Hunt Club Community Association

Arts & Culture

Hunt Club Riverside Creative Arts Club

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

It’s time to get creative! Our Creative Arts Club at the Hunt Club Riverside Park Community Centre is now open for all adults, no matter their age. Join us every Wednesday from 10am to 12pm and let your imagination run wild. With only a small $3 drop-in fee per visit, this is an opportunity you won’t want to miss.

The club has been running for seven years and is a wonderful way to build strong connections within yourself and with others. Whether you’re an experienced artist or a complete beginner, this is the perfect place to unleash your inner artist and create something truly amazing.  Use a medium that works for you. Paint, Canvas, Wood, Coloured Pencils, and bring your own supplies from home.

Come with a smile, your thoughts, inspiration, ideas and create with other like-minded people from our community, no experience needed. Build a strong connection within yourself and with others.

 

Location: Hunt Club Riverside Park Community Centre, 3320 Paul Anka Drive

When: Every Wednesday from 10:00am – 12:00pm

Duration: October 4 2023 – December 20 2023

Cost: $3 drop-in fee per visit.

 

 

Saint Patrick’s Day

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

Saint Patrick’s Day, March 17th is upon us again in this pandemic year.   For many it means wearing green, drinking green beer, listening to jigs and reels, singing ‘The Black Velvet Band’ and having a party.  In non-Covid times, annual Saint Patrick’s parades are de rigour and it is a national holiday in Ireland and a provincial one in Newfoundland.

Saint Patrick’s Day is an official Christian feast day as of the early 17th century and is observed by the Catholic Church, the Anglican Communion (especially the Church of Ireland), the Eastern Orthodox Church and the Lutheran Church.  The day commemorates Saint Patrick and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland and celebrates the heritage and culture of the Irish in general.

According to historical records, Saint Patrick was a 5th-century Romano-British Christian missionary and bishop in Ireland.  Patrick is believed to be responsible for converting the pagan Irish to Christianity. Patrick’s efforts against the druids were eventually turned into an allegory in which he drove “snakes” out of Ireland, despite the fact that snakes were not known to inhabit the region.

Tradition holds that he died on 17 March and was buried at Downpatrick. Over the following centuries, many legends grew up around Patrick and he became Ireland’s foremost saint.

We may be celebrating this year in socially distanced venues or in our own homes but raise a glass of cheer for Saint Patrick and all things Irish.  It is also time to celebrate the advance of spring and warmer weather.   Slainte!

https://www.reverbnation.com/davidlewisluong/album/155569-scents-of-keeva

 

 

 

 

 

Build Your Own Little Free Library

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

We’ve got four of these already in Hunt Club, but I’ve only found three! One in the sector between McCarthy Rd and Plante Drive, and two in the Hunt Club Woods sector. Apparently there is a third one there on Singer Place. I’ve looked for it, but can’t see it. If you find it, please post it here. So far, none in Quinterra-Woods (West of Riverside Drive) nor in Hunt Club Estates (between Hunt Club Rd + the Hydro Right-of-Way and McCarthy Rd).

So, why not erect a whole bunch more of these free little libraries throughout our community? We know we are a reading community without our own public library branch, so this is one way we can share our love of books with one another, all within walking distance.

If you are of the ‘handy person persuasion’, here are instructions to build and install your project:

https://littlefreelibrary.org/build/

Looking for more inspiration? You will find all kinds of other ideas to inspire your project here:

https://littlefreelibrary.org/little-free-libraries-shoestring-budget/

March is Francophonie Month!

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

Why in March?

To coincide with the International Day of the Francophonie on March 20 of every year.

March usually coincides with March Break for students in Canada in most provinces and territories. Schools choose a week in the month of March to celebrate the French language.

Why celebrate the French language?

Canada’s two official languages are an integral part of our identity.
Why celebrate any language? Because a language is a reflection of a people’s culture, a manifestation of the human spirit – a unique way of expressing how one perceives and experiences the world around them. As we learn to understand and appreciate each others’ cultures and languages, we grow closer together in the human family.

