Tag: ottawa

Reflections on the 1956 Hungarian Uprising Remembrance

October 28, 2025

This week, I attended a flag-raising ceremony commemorating the sixty-ninth anniversary of the Hungarian uprising of October 23, 1956, at Ottawa City Hall. I looked forward to meeting some grey-haired Hungarian refugees, with whom I could make contact, talk about the old country, and share our experiences in Canada.

About fifty people showed up for the ceremony. I did hear a few people speaking Hungarian, chatting in small groups. They seemed happy to talk with each other. I went by myself, looking for some social interaction and discussion. Still, nobody seemed interested in making contact, even though I walked around and tried to break into conversations.  

When I found a young fellow standing by himself, I asked him if he was Hungarian. To my surprise, he said he was an RCMP officer. I wondered if he was on an assignment to ensure security at the event, requested because staff from the Hungarian Embassy and other diplomats were in attendance. the event organizers.

Another person I approached was a black woman who, with a friendly smile, explained  with a friendly smile that she was with the Nigerian Embassy and had been invited to this event. I found myself confused; while I understood the logic behind inviting certain European nations, I questioned the inclusion of African countries. Nevertheless, she was charming, and we talked about Africa and my trip to Tanzania.  

Although the flag-raising was outside, due to inclement weather, the group moved to City Hall first to listen to the speeches by the dignitaries. The small conference room inside was insufficient to seat everyone, so I stood in the hallway listening to the speakers.

The Deputy Mayor, Sean Devine, who, by the way, is my local City Councilor, opened the ceremony. He paid tribute to the courageous Hungarians who perished during the 1956 uprising and commented on the contributions the refugees made to Canada. Although Sean did not mention it, well-known people such as Anna Porter, a writer and publisher, and Robert Lantos, a film director, were fifty-sixers, among others.

Ms. Katalin Haas, Charge d’Affaires at the Hungarian Embassy, spoke about the significance of the 1956 rebellion and invited representatives of the Canada-Hungary Parliamentary Friendship Group and a representative of Global Affairs Canada to speak.

Many speakers mentioned the 38,000 people who arrived in Canada after the uprising looking for freedom and dignity and the over 300,000 people of Hungarian descent now residing here. All the speakers emphasized the Hungarian people’s desire for freedom and dignity.  

Adam van Koeverdan, Co-Chair of the Canada-Hungary Friendship Group, spoke about his mother, who escaped Hungary during the uprising. That made me feel old. I was sixteen years old when I fled Hungary, and he was talking about his mother! Further indicating my age was a group of young people talking about being fourth-generation Hungarians. I felt ancient by that time.

The speeches were well delivered but seemed hollow to me, as the speakers lacked a fundamental understanding of the nature of life in Hungary in the 1950s that sparked the rebellion. None of the speakers had firsthand experience of life in Hungary at the time of the rebellion. The speakers’ comments were sincere but lacked the emotional gravity that people with direct experience could have brought.

For example, I remember when our neighbor in the apartment house where we lived disappeared one night, and nobody said anything about it. Nobody raised any questions. Or when my father, a medical doctor, was called many nights to patch up people caught trying to break through the Iron Curtain or swim across Lake Ferto. Or when my brother, a student in Budapest, walked home to Sopron, a distance of 200 kilometers, when the revolution broke out. During the uprising, the absence of cell phones or live communication made it difficult to receive updates from him for several days. This lack of information caused considerable concern among our family about his safety. The family feared the worst. After coming home from school one day, our mother told Peter and me to set off along the highway to Vienna, each of us carrying a sandwich in our backpacks, a memory that has stayed with me ever since.  

I thought that a few refugees talking about their escape, or a film showing the tanks in Budapet crawling with students during the uprising, would have been relevant and impactful. However, I recognise that the objective of the ceremony was to honour those who lost their lives, rather than revisit the events of the uprising. Those people attending who were old enough to witness the rebellion personally may not have felt completely satisfied. I wondered, how many of us oldtimers attended?

