Where the piano used to be: Hartman’s flower market.
The sound of cash registers can be heard more clearly now at Hartman’s Independent Grocer, but it’s not because of an increased number of customers.
Instead, renditions of ‘80s dance music and an occasional Viennese waltz have been discarded with the removal of Hartman’s public piano.
Hartman’s would not comment on why they removed the piano, but a manager told the Ottawa Citizen that they needed more space for produce.
Centretown residents, however, aren’t keeping their comments to themselves.
Jenn Farr started a Facebook group called “Bring Back the Hartman’s Piano!!!” to draw attention to the issue. She says response from the community has been incredible.
“I’ve started Facebook groups before, but this one is the most spontaneous and the most positive in terms of people sharing their own experiences,” Farr says.
“The piano seems like a small thing, but it was really important to us and it made Hartman’s very unique.”
Many of those commenting on the Facebook group have said they will start shopping elsewhere, even with no other grocery store in the area.
Farr calls the piano a “nice oasis” and says it “turned an everyday drudgery into a pleasure.”
Krystal Chow, who has played Hartman’s piano in the past, voices similar feelings about the removal of the instrument.
The number of apartments in Centretown means fewer pianos, she explains. People either can’t afford them, or can’t get them into their homes, especially if they’re renting for a short period. Hartman’s piano allowed people to practice who otherwise may not have gotten the chance.
Both Chow and Farr say they believe Hartman’s got rid of the piano partly because the seating area attracted the homeless.
“I saw a lot of street people, but I feel like sometimes that’s where you need to extend your hand,” says Chow. “Coming in to listen to the piano could be the difference between a good and bad day.”
Some of the homeless would play the piano, says Chow, and because of Hartman’s location, it was only to be expected that a variety of people would come in.
If space was the reason for removing the piano, Farr suggests Hartman’s should have removed the seating and left the piano.
As a result of the community uproar, Hartman's has agreed to a meeting about the issue "soon,", a meeting of the Centretown Community Citizens' Association was told Tuesday.
For those mourning the loss of the piano, Umi Café at Somerset and Percy is another option.
They’ve had a piano for about a year and a half, and Assistant Manager and Director Claude Munson says it brings music and joy into the café. “We have all sorts of regulars and it becomes a fun activity. We’re a café that promotes the arts and we’re very open to people’s creativity.”
Umi Café also has a public guitar, and welcomes both amateur and experienced musicians.
While Umi Café has embraced the customers the public piano brings in, Hartman’s has chosen cash over the community.
There was no notice given to customers about the piano’s removal, even those who were paid to play.