Wortley Villager Jan:Feb 2022

Wortley Villager Jan:Feb 2022

Wortley Villager

Jan-Feb 2022 Issue 56

Wortley Villager Issue #56 Jan-Feb 2022 www.villagerpublications.com Managing Editor: Cathy Wood [email protected] Advertising: Tami Martin [email protected] 519-851-0961 Publisher: Barb Botten Villager Publications P.O. Box 134, Lambeth Station Ontario N6P 1P9 [email protected] 519-282-7262 Graphic Artist: Cathy Wood

Back in the Day: The original A. Millard George Funeral facility at 190 Wortley Road (1963). An ad in the 1953 Normal School Yearbook indicates that the “modern” funeral chapel offered 24-hour ambulance service.

New Heritage Conservation signs in Wortley Village. Read more on page 6.

Is your child struggling with reading, writing and spelling? Specialized Tutoring for Dyslexic Children Specialized Tutoring for Dyslexic Children by Gemmell Neilson B.A., B.Sc. Orton-Gillingham Certified Is your child struggling with reading, writin and spelling?

Welcome to the Wortley Villager – your local community connector. The 100% locally owned and locally produced Wortley Villager is published ten times a year with thousands delivered free to area residences, set out at local venues, and posted online at www.villagerpublications.com.

Do you have an Old South Neighbour of Note? Do you do cultural cooking? We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line at [email protected]

Cover photo sugggestions welcome! Send your (vertical to fit), high resolution photos taken recently in Old South to [email protected].

phone or text: 519-619-1189 [email protected]

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Page 2 Wortley Villager • January-February 2022

Holiday Season inWortley Village

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Page 3

Wortley Villager January-February 2022 •

In this house: A look at Old South homes and the people that live in them By Louise Daw I was so fortunate to have had an opportunity to meet Connie and Doug Weir of 106 Wortley Road and Blythe Wilson, an actress at The Grand Theatre. It is not every day I get to meet a famous actor who also happened to be a billet at the home of the Weirs. Over the past twenty years, the Weirs have had over 92 different artists stay in their cozy apartment overlooking Thames Park. Here artists working at the Grand can take refuge in a private space where they can prepare for their next rehearsal or performance. Since 2001, the Weirs have hosted actors, directors, musicians, set & costume designers, choreographers, playwrights and composers. Avid theatre goers themselves, they have enjoyed meeting all the different “characters” who have stayed in the apartment. The Old South location is ideal for those who can walk not only to Wortley Village for provisions, but also downtown to the Grand Theatre. Connie grew up in Old South, attending Mountsfield Public School and South Collegiate. A retired English and Theatre Arts Teacher, she produced the study guides for the Grand productions from 1999 to 2002. She and her husband, Doug, a former London Life employee, moved back to Old South in May 2000. Both have been volunteers at the Palace Theatre for many years, with Connie being awarded a Lifetime Membership for her contributions. Clearly, they enjoy meeting theatre and artistic types, as evidenced by their extensive guest list. When asked what they foundmost rewarding about their role as theatre billeters, they replied that it was, without a doubt, “the people we get to meet. We have such great memories.” The longest stay has been eight weeks, with the longer stays giving the Weirs more time to get to know their guests. Blythe, who has stayed at the Weir’s home twice, has another stay booked for late January-February. She feels so comfortable at the Wortley apartment and looks forward to coming back after a hectic long day where she can decompress. “Being away from my usual home, it feels so great to know I am in a safe, quiet and private place. It is also comforting to know I can walk to the Village in seconds to enjoy one of the cafes or to pick up groceries. It has such a lovely vibe,” stated Wilson. Wilson is a trained actress from The Vancouver Playhouse Theatre School and presently lives in Stratford. Her resume is filled with roles in many productions such as Oliver, Mary Poppins, and Kinky Boots, to name a few. She has also had roles in film and television. Her work takes her across Canada and in the United States, so having a wonderful place to billet is critical to her work. I was not previously aware of the opportunity to host an artist as a billet. Short term housing for travelling artists is always a need. The Grand looks for homes in Woodfield, Wortley, Old South, Old North or in the downtown area so that artists have the ability to walk to the Grand Theatre. The time frame can be anywhere from one week up to eight weeks. While a self-contained space with a private bathroom is preferred, homes with less ideal spaces may also be considered. Of course, other perks such as internet accessibility, parking and laundry access would be a bonus. There are perks to hosting an artist as well. In addition to a small weekly rental fee, billeters receive two complimentary tickets to a show. Photos: Doug and Connie Weir at home overlooking Thames Park; Blythe Wilson at her home-away-from-home; a couple pages from a scrapbook preserving the Weir’s memories of billeted Grand Theatre artists.

