Glebe Report

As the coronavirus pandemic continued to spread like wildfire in early April, Kate Magner still wasn’t too worried about working 24-hour shifts in the intensive care unit at the Ottawa Hospital’s Civic Campus.

In years to come, our grandchildren (or our grandchildren’s children) may ask, “What did you do in the pandemic, Grandma? Tell us a COVID-19 story, Grandpa.” The coronavirus has swept into our lives like an avalanche, a force majeure, and changed everything. Here’s what a few of us are doing to cope in these unprecedented times.

For the first time in 35 years, the Glebe will not be hosting the Great Glebe Garage Sale on the fourth Saturday in May.

In this challenging time, I try to remember all the people who are showing up to keep you and me healthy, safe and fed – to keep the important things in our lives present and on as much of an even keel as possible.

They say it takes a village to raise a child. I never imagined that in my third trimester of pregnancy, our village would be under quarantine. They didn’t cover that in What to Expect When You’re Expecting!

Nothing compared to our nightmare of being stuck in Spain as it spiralled downward into the abyss of the coronavirus pandemic.

As we visited Rwanda in mid-March to see the renowned silverback gorillas, the reality of the coronavirus crisis suddenly hit home when guides distributed hand sanitizers and surgical masks and briefed us on keeping our distance.

With a wife at home who is at risk for the virus, I packed up my laptop computer and important documents in preparation for setting up a makeshift home office. I have been working here ever since.

Two brothers from the Glebe have been climbing the world rankings in the extreme sport of ice cross downhill. Robin and Andrew Worling both placed in the top 10 this year.

Before the pandemic, I was considering replacing my 20-year-old Toyota Camry. After a few afternoons of shopping, I set five criteria to sort among the thousands of choices: I wanted a new car, an SUV with an electric motor that would minimize my carbon footprint, at a reasonable price.

Now that we face the new challenge of being homebound during this pandemic, gardening might come to our rescue once again, as a therapeutic way to be active and enjoy the arrival of spring safely in our own homes and yards.

These are challenging times for our neighbourhood, our city, our country and the world. It’s hard to fathom how quickly and how profoundly life has changed in a very short time. Like everyone else, the Glebe Community Association (GCA) is responding as best we can.

Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group (GNAG)’s business is based on social gatherings, so we are adjusting to our ever-changing world.

Abbotsford House shut down March 13 because of the coronavirus pandemic but staff are busy calling and emailing to check on members and clients during our closure.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the local Jane’s Walk festival of walking tours will be postponed from the first weekend of May until September 12–13.

It’s only been a year and a half, but Capital Ward councillor Shawn Menard has been vocal and effective in advancing the interests of the ward, its communities and the direction of the city. A key reason for this is the support of his four staff advisors.

We’re all cocooning now so it might be a good time to think about writing a memoir. Perhaps all you need are some ideas on how to get started, or a lovely example. Read Anna Rumin on writing memoir, and Carol Sutherland-Brown’s memoir called “Sitting with the Past.”

The Ottawa Public Library is closed during the coronavirus crisis but you can still access our collection of eBooks and eAudiobooks to help you through this time of uncertainty and isolation.

One of the best ways to de-stress is by taking a walk and it is especially helpful during these uncertain times. Our library may be closed, but we still offer some wonderful online resources to help you enjoy your walk with children.

In troubling times like these, cooperation is essential. This virtue is fundamental at the Glebe Cooperative Nursery School, where we start teaching it early. Cooperation is our middle name!

This month the Glebe Report’s food section brings you the story of the leek (and a recipe for leek and potato soup) by Carolyn Best, and a special pie crust brought by Marisa Romano for a pie made in honour of National π (Pi) Day.

This month in film, a review of the film Kalifornia by Lois Siegel, and the French film Portrait of a Lady on Fire (Portrait de la jeune fille en feu) reviewed by Paul Green.

Capital Rainbow Refuge was founded in 2010 in response to a commentary published in the Globe and Mail on Canada’s methods of handling individuals at risk of persecution due to gender identification.