As the 25th year commemorating the 9/11 attacks in New York dawns today, one handful of anecdotes has also endured time – when Ottawa and other Eastern Ontario emergency crews leapt to action to assist with the New York Police and Fire teams in their search for survivors right at the source. Ottawa fireman Barry Blondin was the first to cross the border just after the North Tower collapsed that day, followed by a Smiths Falls police crew and eventually another Ottawa team consisting of John Hamilton, Brian Foley, Gordie Thorpe and Steve Carmichael whose arrivals went well into the days following the tragedy, and local crews still sifting through the wreckage and materials for any possible signs of life. The men were assigned various support tasks before eventually getting to survey Ground Zero close to its core, witnessing an eerie silence across the floor of emergency crews silently commemorating any bodies that were recovered. Only 20 survivors were saved among the piles during the initial hours after the collapse of the Twin Towers.

The shelter-in-place that went into effect following a serious incident on Wednesday afternoon has been lifted, although police say the investigation remains ongoing. Officers were called to the scene of an assault involving stabbing at around 4:30pm on Wednesday in the town of Deep River (northwest of Ottawa), where a woman was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. From there, the lockdown measures were applied for community safety while Deep River Police and the OPP attempted to apprehend the suspect. After various updates leading into Thursday, officers announced the lift of the shelter-in-place just after 3pm. Deep River Mayor Sue D’Eon thanked her community later that day for their patience and compliance and said that she would ensure adequate mental health support would be available to those in need.

A pediatrician practicing in The Glebe announced the closure of her office after her over four decades of service. Dr. Kathryn Keely joined the pediatric centre at the corner of O’Connor Street and Monkland Avenue some 42 years ago, and continued her practice just until last week when the decision was made to sell the property and move out. Keely said that she would not yet be retiring completely, but to switch to a consulting role supporting CHEO and other family doctors with pediatric and cystic fibrosis-related matters, alongside some part-time direct work with patients. Several young patients, some now adults with young ones, fondly remembered Dr. Keely’s practice – one notable detail in her suite was a couple of office walls adorned with the photos of virtually all who were seen by her.