October 30, 2018: Newswest AGM; Celebrating 40 Years of Communty Service.

October 30, 2018: Newswest AGM;
Celebrating 40 Years of Communty Service.

By Pat O’Brien, Newswest Chair.
[Ed: the print version of this article will appear later.]

All are invited to attend Newswest’s 40th Annual General Meeting on Tuesday, November 13 from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm at the Hintonburg Community Centre. The AGM will be a celebration of our 40 years of providing community news to the residents of Ottawa West.

Light refreshments will be served.

This will be a full AGM with the election of Board Members in accordance with Newswest’s By-Laws. If you live within the distribution area* and wish to run for the Board of Directors you must be a paid-up member ($5.00) by October 14, 2018 For information contact us at editor@newswest.org .

I hope to see you there!

Pat O’Brien, Chair, Newswest Board of Directors.

Note: *: the area bordered by the O-train tracks and Woodroffe Avenue, between the Ottawa River and Carling Avenue. This area includes the neighbourhoods of Mechanicsville, Hintonburg, Champlain Park, West Wellington, Wellington Village, Hampton Park, Westboro Beach, Westboro, Highland Park, McKellar Park, Carlingwood and Civic Hospital.

Web-extra (June 28, 2018): Cymbeline in the Park; Bear & Co. present Shakespeare summer fare.

Web-extra (June 28, 2018): Cymbeline in the Park;.
Bear & Co. present Shakespeare summer fare.

By Rachel Eugster.

Set out a lawn chair or a blanket, as Bear & Co. brings you a summer outdoor touring production of Shakespeare’s ridiculously over-the-top Cymbeline. Follow a pair of lovers as they react to the mad world around them in a 90-minute version of the play Shakespeare packed with every plot device he could think of: star-crossed lovers, a wicked stepmother, a befuddled king, a loyal servant, separated siblings, wild men, exiled kin, cross-dressing, kidnapping, murder plots, and a Roman invasion.

“The first time I read Cymbeline, I developed the irreverent but perhaps not altogether inaccurate idea that Shakespeare must have been up against a deadline, madly drawing on tropes he knew to be successful and linking them together in a way that made the best sense possible,” says director Sharon King-Campell. “It quickly became my favourite of Shakespeare’s works..

A Canterbury High School grad, King-Campbell now lives and works in Newfoundland. She returns to Ottawa twice this season, first to direct Cymbeline, then to assistant direct (with NAC English Theatre artistic director Jillian Keiley) when Between Breaths hits the stage at the NAC.

Cymbeline’s cast of six actors tackles its 40-odd characters full-on or in composite. Megan Carty (recently at the NAC in Up to Low) plays the heart-breaking and redoubtable heroine Imogen, while Ian Campbell (recently artistic director of Shakespeare by the Sea in St. John’s) plays the hero, Posthumous Leonatus. William Beddoe’s multiple roles include King Cymbeline, while Rebecca Benson’s include his wicked second wife. Phillip Merriman (last summer’s Romeo) doubles as her unlovely son Cloten and the fascinating Italian lover Jachimo. Ellen Manchee is both the gruff but kindly loyal servant, and the invading Roman army.

Join us outdoors to celebrate the long evenings and warm weather and enjoy theatre that stands the test of time. Bear & Co. brings you an experience close to the touring companies of four hundred years ago. Bring a cool drink or a full picnic, raingear in case it mizzles, and bug spray, and watch six actors conjure the deliciously weird world of Shakespeare’s Cymbeline in the open air.

The show tours Ottawa’s parks from July 3 (dress rehearsal) to August 5. West-end shows include July 5 and 19 in Clare Gardens Park, July 12 at Westboro Bearch, July 13 and 27 at Hintonburg Park, Aug 1 at Fairmont Park, and Aug 2 at Alexander Park in Carlington. View the full schedule at http://www.bearandcompany.ca/ .

All performances begin at 7:00 p.m., with a suggested donation of $20 per person.

Photo Caption: Megan Carty plays Imogen in Bear & Co.’s outdoor production of Cybeline. Photo provided by Bear and Company.

PARKS TOUR DATES AND LOCATIONS.
NOTE! Locations can change due to forces beyond our control, so please check back here to confirm before heading to a show. Dates with a * are recent changes.

