland. Many solutions are being considered but one that is gaining favour is the “pedestrian scramble” concept where pedestrians can cross in any direction (including diagonally) while vehicles are stopped at every corner by red lights. Drivers wait a little longer to get through an intersection but should find turning easier since they won’t encounter pedestrians in the crosswalk. This safety solution has long been used in western Canada and is now being tested at some intersections in Toronto.
Is a green roof in your future?
As part of the new Community Design Plan linked to road reconstruction, engineers are investigating incorporating the recently approved “green roof” municipal initiative which will encourage property owners with flat roofs to install green roofs. According to the City’s website, “Green roofs are… roof terraces and roof gardens that can improve the appearance of our skyline, create new tranquil outdoor spaces, reduce greenhouse gases, save money, enhance biodiversity, improve sound insulation, and assist urban residents and businesses to adapt to the growing impacts of climate change.”
Community
Design Plan for Wellington West due Spring 2008
(NOVEMBER 2007) Even though Neighbourhood Planning Initiative (NPI)
meetings were
suspended for summer holidays, there has been progress in developing
the three associated plans
and a draft for
one of them, the Community Design Plan for Wellington Street West,
should be available for public review in early Spring 2008. The
comments received last spring at the NPI Public
Open House
have been incorporated into discussions and the consultations are now
focused on the nuts and bolts of road reconstruction -- lighting,
sidewalks, public art and street furniture. Recently, the City of
Ottawa arranged an evening bus tour of some other neighbourhoods
(Westboro, Old Ottawa South, Beechwood Village, etc) so that task force
members could get an idea of what was possible when a “main street”
gets renewed. The actual Wellington Street West construction is due to
start in 2008 between Northwestern and Hamilton/Hinton Streets; the
remainder of the street as far as the Somerset Bridge will start in
2009. 
Wellington Street West BIA one step closer
(NOVEMBER 2007) Establishing a new Business Improvement Area (BIA) for
Hintonburg and West Wellington neighbourhoods has been endorsed by 85%
of some 300 businesses in the area and City of Ottawa staff. (BIAs are
formal business associations funded through tax levies paid by
property owners and businesses within a designated area.)
According to a City
report, "At various times, different associations
have sprung up to address the needs of parts of the area, with varying
degrees of success. This is the first time such a large group of
businesses have come together with such a clear vision for creating a
single, dynamic business district."
The report adds that "a major
overhaul of the Wellington Street West streetscape is planned within
the next few years. During this turbulent process, BIAs have proven
themselves again and again to be the most effective single point of
contact between area businesses and the city." Once a BIA is approved
by Council, all businesses within its boundary automatically become
members.
"An arts QUAD is born"
(OCTOBER 2007) "Four years ago, Hintonburg, one of Ottawa's oldest communities, decided to reinvent itself as a hip new arts hotspot," says writer Patrick Langston in the Ottawa Citizen of 8 October 2007. "The [Hintonburg Community Association's] strategies included rebranding the community as the QUAD (Quartier des artistes/Arts District)... Today, that dream is starting to
materialize,
and optimism abounds that the Great Canadian Theatre Company, in brand
new digs on Wellington Street, will be the key to a full-scale revival
that will benefit not just Hintonburg but the adjoining neighbourhood
of West Wellington as well... "It's hard slogging, though. While several new galleries are flourishing, others have closed, a brave experiment in small theatre spaces is on hiatus, and the whole enterprise needs a lot more hype and some careful shepherding to fulfill its promise...
"'It's a grassroots movement,' says Charles Reynolds, chair of the Hintonburg Community Association's Arts and Heritage Committee. 'You're going to see the GCTC as the cornerstone for QUAD, with other businesses opening up to cater to that crowd... Reynolds points to Quebec City's trendy St-Roche neighbourhood as a model for the QUAD. He adds that his association is working on a proposed ArtsWalk [see photo at left] featuring sculptures along Wellington Street east of Parkdale Avenue...
"The Hintonburg Community Association is working toward a blend of straight arts marketing and such long-term development strategies as the 're-purposing' of heritage buildings for arts venues and artist housing. Whether the QUAD becomes a true arts district will depend on the community's ability to maintain that delicate balance."
GCTC theatre
complex opens this fall with "Capital Letters"
AUGUST 2007: The hoarding is down, the dust is settling, the signs are
up and the excitement can be felt all over town. The Great Canadian
Theatre Company -- GCTC -- is celebrating its 33rd season
in a brand new "green" facility (officially the Irving Greenberg
Theatre Centre) at the corner of Wellington Street W and Holland Avenue
in Hintonburg. The joint will be jumping from October through June.
Capital
Letters 5-play seriesThe new season, aptly titled "Capital Letters", opens with a musical comedy, The Man from the Capital playing October 9 to 28. With music by John Millard, the book and lyrics by Colin Heath are based on The Government Inspector by Nikolai Gogol. The story is set in a small town during the Great Depression and probes the foibles of a corrupt municipal government. The season ends in June with Pierre Brault's 5 O’Clock Bells, from GCTC’s play development program, a "seductive comedy about betrayal in personal and political relationships."
“Our Capital Letters season is GCTC’s love letter to the National Capital Region,” says Artistic Director Lise Ann Johnson. “All of the plays in the 2007-2008 season are either penned by writers from Ottawa or feature a connection to our nation’s capital.” You can gain insight into the works presented this season by joining Talkback Tuesdays for informal, wide-ranging discussions with cast and crew members after the show on October 16, November 20, February 5, April 8 and June 3.
Music, art, events and "The Local" bar
With two theatres (seating 265 and 90) as well as an intimate wine and
dessert
bar managed by Thyme &
Again Encore, catering services and a gallery, the facility
can be rented
for independent productions, weddings and
cocktail parties, lectures, film series, art education events,
symposia and awards shows.
The GCTC complex builds upon the momentum of Hintonburg's QUAD Arts District and provides a
highly visible anchor.The mezzanine gallery area features art
exhibits that reflect GCTC’s Mainstage season, curated by the Cube
Gallery's Don Monet. And the popular Acoustic Waves
is returning this year with Sunday concerts on October 21, November 25,
February 10, April 13 and June 8 at 8 p.m. These concerts will feature
both the celebrated and the rising stars of the Canadian music scene.
Neighbourhood planning update
AUGUST 2007: The City has posted several documents dealing with community input received at the February Workshop as well as the display material from the June Open House on their website. The draft Community Design Plan should be available for comment sometime this Fall and work on the associated Neighbourhood Plan for Hintonburg and Mechanicsville continues this Fall as well.Over 200 runners for the Hintonburg Centennial Run
AUGUST 2007: The Hintonburg Centennial 5k Run/Walk and Newswest 1k Kids Run on July 15 was a total success. The Hintonburg Community Association hosted 160 participants in the 5k event and nearly 50 kids ran the 1k. Along the way, we raised $2000 for the Association and made a great showcase of our community.
