KANATA NORTH NEWS Marianne Wilkinson Councillor, Kanata North FIFTY YEARS AND COUNTING

On August 26, 1961 Bob and I were married by Bobs dad, a bishop in the Anglican Church, at St. Matthews Church in Ottawa. Our plans were simple. Bob was going to McMaster University to take math courses and then on to Toronto for teachers training. I taught high school Geography in Hamilton and Toronto. We talked about having 4 children and buying a home. Politics wasnt a part of the plan. In Feb 1968 Bob and I decided to move back to my home town of Ottawa to live near my widowed mother. That February we came here on a house hunting weekend. Leaving our then 2 young children, Duffy 3 and Bev, not quite 1, with my mother we set out to find what was available. On a beautiful winter day, we decided to see the new community of Kanata that we had heard about. There was no highway 417 and we drove, it seemed forever, following signs until we turned onto a road and drove under a wooden gate. That road was the Parkway. We went around a bend, past some woods and over a hill and there it was. We fell in love with the community and decided to settle there. Little did we know that within days of moving in on Aug. 1st, in the middle of a dust bowl, that I would become a director on the community association and a year later, after the birth of Andrew, our second son, be elected to the March Township Council. Our lives were changed forever. We both loved the community with its open spaces, schools, stores and friendly residents. On a drive down a narrow country road, we discovered the charming stone church that became an important part of our lives. Bill Terons vision, to build a total community with homes, schools, stores, community facilities, jobs, churches and more, was laid out in a huge model in the sales office, as a town of 60,000. He started the process by providing a community centre, outdoor pool, tennis court, parks, rental units, homes to buy, and a unique set of standards, called covenants that were attached to our deeds. At that time, we also signed to be members of the community association, which ran all of the recreation programs, including the pool. The community was called Kanata but the municipality was March Township. With a population of about 4,000 the Township had limited resources, so there was no planner or recreation director or engineer on staff. John Mlacak was the Reeve and he gave each of us a list of responsibilities. Mine included planning. Working with a voluntary committee of dedicated residents from many professions, we developed the standards for development that included more open space than usual, provision of trails and natural environment areas, the

regions first municipal business park that brought employment to our community, and procedures that involved the whole community in decision-making. Living in a place that was developing from scratch was exciting but also hard work. Bob pitched in to help with the children and household chores, while I spent a lot of time at meetings and dealing with community issues. In those early years we negotiated with the province to have the TransCanada Highway go around the community (now March Road) instead of along Teron Road; to build a pedestrian crossing over the new Highway so teens could walk to the Earl of March safely; to build a combined fire station and library; to open the first municipal child care facility in the Region and to purchase the Pinhey Property on the Ottawa River. Then, in 1978, we negotiated the amalgamation of March Township with parts of Nepean and Goulbourn Townships. I was elected Mayor and voters chose Kanata as the name of the new City. Many years and memories have passed since then, and this summer Bob and I celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary. Our three children all married and we now have four lovely granddaughters. On Aug. 28th well celebrate with the baptism of the three-year-old twins in the morning and a reception in the St. Johns Church Hall at 325 Sandhill Drive (which was a project I directed as then Warden of the church) in the afternoon from 2 to 4 pm. We welcome everyone to join us then to celebrate the past and look forward to the future. It hardly seems possible that 50 years have passed. Weve seen a lot of changes in our community; met so many wonderful people; raised our children and seen them grow into successful adults and great parents; and still love our community. We are in the same house. Over that time weve lived in 4 different municipalities (March Township, Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, City of Kanata and City of Ottawa) and Ive been privileged to serve on the Councils of each of them. We remain active in the community and will continue to contribute for years to come. I hope the next 50 years are just as rewarding!

JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE 50TH WEDDING ANNIVERSARY OF BOB AND MARIANNE WILKINSON

DROP-IN RECEPTION SUNDAY AUGUST 28, 2011 2:00 PM TO 4:00 PM ST. JOHN'S ANGLICAN CHURCH 325 SANDHILL DRIVE, KANATA PLEASE, NO GIFTS - BEST WISHES ONLY

DATES TO REMEMBER
Sunday, Aug 28, 2-4 pm, 50th Anniversary reception for Marianne and Bob Wilkinson, St. Johns Church Hall, 325 Sandhill

Sept. 15 Oct 15, Help Clean the Capital. Register on ottawa.ca Friday Sept 16, 1-3:30 pm, Expo 55+, Mlacak Centre Monday, Sept 19, 7-9 pm, Ward Council, Kanata Seniors Centre Contact me at 613-580-2474, email Marianne.Wilkinson@ottawa.ca, or visit www.mariannewilkinson.com to keep up to date on community matters.