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Page 4 Wortley Villager • January-February 2022

march 8 to 19 new dates room

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written and adapted for the stage by Emma Donoghue

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Music & Lyrics by Cora Bissett and Kathryn Joseph

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Ward 11 Update By Stephen Turner Councillor Ward 11

for opportunities for savings. Over the past year, staff were able to identify $3.7 million in reductions across many departments. These savings were chiefly responsible for our ability to reduce the projected increase to 2.8%, and well below current inflation. Other items that were passed in the budget update included a needed $640,000 increase to the Health Unit budget to address inflationary impacts. The Health Unit had not sought an increase in municipal funding for the past 14 years. There was also one- time funding of $580,000 to support the RBC Place Convention Centre, which has been hit hard by the pandemic due to a large number of cancelled events. There was a one-time savings of $2.8 million in Childcare and Ontario Works due to a decrease in caseload and delayed implementation of some childcare centres due to the pandemic. My colleagues also supported a $650,000 reduction to the budget dedicated to slowing the growth of the infrastructure gap. This is something I feel we’ll have to watch carefully. During the debate, I asked if our infrastructure repair and replacement costs had been updated to reflect the impacts of increased severe weather events associated with climate change. The answer was ‘no’. As we saw in British Columbia and Atlantic Canada, recent storms have caused significant damage to things like roads, bridges and railways. We need to be sure we have the funds available to fix and replace our infrastructure in the future. A couple proposals were rejected by council, as well, including a $10,000 reduction to the Neighbourhood Small Events Fund and $250,000 to the Neighbourhood Decision Making Program.

City of London 226-927-0765 2022 City Budget Update

Happy New Year, Old South! I hope that the holidays brought you an opportunity to relax, reflect and refresh for the year ahead. Just before the holiday break, city council passed the City’s budget update for 2022. In 2019, council passed a multi-year budget, making it the second time in its history to do so. These four-year budgets provide a degree of predictability for tax rates to residents and businesses, as well as funding security for municipal programs, agencies, boards and commissions. Thus far, they have been seen as a successful approach to city financing. As much as they provide some level of predictability, multi-year budgets also pose the risk of being too rigid to adapt to the demands and issues of the day. There is some merit to those concerns as it is quite difficult to add and fund new initiatives mid-stream. To address this, we do an annual budget update to evaluate if there are any necessary changes to the four-year plan. When we set the projected tax rate for 2022 during the multi-year budget, we anticipated an increase of 3.8% as a result of provincial downloading and inflationary pressures. City staff continuously evaluate their programs to determine their budget needs and to look New Street Signs in the Wortley Village-Old South Heritage Conservation District by Kyle Gonyou, Heritage Planner Community Planning, Urban Design, and Heritage, City of London Have you seen the new blue street signs appearing in Wortley Village-Old South? The blue street signs mark the Wortley Village-Old South Heritage Conservation District which was designated in 2015 and includes over 1,000 properties. All properties within the Wortley Village-Old South Heritage Conservation District are heritage designated properties. The Wortley Village-Old South is an important place. It is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act to recognize, protect, enhance, and appreciate the cultural heritage value of Wortley Village-Old South today and for future generations. The area, by about 1915, had achieved its recognizable historic suburban streetscape. The Wortley Village-Old South Heritage Conservation District has a concentration of architectural styles and features that are consistent with the styles and methods of construction associated with the era in which it was developed, and long-standing City landmarks which positively contribute to the cityscape and identity of the area. To help visually recognize a Heritage Conservation District, the City of London has a special street sign program. Blue street signs with white lettering, contrasting to the regular green street signs with white lettering, are installed only in a Heritage Conservation District. In addition, the Heritage Conservation

To advertise here, please contact [email protected] The new street signs in the Wortley Village-Old South Heritage Conservation District are being installed in late 2021/early 2022. The street signs features the iconic octagonal ventilators and central tower of the Normal School (165 Elmwood Avenue East), a City-owned property in the heart of the Wortley Village-Old South Heritage Conservation District that is now home to the YMCA. These blue street signs can be found in London’s other Heritage Conservation Districts to help recognize these importance areas in our City: East Woodfield, Bishop Hellmuth, West Woodfield, Old East, Blackfriars/Petersville. More information on London’s Heritage Conservation Districts can be found at www.london.ca/heritage-conservation-districts. District street signs feature a decorative portion of the street sign which includes an emblem, icon, or motif that reflects one of the key attributes of the area.

