So Long, Farewell...

Well the Pond House has disappeared. Earlier in the month I wrote that the city, in its wisdom, had granted permission for the new owner to demolish it and build a double on the site.

Last weekend I heard that the city had issued the demolition permit. I meant to go over there first thing Monday morning but got busy with our porch building project and didn't go by that corner until 1 pm. Too late...it was gone. It is such a weird feeling to look at a site where a building stood (in this case for 85 years) and suddenly it is empty. Even when you expect it to happen, it still takes your breath away. In the end, I'm glad I was not there to witness the actual destruction. That would have been too sad.

One note of consolation however: last night I was talking to a neighbour and learned that he had bought the front door of the house. Another neighbour went in and was able to take a lot of the trim that he will use to fix up his own place. So, all was not lost. Hopefully someone took the three stained glass windows.

I thought our ward of Kitchissippi had it bad with infill housing but I must admit it is worse downtown in my sister in law's Sandy Hill neighbourhood. There, developers are erecting huge box-like structures and filling them with 15 to 20 bedrooms and a few bathrooms. Being close to Ottawa U makes this kind of obscene profit ($12000.00 a month from students' rent) too tempting  for greedy developers to pass up.

The long time residents in the area are horrified by what the city is allowing in their community. It makes my neighbourhood's concerns seem like nothing.

Summer!!

At last..the best season of all! Although our current sultry weather is exhausting, it's a whole lot more fun than slipping on ice and shivering as you wait for the bus. We've had a busy week, with a quick trip to Toronto and Peterborough. How easy it is now to take our little grandson out in his stroller, without having to force him into a snowsuit. Our first day of summer, June 21st, started off the season well. The night before, we had stayed overnight with Avery while his parents enjoyed a night on their own, at a  downtown hotel. Thankfully Avery slept through the night ...that meant our day started at 5:20. After all, it was the longest day of the year!

After his morning meal, walk and nap, we packed him into the stroller and headed downtown on the subway. Even taking the subway is a joyfilled experience when you are accompanied by a smiling baby. He loved the motion of the train and the attention of all those around him. Alighting at Union Station, we were confronted by a massive construction zone. If you are arriving by train there, in the next while, be prepared for the fact that there is no way for anyone to meet you by car..Front Street is completely torn up, for blocks.

The reason for our little jaunt was a swim at the hotel pool. It was definitely worth the trip. The Intercontinental has the best indoor pool we have ever seen...and we had it all to ourselves! Avery kept us entertained with his kicking and splashing.

Our first day of summer also included outdoor lunch at St. Lawrence Market and a backyard barbecue. All in all, a great way to celebrate the longest day of the year. It made me think of a day so many years ago, when we lived in Exeter, Ontario.

Back then I was teaching at the local elementary school and desparate for a movie to show my students. I needed some entertainment to keep them quietly occupied as we spent our last days together in our portable classroom....a hot, tin box behind the tiny school. In those days you could order NFB films through your local public library....those huge reels which you showed on your school's projector. On June 21st 1978, I called up the librarian and explained that I had an after school meeting and didn't think I would be able to make it in to pick up my films before her closing time of 4:30 pm.

If I was in a city that would have been the end of the conversation. I would have had to pick up the films the next day. But I was in a very small town, with a very friendly librarian, Elizabeth Schroeder. She replied instantly, "Don't worry about that. I'll keep the library open until you get here. After all, it's the longest day of the year."

It's funny... the events that stick in your mind and those that disappear. All these years later I remember her friendliness and generosity. So here's to summer and making the most of our long sunny days.

You Can't Always Get What you Want

The Rolling Stones told us that a long time ago and of course they were right. Back in April, I wrote about Bob Rae, hoping that if Trudeau wins the next election, that he will surround himself with political veterans like Bob Rae. Alas, we now know that won't happen. Today Rae announced his retirement from political life. There was an interview on As It happens and probably many more. He goes on my short list of great prime ministers we never had...too bad for all of us.

