By Charlie Senack
Happy April, Kitchissippi!
Spring is finally here and the grass is beginning to show. It’s been a tough winter with cold temperatures and lots of snow.
Ottawa recorded over 300 cm of snow since Nov. 1, 2022, roughly 125 cm more than what we’d typically see for this time of year. While some more could fall through April, it’s still not even close to beating records.
The snowiest year on record for Ottawa was 1886/1887 when 463.8 cm of snow was recorded at the Central Experimental Farm. A little less than a century later during the winter of 1970-71, 444.6 cm was recorded at the Ottawa Airport. I guess we can count ourselves lucky this year!
The frequent snow we did receive was welcomed by Dave Adams and the team who manages the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail. They are winding down from one of their busiest seasons yet. The snow bears are melting and the tracks are fading, a sign that summer is soon here. It won’t be long before Westboro Beach has reopened after its revitalization project.
In this issue of Kitchissippi Times, we are looking ahead to spring and warmer weather. Mykyta Budnyk, a Ukrainian refugee to Canada himself, stopped by the Ukrainian Orthodox Cathedral on Byron Avenue to learn about their Pysanky making workshops for Easter. The traditional Ukrainian Easter Eggs are a symbol of fertility and the designs have a range of significant meanings. Our photographer Ellen Bond was able to beautifully capture the moment.
I had the chance to check in with Ottawa Salus who is still recovering after a burst pipe in early February destroyed their Westboro building. Damages are in the millions of dollars and renovations will take months, maybe longer. They are now asking the community for continued support to help them rebuild.
In arts and culture, Zenith Wolfe caught up with the founders of Kline, a small, Ottawa produced magazine which promotes local art. They recently held a show at Urban Art Collective in Wellington West.
Arielle Hughes had the chance to check in with the Ottawa Trans Library to see how they are expanding after one year in operation. The local centre has grown their collection to over 500 books and will soon also offer a music library. Arielle also checked in with the Nepean High School Drama department who is about to host their first show since the pandemic started.
In ‘Early Days’, Dave Allston tells us the history of women in hockey and its connection to Westboro. For our ‘Humans of Kitchissippi’ this month, Millie Farley got to learn more about Rachel Eugster, who is an actor, singer, director, and so much more.
Barbara Sibbald introduces us to Blaine Marchand, a Hintonburg poet and author who brings his connection of community to his work.
And finally, I have the latest developments on Phase 2 LRT construction which has been delayed by up to 17 months for the Westboro expansion. I also spoke with Kitchissippi councillor Jeff Leiper about the city’s proposed plan to remove protective scaffolding at Tunney’s Pasture Station as a cost cutting measure.
That’s all the news we can fit into print this month. Check out our website for the latest coverage: Kitchissippi.com. And if you have a story idea please send me an email: editor@kitchissippi.com.