Letters – June 2018

Peril at Besserer and King Edward for pedestrians

There is a safety concern at the southeast corner of Besserer Street and King Edward Avenue. Cars travelling east on Besserer Street from Waller are required to turn left at the King Edward intersection, going down the hill to Rideau Street. They are not to go right through King Edward, to Charlotte or any point in between.

However, numerous times cars speed through, ignoring the very visible black and yellow sign on the median that says “Bicycles Excepted”.  Pedestrians who think it is safe to cross when heading north on King Edward to Rideau have always got to first look to the left. I’ve had many close shaves with cars speeding through.

I think the City should consider blocking access to cars by installing a planter at this particular spot (still leaving room for cyclists to pass through) to avoid mowing down pedestrians who think it is safe to cross — which it certainly is not.

May Shand, Daly Ave.

About those mystery plants

Recently the Amnesty International Ottawa community group had our annual sale of plants and refreshments at the Great Glebe Garage Sale.  The day before the sale, I got a call from a fellow member. “I think I may have done something rather stupid,” she said.  It seemed that she had driven to my house with a flat of seedlings to be taken to the sale site on Saturday morning, and in the anxiety of double parking on our street during rush hour, she wasn’t sure she had left them in the right driveway.

I went up and down the block, but could not find any baby plants in my driveway or those of my neighbours.  Had my friend stopped in the wrong block, or the wrong street?  There was no knowing.

So, if you came home from work on a Friday afternoon in May and found an unexpected delivery of bedding plants in your driveway, I’d love to hear from you.  Was it a happy surprise?  And if they are all settled into your garden, please remember Amnesty International in your charitable giving this fall.

Paula Kelsall, Stewart St.