By Maureen McEwan
Happy fall, Kitchissippi, I hope that all is well in your worlds.
September is a busy month for many, and our latest issue reflects that as we make the transition from summer.
Here’s what’s happening in community news:
Marlene Haley, owner of The Merry Dairy, spoke with us about the local business’ recent event “Pints Across Ottawa,” a two-day thank-you tour and fundraiser. Haley also spoke about The Merry Dairy’s recent experience having to halt their wholesale operations under the Milk Act following an inspection by Ontario’s Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.
Westboro Beach’s revitalization project saw a delay in construction this summer due to supply-chain issues. Sofia Benjelloun, a spokesperson for the National Capital Commission, and Len Fardella, co-president of the Westboro Beach Community Association, provided more information on the situation.
Capital Pop-Up Cinema held its first official outdoor movie screening in 2012 in Kitchissippi and, a decade later, the local business is going strong. Co-founder Isobel Walker spoke with us about the organization’s beginnings and how it has grown over the years.
A Kitchissippi resident has made it his mission to run every street in Ottawa. We spoke with Alain Vermette about the running challenge he started on New Year’s Day in 2021 and the map he’s working on.
Did you know that some Ottawa cyclists gather every Thursday to bike together? The #ottbikesocial has a rotating route schedule and Parkdale Park is a departure point every fourth Thursday of the month. We stopped by one Thursday to see what it was all about.
Peter Newlands, Westboro Food Bank coordinator, spoke with us about what they’ve been experiencing at the food bank as prices rise across the country.
Unitarian House is getting ready for its second annual Grand Parade fundraising event. The non-profit retirement and seniors apartment residence is hoping to raise $75,000 this year and Executive Director Mélanie Lefebvre shared more details.
In Early Days, we learn about Kitchissippi’s first doctor, Dr. Israel Goldwin Smith. The doctor opened his office in Hintonburg in 1896, and, a year later, was officially appointed medical health officer for the village of Hintonburg. Eventually, he became president of the Ottawa Medical Society, and chairman of the Board of Health for Ottawa from 1931-1936.
For this month’s Humans of Kitchissippi feature, Bruce Hutchison spoke with us. Hutchison is a retired psychologist, originally from Winnipeg, who has lived in other Canadian cities, including Ottawa and Edmonton. These days, he’s a local and calls Westboro home. He shared his cross-country journey with us and what brought him back to Ottawa: love.
As the days grow shorter, we took some community photos across the ward as Kitchissippi residents enjoy the final weeks of summer.
The West End Studio Tour wrote an article on the upcoming fall tour—artists that are returning and new artists who are being featured this September in the outdoor studio tour event!
The Homes section is back: there’s content on an award-winning home revitalization project, ways to reduce household expenses and an update on some of the Ottawa Real Estate Board’s summer statistics.
And that’s all the news that’s fit to print.
Stay safe, Kitchissippi, and all the best for September!