Author: Glen Gower
Musician Jim Bryson finds his place back home in Stittsville
“There were no houses behind here, and we had dirt bikes and we used to drive through the bushes, we used to snowmobile around. There were all these bike trails…
Oops! We tore down your heritage farmhouse
(ABOVE: McCurdy House, 1899. “Farms & Families” by the Stittsville Women’s Institute, Tweedsmuir History Committee.) “Misunderstanding” was a big hit for the band Genesis in early 1980s. Stittsville was also…
NOTEBOOK: Stittsville South zoning, french immersion, Huntmar-Maple Grove, more
STITTSVILLE SOUTH ZONING APPROVED This week the City’s Planning Committee unanimously approved a zoning change for a subdivision at Stittsville South, paving the way (pun intended) for a new residential development…
COMMENT: French high school is a “bonne affaire” for Stittsville
ABOVE:The official ribbon cutting took place on Thursday and included students, staff and special guests. Photo via @EscPaulD The opening of Ecole Paul-Desmarais is a really big deal (“une bonne…
City staff uncovered GRC pool problems back in 2002
(Photo: The GRC pool under repair in May 2015.) A former Goulbourn councillor says an out-of-court settlement made a decade ago means we may never know who’s really responsible for problems…
NOTEBOOK: Ecole Paul-Desmarais opens next week, new Gaia Java owners, more
22 décembre… la construction de notre édifice progresse bien. Il sera prêt pour le 28 janvier! pic.twitter.com/dTSOt7HubQ — Esc Paul-Desmarais (@EscPaulD) December 25, 2015 Premier rassemblement des Patriotes! Dans notre…
COMMENT: Bradley-Craig demolition debate was constructive (somewhat)
ABOVE: Bradley-Craig Barn, October 2015. Photo by Barry Gray. UPDATE: City council approved the demolition/relocation on Wednesday. The vote was 20-3, with councillors Leiper, Nussbaum and McKenney opposing demolition. *** Today’s…
Where the streets have new names
As many as six Stittsville street names could be soon be switched. That’s because they’re too similar to other street names in Ottawa. The six being considered for change: Bell Street Goulbourn Street…
SPECIAL: A vision for the future of Bradley-Craig Farmstead
EDITOR’S NOTE: I’m part of a group called Friends of the Bradley-Craig Farm. We’ve been meeting since November to try to save the landmark red barn on Hazeldean Road from demolition. The…
COMMENT: Local shops are part of our small-town charm
(ABOVE: Renee Saunders, owner of the recently-opened Sweet Room Bakery Boutique on Stittsville Main Street. Photo by Barry Gray.) If Stittsville’s small-town feel is something that’s important to you, take…
NOTEBOOK: Kanata dog park, new mini-roundabouts, Bradley-Craig Farm
KANATA DOG PARK UPDATE Last fall we reported on a proposed fenced dog park in Kanata at Insmill Park near Terry Fox Drive. Here’s an update from Kanata North Councillor…
NOTEBOOK: Flewellyn-Jones house could be home to a PTSD wellness centre
Interesting discussion today at City Hall around the impacts of heritage designation, and a great example of a creative compromise. A group of seven therapists want to transform the Flewellyn-Jones…
NOTEBOOK: Campeau Drive extension, Flewellyn-Jones House, coffee talk, more
CAMPEAU DRIVE: Kanata North Councillor Marianne Wilkinson says that the full Campeau extension from Terry Fox to Huntmar isn’t expected to open until 2018. That’s on schedule according to the…
BOYD HOUSE: The men with two graves (Part 6)
EDITOR’S NOTE: This ongoing series on Boyd House, an old stone farmhouse on Huntmar Drive, originally appeared a year ago on OttawaStart.com. We’re republishing and updating the original research here on StittsvilleCentral.ca.
NOTEBOOK: Stories we’re watching in 2016
I often jokingly refer to Stittsville as “one of Ottawa’s most exciting suburbs”, but there’s actually a lot of truth to that. (Just look at what happened here in 2015…