The staff at the Stittsville Library told Stittsville Central, “We’re really happy with the busyness in our branch one week into school holidays, many new people coming in to get library cards and children’s programs are well attended”.
Stittsville Library is busy this summer with branch programming and children signing up for the Summer Reading Club. All children are welcome to drop in and join the Club whether they attend programs or just keep track of their reading. There is a prize draw from submitted ballots each week.
Teen interests include Staycation Summer Bingo with chances to win a prize. https://biblioottawalibrary.ca/en/program?f%5B0%5D=field_age_group%3A1152&f%5B1%5D=field_cat egory%3A47019&f%5B2%5D=field_series_1%3A50525.
Last month, new author Julee Pauling self-published her very first novel, View from the Lamplighter Inn.
This suspense/thriller follows Elspeth James on her journey to self-discovery as she attempts to solve a series of mysterious deaths — something she can’t do until she has worked through her past trauma.
According to author Julee Pauling, View from the Lamplighter Inn explores “human psychology and its effects on society…From the perspective of someone who has survived trauma and must learn how to re-engage with the world.”
Elspeth’s journey in View from the Lamplighter Inn is far from simple. After suffering from this trauma, Elspeth loses her position as a philosophy professor. Despite this, Elspeth pushes on, “investigating social violence as it exists on many levels, from the ways other people try to solve our problems for us, to micro aggressions, to full-on bullying, all the way up to human trafficking and assault.”
While Elspeth’s journey may be a work of fiction, her story was actually inspired by real events in Julee Pauling’s life. After being diagnosed with a life-threatening brain tumour, Julee had felt as if her life began to crumble.
“Prior to my brain tumour, I had a career in the public service developing ethics programs and advising on public ethics and conflicts of interest.” Julee said. “The use of the imagination in moral education has always interested me, and I had once thought I would study it at a doctoral level.”
But things took a turn for the worst.
“I was suddenly caught and I then was trapped for a time. There could be no quick escape. I just needed to work it through.” Julee confessed. “It was like one day I had an identity and a role in society and then it was gone.”
Thankfully, it didn’t take long before Julee was able to find herself once again through her writing. She set aside time to write nearly every single day, determined to finish Elspeth James’ story.
“Writing a book was always in my life plan,” Julee confessed. “But, I didn’t expect to write a book until I was over 40.”
She admits that writing her book was definitely the right path for her and urges aspiring writers to explore self-publishing as well.
“If anyone has that burning desire to publish a book,” Julee said, “give it a try.”
But her journey doesn’t stop here. When asked about what readers can expect in the future, Julee assured that View from the Lamplighter Inn would not be the end of this story. In fact, readers can expect the next novel in the series, Polished Stone sometime in the future.
To secure your very own copy of Julee Pauling’s View from the Lamplighter Inn, click here.
(Collinda Joseph of Stittsville will represent Canada in Wheelchair Curling at the 2022 Winter Paralympics in Beijing, China. Photo: Accessibility Standards Canada/Stittsville Central)
Collinda Joseph of Stittsville, will be competing for Canada in wheelchair curling at the Beijing Paralympic Winter Games, between March 4-13, 2022.
Every member of Canada’s Wheelchair Curling team is training hard to make this happen, despite the need to sometimes practise alone with social distancing. “We’re always talking strategy online, but we’re often by ourselves for on-ice skills,” Collinda laughs. “But our biggest challenge right now is making sure we stay COVID-free so we can get on the plane!” There are some bright sides to this training method, however, as having the rink at the RA Centre to herself allows for great focus during practice. She also appreciates its accessibility features, which she says are always beneficial to her and her fellow Paralympians. It lets them concentrate on their sport without worrying about whether or not they will be able to access the rink.
Becoming an official Paralympic athlete has been an exciting process for Collinda. From the emotional experience of receiving her Team Canada jacket, to reading about where she will be staying in the Paralympic village, it has been both thrilling and overwhelming. “It’s a great feeling,” she says, “but a new one! I’m not sure it will feel real until I’m actually there, participating in the opening ceremonies.” But even with that surreal feeling, her and her teammates know they are ready for the games themselves. The World Championships in October taught them a lot, and showed them they could beat the best. “This time,” she notes with pride, “we’re better set up for victory. We’ve got new insights into the competition, and we have the target in sight.”
Collinda is proud of her accomplishments, but above all, she is deeply aware of the duty she’s undertaking. “The responsibility of wearing that maple leaf is massive, and I don’t want to let people down. I understand and appreciate that significance every day, and I want to be sure to fully take in every moment at the Paralympics, so I can be sure I don’t forget it.” From the atmosphere of the games, to the opportunity to talk to other Paralympians, Collinda is finally feeling that her dream of competing in this event is becoming a reality.
Outside of the game itself, what motivates her is her support group. Thinking about the help and encouragement she’s received from the Stittsville community brings tears to her eyes. “I want to thank my family and friends across Stittsville for everything, for all the support. Every one of them has been really important on my journey, and I know I wouldn’t have made it without them.” She also thanked her work teammates and managers at Accessibility Standards Canada for helping her be comfortable with her goals outside the office, and lending a hand where they could. Collinda felt the full weight of the emotion as she finished talking about it, with the apt description that “all the support from the community feels like getting a massive hug!”
She is looking forward to representing Canada and her hometown on the international stage of the Paralympics. “It’s an exciting time, but most of all I feel proud to have made it here, and thankful to those that helped me along the way.”
To watch and support Wheelchair Curling Team Canada in the Paralympics, being played in the National Aquatics Centre – known as the Ice Cube, tune into your favourite Canadian sports broadcaster from March 5-12.
The schedule for the Wheelchair Curling Roundrobin games is as follows:
March 5: Canada vs. China 2:35 p.m. / Canada vs. Switzerland 7:35 p.m. March 6: Canada vs. Latvia 2:35 p.m. March 7: Canada vs. USA 9:35 a.m. / Canada vs. Sweden 7:35 p.m. March 8: Canada vs. South Korea 9:35 a.m. / Canada vs. Slovakia 7:35 p.m. March 9: Canada vs. Great Britain 2:35 p.m. / Canada vs. Estonia 7:35 p.m. March 10: Canada vs. Norway 9:35 a.m. / Canada vs. RPC 2:35 p.m.
On Friday 11 March, the semi-finals will be played at 2:35 with 2v3 and 1v4 facing off. The bronze medal game will be played after the semi-finals, at 7:35 pm. The gold medal game will be on Saturday 2:35 pm.
(Canada’s Wheelchair Curling Paralympic team will be represented by: Ina Forrest, Spallumcheen, BC; Dennis Thiessen, Crystal City, MB; Collinda Joseph, Stittsville, ON; Jon Thurston, Dunsford, ON; and Mark Ideson, London, ON. Photo: Canadian Paralympic Committee)
