Petawawa in the news: Kelsey's restaurant and Neville realty mentioned

CBC’S HAILLIE COTNAM INTERVIEWS MAYOR BOB SWEET, BASE COMMANDER Lt. Col. Keith Rudderham, real estate agent Bart Neville. Kelsey’s manager Kim Clouthier about changes in the community since the troops returned from Afghanistan.

I am a fan of CBC. I like to be up on current events. However I live in an area of the country that is often in the news due to it’s two major employers” CFB Petawawa and AECL.  It is always a challenge to listen to the official version of events as I live a version of the same events as a by stander. My husband  has been employed at AECL for over 30 years so I have heard many stories through the grape vine and seen many official notices about the same events. We have lived in Petawawa since 2001 and seen many changes. We bought our house from a military family. The husband was in Bosnia so the legal documents had to  be fax to Bosnia for his signature! In 10 years Bosnia is now a distant memory for the base.

Bart Neville, one of our neighbours was featured on the interview saying that 80 homes had sold since November when the troops started returning.

Kim Clouthier, manager at Kelsey’s said that 80% of her business is from the military. She also commented on the increased traffic on Petawawa blvd in the last few years. The town has grown since 2005.

Bob Sweet, Mayor of Petawawa, is an upbeat man who has an incredible memory for faces. He also talked about the  growth. I find it a constant challenge to pay attention and be aware of the incredible growth in the community. I am looking forward to more retail stores in Petawawa. If only the news about AECL is as upbeat.    

PHoto op for the Padres Hamper fund

St. George's chapel has a hamper fund for families associated with the military. This year the "lay person" co-ordinating it is Frankie Jane Giller and the Padre is CLC Brad Busch. I had the opportunity to learn a bit about it the morning as I took a photo of tow cheques being presented to the fund. One cheque for just over $1000 came from the Legion in Toledo, a small community near Smiths Falls. Padre Busch was in his clergy robes for the presentation. The Base Thrift shop also donated $1000 to the Hamper fund. This cheque was presented by  a representative of the Thrift shop. More financial support is needed. For further information contact Frankie Jane Giller at   FRANKIE-JANE.GILLER@forces.gc.ca       or brad.busch@froces.gc.ca

Four degrees of separation

My husband and I have always had separate interests. Bruce has focused on hockey, golf and softball while I have tended to enjoy theatre, political activism social action and supporting my child's activities. Bruce often tells me who he plays golf with but the names do not stick in my brain as I do not usually meet his partners. However  today I spent most of the day with a lady I had met a couple of times. We had originally found out that I knew her next door neighbours, Elaine and Jack Chalmers, friends from church.Upon further discussion we found out that our husbands played golf at the same golf course: Twin Rivers,    in Petawawa.  Well it turns out that my husband   has played golf many times with Gill Patrick and Dan Patrick and Tom Mohns. Petawawa  is a very small town.     

Four degress of separation

How long does it take to meet your spouses colleagues from sports activities? Is there an unknown law that says that female and male friends do not connect? Well that philosophical questions was partially explored today as I met the spouse of one of my husbands frequent golf partners! Lorraine Patrick and I had met a couple of times at a group in town. Today we spent most of the day together and talked about what we had in common. Both of us had relatives who live in Montreal- the South Shore, both of us had husbands who work of AECL. Both of us also had husbands who play at the same golf course. I also know Lorraine's next door neighbours, Elaine and Jack Chalmers.  We both asked our husbands if they knew each other. Yes and they have played golf together. So by that logic it can take up to 9 years to meet the spouses of my husbands golf partners! Bruce has been playing at Twin Rivers in Petawawa since 2002.  Now how much longer before we meet in real time???

leaping forward by drivng to Ottawa and getting lost

My recent leap forward was my weekend in Ottawa.I never do things the simple way. Since I am still not comfortable driving on the 417 or driving around downtown Ottawa I decided to drive to my Saturday workshop in China town via the 148 high way in Quebec. I find driving through Pembroke then across the provincial bridge to Quebec saves my sanity. It  takes my 21/2 hours door to door taking the 148 to Gatineau then across the bridge to Island Park driveway and along the Ottawa parkway to down town. I find it less stressful than driving on Hwy 17 to Kanata then taking the long through roads such as Robertson road to avoid the heavy traffic on 417. I found a place to park close to the workshop for $4 a day on weekends!    

Words words words

Today will be a contrast in the use of words. The Petawawa Grannies are having a fund raiser at Heritage Manor in the afternoon:  Good words for Africa.  Fun scrabble benefit. Members of the community are helping raise money for the Stephen Lewis foundation.
we will be visiting and playing with the residents plus hopefully a 12 year old scrabble whiz will educate us!
in the evening I am going to attend Yuk Yuiks comedy show at the Petawawa  civic centre.

Paul Hanna September 18 1983 to October 3rd 2005

Today is always hard for our family. My son was bipolar. He was diagnosed when he was 17 and spent many months in  Manitoba Adolescent Treatment centre in Winnipeg. We moved to Ontario in 2001 and he completed is high school. He went on to Fleming college in Lindsay where he completed the two year program in Environment technician. He appeared to do well. However he was found in his room on Monday October 3rd 2005 in the beginning of his third year.