The Green Dreamers are out and about once again! You may have seen a few recently at the Library and the corners of Bank Street and Sunnyside Avenue. Their silent green “tag” is unmistakable. They leave a trail of “loved lots” all along Bank Street and Sunnyside Avenue. And yes, there were a couple of Dreamers sighted at Grosvenor this last week tidying up one of OOS’s rain gardens. In late June another solo Green Dreamer was spotted on the grounds around the Firehall.

Thirty years ago this summer, Old Ottawa South grappled with rowdy students and major planned changes to Brewer Park.

It narrowly escaped destruction during an early 90s development project. Volunteers replanted it; annual spring flooding along the Rideau River flattened it; and now its neighbours—who live in the beaver lodge down the bank—happily feast on it.

Each of its five, massive trunks—which snake in all directions from its core—sends up enough sinewy limbs to seem as if this one tree is growing an entire forest, all on its own. One of those limbs is arched like a secret doorway. Several have large chunks chewed out of them. Others, toppled and hanging on by strips, still sprout viable branches rippling with leaves.

Should we make OOS a model community for healthy aging?

Help SWOOS with this creative visioning exercise!

Seniors Watch of Old Ottawa South believes that healthy aging, community involvement and economic regeneration are synergistic. We would like to demonstrate this by making Old Ottawa South a model age-friendly community as we rebuild from the pandemic.

Our group of volunteers are working to identify needs as well as creative responses. We need to hear from everyone - seniors and others - who have an interest in making the neighbourhood an even better place in which to raise their families and grow old.

With your responses and approval by the OSCA board, we will seek seed funding to assist us. We also hope to engage the universities to make OOS a pilot for creating an age friendly community.