That was a ‘Night to Remember’

By: Karen Anne Blakely

The Abbotsford House Gala certainly was “A Night to Remember”! On October 19^th 2022 on a rainy evening, 225 supporters gathered at the Horticultural Centre to honour and celebrate the 150th anniversary of Abbotsford House. The striking gothic revival home built for Alexandra and Dorinda Mutchmor and their family in 1872 still displays its remarkable gingerbread gables and solid grey stones, a gem of a historic building on Bank Street.

Attendees of the gala enjoyed gourmet tapas by Dave Smith Catering; live music by the Glebops and then Peter Liu and the Pollcats; Fred Astaire Dance Studio dance demonstrations; and a watercolour artist and student Meredith Lyman skillfully painted an breathtaking image of Abbotsford House for the auction. For theatrical amusement, Pat Goyeche and Ross Imrie dressed in period costumes to portray the characters of Mr. and Mrs. Mutchmor. Local businesses and artists donated numerous gift certificates and art for the silent auction.

All proceeds raised support Abbotsford House for programs and services to seniors and adults with disabilities.

While the final revenue results are still being tallied, we are pleased to report sponsorships totaled $32,000. Led by platinum level sponsorships: Judy Faulkner Real Estate, offering boutique and personalized realty services; and Amica the Glebe, a state of the art retirement home that opened its doors to residents in July 2022. Gold level sponsorship companies included Minto Communities; Whole Health Compounding Pharmacy Glebe; and the Jack Uppal Real Estate Team. Rounding out this corporate support were silver sponsors: Hulse, Playfair & McGarry; McKeen Metro Glebe; and Carmichael Engineering. Bronze sponsors were Randy Douglas Echelon Wealth Partners; Stinson & Sons; BMO; and Capcorp.

Among the many highlights during the evening was the announcement by MC Joseph Cull that an anonymous Abbotsford House member had agreed to match all donations secured that night to a maximum of $5,000. The end result? One amazing gift of $5,000 from the Jack Uppal Real Estate Team, a second generous anonymous donor for $5000, and many others who gave for a total over $15,900.

The gala was a grand and hugely successful evening in support a worthy cause, Abbotsford House!

FINE FINDS Fundraiser

This grand affair will be held on the ground floor of Abbotsford House on Saturday, November 12^th from 2:00 – 5:00 pm.  We will be featuring Art, Jewelry and Elegant/One of a Kind Treasures that are ‘new’ to Abbotsford.  Every item is individually priced and can be purchased by a ticket holder on a first come first serve basis. 

Enjoy a relaxing afternoon with a limited number of other attendees over a glass of wine and canapés. Your $20 ticket can be purchased by calling Abbotsford Monday-Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm at 613-230-5730.

The items on offer have never before been displayed at any of our other sales; they are unique and ‘new’ to you. 

Find your FINE FINDS and support your local seniors centre.

Abbotsford Holiday Craft Fair

Saturday, November 26

10:00 am – 2:00 pm

Abbotsford House 950 Bank Street:

-Home made Crafts, Ornaments, Baby Clothes, Knit Wear, and other clever and creative gift ideas.                                                      

-Hand made Teddy Bears & other delightful comfort creatures.                                                                  

-Home baked goodies including frozen apple pies to go.                                                                      

-Tea Room to restore, chat and enjoy the comfort of food and friends.         

Abbotsford is your community support centre for Adults 55+.  We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long-term care home.  Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon- Fri 8:30 am-4:30 pm, telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

September 17^th Glebe Centre Resident Art Show

Abbotsford Needs You!

By Julie Ireton

If you’re newly retired, love to organize events and ready to shift your skills to volunteer in your own community — Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre could use your help.

With a full slate of both in-person and zoom activities set to launch, the seniors’ centre in the old, stone house across from Lansdowne Park has a lot on offer, but raising the money to keep seniors active, and to keep the centre operating, will be a key focus in the coming year.