(Schedule as appeared on the the web July 6th)
Tues July 3 DRESS REHEARSAL: Fire Station #12 park–The Glebe
Wed July 4 OPENING: Central Park–The Glebe
Thurs July 5 Clare Gardens Park–Westboro)
Fri July 6 Strathcona Park–Sandy Hill (at the willow grove
*Sat July 7 Walter Baker Park–Kanata
Sun July 8 Briargreen Park–Centrepointe

Tues July 10 Applewood Acres Park–Alta Vista
Wed July 11 Windsor Park–Old Ottawa South
Thurs July 12 Westboro Beach–Westboro
Fri July 13 Hintonburg Park–Hintonburg (behind the community centre)
Sat July 14 Stonecrest Park–Chapman Mills
Sun July 15 Dickinson Square–Manotick (near Watson’s Mill)

Tues July 17 Hiawatha Park–Orleans
Wed July 18 Central Park–The Glebe
Thurs July 19 Clare Gardens Park–Westboro
Fri July 20 Strathcona Park–Sandy Hill (at the willow grove)
*Sat July 21 Britannia Park–Britannia (at the gazebo)
Sun July 22 Bordeleau Park–Lowertown

Tues July 24 Fisher Heights Park–Fisher Heights
Wed July 25 Windsor Park–Old Ottawa South
Thurs July 26 Glabar Park–Carlingwood
Fri July 27 Hintonburg Park–Hintonburg (behind the community centre)
*Sat July 28 Carp Fairgrounds–Carp
Sun July 29 Fairbairn House Heritage Centre–Wakefield, QC

Tues July 31 Fairmont Park–Civic Hospital
Wed Aug 1 Central Park–The Glebe
*Thurs Aug 2 Carlington Park–Carlington
Fri Aug 3 Overbrook Park–Overbrook
Sat Aug 4 Station Park–Killaloe (Lion’s Hall, in case of rain)
*Sun Aug 5 Stanley Park–New Edinburgh

BE SURE TO DOUBLE-CHECK LOCATION THE DAY OF THE SHOW, IN CASE IT HAS CHANGED.
All shows begin at 7. Bring the family, a picnic, something to sit on, bug spray–and rain gear, if it mizzles. (The show will go on, unless conditions turn unsafe.) Suggested donation: $20 per person.

January 18, 2018: Compelling Theatre, Close to Home; Bear and Company.

January 18, 2018: Compelling Theatre, Close to Home;
Bear and Company.

By Allyson Domanski.

“Compelling theatre, close to home.” That’s the mandate of Bear & Co., a professional indie theatre collective and a resident company at The Gladstone Theatre. Barely five and a half years old, Bear is about to open its 18th play for a limited run at The Gladstone from January 17-27.

Bear’s production of playwright George Brant’s Grounded is just the latest in a string of Ottawa premieres by the company. This award-winning one-woman show became an Off-Broadway hit starring A-lister Anne Hathaway as an elite air force fighter pilot, proficient at dropping bombs over Afghanistan and Iraq, who gets grounded once she becomes pregnant, only to be reassigned to Nevada’s ‘chair force’ to operate drones continents away from her targets.

A trio of equally formidable women is behind Bear & Co.’s production of Grounded.
Alexis M. Scott dons the flight suit to white-knuckle the audience through the emotional power trip of feminism going head to head with female biology. Director/actor/producer Eleanor Crowder is one-half of Bear & Co., while Hintonburg’s own Rachel Eugster is the other half of its genius. (Eugster is also Bear’s music director, actor, writer of an award-winning children’s book, community activist and formerly a long-time soloist at Parkdale United Church.)

After seeing Grounded in New York, Crowder was so taken by its powerful script that she had to produce it. Crowder, who directs Scott in a role whose hard edges turn anything but mushy, had this to say: “A solo show is a marathon, a triumphant display of talent and sweat. This text is exactly that. A sweep of action and insight that asks the performer to pour every ounce of strength into her work. Alexis is the actor for this role. She is utterly compelling.”

Scott, a 2015 Prix Rideau Award nominee for her work as an emerging artist and a graduate of the Ottawa Theatre School, currently works out of Toronto. She has acted in past Bear productions, including Shakespeare’s Macbeth, The Tempest, and The Comedy of Errors.
Bear performs indoors and out, with casts large and small, offering works from the Elizabethan era to the present day.

