I’ve created a gathering place for the digital public affairs community and posted an ice breaker in the form of a playlist for a multi-part YouTube video of Fleishman-Hillard colleague Pat Cleary (of the Washington, D.C. office) speaking about digital tools in legislative advocacy.
If you’re not yet in the community, please join us.
Andrea begins her chemo regimen, tomorrow. Assuming there are no delays or complications, we’ll finish this phase in April.
It seems surreal that it’s been over two months since her diagnosis. So much has happened since October 6: three surgeries, cardiac and bone scans, x-rays, blood tests, an MRI and an ultrasound and frequent appointments with our surgeon, radiation oncologist and medical oncologist. We’ve also had a meeting with a social worker and Andrea’s met with her GP and a counsellor and spoken to a few people conducting cancer-related studies. Yes, it’s been a full two months.
Three very important things need to be noted.
1) We’re extraordinarily lucky to be close with the right family and friends, local and distant. Everyone’s generosity with their time. gifts and concern has been overwhelming. Whether it’s been emails, phone calls or visits, delivery of meals, gifts and hats, or playdates and sleepovers for our daughters, the last two months would have been very different if we had to do this on our own. Special mention also goes to the amazing team I work with for their support. And, by the way, my parents absolutely rock!
2) Social media is really making the world smaller and more meaningful. Many of our closest friends and supporters result from connections we’ve made online through blogs, podcasts and Twitter. We regularly receive messages of support and gifts from our social media friends, people we consider ourselves extremely lucky and privileged to know.
3) Andrea makes the battle worth fighting. It’s difficult being the support system — you often feel helpless. It takes a lot of energy to put on a brave face, be strong and bring some levity to the process our family is going through. However, Andrea’s courage and personality draws this out and makes it seem not only natural but the only rational approach. We actually have fun. And even though we’re scared mindless 30% of the time, we’re undaunted and laughing together the other 70%. If that weren’t true, I’d have collapsed long ago.
I know the next few months will present their challenges and there will be times we’ll get lost in the details. This a road we have to travel to get to our destination. It’s a bumpy road and we’re not the only family traveling it. Like many a road trip we’ll probably feel like asking “are we there yet” all the time — that’s only because there’s a party we’re anxious to get to; the best party in the world.
Today, Ottawa city council will vote on the unsolicited, sole-sourced proposal for the commercial redevelopment of the publicly owned Lansdowne Park by local private interests. The proposal is hotly debated largely because the financing deal puts the burden of the cost and all the risk on the taxpayers while showering the developers with nothing but benefits and money. The plan includes big box stores and features a new football stadium for a team that doesn’t exist in a city that’s been home to three failed football franchises in 20 years.
This month’s Glebe Report features a fantastic letter to the editor by Barry J. Smith.
I find it puzzling that the revival of a CFL Football franchise in Ottawa is a “focal point” in the redevelopment of Landsdowne (sic) Park. Let’s look at some numbers.
Each CFL team plays one pre-season and nine regular season “home games” each year. Should you finish at the top of the standings, you could play host to one, or possibly two, playoff games. So, not including the Grey Cup Championship (which would only come around every eight to ten years), the greatest possible number of “home games” per year would be 12.
The average football game lasts about three hours. As most people arrive early or might extend their stay afterwards, let’s add 60-minutes and say the average game lasts four hours. Taking this into account, the 12 possible home games each year equal 48 hours of entertainment value.
The 2006 Census recorded Ottawa’s population at 812,000, while the redeveloped Frank Clair Stadium will seat approximately 24,000 people. This means that at any given time, less than 3% of the city’s population will be able to watch a game live in the stadium.
CFL Football represents a maximum of 48 hours of entertainment for less than 3% of the the city’s population — so, can someone please tell me why football is the focal point in the redevelopment of Lansdowne Park? Everyone seems to be in agreement that Lansdowne Park is a crown jewel asset. As the future of this asset affects all citizens of Ottawa, should the “focal point” not be something that can be used by the largest number of people for the most value?