 

international day of francophonie

Canada’s Official Language Act is being modernized! See here for more information:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/news/2021/02/government-of-canada-unveils-plan-to- modernize-official-languages-act.html

Let’s celebrate the francophonie together, its culture, its diversity and its inclusivity across Canada! Discover here the organized activities from coast to coast to coast as well as online games and contests that Les Rendez-vous de la Francophonie have planned for you: https://rvf.ca/en

Check out how the Ottawa Public Library is celebrating the month of the Francophonie this year:

https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/blogs/la-francophonie-your-couch

March is the Mois de la francophonie at the University of Ottawa! It’s the perfect opportunity to get to know and enjoy French language and culture in all its forms. Activities will take place all over the campus — lots of concerts, exhibitions, talks, films and more! This March, let’s celebrate our own rich, dynamic francophone community!

https://olbi.uottawa.ca/mois-francophonie

Practice your French listening skills, while enriching your knowledge about Canada’s geography and culture by listening to these documentary films in French:

  • Let yourself experience Canada’s North in ‘Le Grand Nord canadien’, an exquisite documentary by Philippe Gougler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5M8lBTuF84   Spectacular!
  • How many Canadians are aware that in Western Canada there is an organized and dynamic minority group of over 100,000 people, who all speak French? This group is spread across three provinces: Alberta, Saskatachewan and Manitoba, that vast territory better known as ‘the prairies’. The documentatry ‘La Voix de la prairie’ introduces these men and women, survivors of a unique history, which they are trying to preserve. This French-speaking population lives in the natural environment of vast plains and takes us to the heart of North America of the early explorers and trappers, the ‘coureurs des bois”.

More cultural activities online to celebrate the month of the Francophonie, brought to you by L’Alliance française d’Ottawa: https://afottawa.extranet-aec.com/events/view/0-Cultural%20Events#/

Listen here to ‘La Voix de la Prairie: La francophonie au Canada’ – documentary by Jean Dulon:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSuDP5M6ILQ

Celebrate Welsh Heritage

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

On Monday, 1 March, St David’s Day, we celebrate Welsh heritage.  In the most recent census, a little under two percent of Ottawa’s population claimed Welsh ancestry, those of Welsh origin have made a notable contribution to Canada.

Terry Matthews, born and educated in Wales came to Ottawa and as a serial entrepreneur stimulated the local hi-tech industry, founding Mitel and Newbridge Networks while becoming a billionaire.

Mabel Elizabeth (née Davies), an immigrant from Wales, was the mother of Erik Neilson, former Deputy Prime Minister in the Mulroney government from 1984 to 1986, and his better know brother, actor Leslie Neilson — “surely” you know that!

Much earlier, mapmaker David Thompson was one of the great explorers of the North West Company.

Others of Welsh origin include Leonard Brockington, first head of the CBC, novelist Robertson Davies, Powys Thomas, co-founder of the national theatre school, and Robert Harris, painter of the Fathers of Confederation.

If any of your ancestors had last name Jones, Davies, Williams, Evans, Thomas, Roberts, Lewis, Hughes, Morgan or Griffiths there’s a good chance you have Welsh heritage. Join in singing the Welsh National Anthem.

Check out the website of the Welsh Society of Ottawa for events celebrating St David’s Day.

Journée internationale de la Francophonie

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

En ce 20 mars de la Journée internationale de la Francophonie, plusieurs activités seront organisées partout dans le monde pour promouvoir la langue française et ses expressions culturelles. Au Canada, le français fait partie de la richesse identitaire et culturelle du pays depuis sa création. Une bonne raison pour célébrer quoi!

Ici-même à Hunt Club, nous pouvons retrouver à travers notre communauté plusieurs résidents qui choisissent le français comme leur langue parlée à domicile.   Nous aimerions vous rencontrer.

Nous vous invitons donc à créer un court clip vidéo (2 minutes maximum) pour vous présenter et partager vos réflections pour fêter la francophonie.

S’il vous plaît, utilisez votre portable pour enregistrer votre clip vidéo et tenez votre portable dans la position horizontale.  Quand vous appuyez sur ‘Enregistrer’, attendez 5 secondes avant de commencer à parler.  Une fois fini, attendez encore 5 secondes, puis arrêtez d’enregistrer.  Cela donnera le meilleur résultat.