Boldt Castle Visit: History and Architecture Unveiled

October 22, 2025

October 11. We played tourists today. Although we live just an hour and a half’s drive from Boldt Castle, we had never visited it until now. I’ve heard of the castle, of course, but it’s located on Heart Island, in the Thousand Islands region of New York State, on the St. Lawrence River. Visiting from Canada requires a passport, and since we don’t carry our passports with us every day, we never thought about making the trip.

One can visit the castle from Alexandria Bay in New York State or from Canada, with ferries departing from Gananoque and Rockport, Ontario. We decided to go from Rockport to save time, as driving to Alexandria Bay takes longer.

Upon arriving in Rockport, we noticed eight large tour buses. To my surprise, many tourists from China started disembarking. A local who was familiar with the area explained that Chinese workers are often rewarded with tours to Canada, and many of them visit Montreal, or Toronto, making a side trip to Rockport on their way to Niagara Falls. We also encountered other visitors in the parking area, including a couple from Toronto who were making the long drive back home the same day. We met another couple from Pennsylvania, who decided to sightsee in Canada before visiting the castle. I hadn’t realized how popular the castle is as a tourist attraction. A guide told me that five hundred to two thousand people visit the castle each day.

The boat trip to Heart Island takes about half an hour and passes by some extravagant cottages that resemble large houses more than typical summer homes. Upon landing on Heart Island, we went through U.S. border control, which took a while due to the long lineup of visitors. After we cleared the U.S. border, where they took a photo of us without hats and with our glasses off, we had a couple of hours to explore the island and the castle. Then, we returned to the dock for our trip back.

The view from the ferry

As we approached the castle, we saw a wedding on the front lawn and were asked to leave by the organizers. Fortunately, the castle was open, so we explored the large central hall and the enormous dining room before heading upstairs to see the bedrooms. The castle has a total of one hundred and twenty rooms.

The main hall

On the second floor, we watched a short film about the history of George Boldt and the castle. George Boldt emigrated from Prussia to the US at the age of thirteen. He started working in the kitchen of a hotel in Philadelphia and quickly rose through the ranks to manage the hotel at a young age. He became the manager of New York’s Waldorf Hotel and merged it with the Astoria Hotel across the street, becoming the well-known Waldorf Astoria Hotel.

The dining room and a bedroom

As part of his heritage, Boldt is credited with popularizing the “Thousand Island” salad dressing in his hotel. The name originated in the Thousand Islands region of upstate New York, and its original version was made with mayonnaise, ketchup, and pickles. He also created the Waldorf salad, a classic American dish made with diced apples, celery, and mayonnaise.

The Boldt family spent their summers in upstate New York, where George Boldt decided to build a castle on Heart Island for his wife. He was going to give the castle to her on Valentine’s Day. The architecture resembles a Rhineland castle. Construction began at the turn of the century. However, in 1904, tragedy struck when George’s wife passed away unexpectedly. He called off the construction and laid off the three hundred workers who had been building the castle. George never returned to the island, and the castle remained untouched for seventy-three years, falling into a ramshackle state. In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority took over the property and invested millions of dollars in its rehabilitation, preserving it for public enjoyment.

Also on the second floor, we saw the rehabilitated bedrooms decorated in period style, belonging to George, his wife, and their children. The floors above have not yet been fully renovated; they currently hold architectural drawings and additional information about the castle.

The garden is also worth visiting, featuring an Italian garden and professionally landscaped grounds with benches. We sat on one of the benches to enjoy our lunch, grateful for a moment of rest after climbing the stairs. It’s important to note that the ceiling heights in the castle are much higher than the typical eight-foot ceilings found in residential homes; climbing four floors felt more like going up six to eight floors in a standard building today.

On the return ferry trip, I bought a cold drink from the bar, which was refreshing and helped me process everything I had seen. If you have visited castles in Europe, this one may not impress you much. However, North America has very few buildings like this one, the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC, or Hearst Castle in San Simeon, CA. Visiting this Castle is certainly educational, especially for children. It is also steeped in history and serves as an essential example of the architectural style built during the Gilded Age. I recommend it as a great family outing on a sunny day.

