Letters for November 21, 1997

Demolition waste of local heritage

In answer to Damali Nabagereka’s article “Heritage be damned! Come park on Sparks” (Nov. 7) about the demolition of the former Woolworth and Kresge stores on Sparks Street, I can only say that the final outcome is a complete waste.
When my colleagues and I on the City of Ottawa’s Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee led the charge to have these buildings given a heritage designation last year, we were driven by our commitment to preserving buildings representing all periods and aspects of Ottawa’s history.
Apart from the loss to local history, the demolition is a waste because you can be sure the parking lot that replaces them will be there for a very long time. The new lot will become part of an existing one facing Queen Street created nearly 50 years ago. The demolition of the buildings is not the first but almost the only time someone has purposely destroyed a designated heritage structure in Ottawa.
Paul Robertson
Cornwall Street
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Life in a glass house

Canadians spend a lot of time ridiculing Americans for how little they know about our country. Almost everyone has heard the story of the Yankee who believes we huddle in igloos in a nation of ice and snow.
We laugh at stories like that, wondering how anyone could possibly be so stupid about a country so close to their own. We self-righteously scoff at Americans for their ignorance and take comfort in our own superiority. read more

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En garde: Fencing wheels into Ottawa

By Derek Beaudette

Basketball. Rugby. Baseball. These are a few of the options which are available to the wheelchair athletes in Ottawa.

This January, one of Canada’s rarest wheelchair sports will be added to this list of options.

The University of Ottawa Excalibur Fencing Team is starting a wheelchair fencing program in the new year.
“There’s no reason why we shouldn’t be able to offer the opportunity to take part in the sport to anyone who’s interested, including people in wheelchairs,” says Excalibur coach Paul Apsimon. read more

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