Right now, planning is underway for the “Abbotsford House Gala: A Night To Remember”, a 200 person fundraiser at Lansdowne’s Horticultural Building set for October 19. It will feature cocktails, dinner, live entertainment and auctions in support of Abbotsford’s programs.

Volunteers and sponsors are critical for the event to proceed, and the centre’s director of charitable giving, Bruce Hill, is eager to find generous donors and local companies interested in helping out.

Annual bazaar replaced

In the past, folks from far and wide would line up outside the Abbotsford House and crowd into every room to find bargains, baking and treasures inside at the annual bazaar.

But in the wake of COVID, cramming inside small spaces is no longer prudent, so Abbotsford is hosting several, smaller events at different venues to raise some dollars.

Other upcoming fundraising functions include Abbotsford’s Fine Finds: Art, Elegant Treasures and Jewels, to be held Saturday, October 1, from 2 to 5. Tickets are $20 each for this afternoon sale and gathering in support of programs.

And for those who still covet the crafts, baking and teddy bears well-known to former bazaar attendees, Abbotsford’s Craft Fair will take place at the centre on Saturday, November 26 between 10 and 2 complete with a tea room.

Funding struggles

As an organization that operates on government grants, fundraising and membership fees, securing stable funding is always a struggle, according to Karen Anne Blakely, director of community programs at Abbotsford.

“We did lose funding for next year,” said Blakely. “Initially, the City of Ottawa cut all our funds, $91,000 for 2023. We wrote a letter to the mayor and he investigated. The result was they reinstated us to the amount of $44,000.”

But the seniors’ centre is still losing more than half the funding it received from the city in 2022.

Abbotsford’s programs reach a diverse community, including LGBTQ seniors and those who live in subsidized housing and require extra support services, according to Blakely.

“The challenge is making up the money we’ve lost,” she said.

Back stronger with different options

Despite the funding shortfall for 2023, the centre has plans in place for the rest of 2022.

“We are offering more and more in-person classes. We’re also continuing with Zoom, since we’ve found some people like the ease of joining in from home.” said Pat Goyeche, coordinator of community programs at Abbotsford.

New this coming season is a Broadway dance class that will be taught by Mary Tsai, who Pat worked with on numerous theatre productions at the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group over the years..

There will be “Get Smart” classes to help seniors figure out the tricks and tips of using an iPhone. And for the first time in two and a half years, the pottery studio will be open for class and studio time.

Speakers series 

“Our speaker series is full blast in the fall,” said Goyeche.

That series will include guest speaker, Geoffrey Stevens who co-authored Flora MacDonald’s own story, Flora! A Woman in a Man’s World, which was published after her death.

There will also be a special travelogue session from Goyeche and her husband, Alex Neve about their trip to Greenland and the Northwest Passage.

New check-in and registration systems

A new, automated check-in system called MySeniorCenter is now greeting everyone who visits Abbotsford. The large, user-friendly touch screen is installed near Reception.

The touch screen will prompt questions concerning COVID protocols and will helps staff manage sign-up and sign-in information as well as take attendance.

A new registration system, which the membership helped fundraise for, now allows participants to register online, but those who prefer to register by phone still have that option.

For more information about the fundraising events or to donate please contact Bruce Hill at: 613-238-2727 ext. 316 or via e-mail at Bhill@glebecentre.ca

Abbotsford is your Seniors Active Living Centre.  We are the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long term care home.  Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon-Fri 9-4 pm, telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

Destination Abbotsford for the Great Glebe Garage Sale and Doors Open Ottawa

By Julie Ireton

After a two year hiatus, due to the pandemic, Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre is once again inviting the public to the old stone farmhouse across from Lansdowne Park for Doors Open Ottawa on Sunday, June 5.

While it will mark 20 years for this popular event in the city, Abbotsford House celebrates 150 years since its construction.

Originally built in 1872, Abbotsford was the private residence for Alexander Mutchmor. In the late 1800s the home stood on a two acre, treed lot with a stable and gardens.

It eventually became a home for elderly residents and was known as the ‘Protestant House of Refuge’.

