By-Town

Our annual bowling fun afternoon returns at Merivale Bowling Centre on Thursday, February 15. We’ll bowl two games and then stay for dinner (participants pay for their own dinner). The full cost for bowling is $17 (two games and shoe rental), but we will charge members $10 per bowler. There will also be a 50/50 draw with the proceeds going to support the Canada Post Community Foundation for Children. Tickets for the 50/50 draw will be $2 each or three tickets for $5. And, of course, door prizes! To register for this event, send an email to organizer Karen Casselman before January 31. In the email, please let us know if you are bowling and staying for dinner, or just bowling, or just joining us for dinner. Bowlers can pay their $10 in cash at the event or by e-transfer (see payment box below). Bowling will start at 3:00 p.m., with dinner around 5:00 p.m.

Each local Heritage Club chapter must submit, in January of each year, an annual and financial report to the National Executive. The report covers member communication, events, charitable support, etc. This ‘report card’ is used by the national executive to decide awards and distribute the seed money they receive from Canada Post. One of the accomplishments we’re graded on is member volunteer activity. If you volunteer in your community, please send an email, by January 26, with information (organization(s), hours, etc.) about your volunteer activities. Please let us know how you are making a difference in your community.

Speaking of volunteer hours… We have received a request from the Rural Ottawa South Support Services (ROSSS) and The Olde Forge, organizations that provide support to older adults in Rural Ottawa South and Western Ottawa, for volunteer drivers. If this volunteer opportunity would be of interest to you, please reach out to Jennifer Zeinstra for details. Please note, the Heritage Club is not affiliated with either group and you should discuss all questions (hours, insurance coverage, etc.) with Jennifer.

We’re gathering again to help Santa on December 14. December 14 is blitz day, and we will be in the main building (just like pre-COVID times!). Canada Post will serve lunch that day, and we need to confirm numbers with them. Full details and confirmations will be sent to you when you register. Join us… Santa will thank you!
 
We will also help Santa with the after-Christmas mail task. Details on that will be sent separately or in the next newsletter.

We had a terrific turnout for the holiday event at the sugar bush in Rigaud. Our bus of 41 members shuffled off to the Sucrerie de la Montagne to enjoy a few libations, a good meal and great entertainment. We trust those who attended enjoyed the evening. As always, if you have ideas for other activities, please share them.
 
Here are a few pictures from the evening…

There will be no January lunch but, instead, we will gather at Absolute Comedy on Thursday, January 18 for dinner and a comedy show. The middle of January is often noted as being the saddest time of the year (days are short, holiday festivities are over, it’s a long time until the next festive occasion, etc.), so we can’t think of a better time for a few laughs. We had a great time at this event last year and hope to have more people join us this year. Dinner will start at 6:00 p.m. and the show starts at 8:30 p.m. The subsidized cost for members is $40 per person. We have reserved 25 tickets for this event. If you’d like to enjoy a fun evening with the club, please send an email to register. When you have paid your ticket(s) your spot(s) will be reserved. Let’s start the New Year with some laughs! Payment information is at the end of the newsletter. Please note, the club is on the second floor, and the building does NOT have an elevator. Accessing the event requires climbing a flight of stairs.

A reminder that everyone’s membership in the Heritage Club runs from January 1 to December 31 of each year. So… now is the time to pay your dues! Time is also running out if you want to be part of our due’s renewal contest… Everyone who has paid their 2024 dues by December 15 will be entered into our draw to win one of three prizes of $100! Dues payment information is here and at the end of the newsletter.

Here’s some good news with regard to your defined benefit pension increase for 2024… An increase of 4.7 per cent is welcome news!

Upcoming events…

Thursday, February 1 – monthly lunch at Mandarin Restaurant (Hunt Club Road location), thanks to member Raj Mediratta for organizing this lunch! Details in the next newsletter.
 
Annual bowling day – February 2024 – details are being confirmed, registration is not yet open for this event. Details coming soon.
 
