Category: Articles

  • The Evolving plans for Bronson and Cambridge South

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    Another turn in a long journey By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, April 2026) The proposed residential development at Bronson and Carling is getting a makeover – it appears largely unchanged on the outside, but there will be big changes inside, with about 22 per cent more housing units. According to revised plans…

  • Bacata, where coffee and community meet

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, March 2026) Siblings Diego and Aleja Bobadilla came to Canada from Colombia about two years ago with the intention of setting up a coffee shop. Bacata is proof they succeeded, but it wasn’t easy. As newcomers without an established business track record, it was difficult to find…

  • The Robo Lounge Opens in the Glebe Annex

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    The Robo Lounge is the Glebe Annex’s newest gathering spot, having opened in early January on the ground floor of the Clemow at 275 Carling Avenue. A relaxed offshoot of Bar Robo, the Lounge offers a warm, welcoming atmosphere from morning to evening – serving coffee and breakfast, transitioning to lunch and dinner, and hosting…

  • Crisis response program expands to the Glebe Annex

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    By Ryan Hampel (Appeared in the Glebe Report, February 2026) Ottawa’s Alternate Neighbourhood Crisis Response – better known by its acronym ANCHOR – has broadened the area it serves to include the Glebe Annex. The expansion this fall followed sustained advocacy last year from the Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) and Glebe Annex residents to…

  • Temporary Wartime Buildings in Dow’s Lake

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    By Sue Stefko 
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, November 2025) Before it became the parking garage for the new Ottawa Hospital Campus, the former Queen Juliana Park and National Capital Commission parking lot site played a role in supporting Canada’s World War II efforts. As Ottawa’s public service expanded from 12,000 employees to 36,000 over…

  • The Glebe Annex Community Association’s Fall Activities

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    By Sue Stefko 
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, October 2025) The Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) is in the midst of another busy fall season. On an incredibly beautiful September day, the association hosted our community and park clean-up. We don’t know if it was because of the great weather, or perhaps the word spread…

  • 323 Powell Avenue

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, September 2025) In a neighbourhood full of homes of all shapes and sizes, 323 Powell is among the most unique. The stunning mid-century modern style home was designed by renowned architect Matthew Stankiewicz. He lived there from its construction in 1972 until his death from cancer in…

  • Another Successful Party in the Park for the Glebe Annex Community Association!

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    By Sue Stefko 
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, August 2025) The Glebe Annex Community Association hosted yet another Party in the Park on June 21st. We could not have asked for a better day! After last year’s cold and gloomy weather, for this event, the day was warm, sunny and crisp, much to the relief…

  • Updates on the 299 Carling Future Park

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    By Sue Stefko 
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, June 2025) The Glebe Annex Community Association Annual General Meeting (AGM) was held on Wednesday May 14th, and featured updates from Councillor Menard and President Ryan Hampel, as well as a keynote presentation by Canada Lands Company, which largely focused on the new park that will be…

  • Labyrinth of Labels – Glebe Annex street names

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    By Sue Stefko 
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, May 2025) This article in the street name series will consider the north-south streets in the Glebe Annex. Lebreton Street was named after Captain John Le Breton, an army officer, farmer and mill-owner. Lebreton attained notoriety in 1820 after he bought land stretching from what is now Lebreton…

  • The Long and the Short of It – Carling Ave and Daniel McCann

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, April 2025) This is the last article of the east-west street history series of the Glebe Annex and discusses two very different streets. Carling Avenue, at about 19 kms long, is one of Ottawa’s longest streets. It was named for politician and businessman Sir John Carling from…

  • Glebe Annex Street Names: Powell, Clemow and Henry

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, March 2025) This article is part two about street names in the Glebe Annex, considering another three east-west oriented streets in the neighbourhood, Powell, Clemow and a somewhat rather mysteriously named Maclean. Powell Ave initially stretched a single block between Bell and Turner (now Cambridge), and was…

  • What’s in a name? History of Glebe Annex Street Names – East/West streets part I

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, January 2025) While most of us take our street’s name for granted as an immutable fact, many of our neighbourhood’s streets have changed names over time – sometimes to try to escape a reputation, sometimes to avoid duplication as Ottawa grew to encompass existing neighbourhoods, and at…

  • John Stoddart – the Glebe Annex’s Own ‘Running Man’

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    By Sue Stefko 
(Appeared in the Glebe Report, October 2024) To say John Stoddart is ‘into running’ is somewhat of an understatement. John is one of only two people to have completed every single Ottawa marathon since the event started in 1975. So far – and he is quick to point out that he’s not…