Commencez votre clip vidéo:

Bonjour!   Je m’appelle …

En cette  Journée internationale de la Francophonie, voici ce que j’aimerais vous dire, à vous, mes voisins de Hunt Club.   …

Une fois votre enregistrement terminé et que vous en êtes satisfait, envoyez votre clip vidéo à:

envoyez votre clip vidéo

Nous sommes impatients de recevoir  votre clip vidéo.

S’il vous plaît, envoyez-le-nous avant le 22 mars.

En nous envoyant votre clip vidéo, vous nous donnez permission de l’afficher sur nos plateformes de réseaux sociaux dans le contexte de célébrer et de promouvoir la Journée internationale de la Francophonie , avec le thème de cette année ‘L’avenir c’est maintenant.’

Nous afficherons tous les clips vidéos sur notre site web, sur notre compte Twitter et sur notre page Facebook.

Soumissions

Travel Times for Library Service

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

As the crow flies, the nearest library branch to Quinterra and Hunt Club Woods (Riverside and Uplands), is Emerald Plaza. According to Google maps that is a 75-minute walk. The Greenboro Branch is a 72-minute walk, the Alta Vista Branch 67-minutes. Not a 15-minute walkable neighbourhood!

Recognizing the excessive distance, the Ottawa Public Library (OPL) installed a “Kiosk” at the Hunt Club Riverside Park Community Centre, a 25-minute walk. There, in normal times, you can pick up a reserved book, or return one, and select from an extremely limited selection in a vending-type machine. However, kiosk service has been unavailable for much of these times of COVID while those three branches have been open mostly for limited service.

It is quicker by bus. To Greenboro takes 33 minutes, to Alta Vista and Emerald Plaza 41 minutes. Those are mid-afternoon times which are the most popular at libraries.

Cycling takes 20 minutes to Emerald Plaza, 22 minutes to Greenboro and Alta Vista. You take your life in your hands for some of those routes along high traffic roads without a dedicated lane for cyclists.

The bus and cycling both take 8 minutes to the Hunt Club Riverside Park Community Centre. An OPL branch there would provide equitable library service to that of most of urban Ottawa for the whole of Hunt Club from the Rideau River to Sawmill Creek. We pay the same property tax rate as other areas but do not receive equivalent service.

If you favour a full range of library services for Hunt Club, like other neighbourhoods, drop an email to our Councillor who sits on the Library Board, at Riley.Brockington@Ottawa.ca or phone his office at: 613-580-2486. Just tell him you want equitable library service for Hunt Club at the community centre.

 

Books! My Committed Love Affair

Posted on by Sue McCarthy
San Fernando Library – Trinidad
(Creative Commons)

My introduction to books began at age 2. Mom read stories to me every day until I was able to read my own stories. Then, one day after my 6th birthday, mom got me all dressed up, we went outside and hailed a taxi. We drove for a long time, then got out in front of a big red building, Carnegie Free Library, San Fernando (Trinidad).

Inside, I had to look way up to see the top of the shelves as we walked between rows and rows of books of every size, shape and colour. I felt like jumping up and down as I was so happy to be surrounding by many books. But it was so quiet in the library that I just walked around with mom, until I found the books I liked.

I took a journey to see how books were made, and discover an amazing fact that stayed with me: earlier books before paper, would have been very heavy to carry in my school bag. Now, take a walk with me on that journey to form your own opinion.

What were books made from?

First Book

Clay Tablets were inscribed with triangle shapes in 3500 BC Mesopotamia; Papyrus Scroll was made from the papyrus plant, cut into thin strips, put together, glued and dried flat to produce scrolls in 3000 BC Egypt; Parchment was made from animal skin: goat, calf or sheep, the name came from the Greek city of Pergamum, in 500 BC, and imagine Wax Tablets were blocks of wood, coated with wax, then joined with cords to form a “Codex”, developed by Romans and Greeks in 200 BC.

There you have it! Which one would you have chosen to carry in your school bag (well, before backpacks?).