Runners
and walkers loved the fast, flat,
unique course through our neighbourhood, residents enjoyed the
show, Market merchants and restaurants saw a welcome increase in
business. We’re very pleased to say that over 50 volunteers helped
make the event possible, many of whom were engaged with the Association
for the first time through this event. To a person,
everyone tells us they’ll be back! We’re looking at some tweaks to
next year’s race, including an improved kids run and chip timing for
the adults, but are very proud to say that the event ran almost like
clockwork. A huge thanks to our sponsors without whose support the event never would have gotten off the ground. Regional Development / School House Lofts came through with a significant financial contribution that gave us the confidence to move ahead. The Kitchissippi Times’ support was invaluable in helping us market the event. Collected Works, Susan Chell / ReMAX, Westboro Massage Therapy, Beament Green and Thyme & Again were very generous in their financial support.
Though it happened almost by accident, Merge Business Solutions became one of our most important partners. Their generous help in designing a race graphic turned into a full-blown marketing machine as we worked with them on two different T-shirts, water bottles and race fliers. They also donated four trophies for our winners. We’re grateful for their advice and patience.
The Running Room in Ottawa provided some critical supplies free of charge; the free use of their online registration system and marketing machine were largely responsible for the incredible turnout we had. More importantly, the can-do attitude of Ottawa-area regional manager Phil Marsh, his advice and encouragement, convinced us we could pull this off.
A big thanks goes to Herb & Spice on Wellington Street for the donation of the post-race bananas. We are also grateful to the GCTC, Zoom Photo, and Scissor and Comb who generously donated some great draw prizes. The HCA hopes you’ll return their fantastic community support.
Finally, the crew from Timberland Construction helped pull it all together with their donation of hours setting up and clearing barricades. Thanks, guys.
Besides these sponsors and donors, the HCA also has to thank Fabrice Cote in Councillor Leadman’s office. His deft stickhandling of the bureaucracy and advice were critical to the success of this event. Sgt. Roley Campbell and Officer Dennis Turpin from the Ottawa Police Service kept our runners safe and happy crossing Holland and Parkdale.
Besides the HCA regulars who volunteered their time -- Brenda Primmer, Linda Hoad, Paulette Dozois, Cheryl Parrott, Nicholas Olmstead and Monica Freedman -- we owe a huge thank you to our course marshalls:
| Helen Balanoy Carrol Lunau Bev Binnette Dave Madely Glenda Stark Laurie Wilson Randy Dubé Vikharuddin Syed Doreen Duchesne Jasmine Tackman Michael Hebert Donna Bradbury Mimi Golding | Beth Greenhorn Michael Jean Sonja Kodric-Ramsaran Aidan Finlay Lorrie Marlowe Kyla Boyer Nancy McMahon Brent Hyde Cathy Chatham Ann McLaren Cheryl Parrott Gary Ludington Jean Dukacz Shirley Lussier | Smita Ashar Tim Golding Erin Topping Kevin O'Connell Denise Gauvin Roberta Percy Hieu Nguyen James Newton Wayne Rodney Bill Allen Tanya McGregor Vicky Smallman Pat Denny |  |
Thanks to each of you! The runners were thrilled at your professionalism and support. Blocking 30 intersections to traffic is no mean feat,
and your generosity is the only way we could have made it happen!
Watch for the second annual Hintonburg Centennial 5k Run/Walk and Newswest 1k Kids Run on July 13, 2008!
Huge puppets, outrageous theatrics bring the opera Carmen to new audiences
JULY 2007: The Hintonburg Community Association and Docela Velke Divadlo are pleased to present a unique version of Carmen, directed by Jurij Galin, on Thursday 9 August at Hintonburg Park in Ottawa -- an acclaimed work "realized with love but without any mercy."
Docela Velke Divadlo (translated into English as "Quite a Great Theatre") is a professional theatre company from Litvinov, Prague, in the Czech Republic. Their version of Carmen, the famous opera by Georges Bizet, comes alive through the use of one-metre-high puppets and masked actors along with other dramatic and puppeteering elements. The Vienna Symphony Orchestra‘s recording of the opera is featured while an elderly Gipsy woman guides spectators through the somewhat abridged story.
This is a fine introduction to opera for children and others who may not know Bizet's masterpiece. Since 1997, Docela Velke Divadlo has performed the play in Italy, Germany, the USA, Bulgaria, Australia, France and Austria. The performance lasts 80 minutes with a 15-minute intermission.
- Date: Thursday 9 August 2007
- Time: 7pm
- Location: Hintonburg Park, Ottawa
Got any home movies taken in Hintonburg?
JULY 2007: Home Movie Day is a worldwide celebration of amateur films and filmmaking that has been held annually since 2002 on the second Saturday in August. It celebrates these often overlooked original films as unique cultural documents that are valuable records of the everyday experience -- a glimpse into a side of life that is not often witnessed or captured in mass media.Home Movie Day Ottawa is a free family event hosted by Library and Archives Canada in partnership with Available Light Screening Collective. The event is an education and outreach opportunity that provides people with a chance to learn about the importance of home movies, find out about film preservation, meet local film archivists and conservators -- and a chance to watch and celebrate these wonderful home movies.
- You can drop off your movies
(V8mm film, Super8mm film, 16mm film) on July 10th or 12th
so they can be inspected and evaluated at Club SAW,
67 Nicholas Street, Ottawa, from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Not all films can
be shown on Home Movie Day for reasons such as physical condition,
content or length. Owners of films chosen for the program will be
contacted the week of July 23.
- For more information, contact homemoviedayottawa@gmail.com or Tina Harvey at (819) 953-5428 or Nick Nguyen at (819) 934-7349.
An
international take on Hintonburg: "A welcoming place"
JUNE 2007: The Financial
Times of London has aimed its sights at Hintonburg (Who knew we were so well known
internationally?) in their 8 June 2007 "House & Home" section.
Reporter Daina Lawrence says "The area has begun to show signs of
thriving again. One big factor is its mixed citizenry and perception as
a welcoming place... There are pubs that sell both high-end whiskies
and quart bottles of domestic beer, plenty of ethnic restaurants,
including Italian, Thai and Ethiopian, and the popular Parkdale fruit
and vegetable market, frequented in the summer by people from around
Ottawa.
"Add to this some affordable housing in need of renovation and you can
see why Hintonburg is starting to pique the interest of city home
buyers... 'There are a lot of young families around... several schools
within walking distance, local parks,
galleries and a library'...