  • The Booth Street Complex – past, present and possible future

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, September 2024) Past The buildings still in use at the Booth Street Complex are on a site that was once part of JR Booth’s Fraserfield lumber yard and railway line, which operated from shortly before 1900 until the 1930s. A rail spur connected the yard to the…

  • Yoga in the Park – Back by Popular Demand

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, July 2024) Despite an ominous rain forecast for the Glebe Annex Community Association’s Yoga in the Park session on the morning of July 6th, yogis in Dalhousie South Park remained dry – although perhaps slightly sticky due to the day’s warm and humid conditions.  It was so warm…

  • Slow development land sales in Glebe Annex amid housing shortage

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, June 2024) Several years ago, the development property market was booming in and around the Glebe Annex, with prospects for large-scale developments. There were two Canada Lands Company projects. Homes on Bell Street South were to make way for 49 apartment units. And a single-family home at…

  • New ways to bus around the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, May 2024) After a bus-route review in 2023, OC Transpo will enact a so-called “route optimization” sometime this year. While the overhaul will impact most routes and cut about 74,000 service hours per year, the City insists that this is not just about cuts and cost savings,…

  • Schools of the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, April 2024) We have had a number of schools in our small neighbourhood over the years. The first two schools were on Bell Street, with the next two, including the only one still standing, on Powell. The first school on Powell, which was built on the corner…

  • Bell Street Public School

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, March 2024) In 1869, Mount Sherwood became a village, and families soon started moving to the neighbourhood. The village’s first school was built on Bell Street in 1876. While much needed, it was so poorly constructed that one could see through the gaps in the wooden board…

  • Vac Shack marks 50 years in business

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, February 2024) This year marks the 50th anniversary in business of Uncle Lory’s Vac Shack. Laurier (Lory) Lachapelle, the initial owner of the shop, began by selling Hoover vacuums door-to-door and working in vacuum repair. He decided to open his own shop in the Glebe Annex, first…

  • Deciphering federal plans for building homes in the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, December 2023) Local federal government properties are on the list to be converted to housing after a November 7 announcement that Canada Lands Company (CLC) would “support the construction” of more than 29,200 homes across Canada over the next six years. More than 700 homes are slated…

  • Another major fire in the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, November 2023) Fire ravaged an apartment building at 448 Cambridge Street South on October 6, the third time in the last year that buildings have burned in the Glebe Annex. Ottawa Fire Services (OFS) were alerted by numerous 911 calls and arrived on scene within three minutes,…

  • John Howard Society in the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, September 2023) The John Howard Society (JHS) moved into their new Glebe Annex building in December 2022. Since then, while gestures of goodwill by both the community and the society have helped build positive and constructive relationships, there have been some difficulties along the way, and continuing…

  • GACA brings yoga to the park

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, August 2023) Although meetings were put on hold for the summer, the Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) board stayed active, hosting a yoga session in the park and preparing to hold another Party in the Park to celebrate our 10-year anniversary. While GACA has put on parties,…

  • Glebe Annex Community Association marks a decade

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, June 2023) The Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) is 10 years old, and its founding was marked at our Annual General Meeting in May. The main guest speaker was Robert Bell from the Dow’s Lake Residents’ Association. Bell focused on the Katasa Groupe’s proposal for 774 Bronson.…

  • GACA marks 10 years

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, May 2023) As the Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) prepares for our upcoming Annual General Meeting, it’s an opportunity to look back on the year that was and on the decade since our founding 10 years ago. The impetus for creating a community association stems back to…

  • The early history of the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, April 2023) The area today known as the Glebe Annex used to be part of two villages – Orangeville and Mount Sherwood, both of which belonged to the township of Nepean (as did the city of Ottawa, until it officially incorporated as its own town in 1849).…

  • New plan for Bronson and Carling high rise

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, March 2023) In the fall of 2021, the Katasa Groupe and Fotenn Planning + Design unveiled plans to develop 774 Bronson at the corner of Bronson, Carling and Cambridge Street South. The intent was to develop a 26-storey, 328-unit building with 174 parking spots. It was to…

  • Minoru Saeki’s lifelong passion for karate

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, January/February 2023) This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Ottawa Japan Karate Association (JKA). Its founder, Minoru Saeki, first came to Canada from Japan as a tourist in 1973. While here, his mastery of and commitment to Shotokan karate was obvious, and he was convinced to…