Page 6 Wortley Villager • January-February 2022

To our volunteers, Christmas Market 2021 by Margaret Hopkins The Christmas Market Chalets are folded and packed away for another year. Thank you, Habitat! This event could not have occurred without you, the selfless volunteers who made it happen. Our location at the front of the Y/Normal school proved successful again! It was a bonus to have Santa so close to us this year. Several new vendors, all promoting worthy causes, joined us this year: The Coffee Haus, run by Atlohsa. We welcomed Old Village South Pub, whose skilled crew provided bratwurst and grilled cheese with proceeds kindly donated to Indwell. Habitat served the ever-popular cider, gluhwein and pretzels, kindly donated by Valumart, Metro and Wortley Auto Service with thanks to Quartermaster for warming. Urban Haven returned to benefit from the snow waffles and hot chocolate, kindly warmed by Anna at Karpos. Gingerbread was donated by John and Lorna. We were happy to have Animalert on site to fund their four-footed friends. Back by popular demand was Growing Chefs with their mouth watering tourtieres. The London Woodshop returned with dozens of new hand crafted products. The Food Bank took over the Greens and More gift shop. Patty Lee kindly crafted and donated 202 items! All of these Chalets were staffed by you, our volunteers. This event is and remains a charity event. This year’s event brought in over $12,000 dollars for the respective charities and worthy causes. Amazing during a pandemic!

Our wonderful entertainers filled the air with sounds and songs, we are forever grateful to them. It was brisk and windy. Our Piper, Brian Elliott opened the event. SOUP (Southern Ontario Ukulele Players) brightened the evening. The Sweet Adelines adorned the steps of the Normal School / YMCA and brought the site to life with Christmas songs. The South Band was marvelous! We could not have operated without the help of many community members who provided their time, their strength, and their generosity. We are also grateful to Habitat and St. Vincent de Paul for their truck and driver and Greg Stretton of Big Guy Linen Supply for the use of the mats to keep our feet off the ground, the City of London for printing, the YMCA for the loan of extension cords and the use of space, generators from OSCO’s Dave Hutchinson, Alex Morrison and Peter Hopkins and the Old South Community Organization for the loan of tables and chairs.

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Wortley Villager January-February 2022 •

Neighbour of Note: EmmaDonoghue By Rick Young Internationally acclaimed and award-winning novelist, screen- writer, and playwright, Emma Donoghue has lived in Wortley Village since the 1990s. The prolific writer agreed to an email interviewwith TheWortley Villager as the Grand Theatre worked on staging a musical production of her 2010 novel, Room . Can you tell our readers a little bit about your upbringing and formal education? I grew up in Dublin and did a degree in English and French followed by a PhD at Cambridge in eighteenth-century English literature. What inspired you to pursue a literary career? I started writing poems at 7, novels and plays at 19, and from the start I’ve found it an obsessive pleasure that nothing else can match. Since your first book, Stir Fry (1994), you have written a number of works, including your most recent novel, The Pull of the Stars (2020) about the 1918 Great Flu epidemic. Where do you get the inspiration for your works? Frequently from history – about two- thirds of my works have been set in the past and closely or loosely based on real events, usually in the lives of underdogs – women, queers, freaks, the marginalised and obscure. For instance, The Wonder (my 2016 novel, coming from Netflix as a feature film next year) is set in nineteenth-century Ireland and has fictional characters, but it was inspired by more than fifty cases of ‘fasting girls’ (girls and women claiming to live without food) in Europe and North America from the sixteenth-century to the twentieth. For my contemporary novels, such as Room (2010), I’ve drawn on news stories, or things that have happened to acquaintances or friends or my own life. For instance, Landing (2007) is about a Dubliner moving to Ontario – highly autobiographical! You have received a number of nominations and awards, including an Academy Award nomination for your screenplay for the 2015 movie, Room . How do you feel about these accolades?