"'In areas like this where there are some nice Victorian homes and the
houses are not all the same, people can be creative and put their own
touches on homes' says Steve Brouse of Coldwell Banker Real Estate....
"Prices are starting to climb in Hintonburg but there are still some
bargains to be found... [and according to Salem MacDonald, a property
developer for Sage Urban Developments] 'People enjoy that they can walk
everywhere and don’t have to take their car... you can still pick up
singles in the high C$200,000s and low C$300,000s... And there are a
lot [more] young people who want to be downtown and are not afraid to
put the paint on and put in some work fixing up these homes.'”.
Shakespeare in the Park: two free plays in July
JUNE 2007: The Hintonburg Community Association is delighted to be sponsoring Shakespeare in the Park again this summer. Once again, the Shakespeare Young Company will
honour us with their preview performance on July 3 at 7 pm. The young
actors in this Salamander Theatre training program will present Measure for Measure,
directed by Eleanor Crowder, in their sixth Hintonburg appearance. In
case of rain, the show will go on -- indoors. A Company of Fools will
return on July 11 at 7 pm with their second Hintonburg show, Twelfth Night,
directed by Margo MacDonald. Admission is free, but at the end of each
play the actors will pass a hat for donations to support their work,
much as was done in the Bard’s own time. All are welcome, young and
old. Bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on and change to buy drinks.
Both plays are presented in Hintonburg Park, directly behind the
Hintonburg Community Centre (1064 Wellington Street near Fairmont). For
more information: www.salamandertheatre.ca and www.fools.ca.
Neighbourhood Planning Open House
MAY 2007: The City of Ottawa is inviting all residents of Hintonburg,
Mechanicsville and West Wellington to an Open House on Tuesday 19 June
from 6:00 to 9:00 pm at the Hintonburg Community Centre (1064
Wellington Street W near Fairmont). There will be a free BBQ (with hot
dogs) and the entire first floor of the Community Centre will be
devoted to background information and the latest developments in the
neighbourhood planning project. A vision for the community will be
presented and City staff will be available to answer your questions.
The City and the neighbourhood stakeholders -- including the Hintonburg
Community Association -- really want to hear from you so do, please,
take advantage of this opportunity to influence the future of your
community! For more information...- Quick! What do you want your neighbourhood to become?
- What can we expect from a neighbourhood plan?
- Neighbourhood planning: the arts influence
- City of Ottawa information: Neighbourhood Planning
Neighbourhood planning: the arts influence
APRIL 2007: The Hintonburg Community Association made a presentation on 25 April to the Community Task Force for the City of Ottawa's Neighbourhood Planning Initiative for Hintonburg, Mechanicsville and West Wellington. The "deck" outlines some current expert thinking about how the arts can enrich communities, cites a case study of Quebec City's Saint-Roch neighbourhood which has a history similar to Hintonburg's, details the HCA action plan for culture and summarizes the arts vision currently being developed for the Neighbourhood Plan.Inquiry from Councillor Leadman: How to deal with problem properties
From the April 5 minutes of Community and Protective Services Committee of the City of OttawaAPRIL 2007: Councillor Leadman distributed copies of a Motion she asked the committee to consider. The committee agreed that since she was asking for a staff report back, that it should be dealt with as an inquiry. In light of the department’s existing aggressive work plan, Susan Jones, Director of Bylaw Services suggested the Motion be amended to be a six month timeframe instead of a three month timeframe and Councillor Leadman concurred with this extension of time.
The inquiry follows: Whereas as the Ottawa Police Services Board meeting of February 19th, a motion recommended that Ottawa City Council review the various options available with respect to habitual problem landlords, in light of the new, broader powers found in Bill 130 (e.g. Including the New Westminster, B.C. model and other models in Manitoba and Nova Scotia), as well as identifying the necessity for requesting additional statutory authority from the Province of Ontario;
And whereas many neighbourhoods in Ottawa, such as the Hintonburg Community, are faced with habitual problem properties that continually receives excessive calls for service;
And whereas some municipalities have developed innovative and successful approaches to deal with problem landlords and property owners where a fee and / or other punitive actions are taken;
Therefore Be It Resolved that the City of Ottawa review the different models being used in other municipalities such New Westminster BC, Winnipeg Manitoba, Saskatoon and Regina Saskatchewan, and report back in six months time with a recommendation for a new tool or bylaw that would be suitable for our City.
The councillor explained that she had met with staff and [they] are going to work together to establish this initiative to bring forward in her community. She hoped that they would become a model that can be used in other wards.
Neighbourhood planning: go online to tell the City what you think
APRIL 2007: Share your vision for the future of our neighbourhood -- online surveying is the way! In partnership with local community members, the City of Ottawa is undertaking a Neighbourhood Planning Initiative in the neighbourhoods of Hintonburg, Mechanicsville and West Wellington.This initiative will shape the future development of buildings, public spaces, water and sewer, transportation, human services, and more for the entire neighbourhood -- including lighting, sidewalks, bike paths, landmarks and 'street furniture'. Now is the time for Hintonburg residents to provide input that will influence the three plans underway now.
Beginning 9 April, the City will be conducting a series of online surveys for six consecutive weeks. Each survey should take only about 10 minutes to complete. At the end of each survey, you can sign up for a 'lucky draw' for prizes from local businesses.
Please take a few minutes to share your comments -- every week. Let's seize this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to shape our neighbourhood for the next 20 years!
enRoute magazine loves Hintonburg too
APRIL 2007: In
its April 2007 number, enRoute (Air Canada's in-flight magazine) names
Hintonburg as one of its favourite emerging neighbourhoods. In their
first survey five years ago, "We looked for places across the country where
like-minded people could find a vibrant cultural scene in their own
backyard...' says the introduction to the article entitled Canada's Next Great Neighbourhoods. "We thought it was time to revisit the list and see which communities were emerging next. "Writer Fateema Sayani starts her "day in the life" of Hintonburg at the Parkdale Market: "With heirloom tomatoes, purple beans and micro-greens from the Bryson Farms stall at the Ottawa Parkdale Market in hand, early birds head north to Remic Rapids Park to watch the sun rise over John-Félice Ceprano’s freestanding rock sculptures." For lunch, she recommends the Melrose Groceteria (1082 Wellington) where Helen’s Cuisine serves "shawarma, tabouli, delicious baklava – and pot roast."
The QUAD gets a nod too
Turning her eye to culture in the QUAD arts district, Ms Sayani remarks that "upstart galleries abound. Cube Gallery is home to locally established modern artists... [and] James Robinson, the owner of nearby Parkdale Gallery, paints on-site..." Back to the food scene, Ms Sayani mentions Urban Element (where cookbook authors teach in "a retrofitted fire hall with an industrial kitchen") and Hino Restaurant (1082 Wellington) "for fine Asian-fusion cuisine."