Eugster says they typically put on three shows per year, starting with “something really daring” (like Grounded), followed by summer Shakespeare in the Park (Romeo and Juliet, 2017; Macbeth, 2016), followed by a fall musical revue (No Way To Say Goodbye: Songs of Leonard Cohen in 2017; and Jacques Brel Is Alive and Well and Living in Paris in 2016).

A small company that punches way more than its own weight, Bear chooses works that intrigue and please audiences while delivering peak power from its artists.
Catch Grounded before it takes off.

CAST AND CREATIVE TEAM:

• Director: Eleanor Crowder;
• The Pilot: Alexis M. Scott;
• Sound design: Daniel Claxton;
• Cello effects: Raphael Weinroth-Browne.

PERFORMANCE DETAILS:

• January 18-27 (preview January 17)
• Tuesday – Saturday at 7:30 p.m.;
• Saturday and Sunday matinees at 2:30 p.m.

Tickets: at The Gladstone thegladstone.ca/grounded/

Photo Caption: Bear and Co.’s Alexis Scott

January 18, 2018: Community Calendar Plus.

January 18, 2018: Community Calendar Plus.

DRAFT UPDATED January 20th. See bottom for late additions.

++++ => extra/notices not in print issue.

January 20 – Dovercourt annual winter carnival.
Dovercourt Recreation Centres popular winter carnival is taking place Saturday January 20 from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.! Drop by for sleigh rides (4 p.m. to 6 p.m.), face painting, skating/ hockey, bonfire, sliding & games, and hot chocolate. Warm up inside in the upstairs lobby and have a bite at the Adam’s Apple Cafe, which will feature hot dogs, grilled cheese, burgers and “Dovertails.”

January 20 – Family Dance with live music.
Come dance with your young family, grandkids or kids you know at a super fun community dance in the heart of Westboro! Fantastic live traditional music (think fiddles). No experience necessary as all dances are taught and very family-friendly. 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. with optional potluck after! For more details go to http://www.ottawacontra.ca/familydance . Can’t make it to the January dance? Mark these dates in your calendar:, March 17 2018, April 21, 2018 .

January 24 – Personal Care Options.
Most of us have heard about CCAC (Community Care Access Centre), mainly on the difficulty of accessing sufficient care hours. There are several streamlining and cost-saving initiatives underway at CCAC. Come and hear the latest, and of the many types of personal care options available. Learn and compare, before you need it. Churchill Seniors Centre (345 Richmond Rd.) on Wednesday January 24 from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. Free. For more information, please call 613-798-8927 .

January 26 – Block Party.
Something great for creative kids age 6-12 is happening at the Carlingwood branch of the Ottawa Public Library! “Building Boom,” show off your architectural creativity with Lego! Fridays at 4 p.m. starting from January 26, 2018 – March 23, 2018. For information or to register go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca .

January 26 –– Night of Worship and Ministry.
Join us as we gather at St Mary’s Church (100 Young St.) from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. for the Night of Worship and Ministry. The speaker will be Fr. Robert Arsenault of the Companions of the Cross. The theme will be “Our Redeemer Lives.” A reception will follow in the lower hall.

January 27 – Westboro Beach Winter Celebration.
The Westboro Beach Community Association welcomes you to our annual winter celebration on Saturday, January 27 from 1:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. It will feature a bonfire and roasting of marshmallows, tobogganing and snow building and colouring. Hot chocolate and cookies will be available. Everything is free but donations are welcome. For more information, please contact westborobeach@gmail.com .

February 7 – Find Your ancestors in church records.
Church records of all denominations can be a treasure trove for genealogists. Gloria Tubman will discuss these valuable records and their place in family history research. Discover the information that is available from the record of a church rite, regardless of location, and learn some further clues to get the most from church records. Taking place at the Carlingwood branch of the Ottawa Public Library on Wednesday February 7, 2018 at 6:30p.m. Registration is required. For information or to register go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca .

February 16 – PD Day program (games, Lego and crafts)!.
Children age 4-12 are welcome to join us at the Carlingwood branch of the Ottawa Public Library for board games, crafts, and Lego during your PD day! Drop-in. For more information go to https://biblioottawalibrary.ca .