Jazz Memories: My Journey with Oscar Peterson’s Music

October 17, 2025

My son reminded me of a time when, after dinner, I lay down on the couch, closed my eyes, and listened to Oscar Peterson as loudly as the family could tolerate. Oscar Peterson has always been my favorite jazz pianist. In my youth, I enjoyed listening to my mother play jazz: she had a perfect ear and could play any song without sheet music, picking out chords as she went along. Perhaps because of her influence, I started playing the piano at an early age and continued until I rebelled in my early teens against the long practice sessions. This background helps explain my passion for jazz piano. In my opinion, as a jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson is unmatched, even when compared to greats like Ramsey Lewis, Ahmad Jamal, or Art Tatum.

Oscar Peterson’s fame is indeed global. He won eight Grammy Awards and collaborated with legends like Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, and Nat King Cole. He also received the Order of Canada, among many other accolades. His success is especially inspiring considering he grew up in Little Burgundy, a predominantly Black neighborhood in Montreal, where racism was alive. His father worked as a porter and a sleeping car attendant for Canadian Pacific Railways (CPR). However, he was also a musician who encouraged his children to pursue music.

Oscar displayed his talent for the piano from an early age. He studied under Paul de Marky, a Hungarian classical pianist who had studied with Stephan Thoman, a pupil of Franz Liszt. Although he initially showed an interest in classical piano, Oscar’s musical path evolved significantly early in his life. He played in jazz clubs in Montreal as a teenager and later performed at Carnegie Hall in New York in 1929 when he was twenty-four years old. Over his lifetime, he recorded around two hundred albums before passing away in 2007.

I remember seeing Oscar Peterson perform at Norfolk State College in 1968. He played spirituals to an all-black audience—we were the only white folks at the college. I had a job in Norfolk, VA, but I was mostly ignorant of the racial issues in the United States at the time. When we entered the auditorium and realized we were the only white people there, we felt a bit out of place. However, the audience was enthusiastic, wholly immersed in the music, and ignored us. The auditorium seemed to come alive with people stomping their feet and clapping to the rhythm.

While in Norfolk, I cannot forget the time when I played some Oscar Peterson music at full blast, and a black pastor knocked on my door looking for donations. The first thing he said was that I was listening to some great music. Naturally, I gave him a large donation.

When the announcement was made that the Oscar Peterson Centennial Quartet would be performing at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, I quickly purchased tickets. I wasn’t familiar with the Quartet, but I assumed they would play Oscar Peterson’s music. I was particularly eager to hear the pianist, even though I knew that no one could match Oscar’s virtuosity.

In honor of Oscar’s 100th birthday, the Centennial Quartet was formed this year. The organizers assembled a group of accomplished musicians for the Quartet. The performance we attended featured Ulf Wakenius on guitar, who had played with Peterson for ten years, from 1997 until Oscar’s passing. On piano was Robi Botos, a former student of Oscar’s in Toronto. The drummer, Tom Doxas, and bassist, Mike Downes, are both well-known figures in the Canadian jazz scene. The Quartet is touring globally, and while the musicians may change depending on the venue, the music remains consistent.

Upon arriving at the theater, we were treated to a multimedia presentation of Oscar’s life on a giant screen above the stage. Then, Celine Peterson, Oscar’s youngest daughter, took the stage to share anecdotes about her father. The concert began with Celine introducing the drummer, who performed a quiet drum solo. The bassist was introduced next and joined the drummer in a soft swing while Celine continued speaking. Following them, the guitarist and pianist joined in, and the Quartet launched into one of Oscar’s compositions, “Night Train,” apparently inspired by the composer’s father’s work as a sleeping car attendant for the CPR.

