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

Page 8 The OSCAR - OUR 36 th YEAR DEC 2008
Brenda Lee
My name is Brenda Lee and I am
a new member of the OSCA
board.
I run a home daycare in the
neighbourhood and am very involved
in many of the programs at the Firehall;
I have been the Wednesday playgroup
leader at various times over the last 15
years and have taken my charges to
many other programs as well. I have also
taught programs at the Firehall, including
children’s pottery, arts and crafts, tunes for
tots, drama, and various holiday inspired
courses such as Pumpkin Carving and
Gingerbread Houses.
I served on the board for four years (
2000-2004) and during that time served
on many committees. I was the co-chair
of both the Program Committee and the
Special Events Committee, and a member
of the renovation committee. During that
time I helped to organize many events, such
as the Porch Sale, Winter Carnival, End of
Year BBQ, and Volunteer Appreciation
Dinner. My team also came up with new
events such as the Fall Fest, Halloween
Haunted House, Song Cider and Sleigh
Rides, Holiday Light contest, Shop Your
Local Talent and added the new and long
lasting addition of the chili contest to
the Winter Carnival. We also organized
the 25th anniversary celebration of the
Firehall, one of the largest events that we
had organized on that committee and one
that was very well received. While I sat on
the Program Committee we implemented
new purchases of equipment, new
programs, a clean out of the building and a
proper feedback channel for programs and
participants. As a member of the renovation
New OSCA Board Members
committee we organized the original silent
auctions and lobster dinners that were the
beginning of the push to raise money for
the project. I have volunteered at almost
every event that OSCA has held in the last
8 years.
In 2000 I was very proud to have
been awarded a Whitton award for my
contributions to the neighbourhood.
I enjoyed my time on the board, but
felt I had reached a point where I needed a
break. I now feel that I have had that break
and would like a chance to put my efforts
back into the community. To be honest, I
feel inspired by Marion Dewar and also
a bit ashamed that I have not been as
involved as I once was. When I learned of
this opening I took it as a chance to rectify
this.
I am very involved in the community
in general and feel that I can make a
contribution that will reflect this. I have
close ties to the Firehall, a knowledge of
the inner workings of both Programming
and Special Events, a prior history of
board related activity, a presence in the
community which I believe lends people
to voice their concerns to me, and a desire
to help our community be the best that it
can be.
I look forward to returning to the
OSCA board and being a part of a this
vibrant organization once again. I hope to
put my efforts into many things, but mostly
will be looking forward to rejoining the
program committee and in returning to aid
in future special events.
Brenda Lee Lai-Ling Lee
Lai-Ling Lee
Lai-Ling Lee lives on Southern Drive since the year 2000 with her
husband Kevin and two children, Mzia and Maxim. Lai-Ling
has remained involved in the community mostly as one of the
organizers of the annual Southern drive street party. She has greatly
appreciated the community spirit when participating in the seasonal
family events at the Firehall like the winter sleigh ride. Beth Levin’s
paper-making workshops also top her list of favorite Firehall activities.
Lai-Ling has worked for twelve years in the not-for-profit sector as a
senior manager and most recently as head of field operations and
advocate of humanitarian issues at Medecins sans Frontieres. Lai-Ling
looks forward to sharing her management skills, government relations
experience and enthusiasm with OSCA members with the aim of keeping
Old Ottawa South a healthy, safe and enjoyable community for future
generations.
Do Old Ottawa South Residents Have
Strong Opinions About Neighbourhood
Developments?
By Carolyn Inch
That’s a question that members of the OSCA board and its watchdog
group, OSWATCH, are probably wondering these days. On the
one hand, I would have thought they knew the answer. When our
family asked whether a small room could be added to the field house
at Windsor Park to house the Windsor rink snow blowers that have
cluttered our utility shed for the last 10 years, OSCA suggested that a
community meeting was required as residents needed to be consulted on
all important issues.
What distinguishes that proposal from one to build a 12,000 square
foot retail space to house a chain store on the corner of Bank and
Sunnyside? How does a proposal that would result in doubling the
allowable retail space set by recently developed zoning requirements not
qualify as important for local residents to comment on?
Apparently, it doesn’t. In correspondence with Kevin Harper,
OSWATCH chair, I learned that they have been talking to Shoppers Drug
Mart and associated developers since January and they have considerably
improved upon the original proposal. Not that all the concerns have been
addressed but some compromises have been reached. The developers
have met their obligations in relation to community consultation and the
community has a plan. There is the matter of a flawed traffic study that
is being re-done but once that is out of the way, it will be smooth sailing
for this and, potentially, any other large chain interested in establishing
themselves ‘between the bridges’.
I admire the intentions of the civicly minded people who drag
themselves to meetings at night on our behalf. My inquiries were
met with timely and clear responses for which I am grateful (but
unconvinced). I just think that on this precedent-setting proposal, OSCA
and OSWATCH have misjudged their neighbours’ commitment to a
sustainable, attractive, locally-based business community. I could be
wrong but there is no way to find out other than to ask us what we think
in a public meeting that is advertised well in advance and in which all
the details can be laid out for our consideration, unlike the last minute
meeting called in early October in response to concerns.
There will be an opportunity for public comment when the
application goes to the Planning and Environment Committee. However,
this statutory public meeting required under the Planning Act does not
present the community with an opportunity to discuss or modify the
proposal and they are rarely rejected at that stage.
If you would like to hear more about this proposal before it becomes
a reality (and a mighty big reality), you can write to Michael Jenkins,
President of OSCA at osca@oldottawasouth.ca stating your support for
a community meeting on the Shopper’s Drug Mart application.