Glebe Report

Read the latest issue of the Glebe Report.

It was strange thinking about what to write for this month’s issue of the Glebe Report. Normally I would talk about our summer camp lineup, announce which coordinators are coming back and list the cool things they have planned.

The house at 275 Second Avenue holds a great deal of history and meaning for the Peckham family. But the Peckham era that has lasted almost a century is about to end – the family home is for sale.

In May 2019, residents of Powell Avenue between Percy and Bronson woke up to the sudden start of construction on the site of a traditional, gable-roofed brick and stucco house.

With kids out of school and so many people working from home because of COVID-19, there are new opportunities to hear, see and appreciate the birds in our own backyards. What better time to raise awareness of the challenges birds face and the ways we can help them?

The life of a farmer is one of hard physical and emotional labour in the face of unpredictable forces of nature. Yet few of us urban dwellers who appreciate and seek fresh local produce in our urban farmers’ markets are aware of the extent to which city staff and local politicians can cause grief for our local farmers.

You may have read or heard about the Ottawa jazz community mourning the April death of bassist Howard Tweddle due to COVID-19. Although Howard lived in Carp, he spent a lot of time in the Glebe, in large part because he was the third member of our Glebop Jazz Trio.

To say the Ottawa 67s 2019-20 season was good would be an understatement. They finished first in the Ontario Hockey League for the second year in a row. But the OHL was suspended March 12; the rest of the season and playoffs were officially cancelled less than two weeks later.

This winter was adventure-filled for Hugo and Thor as they travelled through West Texas and Mexico by bicycle – at 18 months and six months old, they are already no strangers to adventure.

Any other year, the summer offers a welcome respite for high school students. But amid a global pandemic, plans are being disrupted. With many camps, concerts and travel postponed or cancelled, students are faced with the challenge of finding something to do during their time off.

“I had no idea,” patients say, when they’ve heard my medical colleagues and me talking about the risk of clinic closures on the radio or read our articles in the papers.

As I write this, Ottawa is just starting to emerge from our months-long lockdown. I am relieved to have a slightly larger orbit, though rightly cautious in how I will operate within it – masked and physically distant will be how I roll – and also heartened by the evidence of how community has come together while being required to stay apart.

At this writing, we are heading into week 12 of the COVID-19 lockdown. School has been officially cancelled for the year and though some restrictions are easing, it is becoming increasingly clear that we are nowhere near going back to life as we knew it.

Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre is blooming and Zooming, both inside and outside our physical walls. Nothing is the same, yet we are doing it!

One of the saddest losses of the forced isolation of COVID-19 has been group music making. For musicians and music lovers alike, the inability to share their experience with peers and the community is a deprivation with detrimental mental health and other negative outcomes.

In December 2013, my son Christopher was supposed to come home for Christmas, but he never made it. I will always feel the pain of losing my beautiful son.
It is because of the love I have for my son that I became involved in Bereaved Families of Ontario – Ottawa Region (BFO Ottawa).

Eva Holland’s Nerve, A Personal Journey Through the Science of Fear provides a largely accessible view of the way in which the brain works and fear operates, as the author explores “how fear can serve us, how it can become a tool rather than a burden.”

If your time in isolation – like mine – has been focused on all things culinary, then you may appreciate exploring some of the cookbooks in the Ottawa Public Library’s collection that are available as e-books.

Lois Siegel reviews a haunting 1986 Fellini film, Ginger and Fred (available on Amazon and YouTube), and Paul Green shares his insights on the films of François Truffaut, in particular Love on the Run, a “delightful bit of whimsey” available at Glebe Video.

The final installment of real and raw documentaries exploring mental illness, Poetry of Payne, is now entering the international film festival circuit.

As we enter into the summer months during the pandemic, I’m sure more people will be heading outdoors to enjoy some sunshine. The city has recently reopened parks, though not the equipment in them, and the NCC has expanded the road space it has opened to active transportation.

Carolyn Best brings us the story of the pineapple and a recipe for a pineapple smoothie of Wild Oat fame called “liquid gold,” and Marisa Romano shares with us her chain-letter find, a recipe for red cabbage slaw.

Much like grade-school children, the preschoolers at the Glebe Cooperative Nursery School are keeping up with their learning online during the current school closure.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I paid careful attention to name selection. I wanted a name that was short, easy to spell and pronounce but also absolutely beautiful.

Much has changed for the world and for Canadians over the last few months. For estate lawyers, the past few months have resulted in an uptick in inquiries as clients seek to establish or update estate plans.

The arrival of beautiful weather and spring buds, as well as the relaxation of some pandemic restrictions, are all very welcome in Ottawa Centre!