  • The Story of the Lakelander Condominium

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, December 2022) The handsome, red-brick Lakelander towers have graced the Glebe Annex skyline at the corner of Carling Avenue and Cambridge Street South for more than 30 years. The site, previously 279 Carling Avenue, had belonged to the Ottawa Suburban Roads Commission, which had a road implement…

  • Vacant buildings a fire hazard in the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, November 2022) While the buildings at 269 and 271 Bell Street South were slated to be demolished eventually to make way for a new project, we didn’t expect them to be destroyed so soon or in such a dramatic fashion. At about 10:15 p.m. on Wednesday, September…

  • John Howard Society opening soon at 289 Carling

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, October 2022) The six-storey, 40-unit John Howard Society (JHS) supportive-housing complex will soon welcome its first staff, residents and visitors. It has been a long road. A supportive-housing residence was proposed for the then parking lot in 2016. The JHS was selected in early 2019; construction began…

  • The Party in the Park is back!

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, September 2022) For the first time since 2019, on Saturday August 13th, the Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) hosted a ‘Party in the Park’ at Dalhousie South Park. Residents were enthusiastic to pick up where we last left off – people came out, many with families and…

  • The Glebe Annex Hits the Big Screen!

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, August 2022) Scott Blurton, a former president of the Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA), has chronicled, and perhaps slightly satirized, his time running for city council in a new movie called ‘The Canvasser,’ which he describes as, “a story about an earnest but overmatched volunteer who decides…

  • If Change is the only constant… more development proposed for the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, June 2022) There is yet another development proposed for the Glebe Annex. While most of the development to date has been occurring at the south end of the neighbourhood, this one is planned for the north, close to the 417. It is situated at the north end…

  • Taking stock of Another Year

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, May 2022) The Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) is preparing for our annual general meeting, which will again be run virtually on Wednesday May 18th from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Our headline presentation for this year’s meeting will be Canada Lands Company, who will be providing results…

  • A Reboot for 7 Maclean

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, April 2022) Many Glebe Annex residents suspected that something was not going according to plan on 7 Maclean. The site plan for a three-storey, 7-unit apartment building was approved in January 2020. However, there had been no activity on the site, other than the demolition of the…

  • Next up: park consultations for 299 Carling site

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, March 2022) The proposed zoning changes for 299 Carling were approved earlier this year, with the site’s zoning by-law released on January 26th. As expected, the zoning will allow buildings ranging in height from eight to twenty storeys and will include space for a new public park, as…

  • New Lease on Life for Confederation Heights

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    By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, February 2022) Canada Lands Company (Canada Lands) has recently kicked off the first phase of the master plan process for Confederation Heights through a collaboration with Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC). While slightly out of our immediate area, the sheer size of the study area may be…

  • All Shook Up – Blasting at ‘The Clemow’

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    By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, December 2021) On the morning of November 2nd, a strong blast shook homes near the building site of The Clemow retirement residence at 275 Carling. The blasting was occurring as part of the excavation for the 5-storey underground parking garage that is part of the 16-storey development. On…

  • Civic hospital releases plans to change a park to parking

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, November 2021) Any last hopes for an underground parking garage, as initially promised for the new Civic Hospital, were dashed on October 13 when City Council approved the new campus master site plan. The hospital is now moving forward on site-plan approval for a four-storey parking garage…

  • Residents Express Concern Over Proposed 774 Bronson Avenue Development

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, October 2021) At a public consultation on September 22nd, the Katasa Group Design presented their plan to develop a 26-storey, 328-unit building with 174 parking spots at 774 Bronson Avenue. The property combines three separate lots – two along Bronson south of Carling, as well as 557…

  • A Pollinator garden for Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, August 2021) After years of planning, which included submissions to the city, a grant through the city’s Community Environmental Projects Grant Program and quite a bit of red tape to get all the permissions required to build it, the Glebe Annex Community Association pollinator garden has finally become…

  • The Ottawa Hospital Unveils Revised Plans for the New Civic Campus

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    By Bhagwant Sandhu and Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, June 2021) In the spring of 2018, the Ottawa Hospital constituted a Campus Engagement Group (CEG) to provide input and advice in the planning of the Hospital’s new campus. We represented the Glebe Community Association, the Dows Lake Residents’ Association, and the Glebe Annex Community…

  • The Glebe Annex Community Association During COVID – what have we been up to?