Photo by Mark Raynes Roberts

I try not to take prizes too seriously because that way bitterness lies – if you’re shortlisted you spend months hoping you’ll win, and chances are you won’t. When the announcement is about to be made, I always picture a die spinning, to remind myself of my slim odds! But don’t get me wrong, prizes do a great service by shining the light of publicity on books or films or plays that people mightn’t hear about otherwise, so I’m grateful for them. I particularly treasure my Booker Prize nomination for Room , and the raft of Irish and Canadian screen awards we won for the film – I felt deeply honoured in my two homelands. The Grand Theatre is staging a musical production of Room in March 2022, a novel which you adapted for the stage. What can theatre-goers expect of this musical version of your story?

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Page 8 Wortley Villager • January-February 2022

It’s faithful to the book but transformed too – by the songs (which are used to give the imprisoned Ma an outlet for her secrets) and the joyful physicality of the performances, particularly by Alexis Gordon as Ma. The stage version works so well, I think, because it’s all about play – a mother and child using imagination to overcome the awful fact of their captivity. What are you working on now? Final edits on my next novel, Haven (out next August), about sixth-century Irish monks landing on the extraordinary island of Skellig Michael. What brought you toWortley Village? Love! My partner Chris Roulston became a professor at Western in 1995 so I commuted here from England until I got my permanent residency in 1998. We rented on Beaconsfield and really fell for the friendly charms of the Village, so we bought our house here in 2001. What do you like about the neighbourhood? The variety of housing, walkability, the Landon library, Pride flags and ‘wherever you’re from’ signs, quirky shops, and restaurants (the Black Walnut is my happy place), and the fact that people will nod and say hello. London has nourished me, and I have no plans ever to leave. For more information about Emma Donoghue and her literary activities, visit https://www.emmadonoghue.com/ and follow her on Facebook and Twitter.

Photos compliments The Grand Theatre The Grand Theatre is staging ROOM, March 8 – 19, 2022. Learn more and get tickets at www.grandtheatre.com See also: https://youtu.be/KQVI-1OYCiU

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Wortley Villager January-February 2022 •

Jane Roy’s 100 Days of Trees. 2022 is the fifth year that Jane Roy embarked on a 100 Days of Painting project. In 1998, she painted 150 Days of Canada with proceeds going to various charities. In 1999, her 100 Days of Poppies paintings supported veterans at Parkwood Hospital. In 2000, we were treated to her 100 Days of AfricanWildlife paintings. Proceeds of those paintings supported projects in South Sudan. Last year’s 100 Days of Skies supported St. Joseph’s Hospice. “The projects are all about learning to paint, sketch and learning to see,” says Jane. Jane’s 2022 project is 100 Days of Trees! “Big trees, small trees, single trees, forests of trees! Some will be bad, some will be good... and some may even be amazing... but they will all be part of the process of learning,” explains Jane. All funds raised with sales will go towards The Imagine Build in partnership with Oneida Nation on the Thames!! (adrivendesign.ca/TheImagineBuild) Watch the progress at www.janeeroy.ca or visit Jane’s facebook www.facebook.com/jane.roy.547/

Left: Day 4: The Forest (Oil on Panel 9x12) Day 14: A River Runs through it (Oil on Birch 16x20) Day 16: A light shines through it (Oil on Canvas Panel 12x12 Day 2: Looking Up (Acrylic on canvas board 8x8)

Above: Day 10: Trees Along the Path Day 1: Birches (Oil on Birch 20x20).

Jane Roy is Co-Executive Director of the London Food Bank. Involved in numerous hunger, anti- poverty and volunteerism initiatives over the years, she is recipient of the Governor General’s Award (2017) for her volunteer activism and advocacy for underprivileged families, refugees and victims of conflict, and a prolific artist. Jane resides in Wortley Village with husband Glen Pearson and their three children.