On another note, my apologies for my technical mistakes. I see that I have lost the two photos in my offering from this morning. The good news is that we will be seeing our daughter this weekend and I will enlist her assistance. Thank goodness for children to keep parents in the loop!

The greatest thing about Canada !

I love CBC radio and television! Sunday's shows reminded me of this basic fact of my life....again. On the early morning show I heard that there was to be a public memorial for Max Ferguson and I was so wishing that I was in Toronto for that. On Monday night on As it Happens they played a brief clip from that celebration...Michael Enright's remarks. I can only hope that the entire event will soon be available to listen to, in its entirety.

Max Ferguson was brilliant..and so darn funny. He is the guy who got me hooked on CBC.
Back in university days, my Dad bought a 2nd car so I could drive to Carleton. Yes, I was spoiled....I should have been taking the bus ....oh well. I don't know why but at home the radio dial was turned to a commercial station while the car radio was on CBC. When I got my license and the priviledge of driving the family car, I became familiar with CBC radio. It was not love at first sight. When I turned on the car, I instantly changed to a commercial station so I could listen to the Beatles or Herman's Hermits or whoever was playing. Gradually I stopped doing that and started listening to the CBC programs. Before long I was hooked. When I had afternoon classes, I remember so many days of laughing like crazy as I drove along, listening to the brilliant, political craziness of Max Fergusen as he lampooned the politicians of the day. I was late to a lot of classes because I simply could not make myself leave the car until his show was finished. I love good comedy but it is not easy to find today. Rick Mercer is one guy who reminds me of Max...both guys being politically savvy, intelligent and funny as hell. I also enjoy Steve Patterson's The Debaters.

Over the years I have enjoyed so much great entertainment, education, life lessons...all from CBC radio. It was my great good fortune to be at home with the kids during the Peter Gzowski years...what a country wide community he created. In the afternoon there was Vicki Gabereau with frequent guest..the hilarious Bill Richardson. I could go one at great length about so many truly outstanding CBC radio and television programs that I have enjoyed, ever since I started driving, but I won't.

What I will say is that CBC is not as great as it once was. How could it be? Their funding has been eroding steadily for many years now. There are numerous reasons to despise, to loathe the Harper government but their gutting of the CBC ranks way up high on my list. Thank goodness there are organizations that are leading the fight to bring this to our attention and to attempt to fight the current plans.

The following is a quote from a recent letter from Friends of Canadian Broadcasting‎.   I wouldn't have believed it if I didn't see it with my own eyes... The Harper Conservatives have released the policy resolutions that will be considered when delegates to the Conservative Party convention meet in Calgary later this month.  Among the proposals are policies that would ultimately kill CBC funding altogether, converting CBC into a beggar broadcaster and eliminating services Canadians depend on.

Lead Now (leadnow.ca) is another organization, devoted to preserving  Canadian democracy.Here is a part of their current letter.....  That’s why the Harper Conservatives buried a CBC takeover clause in the back pages of the latest Omnibus Budget Bill. The clause will compromise the CBC’s independence by giving the government unprecedented power over the jobs of CBC’s editors and journalists. Last week, Conservative MPs used their majority to pass the Omnibus Budget Bill, Bill C-60, but thanks to the 200,000 Canadians who spread the word about the takeover clause online, we’re ready to fight back and free the CBC from political interference. The horror of a majority government lead by a single minded person like Stephen Harper is that our country is being drastically changed in oh so many ways. Maybe, just maybe, if we support these organizations, we can bring attention to the importance of preserving the CBC, for us.... for all Canadians.

The Pond House

Why did I get involved in trying to save this particular house? Our neighbourhood is losing so many  houses every year...more than any other mature neighbourhood in the city of Ottawa. You would think that I would be used to it by now. Maybe it is because I know the people who live next door to this house..and they already lost the house on the other side of them. Maybe it is simply because it is a beautiful brick house...just an old fashioned place; solid, not huge and showy. Maybe it is because I saw photos of the inside and I hate to think of all that beautiful trim going into landfill.

