O•S•C•A•R© Shop Your Local! - Old Ottawa South

Page 4 The OSCAR - OUR 36 th YEAR DEC 2008
LETTERS TO THE EDITOR
The OSCAR welcomes letters on subjects of interest to the community or in response to previous articles. All letters must disclose the name of the
writer, as well as the address and phone number. Lettters may be edited for length, clarity, and libelous statements. The opinions of the writers are not
necessarily those of the newspaper or its editor. Email your letters to oscar@oldottawasouth.ca or leave in print at the Firehall.
The Editor,
In my opinion, the furore over the dimensions of the proposed Shoppers
Drug Mart must be looked at along with the mess on the opposite corner.
Surely, Old Ottawa South, with its new planters, small gardens, renewed
streetscape and lighting, can no longer suffer, nor support the unsightly chip
wagon and its ever-growing mound of detritus on a prime corner of the
neighbourhood. This is not the Third World.
Apart from the visual pollution, there are obvious health concerns such
as the sterilizing of cooking implements, the storage of food after it has
been hosed off on the sidewalk, the lack of hot water, the question of grease
disposal, and the diet of school children.
Surely, we must address this corner as well as our real concerns about
Shoppers Drug Mart. The chip wagon is unlovely, unappetizing, unhealthy
and unappealing.
The owner of the private parking lot must be approached to rid the corner
of this unsightly mess. Surely there are sanitation laws, and required permits
that are not being met. If the owner wishes to be a good citizen of Old Ottawa
South, he will realize that the time has come to tow away the trucks, the
wagon, the table, the chairs, the tent, and the garbage. Hopefully he may
decide to build a tasteful café or shop on the frontage at some future date.
Jinny Slyfield
Dear Editor:
No Where to Sit at
Billings Plaza
I’m writing to ask if any others
agree with me about the recent
renovations at Billings Bridge
Plaza. I’ve shopped there for years
and loved the fact that there were
frequent placings of benches for rest
stops. Now, however, management
has removed those lovely wooden
benches that were so supportive for
bad backs, and replaced a few of
them only with uncomfortable padded
chunks which are not easy to sit
on as they are too deep. Where there
Community Spirit
Depends On You!
I may not agree with what you have to say, but I will
defend to the death, your right to say it. ....Voltaire
Send your
comments to
oscar@oldottawasouth.ca
or drop them off at the Firehall,
260 Sunnyside Avenue.
A
committee has been formed
by some of your neighbours
who were concerned
enough by the closing of the Fresh
Fruit Company to want to take
action.
Right now the committee
includes: Avra Gibbs Lamey,
Laura Byrne Paquet and Susan
Roston. Brian Tansey has also been
kind enough to provide us with the
knowledge he has gained from his
discussions with Kevin Labadie
and Eddy Huang.
Some of the things we have
undertaken to try and bring back a
grocer to the area include:
- contacting the current
landlord of 1255 Bank Street (the
former Fresh Fruit location) to
enlist his support in bringing in
another grocer
- researching what it would
take to remove the restrictive
covenant at 1115 Bank Street (a
former Dominion grocer) to open it
up as a possibility for anyone who
used to be several in front of the Independent
entrance there are now none
at all and the good benches I last observed
sat outside of the plaza where
the weather will rot them. It’s also a
long stretch from the main entrance
to the Plaza to Zellers and there is no
where to sit for a moment or two to
rest between shops.
Two slaps on the wrist for whoever
is responsible.
Anna Rozanska
Senior citizen
More Letters to the Editor on page 12.
Dear Residents
of Old Ottawa South:
might be interested in that space.
- drafting the wording for a
petition in case we need to prove we
have the support of the community
- rallying additional support
and connecting with other members
of the community who may also be
interested in taking action.
This is just the beginning.
Our goal is to do what we can to
bring back a grocery store. We are
not against change per se, but we
feel a grocery store located within
the limits of the two bridges is
important in order to maintain the
character, vitality and quality of
life that made many of us choose
Old Ottawa South as the place we
wanted to live. If you are interested
in joining us, or if you want to
let us know you are also doing
something, please email gibbs.
lamey@gmail.com.
Sincerely,
Avra, Laura and Susan