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Page 10 Wortley Villager • January-February 2022

Will 2022 be another pandemic fuelled housing market? by Louise Daw With 2021 behind us, a look back on the year 2021 might help inform us on what to expect for 2022. I reached out to Mortgage agent, Katherine McIntrye of Dominion Lending and Georgia Kortas, a real estate lawyer with Thompson, Mahoney, Delorey to get their take on 2021 and a few predictions for 2022. On the Real Estate front it was one of the busiest but it was also very stressful for many people. There were many factors that impacted the real estate market. The lockdowns, the threat of rising interest rates, surging inflation rate, Omicron variants, the election and the Chinese real estate economy. There was a slight stabilization in the summer showing signs of buyer fatigue in June where the market reached a peak. But that proved to be short-lived by September when things picked up again. We saw a lot of sales activity similar to the market in 2017. And the story remains the same with record low inventory, with only two weeks of supply. When the demand is high and supply is low it tends to increase prices. With this in mind the real estate pundits are expecting a seller’s market to continue for 2022.

Georgia Kortas, Louise Daw, Katherine McIntyre

2022. “Although no one has a crystal ball, they are predicted to increase between 1% – 1.5%. Does that mean you should lock into a fixed rate mortgage? This depends, and I am happy to look at your individual situation to make the right choice for your circumstance,” stated McIntyre. Keep in mind, fixed and variable rate mortgages differ in more ways than just their calculation of interest rates. Variable rate mortgages carry a significantly lower penalty than fixed rate mortgages, and statistically the majority of Canadians will break their mortgage prior to maturity, meaning they’ll incur a penalty. Rate is only one considering factor with a mortgage and you’ll want to look at the total carrying costs including potential penalties unless you are 100% certain you won’t break that mortgage. Lawyer Georgia Kortas, Associate Lawyer at Thomson Mahoney Delorey, has found practicing real estate law during the pandemic quite the experience! “When the pandemic was declared (way back in 2020!), there were many disruptions but contracts nevertheless had to be fulfilled for our clients. We had no choice but to quickly adopt new ways to meet with clients and sign documents,” declared Kortas. Virtual meetings over platforms such as FaceTime and Zoom, and becoming more familiar with electronic signing platforms such as HelloSign, became the new norm. Although the hectic real estate climate predated the pandemic, Kortas and her colleagues began to notice their monthly closing lists double in 2021. It seems that many first time home buyers and young families continue to be moving to Southwestern Ontario to be closer to family, or to create a better work life balance. In contrast, I have also seen a lot of retirees or elderly clients selling their homes to move to other jurisdictions, such as Nova Scotia or British Columbia, to be closer to their children/grandchildren. Louise Daw is a local Old South Realtor Visit www.louisedaw.com • Instagram: louisetherealtor Twitter: louiseadaw Facebook: facebook.com/louisedawrealtor The London branch of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario (ACO) offers Historical House Sign Packages for $75. The package includes a sign (like the one in the photo at left above) featuring the name of the original owner and their occupation as well as the year of construction, and a print monograph including history of the home and its owners that is uncovered by the ACO research team. Learn more at https://acolondon.ca

To advertise here, please contact [email protected] With Canada’s job growth and the booming housing market, chief economists are predicting overnight rate increases in At the time of writing this article at the end of December, the overall average home price in London was $655,000 with an increase from December 2020 of +29.1%. For the area of Old South, the average house price is $630,000 with an increase of +44.4% from December 2020. Analysts expect prices to continue to rise into 2022 with a predicted increase between 9 - 11%. Mortgage agent Katherine McIntyre at Dominion Lending on Wortley Road weighed in with the hot mortgage topic. Will mortgage rates rise and if so, how much? Most of us have experienced the benefits of continued low variable rates which fluctuates with the Bank of Canada overnight rate. Dorothy Palmer’s Old South Home. Ms Palmer was named to the London Mayor’s 2022 Honour List for her work with the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. She was a key part of the initiative to add historical signs to heritage properties and drove the effort to use remnants of the Marshall Bros. Tea Co. facade on the Central Library’s third floor.