Hintonburg is profiled along with nine other areas such as the Old East End in St. John’s, Toronto's Roncesvalles Village and Victoria's Harris Green in the upscale monthly which has a large, world-wide distribution.
Also noted:
- A Fine Thing Antiques, 1096 Somerset Street W
- The Carleton Tavern, 223 Armstrong Street
- Dogz Spa & Boutique, 1116 Wellington Street W
- Ravensara Gifts and Collectibles, 1200F Wellington Street W
- Absinthe Café Resto Bar, 65 Holland Avenue
Big turnout for neighbourhood planning day
FEBRUARY
2007: On Saturday 24 February, the City sponsored a series of workshops
and a public information session about the neighbourhood planning
initiative now underway. About 40 "stakeholders" took part in five
workshops looking at issues such as streetscaping, heritage, security,
urban design, public art, diversity and traffic. The reports from these
workshops are meant to help define the focus for the planning process. Later in the day, the public was invited to drop in to the Hintonburg Community Centre and have a look at displays about the three planning initiatives, a Creative Neighbourhoods "wish" map and a City Archives exhibit that included an 1894 survey map of the Village of Hintonburg. City staff were present to gather feedback and commented that they had rarely seen such a large turnout, estimated at more than 400 participants. The next public meeting is planned for the Spring.
- For more information, read What can we expect from a neighbourhood plan?
- City of Ottawa: Neighbourhood Planning
ArtsPark sponsorship: A highly visible investment in your community
FEBRUARY 2007: The Hintonburg Community Association is looking for your support in staging the 4th annual ArtsPark on Sunday, May 13. It's a one-day festival of art, design, music and performance held every year on Mothers' Day in the park adjacent to Parkdale Market — a signature event in the QUAD arts district that attracts thousands of visitors.
When
you join the Hintonburg Community Association, the City of Ottawa and
other noteworthy partners in bringing ArtsPark to the community, you
are supporting hundreds of local artists, musicians and performers. The growth in galleries, arts-centred businesses and artists' studios in our neighbourhood over the last few years hasn't happened by accident! Events such as ArtsPark help establish Hintonburg as a cultural “hot spot” and attract new residents and businesses.
Our aim is to cover our event costs and generate a small profit. Proceeds from ArtsPark have supported children's arts projects, a temporary “guerrilla” gallery and two QUADview photo contests.
Sponsorship packages are available in units of $250 and, with upwards of 60,000 advertising impressions, you can't go wrong at any level. In fact, one of last year's sponsors declared that it was “the best advertising money I've ever spent.”
The $500+ Sponsor package
- your business logo prominently displayed on all promotional material — posters, info cards, programmes, website, etc — with over 60,000 potential impressions or views
- feature listing for one year on the HCA website Business Directory with logo and website link (see our online Business Directory for a sample) — your contribution keeps working for you for an entire year
- your supplied signage erected onsite the day of the event along with your promotional literature
- “Presenter” status for donations of $1000 or more
- your business name or logo on all promotional material with over 60,000 potential advertising impressions
- your supplied promotional literature distributed onsite on the day of the event
- highlight listing on the HCA website (see our online Business Directory for a sample)
Sponsors wanted: the Hintonburg Centennial 5k/1k Run/Walk
FEBRUARY 2007: The Hintonburg
Centennial 5k/1k Run/Walk (on Sunday, July 15, 2007)
will draw more than 100 participants, nearly 30 volunteers and
extensive coverage in the local press. We’re holding the
event as a fundraiser so that the Community Association can keep working to build a better
Hintonburg.
The Centennial Run/Walk will start at the Parkdale Market and run through our community, with activities for the whole family including a 1k fun run for the kids, BBQ, music, an expo by local groups promoting their community and commercial activities.
We are offering participants free T-shirts with their registration and the event will be extensively promoted on this website, through the Running Room’s national website, Kitchissippi Times advertising (two ¼ page, colour ads – one in May, one in June), in our communications with hundreds of Association members and 5000 flyers in local businesses and local Running Rooms. In all, it’s expected that several thousand people will see our sponsors’ logos in print, on the web and on the race shirts!
To accommodate as many local businesses as will want to participate, we are offering several shirt logo options:
- 6 small logos on back approximately 2 ½” x 1 “ -- $250
- 6 medium logos on back approximately 5” x 3” -- $500
- 2 large logos on back approximately 8”x 4” -- $1000
ArtsPark 2007: Calling all artists and vendors
FEBRUARY 2007: The organizers of the fourth annual ArtsPark are now inviting submissions from artists, photographers and vendors. This outdoor event at Parkdale Park on Sunday, May 13, 2007 (Mother's Day) will feature a juried show from those who live or work in the area around Hintonburg's QUAD arts district as well as a Designer Showcase.
ArtsPark has created a loyal following, typically attracting 2000 or
more people and last year's event featured work from about 30 local
artists. There is no fee for exhibiting but artists are expected to be
on site. To apply, submit no more than three sample images by email to arts@hintonburg.com and be sure to include your name and telephone number. Depictions of life in Hintonburg are particularly welcome.The ever-popular ArtsPark Designer Showcase features work from fine art jewellers, textile, clothing and other designers who create limited-run original pieces that are produced locally. Tables are available for $50.
This is an outdoor event and weather-dependent. The program for the day, running from 10am to 4pm, will include children's activities, live music and heritage walking tours. For more information contact Charles Reynolds of the Hintonburg Community Association, 613-729-5680 or arts@hintonburg.com. The deadline for all applications is March 23.
No change recommended to prostitution laws
JANUARY 2007: The Hintonburg Community Association (HCA) is pleased to learn that a Parliamentary sub-committee examining prostitution laws has recommended against changing them. The HCA had been concerned that the committee might be pre-disposed to recommending decriminalization of prostitution since many of the members of the committee are known to favour looser laws. The committee was struck in 2003 at the behest of NDP member of Parliament Libby Davies who is known to favour eliminating prostitution laws as a way to make the lives of prostitutes in such dangerous places as Edmonton and Vancouver safer.The HCA had been concerned that few community groups were to be heard from in the course of the committee's proceedings and worked diligently to ensure it would be afforded a chance to present the community's views. In the winter of 2005, we had the chance to make a formal presentation to the committee and to submit a copy of our booklet Dispelling the Myths. We followed up with several committee MPs who visited our community for several hours one evening to hear more about some of the challenges we've experienced and for first-hand accounts of how street-level prostitution affects communities such as ours.