Thursday, March 7 – monthly lunch, location TBC
Thursday, April 4 – monthly lunch, location TBC
Thursday, May 2 – monthly lunch, location TBC
Thursday, June 6 – monthly lunch, location TBC
 
Wednesday, June 18 – Upper Canada Playhouse for a performance of Perfect Wedding. Day will include a matinee performance, a brewery tour and dinner. Details are being confirmed, registration is not yet open for this event…

It’s that time of the year again… We’re gearing up to help Santa with some of the +1 million pieces of fan mail he receives each year. We’ll be gathering on Thursday mornings at Head Office to handle Santa mail on site. However, if you prefer to pick up mail and take it home, you can arrange (when you register) to pick it up when we are there, volumes permitting. We’ll gather on November 30 (typically a low volume day), December 7 and 14. The first December day, Thursday, December 7, will also serve as the December lunch. The chapter will serve pizza and snacks that day. So, if you were planning to go to the December lunch anyway, join us for Santa mail for a couple of hours and get a free lunch! If you plan to help with Santa mail, please register via email. Thank you to executive team members Christiane and Frank for organizing our Santa work once again. The blitz day will be December 14 and we’ll most likely (TBC) be in the conference centre in the main building. We will also enjoy lunch that day. Full details and confirmations will be sent to you when you register. Join us… Santa will thank you!

Each year we ask members to nominate a charity they support to receive one of our charitable donations of $500. This year we were thrilled to receive eight nominations and are very pleased to be able to support four of them! Congratulations to:

• St. Patrick’s Home of Ottawa Foundation, nominated by Pia Pietrangeli
• Kidney Foundation of Eastern Ontario, nominated by Sheila Watters
• Knitted Knockers Canada, nominated by Lise Jette
• Ataxia Canada, nominated by Christiane Tailleur and Frank Rochon

On behalf of all By-Town Heritage Club members, a cheque for $500 was sent to each charity. You can learn more about each charity and their good work on our website.

A reminder that everyone’s membership in the Heritage Club runs from January 1 to December 31 of each year. So… now is the time to pay your dues! Your $20 membership gives you (and your partner/spouse) access to the member price on all our events, front of the line access to the events, voting privileges at the AGM and for our charity support, and access to discounts at Goodlife gym, Johnson Insurance, and others. Learn more about membership benefits and how to pay here (and in the payment box at the end of the newsletter). A reminder, the discount membership at Goodlife, requires your paid membership status be on a list we provide to Goodlife the first week of each month. If you wish to receive your GoodLife discount you must pay your dues well in advance of your Goodlife renewal date.
 
And, this is exciting, exciting, exciting… You will want to pay your dues before December 15 so you can be entered into our draw to win one of three prizes of $100! Every member who has renewed their dues (even you early birds that did it this summer!) will be entered into the draw. Dues payment information is here and at the end of the newsletter.

Our holiday excursion seems to have been a great choice as we are sold out! Those that have registered and paid will receive more information about the day closer to the evening. Thank you to everyone who signed up and paid!

November will be our last typical lunch (December’s lunch will be provided by the club as part of a Santa mail day…) for 2023. We’ll be meeting at Stacked Smoked Meat and Grill for our November lunch. Join us on Thursday, November 2 at 11:30 a.m. As always, please register via email if you plan to attend so the restaurant can plan for our visit. See you there!

We were thrilled to welcome over 30 golfers, many of whom were attending their first Heritage Club event, to this year’s golf day. A great time was had by all, and we hope to see you at other events soon… For instance, do your golf skills transfer to the bowling alley? Then we’ll hope to see you this winter at our annual bowling day. Or does your sense of fun transfer to helping Santa with his mail? Then our upcoming Santa events will be right up your alley. Don’t let the golf day be your last visit with us!
 
Congratulations to all, especially Carl Mason, Robert Kirlew, Chris Chong and Claude Healey, the winning team.

Golf fun!

More fun!

And more fun!

We had an amazing October lunch, cooked and served by by Ottawa’s future top restauranteurs, at Algonquin College’s International Restaurant. A yummy time was had by all!