SAVE OUR FIREHALL

When gyms and recreation facilities closed down during the COVID-19 pandemic, many OOS residents returned to or increased our most fundamental form of exercise—walking. In the process, we re-discovered our local neighbourhoods, got to know our neighbours better and found ourselves developing a greater sense of community. Often, we were not alone in our efforts, walking our dogs or alongside a grandchild or friend with whom we shared experiences, frustrations, and sometimes sorrows.

Last month we shared a story called “Birdhouses Galore” describing Shelley and Sean Kennedy’s stockpile of homemade birdhouses. It began as a hobby to while away the pandemic hours, but soon enough there were more birdhouses than any one backyard could possibly use. And so the Kennedys decided to fundraise for the Firehall, selling the birdhouses for $10/each on the Old Ottawa South Group Facebook page. As of mid-April, 41 birdhouses have gone out the door to provide new homes for our feathered friends in OOS. Shelley and Sean continue to be impressed by the generosity of their neighbours. Donations from the “birdhouse lark” now total $825 – proof positive that no donation is too small and that every dollar counts.