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    By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, May 2021) After cancelling our Annual General Meeting (AGM) due to COVID 19 last year in the hopes of returning to an in-person event this year, the Glebe Annex Community Association (GACA) has decided to forge ahead with a virtual AGM this year. Despite the pandemic, GACA has…

  • John Howard Society Names Residential Coordinator for the 289 Carling site

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, April 2021) With the construction of the John Howard Society (JHS) supportive housing development now into its fourth month, the JHS has started to more actively prepare to operate in the community by hiring the residential coordinator – Joshua Bridges. His role is to oversee both community…

  • Modifications to the Bronson Ave Interchange

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, February 2021) The Bronson Avenue bridge over Highway 417 will be replaced as part of the Ontario Ministry of Transportation’s (MTO) Midtown Bridges project, which will replace 10 bridges in five locations on Highway 417 between Preston and Percy Streets.* While the Bronson bridge replacement isn’t expected…

  • 275 Carling: The Next ‘Big Thing’ in the Glebe Annex

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, March 2021) Nearly a decade after a project was first proposed for 275 Carling Ave, construction is expected to begin in the coming weeks. The initial project came forward in 2012, then under the Taggart Group, as part of its 265 Carling Ave property. It was the…

  • Planning for the new Civic Hospital

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    The Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital today (left), 2018 draft architectural concept of the new Civic Campus of The Ottawa Hospital (right) – Photos: Courtesy of TOH By Bhagwant Sandhu 
and Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, December 2020) While largely out of the public eye, planning for the new Civic Campus of…

  • Booth St Complex: For Sale

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, November 2020) Last month, the Booth Street complex entered a new phase – the land was put on the market by Canada Lands Company. It is looking for a buyer, or buyers, to commit to implementing its vision for the 6.5-acre property. Once the offers are received,…

  • 291 Carling Avenue – Once a key planning hub for the city of Ottawa

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    By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, September 2018) Today, the 3.4-acre parcel of land at 291 Carling Avenue, between Bell St. South and Lebreton St. South, which is up for redevelopment by Canada Lands Company (CLC) and the Algonquins of Ontario, is a 300-car parking lot. This site, however, has a much more interesting…

  • The Start of a New Chapter for 7 Maclean Street

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, September 2020) Slowly but surely, older homes and businesses in the Glebe Annex are being torn down to make way for new, often multi-unit dwellings. The latest building that will join these ranks is what many refer to as the Dallaire home at 7 Maclean St.  The…

  • Raising Funds for the Ottawa Food Bank, one stitch at a time

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    Sylvia Milne at work sewing masks to raise food bank funds PHOTO: Doug Milne By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, August 2020) Sylvia Milne has a new hobby as of late. It started, as many passion projects do, as a one-off effort. An elderly gentleman was in need of a mask to use when…

  • Next Steps for the Supportive Housing Site at 289 Carling Avenue

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    289 Carling Avenue is fenced off prior to the start of construction of the John Howard Society’s supportive housing for the chronically homeless. PHOTO: Gabrielle Dallaporta By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, August 2020) The Glebe Annex has been buzzing with development activity of late. In a community three blocks across by four blocks…

  • Grocery Store – Inbound!

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    View of Arnon’s development proposal for 450 Rochester Street, from the southwest corner at Preston and Beech – Photo: Arnon Development Corporation & GBA Group By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, March 2020) In looking at the large, 300 vehicle parking lot bordering Preston, Beech, Rochester and Aberdeen streets, many local residents have long…

  • Abbas Grocery Store: The Heart of the Glebe Annex

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    Radi (left) and Mike in front of their corner store. By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, January 2020) It may be no coincidence that the Abbas Grocery store is in the heart of the Glebe Annex neighbourhood – for many, Abbas Grocery is the heart of the neighbourhood. While the store fulfills the functions…

  • Meet the Mayor of Plymouth St.

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    Mr. Lalonde outside his home on Plymouth St., where he has lived for the last 67 years. By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, December 2019) If there were to be two themes that run through the life of Mr. Ray Lalonde, it would be the dairy industry, and the Glebe Annex. His first foray…

  • The Next Step Forward for the Booth St. Complex

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    Newly installed fencing on the southwest corner of the Booth St complex. This portion will be the first to be developed to create a new city park. By Sue Stefko(Appeared in the Glebe Report, February 2020) The Booth Street complex site has seen much more activity in recent weeks than it has in many years.…

  • Welcoming Dalhousie South Park Back

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    By Sue Stefko (Appeared in the Glebe Report, December 2018) It was a cold, rainy and windy November day – but that wasn’t enough to stop the intrepid residents of the Glebe Annex from coming out to celebrate the re-opening of the community’s only park, Dalhousie South Park. Construction began at the beginning of August,…