The HCA representatives reiterated the position that eliminating the "communication" laws that prohibit soliciting would eliminate a key tool needed by police to conduct "john" sweeps and cut down on harassment on our streets while affording the women working as prostitutes no additional protection. We detailed our arguments that street level prostitution is inextricably linked with issues of homelessness and addiction and that decriminalization would have only a negative impact in addressing these issues.
The committee's report recognizes the testimony of the HCA and other community groups in outlining the harm done by street level prostitution in residential neighbourhoods and does not recommend that current laws be changed.
For more information about the report or the HCA's successful response to street level prostitution in our community, please write to us with your name and number and we will get back to you.
2006 Hintonburg Holiday Lights winner
JANUARY
2007: One award is being given for the 2006 Holiday Lights Competition
sponsored by the Hintonburg Community Association. "Best Block"
recognition was earned by the residents of Irving Avenue between Laurel
and Gladstone even though there was some tough competition from other
areas in Hintonburg, notably sections of Armstrong Street that had some
real show-stoppers.In the end, however, judges remarked on the Avenue's household participation rate (probably close to 90%) and creative approach. In addition to lights dangling almost everywhere, there were large inflated "snowdolls", animated carolers in a special display window, wreaths large and small, several nativity displays -- all illuminated -- and many twinkling Christmas trees visible in front windows. One home was so expansively decorated that the owner chose a 50-50 display -- green lights along the soffits one night, red lights outlining windows the next.
Congratulations residents of Irving Avenue! You're the ones to watch next year.
Kringle made the holiday warmer
JANUARY
2007: Thanks to our many volunteers who helped make this year's Kringle
event a success! Special thanks go out to Sgt Jean Lamothe for his
assistance in making sure Santa was on hand for the big day and
especially to QUAD artist Angela McGowan for the beautiful new backdrop
she donated to the HCA to make our pictures with Santa the best yet! Many thanks, also, to Laura Shantz, Paulette Dozois, Wayne Rodney, the Bacques (for their help in making and serving hot chocolate), Jeff Leiper -- and especially Monique Lachapelle and her group of Hintonburg Community Centre volunteers for ensuring the kids had a great time. We look forward to seeing you next year!
Ho Ho Ho ... Christmas happens In Hintonburg
DECEMBER 2006: The community of Hintonburg invites you to a free
Christmas dinner at the Carleton Tavern, 223 Armstrong Street
(at Parkdale) from 11am to 3pm on Christmas Day. This sixth annual event is generously sponsored by the
Saikaley family, owners of the Carleton Tavern, and is co-sponsored by
the Hintonburg Economic Development Committee and His Mercy Friendship
Centre.Come and spend Christmas with your neighbours and friends while listening to some great music organized by "Midnight Mike and the Open Stage Revue". Donations of wrapped and labeled gifts for children and especially for adults (warm socks, mitts, hats), baked foods and goodies are welcome. Contact Cheryl or Vance at 728-7582 (hedc@sympatico.ca) for more information.
2006 Holiday Lights Competition
Just for the fun of it -- show off your creativity! 
NOVEMBER 2006: Bring a little extra sparkle to Hintonburg this festive season -- be part of the Hintonburg Community Association's Holiday Lights Competition. Get those ladders out and trim the trees or the eves or your windows or who knows what -- and then get the recognition you so richly deserve!
Just for the fun of it at this most-fun time of the year, the HCA is sponsoring another Holiday Lights Competition. Your display doesn't have to be outrageously expensive -- we judge based on originality and creativity. We will be looking for entries in three categories: best domestic, best block (round up your neighbours now!), best commercial. Have a look at last year's winners to see what we mean.
To get into the running, just leave us a message (613-798-7987 or email) with your name and address. Judging will take place in mid-December and winners will be announced in early January.
The fine print: The HCA reserves the right to publish the winners' names and addresses and use photos of the entries for non-commercial promotional purposes.
Show us your creative flair, Hintonburg!
Christine Leadman is Kitchissippi's new Councillor
NOVEMBER 2006: The results of the November 13 municipal election saw
Christine Leadman selected as Kitchissippi's new Councillor with almost
6000 votes. Turnout was high on election day with Gary Ludington
receiving over 4500 votes and Vicky Smallman in third place with almost
3600 supporters on her side. The fourth candidate, Daniel Narwa,
received 372 votes. One of the Councillor-elect's first official
engagements, on November 17, was attending a preliminary stakeholder
meeting on the Hintonburg Neighbourhood Plan.
Ms Leadman is currently Executive Director of the Westboro Business
Improvement Area. She is a strong arts supporter and accepted the
Council for the Arts in Ottawa 2006 Business Recognition Award on
behalf of the Westboro BIA last February. Read about her views on
the arts in Hintonburg and in greater Ottawa.Ho Ho Ho ... Christmas Happens In Hintonburg.
The Community of Hintonburg invites you to join them for a free Christmas Dinner at the Carleton Tavern, 223 Armstrong Street, (Armstrong at Parkdale right next to the Parkdale Market). The dinner is from 11am - 3pm on Christmas Day.This sixth annual Christmas Day dinner is generously sponsored by the Saikaley Family, owners of the Carleton Tavern and is co-sponsored by the Hintonburg Economic Development Committee and His Mercy Friendship Centre.
Come and spend Christmas with your neighbours and friends experiencing the warmth of the Hintonburg Community Family. Listen to some great music from musicians in the community organized by "Midnight Mike and the Open Stage Revue".
Donations of wrapped and labeled gifts for children and especially for adults (warm socks, mitts, hats), baked foods and goodies are welcome. Let’s make this a Christmas to remember.
Contact: Cheryl or Vance 728-7582 (hedc@sympatico.ca)
Quick! What do you want your neighbourhood to become?
NOVEMBER 2006: Two municipal rockets have been launched in Hintonburg: a first-ever Neighbourhood Plan and a Community Design Plan. The latter is related to infrastructure replacement; the former is an outgrowth of the City's Official Plan (Ottawa 20/20) and several companion documents. Both are on short journeys through our part of Ottawa and both give all of us a chance to greatly influence what our neighbourhood will be like for the foreseeable future. MoreYour candidates' views on the arts
OCTOBER 2006: The Hintonburg Community Association asked all Council candidates in Kitchissippi -- Christine Leadman, Gary Ludington, Daniel Narwa, Vicky Smallman -- to answer our questions about the arts. More...QUAD arts district: groundswell
SEPTEMBER 2006: Since the Hintonburg Community Association declared the community an "arts district" about three years ago, the whole city has come to embrace the QUAD (an acronym for Quartier des artistes / Arts District). Perhaps the first to notice this grass-roots uprising was a local cultural magazine, Hipster and Poser. Then Ottawa Magazine began paying attention. Then the daily newspapers and most recently, Ottawa Xpress, the influential weekly tabloid. Their ArtsWatch columnist Allison Collins, in the September 21-27 number, applauds the QUAD initiative in an article entitled "How the west was fun". She notes "two more leaps of faith (a.k.a. new art galleries)" -- the new Gallery 7A (7A Hamilton Avenue N) and the re-imagined, "intimate" Pukka Gallery that shares space with several other cultural enterprises at the new Engine Room at 430 Parkdale. These spaces join the Cube Gallery which was perhaps the forerunner of the commercial cultural awakening for the neighbourhood and the adjoining Studio 7A Gallery. Says Collins, "Unbeknownst to me, a serious community of creative types has long been rooted here" and entices readers to "go west my friends, go west."OCTOBER 2006: Curator Peter Purdy and artist James Robinson have announced the new Parkdale Gallery at 225 Armstrong Street, just across from the Parkdale Market and around the corner from the two Hamilton Street galleries. The first show, opening Wednesday 15 November, will feature native art.