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Wortley Villager January-February 2022 •

Mrs. Beattie’s Neighbours by Paul Prince Old South has a rich history. Many wonderful homes and businesses have existed here over the years inhabited by hardworking families. The original reason why this area was settled by some, starting around 1840, was because it offered wealthy Londoners a chance to own large properties with low property taxes with a short walk to the court house and downtown. As time went on more modest income families made this area their home. To continue with last month’s Beattie theme.... One of those original mansions was called Elmhurst and was located on Wortley where Victor Street currently is. For some unknown reason Elmhurst, Belvedere, Merriville and “Wortley Cottage” did not get street numbers until 1916 at which time Elmhurst became known as 73 Wortley Road. Most other houses in the area became numbered by 1890. This is one reason I enjoy delving into our area history. There are many mysteries to solve. Elmhurst was built between 1837 and 1842 by John Wilson. John was a judge, making this location convenient and a short walk to the court house. After John passed away, his estatewas purchased by William Bayley, who then divided the property up, with the west side becoming Victor Street around 1871. Three acres were kept for Elmhurst and two acres on the south side for a new mansion built by William Smith who called his home Belvedere. The next owner was John Beattie. John was a lawyer and quite wealthy. He became a vice president at Carling Brewery. I was excited to see Mrs. Ann Beattie of 50 Byron Ave living so close to John Beattie. John Beattie was born in Belfast,

Ireland in 1831 and arrived in St.James Park in approximately 1872 after moving here from York (now Toronto). Even more interesting is that Irish John Beattie’s mother was Annie Beattie. I can imagine Annie wondering down the street and in her thick Scottish brogue introducing herself and asking where in Scotland he was from and getting a lilting Irish reply. I wonder if they argued who made the best whiskey. John Sr passed away in 1893 at the age of 62, leaving his massive estate to his wife Virginia. John is buried in Woodland Cemetery. Virginia lived in her Elmhurst home until she passed away in 1920, having spent almost 50 years there. This beautiful stone mansion was demolished in 1921 when the property was subdivided to become the eastern end of Victor Street. John and Virginia had six children. John’s first son, William, passed away at the age of 13 months. Four of the six children died very young. Emma Virginia lived to be 62, passing in 1920. John’s second son, also named John, was born in 1863. John Jr became a lawyer articling at the firm of Meredith and Cox and becoming a partner when the firm became Meredith, Fisher and Beattie. John Jr was a successful lawyer who argued at the Supreme Court. He eventually moved to 90 Ridout Street, then in the late 1920s retired to Orlando, Florida where he died at age 75 in 1938. He was brought back to London and is buried in Woodland Cemetery. I can picture one of these finely dressed ladies being Virginia Beattie. Perhaps that is John Beattie Senior on the porch with John Junior sitting. Paul Prince is retired from London Life and an avid history buff living in Old South. Learn more at https://prince-cva.ca

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Page 1 2 Wortley Villager • January-February 2022

The Royal Canadian Navy: Defending London with a Piece of History

by PettyOfficer SecondClass EmelyMeléndezRodríguez, CD

Just before the Crouse Bridge, at the crest of the hill that Her Majesty’s Canadian Ship (HMCS) Prevost resides upon, at the Forks of the Thames, sits a round structure which faces downtown London. This structure is covered in various shades of blue, grey and black, with panes of glass on one side with guns pointing out of it. What is the “structure” you might ask? It is a ceremonial gun from the HMCS Fraser , painted in a World War Two (WWII) disruptive paint scheme. Overlooking the grounds of HMCS Prevost , keeping a silent watch over the Battle of the Atlantic Memorial, the gun was installed on the grounds in 2012. The gun had been painted in November 2020 in a “dazzle” paint scheme to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. “Dazzle paint” is a camouflage technique used by warships in WWII as a way to avoid detection by the enemy. The 3”50 gun from the decommissioned and dismantled HMCS Fraser was installed at HMCS Prevost as part of a WWII commemoration initiative. The Fraser was the last remaining vessel of the St. Laurent-class destroyers which were the first Canadian-designed and built warships, and was among the vessels to see action during the Battle of the Atlantic. The Battle of the Atlantic was the fight for supremacy in the North Atlantic which lasted 2,075 days. It pitted allied naval and air forces against German and Italian submarines, ships, and aircraft whose primary targets were the convoys of merchant ships carrying vital life-sustaining cargo from North America to Europe. It was the longest continuous battle of WWII, and saw 4600 Canadians lose their lives. Today, sailors fromall over Canada – including London – represent their country by serving in the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN). The RCN recognizes the service of our veterans, their families, and the sacrifice of the many shipmates who never returned home and this gun, along with the memorial that it keeps a steady watch over, pay homage to a debt that can never be fully expressed. “HMCS Prevost is proud to remember the sacrifices made by Canadians and Allies in the Battle of the Atlantic through this visual symbol of dazzle on the Fraser gun” says Commander Derek Niles, Commanding Officer of HMCS Prevost . “We invite Canadians everywhere to join us in remembering the lives lost. I encourage everyone to visit the Memorial, observe the dazzle on the Fraser gun, and join us in remembering those Londoners and Canadian sailors lost in the Battle of the Atlantic.”

