By Charlie Senack
They say April showers bring May flowers, and we can hope that is true as the annual Tulip Festival is about to get underway.
May is one of my favourite months. It’s a time when the weather gets warmer, signs of life start sprouting from the ground, and smiles return to people’s faces as they come out of winter hibernation. I suppose we got an early start this year, regardless.
In this issue of KT, I share the story of an old Indian burial ground that was discovered on Aylmer island. Despite its name, the secluded spot is actually part of Bay ward. I also sat down with the owner of Wellington West’s Bagelshop which is gearing up to celebrate its 40th anniversary.
Ottawa has been declared the Shawarma Capital of Canada after city council passed a motion last month. I visited Al Mouna which has been serving up Mediterranean food in Kitchissippi for the past year.
For our ‘Giving’ feature, Hannah Wanamaker visited with the Ottawa Modern Quilt Guild which is gearing up for an event at Bayview Yards in early June. Hannah also has the latest on paid parking which is almost certainly coming to Westboro and Wellington West. Reactions are mixed.
Daria Maystruk reports on the Westboro Beach redevelopment which has been delayed again. Beachgoers will still have the chance to sunbathe on the sandy beach area without supervision.
In ‘Humans’, Mat Dicsi spoke with Jeff McIntyre, a Westboro resident who recently published a new graphic novel that is accessible for all. And on the topic of reading, Mat also visited Westboro Books which has added a new flavour to the Village’s Main Street.
It’s been almost seven years since Abdirahman Abdi was killed outside his Hilda Street apartment. Christina Korotkov has details of a new inquest that has been launched into his death.
Devin Tredinnick caught up with Canada’s Topflight Basketball Academy, which runs out of Notre Dame High School. You can read about why the group is life-changing and lifesaving.
In ‘Early Days.’ Dave Allston writes about Kitchissippi’s long standing history with pool halls, which is quite scandalous. You can find out more about why they were banned and the community uproar which was started.
A quick note to our readers: You may have noticed that KT has been expanding our territory to the outer boundaries of our catchment zone. After celebrating our 20th anniversary last November, we are excited to keep evolving. Community news has never been as important as it is now, especially with the latest cutbacks in mainstream media.
You will start to notice more coverage coming out of Bay ward as far as Britannia, and some in Little Italy as well. For the June issue of KT, we plan to report on the rich culture of Preston Street as it gears up for the annual Italian Festival.
If you haven’t already, please sign up for our regular newsletter on Kitchissippi.com. We have now upped our online circulation to four times per month. Stay up to date on our website for all the latest community news as it happens. And if you have any story ideas, please send me an email at editor@kitchissippi.com.
Happy reading!