Proposed LCBO store closure
SEPTEMBER 2006: As a result of the emails and phone calls about the possible closing of 'our' liquor store, Richard Patten asked Barry O'Brien, Director of Corporate Affairs at the LCBO to meet with community members who had expressed concerns. We met with him and an Ottawa member of the Liquor Control Board in August and learned that they do intend to close the store when the new store beside the Loblaws Superstore opens.The termination of the lease at Holland Cross some years ago precipitated the move to 1224 Wellington which was always considered too small. The LCBO continues to be surprised at how well the store does. In spite of very high sales (not the highest per square foot in Ottawa as we had been told), there are many problems -- they can't keep the shelves and coolers stocked because of lack of storage space, deliveries are hampered by lack of space for trucks to unload and the store can't carry as wide a product range as larger stores.
The 20 or so residents and business owners who were at the meeting pointed out that this is a walking community, a community where many people choose not to own a car, and where we can do most of our shopping on foot, on Wellington Street. The Liquor Store is an important anchor store for other businesses; it draws many employees from Tunney's Pasture to the street. These employees will not be likely to shop in Westboro on their lunch hour.
We told the LCBO to consider the proven ability of Loeb to compete with the Loblaws Superstore and suggested that not everyone likes to be faced with a large choice in a large store. We also pointed out that if this store closes, there will be no centrally located liquor store between Kirkwood and Metcalfe Street. They did acknowledge that the area to the east of Hintonburg is underserved and told us that they were looking for a site near Preston or Booth -- to open in about 5 years.
Barry O'Brien told us that the staff will present our concerns and the staff recommendation to the Board members of the LCBO at their next meeting on September 20. There is still time to send your views to the LCBO and our elected officials:
- Barry O’Brien, Director of Corporate Affairs LCBO
- Richard Patten
- Jim Watson
- Dalton McGuinty
- Shawn Little
UPDATE 22 SEPTEMBER 2006: The LCBO, in a letter to the Hintonburg Community Association, explained that they had reviewed the closure of the Wellington Street branch but were still planing to close the store when the new, larger outlet opens further west on Richmond Road near Kirkwood. The action is planned for January 2007.
The Hintonburg Safety Partnership
SEPTEMBER 2006: Who can forget the summer of 2004 here in Hintonburg: drug houses, rampant prostitution, johns cruising the hood 24/7 all of which left us feeling unsafe on our streets and in our homes. Thanks in part to our highly visible and successful “Harmony in Hintonburg Walkabouts” we proved ourselves to be a community to be listened to! The media, the Mayor, the police -- we had the attention of all the partners that we needed to create a safe, caring, secure community.And that is exactly what we set about doing: the Hintonburg Safety Partnership was formed to look at long-term solutions to some of Hintonburg’s recurring problems. Some of the issues we have been working on include problem properties, slum landlords, recreational needs of the children of Hintonburg and strengthening the relationship between the community and its partners. The partnership is made up of community members, the Kitchissippi Councillor, City staff as needed (from health, by-law, fire, rooming houses, police), local school reps, a local school principal, residents and community business owners.
Hintonburg has long proven itself to be a caring community -- with our campaign to keep Ottawa’s only "detox centre" open, to the ever successful Hintonburg Hip-Hop Program, to our free movie nights -- we are a diverse community with needs as diverse as the people themselves. Our success has been bringing all these players to the table in support of making our community safe and, in the process, being the model that other communities look to as they enter into the same journey.
Kitchissippi Task Force on Problem Properties
SEPTEMBER 2006: It takes a lot of resources and the involvement of many agencies to address problem properties. The Hintonburg Community Association has written to the owners of some of these properties asking for their efforts to resolve the problems. No one agency working alone has the answer but working together much can be accomplished. Steady progress has been made to date through dedication to the process. Thirty-eight properties were brought to the Task Force and dealt with during 2005; 28 of these properties had the problems resolved. The other 10 properties remained on the list in 2006 with 6 of those being resolved so far. Ten new problems were identified in 2006 with 3 of those resolved to date, a few others almost resolved and another few where innovative solutions are needed.Pukka Gallery reopens 16 September 2006
SEPTEMBER 2006: The "re-opening" show features paintings and drawings by Ottawa artists Kate Barry, Gary Goodacre, Petra Halkes, Meaghan Haughian, Howie Tsui, Sharon Van Starkenburg. A special performance of The Cake Show, 16 September, features Visual artist Karina Bergmans and artist/curator Jenny McMaster who will be collaborating for the inaugural Cake Show performance -- an exploration of the desire, festivity and fantasy which accompany this quintessential party dish. Performances involving cake and its ritual manifestations will take place throughout the evening from 7-10pm. There will be cake songs, cake fashions, cake consumption and a cake procession that will be sure to keep everyone dreaming of cake for days.New location
Until recently a mechanics garage, The Engine Room, located at 430 Parkdale Avenue between Wellington and Gladstone, is the Hintonburg Community's newest arts destination and home to artists studios, Podco Podcasting, Acacia Consulting and Research, Creative Neighbourhoods Inc, and the new location of Pukka Gallery. Pukka Gallery is a commercial gallery that features exhibitions of local visual artists. The exhibit continues until October 7. The gallery will be open weekends from noon to 5pm at 430 Parkdale Avenue, Ottawa (south of wellington beside the old fire hall). www.pukkagallery.ca
Heritage school building to be redeveloped
SEPTEMBER 2006: The former Sacré Coeur School building at 19 Melrose Avenue has been sold to the Regional Group. They plan to adapt the current building for a residential condominium project (keeping the current building). The proposed development will require a rezoning to residential, since the current zoning is institutional. It is also a designated heritage building and therefore development will require permission from the City under the Heritage Act.Gladstone Avenue rehabilitation: City report
AUGUST 2006: As of August 18, 2006, work is proceeding according to schedule. The following is a brief description of work expected and approximate timeframe that we anticipate that it will be undertaken.Water and Sewers
All sewer installations have been completed. New watermain and services are complete from Melrose Ave. to Irving Ave. The remaining watermain, between Irving Ave. and Bayswater Ave., will be completed by August 25/06. All water services and watermain testing should be completed by the first week of September.
