
Light at the end of the tunnel?
Editor, Glebe Report
Since April of this year, on my block of Glebe Avenue (between Bank and O’Connor), I along with my neighbours have been dealing with incessant construction.
To say it has been a lot to put up with would be a massive understatement. Oooof.
At last, as I was walking up Glebe just a bit ago, I snapped this photo. I finally felt, dare I say it, hopeful the end of the work might be near. A glimmer of light.
I have captioned the photo: “Could there be light at the end of the tunnel?”
If you lived through the past many months on our block, you would know why the street being almost finished – final work this week? – is so exciting. And important. Did we actually survive this? Will it ever end? Here’s hoping.
Tara Shields
We need a proper bus station
Editor, Glebe Report
It is high time to bring back to Ottawa a proper bus station serving all of Canada and the US.
Some of us remember the bus station on Catherine Street (Voyageur Colonial, then Greyhound), a proper station with proper facilities. You could go anywhere in Canada and the US, with a few stops and changes to other buses. Those were the days when buses went to Montreal and Toronto every hour on the hour. Miss one bus and you knew another one would come soon. Students would do their homework or read, munching on something from the coffee shop located there. It had washroom facilities and security guards on duty and a ticket counter on site. I remember going by bus to Mirabel Airport to bring my cousins from Bombay to my place for a visit, and it was very convenient.
I am surprised no city councillor, MPP or MP has made an issue of the lack of this much-needed service. There are a few bus services now, but they are very limited, and one has to wait in an open bus stop in all weather conditions. Just imagine – for people needing help, there is none.
I urge the mayor and other influential people to figure out how to bring a proper bus service to Ottawa, the nation’s capital. I know COVID-19 destroyed well-served travelling, but the time has come to revisit it and bring back that essential service. I ask city officials and others to engage in discussion to bring it back.
Anant Nagpur
Artificial turf at Mutchmor? Just say no.
Editor, Glebe Report,
At 90 years old, I’ve seen a lot of silliness. But few ideas have made my head spin as much the proposal to cover the Earth with a plastic carpet.
I am talking about the OCDSB’s proposal to cover certain schoolyards in our neighbourhood with artificial turf – including the yard at Mutchmor where my great grandchildren attend. Frankly, I cannot understand how this can be considered a viable option in 2024: we are in the midst of a climate crisis in which extreme weather is becoming the norm and every summer is hotter than the last. There is an alarming increase in rates of cancers and autoimmune disorders in young people, which some researchers link to a proliferation of “forever chemicals” or perfluoroalkyl substances (PFAs).
In this context, is would be unconscionable to cover up a field (even a muddy one!) with a layer of short-lived, nonrecyclable, fossil-fuel-derived plastic and chemicals, and then encourage children to play on it. The crumb infill that is put down underneath artificial turf is known to contain (and leach) heavy metals and PFAs. It sheds microplastics, which pose a growing threat to our ecosystems and wildlife. This is not a project that can be “offset” by any amount of tree planting: the OCDSB would be committing to sending every single blade of plastic grass and every crumb of infill to our over-burdened landfills in just eight to 15 years – and then doing it all over again in perpetuity (or until our regulatory agencies catch up with the European Union, which has already banned the sale of crumb rubber artificial turf starting in 2031).
Does the OCDSB not have anything better to commit their money to than maintaining and replacing this costly and toxic product every decade? If the board is sitting on extra funds, perhaps I can offer some common-sense proposals that won’t poison our kids or the planet: spend money on reducing classes to a reasonable size or paying educators what they’re worth. We owe it to future generations to make better choices and look for real, eco-friendly alternatives. Enough with the plastic; it’s time for a change.
Gissi John
For the love of local
Editor, Glebe Report
I have very much enjoyed the humour of @SparkThe Genius (Josh Rachlis’s) cartoons in the past few issues. Love the humour and the messaging it contains specific to our neighbourhood – keep them coming, Josh!
And a shout-out to an advertiser – Garden Sorceress – whose services I utilized this fall. The work was completed in a timely, tidy and very reasonably priced basis. And Judith has such a great sense of humour too!
Love our community newspaper! Thank you for supporting local businesses!
Lynn Johnston
Activism and the Glebe
Editor, Glebe Report,
After six years away from the Glebe (while in Montreal), I have noticed some subtle changes in this neighbourhood.
I hear my given names used much more often, which I interpret as the personalization of everyday life, activating the synapses of the brain, reversing the aging process. My exposure to the French joie-de-vivre culture impressed on me the value of this youthful interior life. Activation of the brain allows me, for example, to remember other people’s names. This community-building exercise will yield a rebirth of people’s creativity for the betterment of society. It is more effective than the fountain of youth.
Satisfying the hunger for food and philosophy instills peace in the mind and the stomach, so that previously complex subjects become easily digested.
The increasing concentration of people with PhDs in the Glebe results in ever-changing discussions of a philosophical nature, recognizing the importance of food to fuel the brain, soul and spirit, especially for youth.
The word activation shares the same root as activism. The scope of influence of the Glebe Community Association (GCA) is expanding, as evidenced by the appearance at the GCA’s annual general meeting of the elected representatives of the three levels of government. Activists make private positions known publicly. There are activists among public servants, where their voices might be tempered by political expediency, and in the private sector.
Formal education assists in understanding the sometimes-bureaucratic maze that is government. Education yields a refinement of vocabulary that decision-makers rely upon to make decisions that have short-term and, more importantly, long-term ramifications. There is sometimes the accusation that formal education and hands-on activism are inversely correlated. I would argue that the ballot box is the primary vector for grievances to be expressed. Activism is about making an appearance. The thriving community that is the Glebe incentivizes such appearances.
Danny Handelman