February 23 & 24 – Elmdale Public School BookFest 2018.
BookFest, Elmdale’s iconic annual second-hand book sale, is an opportunity to find a great read while supporting a good cause. With more than 25,000 titles there’s something for everyone, all at very low prices (cash only) complete with raffles and a bake sale. BookFest will take place in Elmdale Public School’s gymnasium (49 Iona St.) on Fri., Feb. 23, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., and on Sat., Feb. 24, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Have a box of books you’d like to donate? We’d be glad to come and get them. Email Traceylyn at elmdalebookfest@gmail.com . Like and share us on Facebook!

February 28 – Friends of Churchill Event Series: Take a trip to Bolivia.
Come experience Bolivia through lens and commentary with Erin Courtney, Community Relations Manager, Amica Westboro. Bolivia is home to over 40% if all Earth’s known wildlife.Taking place at the Churchill Seniors Centre (345 Richmond Rd.) from 1 p.m. to 2:15 p.m. No cost; refreshments will be served. For more information and to indicate attendance, please call 613-798-8927 .

April 10 – Friends of the Farm Master Gardener Lecture.
from 7 to 9p.m. “Gardening with Wildlife” with Rebecca Last. Learn plant and garden design to create a wildlife-friendly garden. FCEF members $12, non-members $15, Bldg 72 CEF Arboretum, east exit off Prince of Wales roundabout. 613-230-3276 http://friendsofthefarm.ca/master-gardener-lectures-2018/ .

April 18 – Friends of the Farm Annual General Meeting. ++++
From 7 to 9 p.m. Public welcome, membership not required. Free event. Guest speaker is Dr. Paul Villeneuve, presenting “Environmental Impacts of the Farm.” Meeting and presentation at K.W. Neatby Bldg with free parking. Registration is required, 613-230-3276 or http://friendsofthefarm.ca/event/annual-general-meeting-2018/ .

April 24 – Friends of the Farm Master Gardener Lecture. ++++
From 7 to 9p.m. “Flowers and Vegetables ” with Judith Cox. Add beauty to your vegetable garden and reap the rewards. FCEF members $12, non-members $15, Bldg 72 CEF Arboretum, east exit off Prince of Wales roundabout. 613-230-3276 or http://friendsofthefarm.ca/master-gardener-lectures-2018/ .

May 8 Friends of the Farm Master Gardener Lecture. ++++
From 7 to 9p.m. “Unusual Edibles” with Esther Bryan. Come and learn about all sorts of weird and wonderful edibles. FCEF members $12, non-members $15, Bldg 72 CEF Arboretum, east exit off Prince of Wales roundabout. 613-230-3276 or http://friendsofthefarm.ca/master-gardener-lectures-2018/ .

May 22 – Friends of the Farm Master Gardener Lecture. ++++
From 7 to 9p.m. “A Garden for the Bees” with Julianne Labreche. Learn how to attract bees and why they are necessary for pollination. FCEF members $12, non-members $15, Bldg 72 CEF Arboretum, east exit off Prince of Wales roundabout. 613-230-3276 or http://friendsofthefarm.ca/master-gardener-lectures-2018/ .

Westboro Legion’s Bingo and Leagues.
Bingo every Wednesday night at the Westboro Legion. Doors open at 4:30 p.m. for Café 480 and games begin at 6:30 p.m. Everyone is welcome. Join us with your friends, or come and meet new friends. Funds raised are donated back to community organizations. We also have bid euchre, darts, pool and sandbag leagues on a weekly basis. For more information visit http://www.rcl480.com or call 613-725-2778 .

Westboro Legion’s Saturday Pool.
Free Pool from noon to closing upstairs at the Westboro Legion. Everyone is welcome. For more information visit http://www.rcl480.com or call 613-725-2778 .

Toastmasters.
Learn confidence and hone your leadership skills. Above and Beyond Toastmasters will help you get there. We meet every Monday at 7 p.m. except holidays at the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital in the Bickell Room on the main floor (across from Tim Hortons). Our next guest night is January 22. Everyone is welcome. For more information, please see abottawa.toastmastersclubs.org or contact toastmasters.iwona.bm@gmail.com .

Churchill Seniors Centre.
Drop- in bridge and mahjong at the Churchill Seniors Centre (345 Richmond Rd.) every Wednesday from noon to 3 p.m. Come and play. No partner required in either of these games Cost: $1.75. For more information, please call 613-798-8927 .