Utilities, New Street Lighting, and Traffic Signals
Underground installations have been completed from Melrose Ave. to Irving Ave. and at the Bayswater Ave. intersection. Hydro Ottawa is expected to relocate two poles, at the southwest corner of the Fairmont intersection, after the Labour day weekend. Traffic and streetlight installations will continue and are expected to be complete by Oct 31, 2006.
Concrete Curb and Sidewalks
Melrose Ave. to Irving Ave. -- Sidewalk construction began on Friday Aug 18, 06; Irving Ave. to Bayswater Ave. -- Not expected to start until September, 2006.
Asphalt Paving
Melrose Ave. to Bayswater Ave. -- Base course asphalt expected to be undertaken early October, with surface course and completion set for October 31, 2006. All entrance and miscellaneous asphalt work within this area will be completed then. Bayswater Ave. Intersection base course asphalt is now complete.
Landscaping
All landscaping is scheduled to be undertaken towards the end of October and early November, 2006.
Traffic
Traffic control will remain until landscaping is complete. Traffic signs and line painting will be completed before November 15/06.
The above schedule of work is weather dependent and could be adversely affected if we experience inclement weather over the next few weeks. There could also be additional unforeseen circumstances or required changes that could delay the above work.
Shakespeare in Hintonburg Park
JULY 2006: The Hintonburg Community Association is delighted to announce that the number of Shakespearean performances in the QUAD arts district will increase fourfold this coming summer.A perennial favourite, Shakespeare Young Company, will return to present their sixth Hintonburg performance. The young actors in this Salamander Theatre training program will perform All's Well that Ends Well on July 6, 2006 at 7pm in the park behind the Hintonburg Community Centre (1064 Wellington Street).
We are thrilled to host a Company of Fools production of Two Gentlemen of Verona the following week on July 11, 12, and 13, in the same park. The show will start at 7:30 each night and will run until about 9:00. For the last fifteen years, A Company of Fools has performed the works of William Shakespeare like you’ve never seen them before -- please come help us celebrate their Hintonburg debut.
Admission is free, but at the end of each play the actors will pass a hat for donations to support their work, much as was done in the Bard’s own time. Bring blankets or lawn chairs to sit on and change to buy drinks (to support the Hintonburg Community Association). In the case of rain, the shows will go on -- inside the Community Centre. All are welcome, young and old.
The Arts Bloom in the QUAD for Mother's Day
MAY 2006: If it's May, the Parkdale Market must be opening soon and ArtsPark must be back on Mother's Day. Right on both counts. In addition to these two bellwethers of Spring in Ottawa, there's a flurry of other arts activities in Hintonburg's QUAD arts district over the weekend of May 12 to 14, 2006 and it's well worth reserving a little family time to take it all in.Friday evening at 7:00, The Stables artists' collective is launching an open house weekend in their studios at 155 Loretta Avenue near Gladstone. See work from QUAD artists Stephanie Bak, Philip Craig, Tami Galila Ellis, Megan Hinton, Patti Normand, Erin Robertson, Robert Stevenson and Joyce Westrop. The show continues through Sunday. A little further west, Gallery 3 on Wellington near Caroline is always worth a visit and they'll be featuring selected works from their own stable of 50 Canadian artists.
The Market, ablaze with flowers of all kinds, opens officially on Saturday 13 May and the Hintonburg Economic Development group will be staging their family-friendly Tulip Festival the same day complete with music, wagon rides, arts and crafts activities.
Expect a "full house" on Sunday. The third annual ArtsPark takes place in the park adjacent to the Parkdale Market (Parkdale Avenue at Armstrong) on Mother's Day, Sunday 14 May. More than 30 artists, photographers and sculptors will be showing work from 10am to 4pm. And there's a full line-up of theatrical performances and music including the Salamander Theatre for Young Audiences at 10am (bring chairs or blankets), a preview of the new Orpheus musical comedy Victor/Victoria at noon and singer Lucky Ron at 1pm.
The popular Jewellers' Fair is back with locally-created art jewellery and three textile designers will also be showing new work, all made in the neighbourhood. You can also take a one-hour guided heritage walk through Hintonburg at 11am or 2pm -- your chance to find out what's really behind all those incredible historical facades. There's lots more going on at ArtsPark and hintonburg.com is the place to get all the details.
Cube Gallery, just a stone's throw from the Market on Hamilton Street and a relative newcomer to the QUAD, will be hosting Art by Architects in addition to a "live art" event -- the ongoing painting of a large wall mural outside the gallery by artist and owner Don Monet.
"With an arts weekend like this in Hintonburg, you can really see how the QUAD idea has caught on in just three years," says Charles Reynolds of the Hintonburg Community Association. "Even before declaring Hintonburg an arts district, we always knew there was a cultural critical mass in the area and the great line-up for ArtsPark with its emphasis on 'local product' is testament to the wealth of creative talent in the QUAD -- and the determination of a neighbourhood to focus on the positive."
ArtsPark bills itself as "a very urban village fair" and the expanded arts weekend this year will keep your whole family on the go. Our advice: get the chores done early and don't leave the neighbourhood!
- ArtsPark is presented by the Hintonburg Community
Association in collaboration with the City of Ottawa, Coldwell Banker Sarazen
Realty (Steve Brouse), Friction Design Group, Windmill Development Group;
AnythingGoesOnline.ca, BeaconLite, Caisse Populaire Vision, Click Track Audio,
Collected Works Bookstore, Euphoria Hair Concept, Enterprise Rent-a-Car, Giant
Tiger Stores, Infonium.ca, Kitchissippi Times, Merge Business Solutions, National
Arts Centre, National Printers, Photo Features, Takaki Automotive... and
scores of hard-working volunteers.
- Schedule subject to change. This is an outdoor event dependent on the weather.