The Quartet’s interpretations of Peterson’s compositions, including “Hymn to Freedom,” “Cakewalk,” and “Place St. Henry,” were met with enthusiasm and loud applause. In addition to these pieces, the Quartet also performed popular classics like “Sophisticated Lady,” a composition by Duke Ellington, and others. The audience’s warm reception was so overwhelming that after finishing their set, the Quartet had to perform an encore to calm the audience’s applause. I was bobbing my head and stomping my foot to the rhythm throughout the concert. As the smiling crowd exited the auditorium, I stopped at a table in the lobby to browse the CDs for sale by members of the Centennial Quartet. I decided to buy one—the one featuring pianist Roby Botos—hoping to enjoy jazz piano in the style of Oscar Peterson. And as soon as we entered our house, I started playing all of my Peterson’s CDs.

Residents Voice Concerns at Fisher Heights Community Meeting

October 12, 2025

The Annual General Meeting of the Fisher Heights and Area Community Association turned into a session filled with complaints. Though the term “bitch session” might seem harsh, it accurately described the atmosphere.

The President began the meeting by summarizing the association’s events from the past year and spent about ten minutes reviewing the financial statements. After that, he opened the floor for discussion, with the local City Councilor present at the head table.

The first concern raised by a resident, amid the mostly grey-haired and entirely white attendees, was the rat population thriving in his home. Many others joined in, revealing that the area is facing a significant rat problem. I recalled that this same issue was discussed last year, with residents blaming the increase in rats on the construction of the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system downtown. The excavation for the underground rail disturbed the rats, causing them to migrate into the suburbs—specifically, into our neighborhood. No solutions were proposed last year, and using poison was deemed not an option since children lived in the rat-infested area.

 Our councilor addressed the discussion by explaining that the city is taking the rat issue seriously and has started mapping the geographic areas where rats thrive. Residents are encouraged to report any rat sightings in their homes to the city. The councilor also mentioned that a rat committee has been established, and a dedicated section about this issue has been created on the city’s website.

Additionally, the councilor advised us that rats tend to flourish in “messy woodpiles,” “overgrown grass,” and “compost bins.” He urged residents to clean up their woodpiles, maintain their lawns, and consider limiting or discontinuing composting altogether. While this advice is practical, it may not be well-received by those who enjoy composting. Although the information provided was helpful, it remains unclear how these measures will effectively improve the situation in our community.

The discussion then shifted to parking problems in the community. Residents voiced strong objections to having parked cars in front of their homes, even when those vehicles were on public streets. Their concerns appeared to arise from a desire to prevent strangers from parking near their houses. This situation raised questions about whether their objections were related to safety, the aesthetic appeal of the neighborhood, or simply a feeling of ownership over the street in front of their homes.

In response, our councilor suggested that larger households in our area were contributing to this issue. This statement was surprising, as our community has been aging, resulting in fewer children. So, where are all these new residents coming from? One possibility is that the rental complex in our area has begun charging for visitor parking, which forces guests to park on public streets. Others pointed out that many young adults are staying at home with their parents because they cannot afford to buy their own homes. The councilor also noted that redevelopment in the area has led to higher housing densities, resulting in more households in the community and, consequently, more cars on the streets.

Many audience members asked why the city cannot install more no-parking signs. The councilor explained that no-parking signs are placed only in areas where intersections create dangerous driving conditions. In these instances, people often find alternative parking spots elsewhere in the neighborhood, which means the identified parking issue is simply shifted to another location. This approach hardly resolves the problem!

Additionally, parking is becoming a bigger issue due to the new zoning bylaw, which reflects the city’s growing population. The city council views densification as the only solution, aside from an unlikely massive investment in public transit. Ultimately, higher population densities will lead to more cars on the streets.

Another topic discussed was the overflowing garbage bins in city parks. Since we have curbside garbage pickup, someone asked why the garbage truck doesn’t also empty the garbage containers in the parks when it passes by. The councilor explained that this is more complicated because the public works and parks departments use different contractors for garbage collection. Could better coordination between the two departments improve efficiency and reduce costs? I wondered if the councilor would consider taking this suggestion back to the city for further discussion.

