Crime, Supervised Injection Site, transition housing, etc.

Throughout the past months, the issues related to drug dealing, drug using, supervised (safe) injection sites, shelters, transitional or supervised housing units, a proposed parole office, and the impact on the rest of the community, have been visited a number of times on this blog. Recall the supervised injection site focus group. Recall the impact of shelters like Shepards of Good Hope or Union Mission on adjacent neighborhoods. The parole office issue. Recall there is another proposal coming forward for supervised transitional housing units on Booth Street, perhaps with a shelter element, we don’t know yet. Dalhousie is still a … Continue reading Crime, Supervised Injection Site, transition housing, etc.

Chinatown art festival

Here is all about it, from their press release. I am so pleased that Grace Xin has organized this. It should help put our neighborhood and its businesses on the map, and raise awareness. Exhibits in unexpected spaces: come see original art in the bakery, giftshop, optician, bookstore, grocery, cafe and restaurants in this multicultural village with Asian flavour. CHINATOWN REMIXED COLLECTIVE is pleased to present the works of over 30 contemporary artists. The artists, mostly local, include the likes of HOWIE TSUI, CYNTHIA O’BRIEN and ADRIAN GOLLNER. More than 15 businesses in Ottawa’s Chinatown, from Percy St. westward to … Continue reading Chinatown art festival

Parole Office Political Decision Again

“This Government has listened to the concerns voiced at last night’s Town Hall meeting organized by the Correctional Service of Canada, and is no longer considering relocation of the Ottawa Parole Office to 1010 Somerset Street,” ministry of public safety spokesman Christopher McCluskey wrote in an e-mail to the Citizen. Continue reading Parole Office Political Decision Again

On Parole – The Meeting

The Parole Office meeting was last night at the Bronson Centre. Meeting FormatCorrectional Services tried to have a series of little workgroups, but was talked out of it. Work groups are find when a large percentage of the attendees share a certain knowledge level, but when facts are scarce this format serves to create little silos of (mis)information and keep people unaware. The question and answer format instead allowed people to get some additional information and judge the agendas/merits of others and their opinions. The wiki format wins hands down in this case. The ProsThe moderator was excellent. I found … Continue reading On Parole – The Meeting

Parole Office Shuffle (2)

“NO! I think not.” That was the answer. You’ll find the question further below. The Parole Office has been controversial for some years now, since it opened at its Gilmore/Elgin location. Where was it before then? For a long time it was located on Kent St at Albert, where the third tower of Constitution Square was recently completed. Back then there was a small office building there, occupied by the National Film Board. Apparently the NFB arty-types didn’t exactly appreciate the Parole Office’s clientele in the lobby. After that, the Office was located at Bank and Queen, above Laura Secord’s. … Continue reading Parole Office Shuffle (2)

Shuffling the PAROLE OFFICE to Somerset St

The present location of the Parole Office on Elgin Street has been subject to a lot of complaint from area politicians and community groups. Corrections Canada has suggested addressing their unhappiness by relocating the office to 1010 Somerset (pictured above) conveniently located between the Plant Recreation Centre and Devonshire Public School.   They are holding a public consultation meeting at the Bronson Centre at 7pm on Monday, March 30th. Comments can also be sent to www.csc-scc.gc.ca/consultation.   The office will serve about 200 federal offenders a year. It employs about 36 parole officers and others.   Advantages of the proposed … Continue reading Shuffling the PAROLE OFFICE to Somerset St