Off The Cuff

Welcome to Miss Vicky's Offhand Remarks! On this page you'll find Miss Vicky's latest ramblings, but feel free to browse the various sections. You'll hear a lot about Kitchissippi, Miss Vicky's westish Ottawa community, but you never know what you might find. And feel free to jump in - this may be Miss Vicky's virtual soapbox, but she loves a good discussion!

Upcoming events! A Busy Spring Saturday

Miss Vicky Wed May 1, 2013

Now that the weather FINALLY seems to be getting nicer, the residents of the Finishing School are looking to spend as much time outside as possible.

This Saturday offers a number of opportunities to get out and about in the 'hood.

The Annual HCA-WWBIA Spring Clean-up the Capital takes place in the morning (registration is between 8:30 and 9:30am at the Hintonburg Community Centre). Once you register, you'll head out to one of the neighbourhood parks to rake, de-litter and generally make the space safe and tidy for the season. Garbage bags and leaf bags are provided; it's always a good idea to bring your own gloves, rakes and anything else you think might be useful (one family brought tongs for cigarette butt pickup one year - brilliant). Cyclelogik Coffee will be provided and volunteers will be provided a BBQ lunch, courtesy of our pals at the Hintonburger.

And once you're done the cleanup you can wander to the Hintonburg Fabric Flea Market at the Hintonburg Community Centre (10am to 2pm) or the Grace Manor Spring Craft and Bake Sale (10am to 3pm, corner of Parkdale and Wellington)

In the afternoon, SLOWest is hosting their Spring Gathering in McCormick Park (the one by the RBC). The party will launch RightBike's second season, and there will be kids activities, bike repair demos, and games.

Whew! I'm pooped and sunburned already!
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Gil's Hootenanny, this May Day

Miss Vicky Mon Apr 15, 2013

Miss Vicky received the following announcement in her inbox, from fellow blogger Laurie Kingston. Gil was a great activist, trade unionist, researcher, and mentor. Can't think of a better thing to do on May Day.

Gil's Hootenanny, an evening of “Songs of Protest, Songs of Hope”: May 1st at the Glebe Community Centre

Ottawa activist Gil Levine loved folk music, especially when friends came together to sing. Every year since his death in 2009, Gil's Hootenanny has honoured his memory and, as Gil was a staunch union activist, it is most appropriate that we gather on May Day to sing songs of protest and hope.

This year, Kristine St-Pierre, Mighty Popo, Three Little Birds, the Shout Sister choir, Maria Dunn, and Terry Tufts will bring us together in song. The Hootenanny is hosted by the Spirit of Rasputin’s Arts Society and is sponsored by CUPE and PSAC National Capital Region. All funds raised once the artists and expenses are paid will go to Spirit of Rasputin’s programming throughout the year.

Gil’s Hootenanny will take place on Wednesday, May 1st at 7:30pm at the Glebe Community Centre, 175 Third Avenue.

Come sing with us and bring your friends.

Tickets are $10 each (kids 16 and under are free) and are available at the Ottawa Folklore Centre or on-line at http://rasputins.ca/events/gils-hootenanny/.
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Liveable development?

Miss Vicky Thu Feb 21, 2013

Two things.

The city is reviewing its key policies on land use, transportation and infrastructure - the Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, Infrastructure Master Plan, Cycling Plan and the Pedestrian Plan. Their goal, they say, is to make "Ottawa a more vibrant, healthy and sustainable city".

It's a big process, with not a lot of opportunities for public input. There was an info session in January and a consultation a couple of weeks ago (which, sadly, Miss Vicky was unable to attend). But there is some good info online and there's a survey you can fill out. There are lots of questions about building height, transportation, roads, cycling and walking - so if you want to let the city how you feel about sustainable development and managing growth in a smart way, by building strong, caring communities, then now is your chance to let the city know how you feel.

Second thing.

You might recall the debate about Tega's proposal to build 36 stories beside the Carleton Tavern, on Parkdale. Well, they don't want 36 stories anymore. They want 18.

Sigh.

Miss Vicky's inbox today contained an invite from Councillor Hobbs to an open house on the proposed development on Thursday, February 28th, from 7-9 PM at Orange Gallery, 233 Armstrong Street.

All of the details about their proposal are available here.