Anyhow, I went to a few meetings with other concerned neighbours, we sent emails to city officials, made a presentation at a city committee meeting. ...all to no avail. To commemorate the house I wrote a short piece which appears on the cbc.ca/hyperlocal site. This week the longer version of that piece appears in a community paper, Newswest, an insert in Kitchissippi Times. The house will be demolished later this month. It was worth a try.

The Pond House              1925 to 2013

It is with heavy hearts that the residents of Wellington West, in Kitchissippi ward, in the city of Ottawa, announce the passing of the house at 117 Clarendon Avenue, known fondly as The Pond House. The red brick dwelling, in its 88th year, has lost its short battle with over-intensification.

Its decline began shortly after being sold last year. Bought as an investment property, it never had a chance. All along, the plan was to demolish the house, sever the property and build a double. For a while the “patient” rallied and there was a glimmer of hope, as neighbours came to its defence. Special thanks to all those who wrote emails and letters, offered advice and support, attended meetings of the city’s committee of adjustment or made presentations. Among the supporters were Kitchissippi’s councillor, Katherine Hobbs, who also wrote to the committee of adjustment, expressing her concerns, including, “The application for a variance to the front yard setback is directly in opposition to the intention of the by-law passed last year by council”.

In the end, it was all to no avail. The death sentence came in the form of a letter, issued following the April 3rd meeting of the committee of adjustment. The committee decided to grant the builder the variances from city by-laws that he sought; therefore the double will be built, resulting in the loss of the grand old house.

Friends and neighbours have been paying their respects over the past few weeks as they passed by the corner of Clarendon and Faraday and recalled happier times, when people bought into the neighbourhood because they valued the houses, yards, trees, porches and sense of community. In lieu of flowers, folks have admired and enjoyed the scent of lilacs before those trees vanish, along with the house.

Final arrangements have yet to be confirmed, pending the eviction of the current tenant on June 1st and the acquisition of a demolition permit. There should be no difficulty with the permit as Kitchissippi ward now has the city’s dubious distinction of losing the greatest number of houses in a mature neighbourhood, over a recent three-year period. This explains the constant state of disbelief among Kitchissippi residents as their streetscapes are transformed at such a steady rate.

A large yellow bulldozer will officiate at the service. As for burial arrangements, the remains of the Pond House will be unceremoniously deposited in the city dump. It will join 151 other Kitchissippi houses that landed there between 2009 and 2011 and those that have followed since then. Grieving residents are left to wonder why they are bothering to compost and recycle when developers are free to dump entire houses: brick, glass, wood, steel, plumbing fixtures and electrical components into landfill.

The community takes some solace from the efforts of the builder to consult with them, both individually and at public meetings. His assurances… that the new building’s height, style, colour and exterior materials will be consistent with the character of the existing neighbourhood are appreciated. However, it’s not their first choice.

The house will be fondly remembered by Harry and Ruth Pond’s four daughters. The Ponds bought the place in 1945. One reason for the purchase was the proximity of schools; Elmdale Public School was right across the street and plans were underway to build Fisher Park High School, a block away. Daughter Gail Verch recalls her father telling her that the house was built by a local developer in 1925…the first house built on the block. The builder chose that corner lot, the best one he had, for his own home and furnished it with extras such as stained glass windows on each side of the fireplace, and beautiful hardwood floors and trim. Gail celebrated fifty Christmases in that lovely living room. The front verandah was a perfect spot for games or relaxation.  She remembers that corner yard as a favourite place for neighbourhood children to gather. They played hop-scotch and skipped on the sidewalk that went around their corner.

The house will be sadly missed by next-door neighbours Donna and Reid Barry. Donna grew up there and recalls the kindness of Ruth Pond. Donna’s mother, Ida, was housebound and every day the two neighbours would open their kitchen windows and have a visit.

The whole scenario is reminiscent of Simon and Garfunkel’s 1968 Bookends Theme,

“Time it was,

 And what a time it was,

A time of innocence,

A time of confidences.

Long ago…it must be…

I have a photograph.

 Preserve your memories;

 They’re all that’s left you.”