QUAD Sidewalk Gallery
MARCH 2006: If you weren't able to stroll down to Wellington Street just west of Bayswater during the week of 20 March 2006, you missed a very temporary "windows" (some would say "guerilla") exhibition of paintings. Organized with the kind cooperation of landlords P&T Associates, this novel sidewalk exhibition ran for just three days... and then new tenants signed a lease. (Does supporting local artists bring good luck to landlords?) The exhibit featured work from some of the members of The Stables artists collective: Stephanie Bak, Tami Galila Ellis, Megan Hinton, Patti Normand, Erin Robertson, Robert Stevenson and Joyce Westrop. If you missed this display, don't fret! The work shown here will also be part of a group show 12-14 May at The Stables on Breezehill Avenue in Hintonburg -- part of the QUAD Arts Weekend which features ArtsPark. (Other landlords interested in hosting fine art should contact the HCA at arts@hintonburg.com.)
| 2005 Creative Lights Competition |
Who Won? Hintonburg is sparkling for the holidays this year and the judging for the Creative Lights Competition was tough -- and close! Three members of the Hintonburg Community Association toured the village on December 9 and judged entrants using five criteria: creativity, impact, uniqueness, difficulty and "blend".
- Best domestic:
2 Pinehurst, the home of the Goldings (they had some real competition from
other properties on Armstrong and Grant Streets)
- Best block:
actually a rear laneway serving homes on Bayswater and Breezehill (running
between Gladstone and Laurel) -- a very original approach!
- Best commercial:
Character Salon, Wellington Street at Melrose Character was also judged the
best overall in the competition with a score of 23.3 out of a possible 25
points.
| December Community Highlights |
The HCA's annual Craft Fair (photos
above) drew hundreds and shoppers for a lively mix of gift-buying, good food,
music, silent auctions and a raffle. There were fewer crafters this year but
some said the overall quality of the work was superior. The event is the
major fund-raiser for the Association.
The festive season kicked off along Hintonburg's Wellington Street with two well-attended events: the annual family Kringle at the Community Centre and the Salvation Army's Light Up The Grace at the Grace Manor. Kringle, organized by the Hintonburg Community Centre welcomed its largest crowd ever for holiday craft-making, hot chocolate, cookies and a visit from Santa. Further down the street, Santa was also passing out goodies to a sizable crowd enjoying the relatively warm evening, a wonderful choir and the Salvation Army band along with dignitaries and elected officials.
| HCA Committee Updates |
Arts
This last year has seen Hintonburg's QUAD arts district initiative flourish. With the addition this month of Cube Gallery at 7 Hamilton Ave N., Hintonburg is continuing to grow as an active and vibrant cultural centre. The Arts committee is looking at Wellington Main Street and the Parkdale Market as areas that could be beautified through the use of streetscaping and other means. In late November, volunteers from a local half-way house worked with the Committee to decorate the tree outside the Community Centre.
- A note of interest: A report from Hill and Associates indicates that the K1Y postal area (Ottawa West) has the second highest percentage of artists in the region. The national average is 0.8% and we sit at 2.2%. Rockliffe/Vanier (postal code K1M) is the highest with 3.3%.
If you are not yet a member of the HCA and would like to be, contact us at 798-8741 or info@hintonburg.com. Our current rates are $ 5 per year per household or $ 20 for a 5-year membership.
Security
The Security Committee continues to actively work with local government, police and the community to ensure that any and all problem areas and problem properties are dealt with in a fair and expedient manner. Some of the issues they are currently dealing with are safe zones, body rub parlours, and Peanuts Restaurant. In regards to Peanuts, the Alcohol & Gaming Commission of Ontario has announced a 45-day suspension of the liquor licence to be served from January 2, 2006 to February 16, 2006. No liquor can be served in the restaurant -- it can remain open and serve food.
Traffic
There is an update on the Gladstone Avenue reconstruction plan. The City of Ottawa has commenced work on the preliminary design for its rehabilitation. The design project limits extend from Melrose Avenue in the west to Booth Street in the east. As part of this work, the City will be constructing new sewers, watermains, pavement, and sidewalks. Street lighting will also be upgraded to current City standards.
Zoning
The Zoning Committee is concerned with ensuring that any new development is compatible with our community and enhances our neighbourhoods. We are also deeply involved in trying to improve city policies that determine what is built in Hintonburg and in the city at large. The Zoning Committee, which generally meets on the 3rd Monday of the month, always welcomes new members. If you are interested please contact Jay at 798-1301 for more information. Current issues are an appeal to the Official Plan dealing with stationary noise sources. This is in the final stages of mediation and new regulations to address the issues are being developed by the City. Also, the owners of the old firehouse at 424 Parkdale have made an application to the Committee of Adjustment to permit the addition of a medical use space (therapeutic massage). The committee talked with both the owner and the prospective tenant and has no objections. The Security Committee also approved this. The committee is also following up on an agreement to review the plans for 53-5-7 Stirling Avenue before construction of 2 triplexes begins. A meeting with the owner will be set up.
- Joining
a committee
If you are interested in joining any of our committees, please send us an email letting us know which committee you would like to be a part of, and we will forward your name and coordinates to the chair(s) of that committee.
| Local Hero |
Wayne Rodney, Pinhey Street resident and HCA Board member, got fed up this summer looking at the grass growing longer and longer beside the Transitway along Scott St. In 2004, he helped a resident of Pinehurst Avenue, who was cutting the grass himself with his own mower. Shortly after July 1, 2005 Wayne decided that enough was enough and he started phoning the City -- it took quite a few calls to various departments, including OC Transpo. Finally he found the right person, in Parks Maintenance. But Wayne learned that the land belongs to OC Transpo so a purchase order from them has to be sent to Parks in order to get the mowing on a maintenance schedule. It looks like the transitway land is now on the City’s schedule, but we’ll only know for sure next year.
Wayne says that he felt embarrassed that so many people, passing through Hintonburg along the transitway or Scott St. on their way downtown, were seeing this unkempt stretch of long grass day after day. Thanks Wayne!
- Do you know a local hero -- someone who cares about our neighbourhood, or your street, and works to make it better? We’d like to hear about it. Please send a short article to info@hintonburg.com or call 798-7987 to tell us about it.
| QUADVIEW Winner Announced |
The winner of the QUADview photo contest was announced in October by Hipster and Poser, the online zine. According to the publisher, "All the entries were remarkable and reflected the Hintonburg neighbourhood's charm and distinctive appeal." Some 60 images had been displayed at ArtsPark 2005 for public voting followed by an exhibit of the finalists at the QUAD's Pukka Gallery. From that show, the finalists were narrowed to just five. After online voting at the H&P website where some 200 votes were received, Shelagh Corbett was declared the winner for her black and white image called Elmdale House. The photo will be published in the forthcoming book, Hipster and Poser: A Companion Guide to Ottawa, the Character of the City.
| Shelagh Corbett, Elmdale House |
The other finalists |
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| J. Fraser: San Rocco Barber Shop | |
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| A. Marklew: Abandoned Chair | |
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| A. Marklew: Entrance | |
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| T. Teske: Tracks in the Snow |
This is the official site of the
Hintonburg Community Association. Contact us by email or leave a message at (613) 798-7987
or write to us at 1064 Wellington, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1Y 2Y3
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