The HCA is looking for folks to attend and share their views on this development. Zoning on the site calls for a maximum of 8 stories, and this limit was developed as part of the recently-approved Community Design Plan. If the CDP is going to have any meaning whatsoever, the proposal needs to be rejected. But if that's going to happen, we need to make our voices heard.

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Tuesday: Pop-up Job Fair at the Elmdale!

Miss Vicky Sun Feb 17, 2013

So, you may not have heard that the Webgeek's bro (known here as Chefgeek) will be running the kitchen at the revamped Elmdale Oyster House and Tavern. We're pretty excited about it - we loved his food when he was the chef at Jak's Kitchen and we know he'll do a great job at the Elmdale.

Apparently construction has been going well and they are on track to open in March. Chefgeek (or Phil, rather)is going to need some help, though. So they are having a one-day job fair, in the space upstairs, between 1 and 4 on Tuesday February 19. If you know anyone who's looking for restaurant work in the 'hood, send them by!

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Hintonburg Hub: what's your vision?

Miss Vicky Mon Jan 7, 2013

So by now you all know that Somerset West Community Health Centre bought the building at 30 Rosemount and will be turning it into a medical centre and community space - the long-awaited Hintonburg Hub. The team has been working hard on the plans and there are preliminary designs to share. The main floor of the building will be renovated for the clinical space. The upper floor will provide several multi-purpose rooms for health programming and community services.

We will be holding a public meeting tomorrow (Tuesday, January 8) from 6:30 to 8:30 at the Hintonburg Community Centre, to share the designs and to hear comments and ideas from people in the area.

Although the Hub will be located in Hintonburg, the Centre actually serves people in Civic Hospital, Champlain Park, Wellington Village and Mechanicsville, so anyone living in the catchment is welcome to come and give their feedback.

See you tomorrow!
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More on Shopping Locally

Miss Vicky Mon Dec 17, 2012

I went into Collected Works the other day, to see if I could cross off a few items on my holiday shopping list. There's still quite a lot left there, so if you need books, or nice notebooks, or cards, drop by and check it out. Cash is preferred; it saves them the processing fees.

But while you're at it, why not try and do all of your holiday shopping in the 'hood? Our small, local businesses are a huge part of what makes this community vibrant, and if we want to keep it that way, we need to keep them in business. So during a season like this, when we're spending money, let's all try and do that spending at some of our favourite shops.

So here's a little holiday shopping guide from Miss Vicky. And feel free to post your own ideas in the comments below.

There are a few shops where Miss Vicky is bound to find unique gifts for a few of the unique people on her list. Heavens To Betsy is probably my favourite - lots of nifty bags, jewellery, soaps and bath stuff, glassware, small toys, home decor, hats and mitts and plenty more. Also wonderful holiday decorations. Great place for teacher gifts, stocking stuffers, and the occasional amusing and slightly inappropriate gag gift. Check out Denise's amazing handmade aprons - they are fabulous.

Assorted knick knacks, art pieces, garden decor, ornaments, jewellery and of course those fabulous pencil-headed reindeer can be found at Ravensara, between Parkdale and Holland. I'm not sure if they still have the hand-knitted finger puppets (have not been in yet this season), but it is worth stepping in and checking it out.

For the dude on your list, I'd recommend Fabgear 64 - rockin' shirts of the Hawaiian or bowling variety, as well as more dressy fare. I've also bought cool ties, hats and t-shirts there. They've expanded to include a vintage-inspired women's line as well. And there are Hawaiian shirts for wee folk - not sure if they come with their own Magnum PI mustaches. Pair your Fabgear gift with some vintage vinyl from the Record Centre across the street.

If you're looking for women's clothing, there are some fabulous options. Check out local designers and amazing fibre mavens Twiss and Weber for some amazing designs - and also really nifty and affordable DIY kits. Or consider a gift certificate for one of our workshops, if you've got a would-be designer in the house.

Miss Vicky has made some fantastic (and flattering) finds at Flock Boutique, which features local and Canadian designers, as well as amazing crafty items including bags, mitts, scarves, jewellery, stuffed creations, kids' clothing, and plenty more. If you missed the local craft shows, you might find some of your favourite artisans' work here.