Drop-in Ukulele,
at the Churchill Seniors Centre on the last Wednesday of the month from
11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Bring your own ukulele. This is a beginner drop-in but all players welcome! Cost: $1.75 .

The OWCS Grocery Bus. ++++
For Seniors in Hintonburg, Carlington and Westboro who need assistance with grocery shopping. For only $6 Ottawa West Community Support (OWCS) provides door to door transportation and help with bagging and carrying of purchases. Each Tuesday and Wednesday, the bus departs OWCS at 9am, picks up seniors from their homes and takes them shopping at local supermarkets. For more information about the Grocery Bus and other OWCS programs, please contact the office at 613-728-6016 ( and look for their September 1st article here in Newswest On-line ).

Ottawa Tool Library – Shop Night. ++++
Every first Wednesday of the month from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. come book our benches to grind away at your projects with tools from our library. Book on line at http://www.ottawatoollibrary.com and then come to your bench for the might in Makerspace North, 250 City Centre Avenue, Bay 216 (upper level). Just $5 for members and free for members 55 or older, with lots of parking.

Ottawa Tool Library – Community and Demo night. ++++
Connect and chat with other makers around Ottawa at our tool library. Learn and observe with live demonstrations starting at 6 p.m. on topics such as Bikes, Gardening, Carpentry, Painting, Canning, Wiring etc. We are a volunteer-run nonprofit providing endless opportunities to create, garden and cook. Located in Makerspace north, 250 City Centre Avenue in Bay 216 (upper level), we are open Mondays 6 to 9 p.m., Wednesdays 5 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Find us on Twitter and Facebook, @yowtoollibrary.

Bytown Swing. ++++
Come dance Lindy Hop and West Coast Swing with us on Saturday nights in Ottawa. Grab a pair of indoor shoes and get ready to hit the dance floor. Non-profit, holds a dance every Saturday at Studio X, 122-250 City Center Avenue ( 3 minute walk from the Bayview Transitway stop ). Parking available. Beginner lessons start at 8:15 p.m., DJ’d social dancing starts at 9:00 p.m. Cost is just $7 cash at the door and $5 for students and seniors.
Starting in 2017 there will be no more bi-weekly dances: we’re moving to one-off Lindy Hop events like bar nights, pop-up dances, and special live band events. The Westie Underground will be hosting bi-weekly WCS dances under a new name. Stay tuned for future announcements on dates and details! See http://bytownswing.com or https://www.facebook.com/bytownswing/ .

Friends of the Farm’s new book ‘Blooms’ ++++
Is about the Ornamental Gardens at Ottawa’s Central Experimental Farm A wonderful gift for anyone who loves gardens and flowers, as well as a treat for those interested in Canadian history. Friends of the Farm has several books now available for purchase highlighting Ottawa’s Farm, Ornamental Gardens, and Arboretum at the Central Experimental Farm. By local authors, they are for anyone who loves gardens and flowers, as well as a treat for those interested in Canadian horticultural history. Available at http://friendsofthefarm.ca/ and local bookstores.

Your Community Associations.
For up-to-date news on your neighbourhood, stay in touch with your community association. Information about events, traffic changes, development, neighbourhood clubs, volunteer opportunities and board meetings is available from the following Community Association websites.

Champlain Park Community Association
champlainpark.org

Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association
Chnaottawa.ca

Friends of Churchill Seniors Centre
friendsofchurchill.com

Hintonburg Community Association
hintonburg.com

Hampton-Iona Community Group
hamptoniona.wordpress.com

Island Park Community Association
islandpark.wordpress.com

McKellar Park Community Association
mckellarparkcommunity.wordpress.com

Mechanicsville Community Association
facebook.com/MechanicsvilleCA

Wellington Village Community Association
wvca.ca

Westboro Beach Community Association
westborobeach.ca

Westboro Community Association
lovewestboro.wordpress.com

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Late Additions:

January 17-27 – One-woman show.
Can a woman pilot a fighter plane . . . and motherhood? Alexis Scott stars in the searing one-woman show GROUNDED, offered by Bear & Co. at The Gladstone Theatre. This is war made personal. http://www.thegladstone.ca, 910 Gladstone Ave., 613-233-4523 . Discount on 8 or more tickets booked together (See the January 18th issue article “Compelling Theatre, Close to Home;” for details )