Continuing on the topic of our parks, someone raised a concern about the absence of no-smoking signs in these areas. This individual observed people smoking cannabis in public spaces—likely due to the smell—where young school children walk. I thought we had already implemented a bylaw regarding this. The councilor responded by discussing the challenges of enforcing a no-smoking bylaw in city parks. He mentioned a shortage of bylaw enforcement officers and indicated that enforcing such a bylaw was not a top priority. Additionally, the potential revenue from this bylaw would be minimal compared to the significantly more profitable option of ticketing for illegal parking.

Another individual complained about loud construction noises at night. A construction company working on a high-rise building accidentally damaged a water pipe, necessitating emergency repairs overnight. The infrastructure maps provided by the city to the company failed to mark the location of this major water pipe, which supplied water to a nearby dialysis clinic. Restoring the water supply became urgent.

The person who raised the noise complaint stated that she was not concerned about the work at the dialysis clinic; rather, she objected to the nighttime noise, which deprived her of sleep. This comment troubled me, not only because of her lack of understanding of the situations that can arise on construction sites, but also due to her apparent lack of compassion for the patients at the dialysis clinic. To compound her complaint, she asked if the contractor was fined for breaking the water pipe. My goodness! It was an accident! Moreover, it was the city that provided an outdated map. Should the city fine itself for that?Continuing on the topic of our parks, someone asked why there are no no-smoking signs in these areas. This individual observed people smoking cannabis in public spaces (I assume he noticed it by the smell) where young school children walk. I thought we already had such a bylaw. The councilor addressed the topic by discussing the challenges of enforcing a no-smoking bylaw in city parks. He mentioned the shortage of bylaw enforcement officers. He indicated that enforcing such a bylaw would not be a top priority. Additionally, the potential revenue generated from implementing this bylaw would be minimal compared to the significantly more profitable option of ticketing people for parking illegally.

Still another person complained about loud construction noises at night. A construction company working on a high-rise building accidentally damaged a water pipe, necessitating emergency repairs overnight. The infrastructure maps provided by the city to the company failed to mark the location of a major water pipe. Since this pipe supplied water to a nearby dialysis clinic, restoring the water supply became an urgent matter.

The person who raised the noise issue stated that she was not concerned about the work at the dialysis clinic; instead, she objected to the nighttime noise, which deprived her of sleep. This comment troubled me not only because of the lack of understanding for a situation that is likely to occur on construction sites, but also due to her apparent lack of compassion for the patients at the dialysis clinic. To compound her complaint, she asked if the contractor was fined for breaking the water pipe. My goodness! It was an accident! Moreover, it was the city that provided an outdated map. Should the city fine itself for that?

At that point, I had reached my limit with the complaints and decided to leave the meeting. I found myself questioning the positive actions the association had taken over the past year. I heard that they had painted some lines on a basketball court, replaced the flooring in the community center, and allocated funds for a bicycle repair station in one of the parks. They also organized several community events, including this meeting, where residents could voice their concerns and speak with our councilor. While these are positive steps, I wondered if they were sufficient to justify the existence of a community association.

As I drove home, I realized that the meeting did not address the various clubs the association sponsors, such as a bridge club and fitness classes in the community center. Including presentations from these clubs could have been beneficial, as it might have encouraged more people to participate in the association’s activities. I also questioned the absence of a proposed budget outlining the association’s priorities for the upcoming year. I left the meeting feeling that it was a missed opportunity to make the association more relevant to the community. Overall, I don’t think our community has any significant issues at this time.

Immigrant Experiences: Inspiring Stories Amidst Challenges in Canada

Septermber 21, 2025

Many Canadians believe that the significant influx of immigrants in recent years has contributed to a shortage of housing units and overwhelmed healthcare services in the country. Since 2021, four million people have arrived in Canada, mostly temporary workers, students, but also refugees, economic migrants, and family members of Canadians.