HMCS Prevost is a Canadian Forces Naval Reserve Division (NRD) located at 19 Becher Street. The Battle of the Atlantic Memorial is open May to September, from 8:00am to 4:00pm. Learn more by following HMCS Prevost on Facebook and Instagram

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Wortley Villager January-February 2022 • Page 13

Eric Shepperd named OSCO President

What’s Happening at Landon Library The Village Vibe Submitted by Jennifer Quinton Read for a BetterWorldChallenge (Ages 3-12) andReading Reflections Challenge (Ages 13-17) January 10 to February 20 Join us on Beanstack for London Public Library’s Winter Reading Programs. Read for a Better World and Reading Reflections will both run virtually through the Beanstack app. Track your reading, complete challenges, earn badges, and have the chance to win! Sign up directly through Beanstack or ask library staff how to participate. Valentines for Veterans Beginning January 3 pick up a craft kit to make a Valentine card at home. Once your card is complete, return the Valentine card to the Landon branch and they will be distributed to Veterans in long term care homes. Please have all completed Valentine cards returned to the Library by January 24th. See City of London Public Skating Schedules at https://london.ca/living-london/recreation/skating Congratulations to Wortley Village resident Kyla Woodcock of WoodLo Productions on staging the much enjoyed Magic of Lights drive-thru display at Longwoods Conservation Area November 19-January 2. A portion of the proceeds was donated to United Way Elgin-Middlesex. Local Stories. Local Theatre. Congratulations toWortley Village resident Adam Corrigan Holowitz of AlegroRoot Theatre on launching the theatre’s 2022 winter season, starting with February: A Love Story , January 23 and 24 at the Eldon House. Learn more at https://www.alvegoroottheatre.com.

“I’d like to extend my thanks to the Old South Community Organization for entrusting me with the presidency this year!” said Eric Shepperd. “Although this can be a challenging time to live as a community, I’ll do my best to cultivate and encourage connections in Old South and beyond. The

strangeness of the world makes it all the more important to discover new ways to be neighbourly – to share, cooperate, and understand one another, so we can grow together in health and prosperity. I am looking forward to traveling with you on this journey, and to all the enriching experiences ahead!” Eric is an academic and activist interested in social change and personal transformation. He has served on the OSCO board for more than a decade. Congratulations Mario Circelli

Mario Circelli has been named to the London Mayor’s 2022 Honour List. Mario founded the Forest City London Music Awards and the London Music Hall of Fame and created a bursary to help Londoners studying music in college or university. He also helped develop the Digital Creative Arts Centre at

the Boys and Girls Club. Mario is a musician, broadcast journalist and documentary filmmaker. He has worked in radio and television for nearly 20 years and serves on the Old South Community Organization Board. In 2020 Mario had been named by MP Peter Fragiskatos to the 4th Annual London North Centre Honour Roll.

Your 2021 Wortley Villager lineup Please keep sending in story suggestions and photos throughout 2022!

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Page 14 Wortley Villager • January-February 2022

Cultural Cooking with Ivanopoblano!

For years, people have been asking Ivan Santana-Barnes for his muffin recipes. You’ll have to visit Ivanopoblano at 390 Wharncliffe (at Emery) to try one though – that is, if you’re not enticed to order the Mexican Chocolate Bread Pudding instead. The muffin recipes remain secret. Ivan was happy to share his Ivano Egg Mushroom Scramble though (pictured at right). “Myself, I like to eat it with a crispy corn tortilla with cheese and beans,” he smiles. The organic Mexican food restaurant offers a variety (vegetarian, meat or vegan) of quesadillas and tacos, grilled cheese sandwiches, tortivanos, and breakfast fare including french toast, chilaquiles, and huevos rancheros. Appetizers and sides include Mi Casa house salad, chips with Ivan’s own signature organic salsa, and Ivano Bites – crispy corn tortillas, each topped with Quebec old cheddar, pinto beans, avocado, feta, salsa, and cashew sauce. Ask about the take-home-to-bake Ivano Pie and lasagna. “All our ingredients are organic and we cook with Quebec old cheddar, which is naturally lactose free,” says Ivan. Sapsucker Water is an intriguing menu item. “It’s an organic, sparkling tree water,” explains Ivan. “The subtle bubble and slightest hint of natural sweetness make it delicious, easy to drink and unexpectedly refreshing.” It’s available in Lime, Lemon or Original. Agua Fresca, a drink inspired by the Aztecs is a strawberry-lemonade concoction made with purified water and a splash of maple syrup, is also offered. Licensed, the restaurant serves a version of it made with Tequila and Triple Sec. Diners can also enjoy beer and wine or a variety of coffees and tea.