Surprisingly Paper making included cannabis, and was invented in China by Cai Lun, who used a combination of bark, hemp, mulberries, old rags and fish nets for the creation of a paper pulp in 105 AD.

When was the first book printed? In 868 AD in China, on blocks of wood with characters carved in reverse order, that technique was called “block printing.”

Chlorine had a big role in book development as it was used for bleaching paper by 1800.

Front Cover of my Nursing Book

Later many different styles of books were introduced to the world including Penguin paperback in 1935; microprocessor reader in 1971; books on CD in 1985; World Wide Web 1989; more recently online books, Google and E- books. For more information, go to https://sfbook.com

 

A book touches me deeply and brings me back to happy memories of mom reading to me. I get emotional and engrossed when I read a book, because books led me to where I am today. So, I wrote one to encourage people to become nurses.

Remember: pick up a book today at your favourite book store or library! Read every day.

 

Additional information is on my video:

 

February 15th is Canada’s Flag Day!

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

Quick! When you think of a day to commemorate our beloved Maple Leaf, what day comes to mind?

If you said “July 1st – Canada Day,” you’d be half-right. Because, dear readers, our beloved flag actually has its very own birthday, or inauguration day: February 15th.

Canada may be pushing 154 years old, but our flag is a spritely 56. From Confederation until February 14th 1965, the flag of the United Kingdom, the Royal Union Flag (a.k.a. the Union Jack) flew above Canada’s Parliament, though the Red Ensign, a combination of the Union Jack and the shield of Canada, had also been used since the 1870s, including on ships and government locations.

In 1960, then-leader of the opposition Lester B. Pearson said Canada needed its own flag separate from the United Kingdom’s to show we were an independent country. Upon his election in 1963, he made it a priority to resolve “the flag problem” in time for Canada’s 100th birthday celebrations in 1967.

“The Great Flag Debate” pitted those who wanted to retain something borrowed from our colonial history against those who wanted something new, and in case you’re curious, there was also something blue: one of the two unsuccessful designs, known as“the Pearson Pennant,” featured two blue stripes on either side of a white box and a sprig of three maple leaves in the centre. Sound familiar?

In the end, the winner was selected in a most Canadian fashion: by a 15-member committee, who narrowed down the thousands of submissions from Canadians to three finalists before landing upon a design proposed by George Stanley, Dean of Arts at Canada’s Royal Military College (RMC) in Kingston, Ontario.

Stanley’s design featured red stripes, which were modelled after those on RMC’s own flag, which itself was modelled after the Canada General Service Medal (1866-1870), predominantly awarded to those who fought against the Fenians.

The signature maple leaf sealed the deal, and the committee approved the design on October 22nd 1964. Approvals in the House of Commons and Senate followed, and finally Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth II made it official on January 28th 1965.

A few weeks later, on February 15th, a public ceremony was held on Parliament Hill to raise the new flag at noon, and it’s flown there ever since.

Pearson’s words at the time were fitting: “May the land over which this new flag flies remain united in freedom and justice…sensitive, tolerant, and compassionate towards all.”

We should mention that the design of the Canadian flag we know and love is the product of many people, including Ontario M.P. John Matheson, who was a driving force behind the committee achieving consensus, heraldic artist Alan Beddoe, graphic designers Jacques St-Cyr and George Bist, Patrick Reid, whose team was responsible for designing the flag’s parameters, and Dr Günter Wyszecki, who determined the precise – and only – shade of red authorized to be used.

While Flag Day is not a statutory holiday, this year it falls on Family Day, so on Monday, let’s take a moment to celebrate the unifying symbol of our Canadian family, the Canadian flag.

Sources:

https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-history/whos-who.html
https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/services/flag-canada-history.html
https://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/national-flag-of-canada-day

 

Happy Chinese New Year – Year of the Ox

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

The Chinese New Year (also called the Lunar New Year), denotes the end of winter and the beginning of spring. It is celebrated on the new moon that appears between January 21 and February 20, so the date varies slightly from one year to another. This year, Chinese New Year is on February 12. As is customary, the New Year is ushered in with a big celebration on New Year’s Eve (Feb 11, this year).