Clothes, by Muriel Dombret, is also a Miss Vicky favourite, especially for work clothing. Her suits are to die for. But she's also got shoes, scarves, bags and jewellery. Give someone special a gift certificate and she can have the clothing tailored just for her. Classic, flattering styles that wear for years. Seriously.

And do not miss the amazing footwear at Max's Footwear Boutique and Cobbler. Get your keys cut, your heels repaired AND pick up some amazing boots while you're at it.

For the travellers, hikers and geography buffs, World of Maps is a must. Great books, maps, globes and guides. I must admit this is one of the stores I want to keep in business for a while longer - I just love that place. So go buy something!

Lots of good options for kids stuff - Extraordinary Baby Shoppe has some great toys as well as cloth diapers and accessories for the eco-minded parent. You can also get some nice natural toys as well as clothing at Peekaboo Toys, Red Chair Kids, ChickPea kids and Fab Baby Gear. Lulu & Coco, over by the Parkdale Market on Armstrong, has some very cute, locally-made creations. She does custom work as well - worth checking out.

Hintonburg also has a pottery shop, on Hinton near Armstrong where Credible Edibles is also located. You can get all kinds of stuff made by local artisans. (Pssst someone needs to tell the Webgeek that Miss Vicky could use a new coffee mug to replace the one busted by wee ones not too long ago).

OK, this post is already getting kind of long. I haven't even scratched the surface, have I? I haven't talked about Flowers at blumenstudio, Flowers Talk, Wild Willy's or Ottawa Blooms, Skin care products at Oresta.... and art! Check out the great shows featuring small, affordable pieces at Cube Gallery, Cyclelogik, Orange and the fantastic Pop-Up Gallery on Holland (which also carries Andrew King's Ottawa vintage sign t-shirts).

If you've got foodies in your life, consider a gift certificate from one of the strip's many fine establishments, a growler or two from our new brewery, Beyond the Pale (so tasty!) a cooking class at the Urban Element.

Good luck with crossing off your lists, everyone!

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Books for the Holidays

Miss Vicky Sun Dec 9, 2012

Ok, people. We all love our community, and our fabulous mainstreet is one of the reasons we love it so much. We walk to shop, and there are some wonderful, local small businesses that make our 'hood a happening, welcoming place.

But here's the thing. There's a big difference between loving our small businesses and supporting our small businesses. If we don't actually spend money, they can't afford the rent and the staff and the inventory, not to mention their own mortgages and food and daycare fees and children's activities and stuff. At some point, if they're not making enough to make it worthwhile, they have to make some tough decisions.

Kind of like the decision the owners of Collected Works are facing. They've put the store up for sale - for $1. Good deal, yes, but the new owner would also assume all of the store's liabilities, according to this article. I can imagine it has been an agonizing decision for them - they expanded the space recently to accommodate special events, but the sales just haven't made up the difference.

Bookstores are a tough business. We've seen other independents facing the same challenges - partially because people are hitting the big chains for books, partially because online purchasing is just so damned easy. But you know what else is easy? Walking down the street to buy a book. And soon we won't be able to do that.

My friend Lisa owns Octopus Books. She offered these reflections on my Facebook wall, responding to my call for folks to do their holiday shopping at Collected Works:

I am not sure if you will keep the store open, but you could at least reduce the amount the debt that the owners will be shouldering. (For long after the store closes) Along with 4 others, I bought Octopus for $1 and assumed the debt. You need deep pockets, or a penchant for poverty.... (guess which one I have). But really, if you and everyone you know makes an effort to shop at a local bookstore once a month, you could make a huge difference. One of the key points is that they expanded - to make space for lots of community events, and their sales remained flat. Unlike community centres which provide space for community and receive public funding, bookstores get no $. People love going to their bookstores to hear authors, let their kids look at books, browse and chat with friends. Bookstores love it when people do that, BUT if nobody ever buys a book, it is just not sustainable. All bookstores are telling the same story. Solution? Shop at your local independent bookstore. Not at Chapters, Not at Wal-mart, Not at Costco, Not at shoppers drug mart, not at Winners and not on line.

I wish I had pockets deep enough to work with others to save the store. Maybe some of you do. But at the very least, I can take the rest of my meagre Christmas budget and buy some books from my friends at Collected Works. I hope you will, too.
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Hintonburg Hub a reality!