Today, the heritage house offers numerous activities for seniors including aerobics, language classes, community support services and day-away programs for people with Alzheimer’s and dementia.

These programs benefit from fundraising throughout the year, events that have largely been on hold throughout the pandemic.

This spring, for the first time since 2019, organizers are throwing their energy into the senior centre’s major fundraiser at the Great Glebe Garage Sale on Saturday, May 28.  It will be held both indoors and outdoors rain or shine.

Look for Art, Books, Jewellery, Women’s clothing and lots of Flea Market items.

Deb Hogan started volunteering at Abbotsford last fall and quickly became one of the many members involved in sorting through hundreds of items donated by the community for the garage sale tables.

“Every box we open is unique and kind of a window into the home that it came from,” said Hogan. “I often find myself thinking, what’s the story behind these items?”

A huge variety of treasures come in the door, she says. In the past week she unboxed a dozen champagne glasses and two hand-stitched quilts.

“We treat the donations with great respect. They meant something to somebody at some point,” she said.

About a dozen volunteers have been working in pairs, a couple days a week, to get ready for the sale.

Bev Hellman, who relocated to Ottawa from Saskatchewan to be closer to her daughter and grandchild said the volunteer group has allowed her to meet new friends.

“I didn’t know anyone before,” said Hellman.

“We call ourselves the fleas. We’re women who love to go to garage sales, second-hand and antique stores.”

One of the volunteers researches the more rare or valuable donations, and recently discovered they’d acquired a $500 cup and saucer.

While organizers hope the garage sale brings in money to aid Abbotsford programs, they realize that the time they spend together, organizing the wares, has other benefits, especially after two years of isolation.

“It’s so nice to get back with these women, just chatting with them and catching up,” said Hellman.

Abbotsford is your Seniors Active Living Centre for Adults 55+.  It houses the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long term care home.  Find out more about our services by dropping by 950 Bank Street (the old stone house) Mon- Fri 9-4 pm, telephoning 613-230-5730 or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

Abbotsford House Celebrates 150 years with Doors Open Ottawa on Sunday June 5^th.

By Pat Goyeche

Built 150 years ago in 1872, in the gothic revival style, Abbotsford House was named by its builder and first owner, Alexander Mutchmor.   He named it Abbotsford House, after Sir Walter Scott’s home in Scotland.  By 1889 it had been purchased by a group of philanthropic Protestants from the then only other private owner of the house, Mayor Charles H. Mackintosh, who had purchased it in 1879.

The original site of the Protestant Home for the Aged, as it was then called, was on the current grounds of the Canadian Mint.   The vision was to create a home to “assist those who through age, infirmity and misfortune, were unable to help themselves.” Such a facility was much needed at the time, and the sale of Abbotsford to this group was timely.

In August 1889, the Ottawa Journal carried a sketch and accompanying article about Abbotsford House (Protestant Home for the Aged), which gives a sense of how significant a step this was.

Abbotsford House was renovated in 1928 with the addition of a wing to make room for more residents.  It was again renovated in the mid-seventies and converted into a Seniors Recreational Drop-in Centre. It remains a Community Centre for Ottawa seniors who are 55 plus.   Abbotsford is known for its well-rounded and affordable offerings of recreational and social activities as well as community support services to this day.  It is the community-based wing of the Glebe Centre and has been since 1975.

Inside, three original marble fireplace mantels still adorn the parlor and dining room. The ceiling in the front entrance is edged with decorative molded plaster. The house was officially recognized as a Designated Heritage Property in 1984.  The official plaque can be found outside the building under the bay window in the dining room.

In April of 2022 Abbotsford at the Glebe Centre was fortunate to receive the 2021 Glebe Heritage Restoration Award from the Glebe Community Association Heritage Committee for the refurbishment of the front porch and restoration of the bargeboard gables that adorn the ‘old stone house’ across from Lansdowne Park.