I understand why many Canadians’ views on immigration have turned negative. However, I enjoy interacting with recent immigrants and discussing their reasons, as well as their plans, for coming to Canada. Let me provide some examples.

When I dropped my car off at the garage, a Lyft driver came to take me home. In a cheerful voice, he asked about my day and engaged me in a friendly conversation, inquiring about what I did. Listening to his accent, I asked him where he was from. He told me he came from Somalia eight years ago and now has a family with young children. His ambition is to establish a business here. He is the kind of person we need in Canada; in fact, all countries would benefit from having young and ambitious individuals like him.

When my car was ready, the garage sent another Lyft driver to pick up my car. Not surprisingly, he was also an immigrant, this time from Rwanda. He came to Canada a year ago and proudly drove a brand-new vehicle, which he mentioned he had bought for cash. He was able to do that by working seven days a week, an astounding achievement in my opinion.

I learned from the driver, Olivier, that he preferred Lyft over Uber, where he had previously worked. Although he had a French name, he did not speak French. He explained that Rwanda was a Belgian colony before gaining independence, which is why many people in the country have French names. After completing his university studies, he went to Belgium to pursue a master’s degree. He ended up staying in Europe for five years, living in England and later obtaining a second master’s degree in Poland. I was surprised to hear this and asked him if he spoke Polish. He clarified that the university program he attended was conducted in English.

From our conversation, Olivier appeared to be a loner, with only a high school friend in Ottawa. He confided in me that he is 33 years old, hopes to start a family, but working seven days a week leaves him little time for socializing and meeting potential partners. In addition to his driving job, he also works part-time at night for a Belgian company, another ambitious immigrant who would be welcomed in most countries.

I should also mention the young man from India who came to fertilize my lawn. He was busy working his Weedman route in the neighborhood but took a few minutes to chat with me when I asked how he liked his job. Although fertilizing keeps him occupied during the summer, he mentioned that he needs employment during the winter months. He plans to enter sales with the company, but he finds the challenge of sales to be significant, as he needs to make at least ten sales or identify leads each day. That’s not an easy task these days, especially when people tend to prefer a do-it-yourself approach.

Engaging in conversations with recent immigrants is both inspiring and motivating, and it has led me to reflect on the richness of the immigrant experience —a perspective I hold dear, having been an immigrant myself.

The sense of satisfaction that comes from adapting successfully to a new country is immense. During the phase of acculturation, individuals face challenges that feel overwhelming. I arrived in Canada with no language skills, no material possessions, and a total lack of knowledge of Canadian culture. To adapt to my new country, I grabbed any available jobs to improve my language skills, earn some money, and learn local customs.

In my first job, I carried furs at an auction for furriers, where they bid on various furs. A memorable moment arrived when the furriers tipped me, and I responded by telling them I only did my job and didn’t accept tips. This response earned me some strange looks. It didn’t take long for me to realize that tipping for good service is standard practice in North America, while it was nonexistent in communist countries like Hungary.

Other jobs followed. I washed dishes at a hospital and later traveled with a survey crew, doing machete work and drafting. On my last day with the survey crew, I overheard my team’s plan to pull down my pants and stick me in an anthill. Fortunately, I managed to escape before they could grab me; my language skills had improved to the extent that I could understand whispering.

To further improve my language skills, I accepted a job with a California company selling Collier’s encyclopedia. It involved knocking on doors and presenting the value of having the encyclopedia in the small towns around Vancouver, BC. I did not last long. I appreciated meeting those who welcomed me, but many older attendees, perhaps lonely, saw my presentation as an opportunity to socialize without planning to make a purchase.  

My early job experiences have significantly contributed to the development of my language skills and self-confidence over time, leading me to pursue a university education.

In summary, the sudden increase in immigration overwhelmed healthcare services and contributed to a housing shortage. And it made immigrants less welcome. But talking with recent immigrants is usually uplifting and inspiring. Before forming an opinion on the pros and cons of immigration, I strongly encourage you to engage in conversations with them.