Miss Vicky Tue Nov 20, 2012

Oh friends, do you know how hard it has been to keep this news to myself? So hard.

But by now you've all probably heard that Somerset West Community Health Centre has finally purchased a building to house the Hintonburg Hub.

The building is located at 30 Rosemount - right now it's office space, but it has been a church, a synagogue and a Knights of Columbus Hall. It's about 9000 square feet - perfect size for clinical space and community space, with some room for expansion in the future. It's next to the library, right by the school, and other social service facilities are near by. Really, the location is perfect. Maybe even more perfect than Bethany Hope. And even better - we should be able to get it up and running by early 2014.

It has been a real rollercoaster - we started this process a few years ago, with a slightly different vision for the Hub. Initially we wanted to have housing, health care and social services in one location. But our attempts to secure funding to make that happen just didn't pan out. In the end, what worked was simplifying our plan and figuring out what we could do with what we had.

And what we had was our property at 55 Eccles - we knew we could leverage the equity in that building to buy a new property. But we needed two things: to find the right property, and to find a way to fund the expansion. Fortunately, the Local Health Integration Network felt we had a good business case and saw the need for health care in this neighbourhod - an aging population, a growing population, and no access to front-line services.

The LHIN approved funding in principle several months ago when we were in the midst of looking into a different site with our housing partner. Sadly, that site fell through. But the LHIN agreed to hold on to their commitment while we explored other options. We thought we had a shot when Domicile asked us to partner on a bid for - wait for it - the Bethany Hope site.

Domicile didn't get Bethany Hope (Claridge did - that's a whole other blog entry), so we went back to the drawing board again and put some feelers out to see what property might be available. When 30 Rosemount hit the market, we jumped on it, put in an offer and were elated to have it accepted.

Then the real fun began - the usual due diligence that goes along with buying a property, as well as many, many discussions with various provincial bureaucrats about our plans, back and forth with the LHIN and our MPP, Yasir Naqvi, about the best way to get the OK to go ahead. And thanks to their efforts and support, we got it.

So fantastic.

Of course, there are plenty of things left to do. The biggest of these things is the need to raise 500K to help with the renovations. We need to make the place accessible, put in an elevator, and ensure appropriate clinical and community space. So get ready for a capital campaign, folks, and lots of conversations about what kinds of partnerships, programs and services you'd like to see there.

Am I sad that we had to abandon the original vision of housing and health/social services? Sure. But this is just as awesome, just as needed, and we've been able to make it happen. That is something to celebrate.
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Self-Directed learning for teens

Miss Vicky Sat Nov 10, 2012

So apparently Ottawa is getting a few new high schools - 3, according to this CBC piece. One of Kitchicoo's co-founders is part of this project, Compass Centre for Self-Directed Learning, which opens in January in the Bronson Centre. It's not high school per se - that is, the students would be considered home schoolers, and the outcome is not a diploma.

Basically the idea is to tap into teens' innate desire to learn by giving them the responsibility for their own learning. The tools and resources are there - the kids decide for themselves what they want to do with it. It's an interesting proposal, especially for those kids who may not fit with traditional learning models, who might be at risk of dropping out - or who have already and need a route back to learning so they can prepare themselves for better future careers.

The (non-profit) centre is holding a promotional launch tomorrow (Sunday, November 11), 7pm at the Bronson Centre. You'll be able to hear from those who've been through a similar program in the US - a program called North Star Self-Directed Learning for Teens, which has been operating successfully for 16 years.

If you can't make the launch, the Compass website has some promotional videos with testimonials about the approach.

Speaking as someone who had a rough time in high school and ended up leaving early (to go to University, but that's a whole other story involving some kind of mysterious luck), I can see the appeal of this kind of approach, especially for kids and families who feel they've exhausted all the options.

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Self-Directed learning for teens

Miss Vicky Sat Nov 10, 2012

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Off The Cuff

Upcoming events! A Busy Spring Saturday

Gil's Hootenanny, this May Day

Liveable development?

Tuesday: Pop-up Job Fair at the Elmdale!

Hintonburg Hub: what's your vision?

More on Shopping Locally

Books for the Holidays

Hintonburg Hub a reality!

Self-Directed learning for teens

Self-Directed learning for teens