Ivano Egg Mushroom Scramble Sauté some garlic and onion in butter and olive oil for 2 minutes. Add any kind of hot chilies and cook for 1 minute. Add mushrooms and cook for 4 minutes. Mix 3 eggs, salt and pepper and add to the mushroom mix. Add some of your favourite cheese and let it melt. Serve with sour cream or cashew sauce on the top and garnish with avocado.

To see the complete menu and hours of operation, visit ivanopoblano.com. Follow them on Facebook and Instagram. Call-ahead to place pick-up orders at 226-238-0868.

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Matt’s Car Care Tip

BE WINTER ROAD TRIP READY Going on a road trip this winter? Make sure your car is up to t he challenge! With the rst snow covered or icy road drive this fall, drivers are quickly reminded of the dangers of winter driving. All Season tires and Summer tires becom rigid in cold temperatures whereas winter tires are made from a different rubber compound that stays pli ble in the cold. Winter tires, when installed i a set of 4, improve braking and maneuverability on cold and icy road surfaces. It’s probably safe to say that all of us are suffering from a bit of cabin fever this year. Are you planning to take a road trip out of town? Winter driving presents certain challenges to both our cars and to us, as drivers. Before you pack up the car for a trip to Mont Tremblant or a weekend in Blue Mountain, make certain you and your vehicle are ready to go. Driver fatigue is a large cause of accidents, driving in low visibility & inclement weather is very stressful and demands extra attention. Take lots of breaks, stay alert and leave extra time to travel in case you run into slowdowns. An emergency kit with a space blanket, first aid kit and some granola bars etc… are always a great thing to keep in the car with you. Your car needs some extra preparation too. Make sure that you have good tires (preferably snow or all weathers) properly inflated with lots of tread. Check your wiper blades and fill up your washer fluid reservoir (sometimes the low level warning light only comes on when you are virtually out of fluid). Use a good quality washer fluid with a -40 or lower freeze rating. Check your oil and other engine compartment fluid levels. Make sure that your battery is strong enough to start your car in the cold. If you notice hesitation or slow starting in the cooler weather this could mean your battery is ready for replacement. One of the most important things you can do is to clear all the snow off your car completely; large chunks of snow and ice are hazardous when flying off the roof of your car at highway speeds posing safety risks to everyone around you. As always, if you are heading out on a winter trip and want to make sure your car is ready for the road, give us a call and we can check your fluid levels, tires and battery for you! Safe travels! Did you know that we will also install your existing winter, give us a call or hop nto our website to make an a pointment today! Safe Driv ng L ws that r quire winter ti es in Germany and Quebec quickly proved well founded; winter collisio rates dropped notic ably in tho areas. Winter tires are an additio al upfront expense you may wish to avoid, but, he c st savings of driving on all season tir s (especially older, worn ones) may be quickly offset by sliding into a cu (and damaging your car) or having a small "fender bender" accident on a slippery road surface. The most valuable facet of winter tires is that they keep you, y ur family, and other motorists safer in the winter. If you are in th market for winter tires stop in and see us, we have many different options for different budgets and will help you choose the right tires for your vehicle.

“Matt and his team are friendly, professional, ef fi cient and honest. I wouldn’t trust anyone else with my vehicles.” DM

BE WINTER ROAD READY Oil Changes • Tire Sales & Installation Alignments • Factory Scheduled Maintenance Brakes • Mechanical Repairs Visit www.wortleyautoservice.com to book your appointment online. [email protected] • www.wortleyautoservice.com