The main floor of Abbotsford will be available for viewing.  As part of Doors Open Ottawa, tea will be served at a modest price in the Abbotsford Dining Room throughout the day on Sunday, June 5^th.  The community centre’s regular hours are Monday through Friday 8:30 am – 4:30 pm. Members of the public are always welcome to visit and shop in our Boutique, where patrons will find quality second hand women’s clothing, jewelry, books, puzzles, elegant treasurers and art, as well as handmade crafts and teddy bears.  As a charity that is not fully funded we rely on these sales to help maintain our quality programming and services.

Abbotsford is your Seniors Active Living Centre for Adults 55+.  It houses the community programs of The Glebe Centre Inc., a charitable, not-for-profit, organization which includes a 254 bed long term care home.  Find out more about our services by visiting and/or telephoning 613-230-5730 during regular business hours or by checking out all of The Glebe Centre facilities and community programs on our website www.glebecentre.ca

Bill Robertson, President of Members Council, Sarah Moriarty of Amica the Glebe and Lawrence Grant, Executive Director of the Glebe Centre cutting the ribbon after the restoration of the porch Nov. 19, 2021.

By: Pat Goyeche

What’s old is new again

The official cutting of the ribbon for Abbotsford House’s restored front porch took place on Friday November 19^th. The original porch that would have been built just under 150 years ago was quite different that today’s version.  It was originally much longer (from the front door to underneath the front window) and the stairs faced Bank Street.  Over time the porch changed, as did the needs of those who at one time were housed in the building.  Around 1975 the house took on its present incarnation as a Seniors Centre, serving the Ottawa region by offering programming and services that help maintain and support seniors living in community.

The rotted pillars that were recently removed had been taken from a previous porch on the side of the building, most likely at the time of the renovation when the ‘home’ became a Seniors Centre in 1975.  The many photos of the porch over the years show varied pillars, steps, layout and materials.  In 1984 it became a heritage property and its facade was therefore protected by law.

Because of the building’s heritage status, many rules and regulations had to be followed in the redesign and rebuild of the porch. Because of this and our inexperience with such detailed work, an architect was hired to provide much-needed project management. Thus began an almost daily exchange of e-mails between the City, architect, builder and our own team on each and every detail.

Thanks to the generosity of numerous donors — including a will bequest from the late Ann Denis, an anonymous donor and a corporate donation from Amica (The Glebe,) as well as donations from Abbotsford members — the project got underway in June and has finally become a reality.

We are very grateful to everyone who saw the need for the restoration and we are so pleased to see the house looking as ‘loved’ on the outside as it is on the inside.

Abbotsford House with long porch circa 1930

Abbotsford House with sunflowers in front the ‘before’ restoration photo.

Back in person, and still online

In September of this year, we were finally able to open our doors to the public again.  Ping Pong, Mah Jong, Muscle Toning, Aerobics, Yoga, Stained Glass, Conversational French, and our Caregiver Club, to name but a few,  are among the many activities that are back and running strong again indoors!

We are currently selling homemade teddy bears, baby blankets, Christmas ornaments, puzzles, books, ladies’ clothing and jewelry and flea market items.  Stop in and support our volunteers who help keep Abbotsford viable by donating their talents and time to our not-for-profit Seniors Centre.

We have been adding more and more indoor classes and clubs as the fall has progressed. We will offer even more in the New Year, while continuing to offer electronical classes over ZOOM at the request of our large membership.  We will continue to ask those that participate or enter our building to show proof of double vaccination and to follow public health measures, in order to keep our members engaged and safe.

Memberships for 2022 will go on sale starting Wednesday, December 1^st in advance of registration for winter classes the following week.  The cost is $50 and lasts for a full calendar year.  Look for a full list of January/February/March classes and clubs under Current Guide on our website www.glebecentre.ca and join in!

Collecting flea market items, books, jewelry, women’s clothing, puzzles and art once again…

We will start accepting these items in the New Year, with the plan to sell both “in house” Monday to Friday and at the Great Glebe Garage Sale in the spring.  Your donations of goods are most appreciated.

Please drop by to collect a paper copy of our guide, become a member or a patron, and admire our newly restored porch. Think of us when you think of seniors in the community. We have been: ‘Building Community Since 1975’!