According to the Chinese zodiac, 2021 is the year of the Ox. People born under the Ox tend to be more traditional, patriotic, faithful, have ideals and ambitions for life, and attach importance to family, work, and their children’s education.

The Chinese New Year’s Gala, a dazzling music and entertainment extravaganza, is viewed by 700 million people and is the largest TV show on the planet! Since 1983, China Central Television (CCTV) has broadcast it to the delight of numerous viewers across the globe. This spectacular program, a triumph of imagination and technology, consists of music and artistic dance performances, breath-taking acrobatics, magicians’ performances, comedy, Chinese opera, and more.

The New Year’s Gala is a contemporary take on several thousand years-old traditions. It is a happy occasion that gathers families together in the spirit of joy, connectedness and celebration. It is but the beginning of a ten-day long festival, also known as the Spring Festival. In addition to China, this colourful ten-day holiday is celebrated in Cambodia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, Mauritius, the Philippines, Thailand, and in North America and Europe, wherever there is a significant Chinese population.

Read more about Chinese New Year rituals, food and customs:

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/10-chinese-new-year-traditions/
https://www.travelchinaguide.com/essential/holidays/new-year/decorations.htm

HCCA wishes a happy and prosperous Chinese New Year to all those who celebrate its traditions of generosity, joy and prosperity!

吉祥如意 (Good Luck)

Story and Song for Viola Desmond

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

Viola Desmond

They did not let her in, because of the colour of her skin! As the story goes, Viola Desmond, a quiet and successful black business woman in Glasgow, Nova Scotia, went to the local cinema theatre on a nice day in 1946. When she asked to buy the ticket, the clerk replied: “We do not sell tickets to those like you!”  Surprised and indignant, Viola summoned her courage, walked into an all-white movie theatre and sat in an empty seat. This caused a major stir, and shortly thereafter a policeman appeared, taking Viola to jail.

In the courtroom thereafter, a white judge found Viola guilty – she had not paid the 1 cent ticket! With this, the court turned a blind eye to the inequality of access, to racism and to intolerance which ran deep in that community and elsewhere.

Following this incident, Viola’s thriving hair salon business and her marriage fell apart. The injustice deeply imprinted on her soul and drove Viola out of the city in Nov 1946. In the years that followed, Viola Desmond became a passionate activist in the fight against prejudice and racism. She has helped inspire a civil rights movement in Canada. As a posthumous gesture, Viola is featured on the award-winning, Canadian ten dollar bill.

Let’s pay homage to Viola Desmond and to all Black people in Canada who made and are still making invaluable contributions to our society.

Let us learn the heartfelt lyrics and melody of the Song for Viola. HCCA thanks Chris White, the author of the lyrics and the song, for sharing this video and music with us. The video was filmed at a hair salon in Westboro by Thunder Bay videographer, Chad Kirvan. Click here and sing along!

Black History Month

Posted on by Sue McCarthy

 

As we pay tribute to Black Canadians who made significant contributions to Canadian society, we’d like to hear from you. Connect and tell us what you are doing to help create an inclusive neighbourhood – where all of us are valued and cherished.

Using your cell phone or camera, record a video (maximum 2 minutes) video of yourself or your friends, and share your thoughts. Record your video in either English or French. For better quality footage, please keep your cell phone in a horizontal position. When you press “Record” please provide 3 seconds of silence or a smile, before and after your message.

Please start your video:

My name is ________
This Black History Month, here is what I want to say to all my Hunt Club neighbours…

Upload your Video

By sending your video you are giving us permission to post it on our social media platforms for the purpose of promoting and celebrating Black History Month, with this year’s theme “Future is Now”.

We will be posting videos on this page, and social media between Feb 16 and 28.
Keep coming back to this page, and like our page on Twitter and Facebook.
Join us and take part in this worthy initiative!

Read more about Black History Month here.

 

Submissions

Neema

Abigail

Mireille

Ijeoma

Shakir

Sue

Maryan

Muya

Christine (en)

Christine (fr)

 

Hunt Club Community Association (HCCA)
3320 Paul Anka Drive, Ottawa, ON K1V 0J9
info@hunt-club.ca

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