ocal residents joined family members, academics from Carleton University, and scholars from across Canada on August 25 in a memorial service celebrating the life of Rob McDougall. Rob and his wife Anne lived at 24 Glen Avenue for more than twenty years. While he was known within the academic community as a leading authority on Canadian Studies, locally his neighbors knew him better as an adopted grandfather figure.
His neighbors found him to be the wisest, most humble, and carrying person we have known. One neighbor said she and her children were "really fond of him," he was "very very nice, very intelligent and very educated."
In order to keep his spirit alive, within the local community as well as the larger academic community, two types of projects have been proposed by Ottawa South residents.
First, is a Rob McDougall Memorial Children's Garden - to be located on the narrow strip of city-owned property along the Glen Ave side of the Hopewell grass yard, across the street from where Rob and Anne lived at 24 Glen Avenue.
The second proposal is for some type of program of community studies to be named after Rob - modeled on the highly respected Institute of Canadian Studies for which he laid the groundwork back when the first campus buildings were still under construction.
The management at Ritchie's Gardening Centre has donated conceptual designs for the proposed children's garden (see plan detail). Ritchie's management has alsoagreed to help out with donations of plant materials in support of this project. Tracy Cowan, children's committee coordinator for the Glen Avenue Improvement Association, will be working with other neighbors and community organizations to raise funds for a water outlet and other expenses.
The new City of Ottawa government must approve this project before it can become a reality. Support and assistance will also be requested from the School Board, both local schools and selected local businesses.
The more difficult memorial project - establishing some type of advanced institute in "community studies" - is moving forward in high gear. Several local groups are currently meeting with senior administrators at Carleton University to explore academic and financial feasibility of this proposal. One idea calls for a graduate-level exercise to be carried out this term, investigating how planners from 50 years ago envisioned the role of community centres within the urban national capital region.
If successful, this pilot study might be helpful to the current "transition team" now preparing administrative plans on how Ottawa's community centres will be managed and utilized in years to come. Eventually, we want to identify a viable educational & financial framework for this proposed "community studies" program, and again see Rob McDougall's delightful spirit helping others grow and flower to their potential.