The Kavanaugh Launch Week

Posted on 11. May, 2012 by Madison.

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The Kavanaugh Sales Information

Posted on 11. May, 2012 by Madison.

Our sales launch for The Kavanaugh is fast approaching! To see the  features & specs,  floor plans and price list, click on the links below:

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Spotlight on Beechwood: Jacobsons

Posted on 25. Apr, 2012 by Madison.

When the name Jacobsons comes up in conversation, most minds wander off to fond memories of gourmet chutneys, cheeses, chocolates and other tasty treats. Since opening in 2006, Susan Jacobson has been monumental in bringing charm and personality to Beechwood Village. Susan’s daughter, Dominique, and her partner, Marcus, have also played an integral role in the business’s success. They bring creativity and youthful energy to the group and their involvement reaffirms that this IS a family business.

The Jacobsons travel around the world to find the best specialty foods. They bring their exotic finds back to Ottawa with a wealth of knowledge gained from the artisans themselves. After walking through olive groves in Italy with the olive oil presser, listening to a man passionate about his jam making, or getting their hands dirty pressing cheese with a 4^th generation cheesemaker, they always return with stories to tell their customers.

When the family opened the store in Beechwood Village, their vision was to be like a corner store in a European town- a one-stop shop, where visiting becomes part of the community’s daily habits- you pop in during the early hours for your fresh bread and milk, and then again before hosting the perfect dinner party. And the Jacobsons have achieved just that.

Not only have customers come to expect the same incredible service on every visit, but furry friends do too. Every dog gets a little biscuit, free of charge. Apparently, in Beechwood Village, the way to happy customers is through the dog’s heart. Don’t forget to bring your children with you too! All youngsters that stop by get a candy stick- just another example of their dedication to their customers.

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Capture the Kavanaugh Photo Contest

Posted on 18. Apr, 2012 by Madison.

Domicile is proud to present our Capture the Kavanaugh Contest; your chance to have your photograph featured at our pop-up gallery in Beechwood Village!

YOUR ASSIGNMENT

We’re looking for the most creative, distinct, and interesting photos you can take from the Beechwood Village district as well as its neighbouring communities; New Edinburgh, Vanier, Manor Park, Lindenlea and Rockcliffe Park. If you can walk there from Beechwood- it’s applicable.

Take a photo, give it a title, write why you snapped it and the exact location where you took your photo.Your photo can be taken with any kind of camera and feel free to edit or use filter applications such as Instagram. Once you are happy with your shot, upload it to Facebook in this application.

Contest launches today and submissions will run until Midnight on Sunday, June 24. Voting will starting on Monday, June 25 and run until Midnight on Friday, July 6.

THE PRIZE

The top 10 voted photos will be displayed in a pop up gallery at the Kavanaugh presentation centre, where a panel of judges will choose a winner. The chosen winner of the contest, as selected by the judges, will be gifted the ultimate Beechwood Village prize! The winning photographs will be auctioned off the same evening to raise money for the restoration of Optimiste Park in support of the Vanier Community Association.

NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT NECESSARY TO WIN

Eligibility
Domicile employees and their immediate family members are not eligible. Immediate family includes only spouses, parents and children.

Multiple Entries per Person
You many not submit multiple entries. Only one entry per person will be counted. You may make changes to your entry throughout the duration of the campaign.

Multiple Votes per Person
You may not submit multiple votes. Only one vote per person will be counted.

Inappropriate Content
Obscene, provocative or otherwise questionable content will not be considered. We retain sole discretion as to what constitutes inappropriate content.

Rights
By entering the contest, entrants agree to have their submitted name displayed on our website and used by us for any purpose, at any time, without any fee or other form of compensation. We reserve the right to disqualify users, without notice, and for any reason.

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Meet and Greet with Jane the Crane

Posted on 17. Apr, 2012 by Madison.

Trevor Jamieson, one of our construction gurus at Domicile, took a trip over to the hom site last Thursday. He was offered an exclusive meet and greet with Jane the Crane herself. Jane’s master, Sebastien, faciliated the introduction. Trevor said it took him 5 minutes to climb all the way up her 210 foot tower. And boy, did he work up a sweat- not sure if it was due to nervousness or physical exertion, but it was exhausting nonetheless. I speak for him when I say it’s definitely worth the trek- look at these photos!

South West view (our Merrion Square development majestically sits in the foreground)

Stunning view of Dow’s Lake ( South East)

Hello Downtown Ottawa!

Looking to our neighbours in the West (if you look closely you can see brother Craig)

Jane’s view of the site below

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hōm Construction Update

Posted on 09. Apr, 2012 by Madison.

It’s been a while since we reported on the progress at hōm, and let me tell you, things are movin’. The concrete foundation walls have  been poured and cured using forms. The forms are roughly 10 feet in height, and are made of wood and high-grade steel to support the weight of poured concrete.

This begs the question, what exactly is concrete?  Concrete is a mixture of coarse stone and  sand or crushed stone, which is then amassed with a binder material (usually cement). When this combination is mixed with a small amount of water, the cement hydrates  and forms lattices, which locks the mixture as it hardens.

In the photos below, you can see the below grade parking level completed and the beginning stages of the ground level floor being formed. The ground floor is scheduled to be complete before the end of April.

North East corner of property

Photo taken from Jane the Crane's cab

View of South East corner at Hickory and Champagne

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The Kavanaugh Legacy

Posted on 23. Mar, 2012 by Madison.

In latest edition of the Manor Park Chronicle, Sharleen Tattersfield writes about the Kavanaugh family legacy and their long-standing presence in Beechwood Village.

3 Generations of Kavanaughs

Rupert Kavanaugh plans to retire: we salute Beechwood’s longest-operating family-run business

Many know Rupert Kavanaugh, owner of the Esso station on Beechwood Ave., from his long-standing support of the Manor Park, New Edinburgh and Vanier communities. Others admire his sense of humour; his knowledge of customers, their families and their vehicles; and his personal service — in all weathers. Rupert is selling his station and retiring effective December 31, 2012 — some 59 years after he first started pumping gas on Beechwood Ave.

During this time, he’s seen his business expand, almost disappear as a franchise and re-surface owner-managed. Three generations now work at this longest-operating family-run business on Beechwood Ave. Kavanaugh Esso is one of the Chronicle’s longest-running advertisers, going back to the late 1970s. But the story of how a farmer’s son from Buckingham, Quebec came to play such a significant role in our community is a tale of hard-work, business acumen and customers’ respect.

Rupert (76 in May) grew up the son and grandson of farmers. Third of six children, he completed Grade 10 at Buckingham Technical. At 16, he told his mother he’d learned the basics and wanted to get a job and earn money. Work at the local electric reduction plant involved working with acids — not pleasant! By 19, his uncle Gerald asked Rupert to manage his service station in Sudbury; gas was 30 cents/gallon; the station open 24 hours/seven days a week. In exchange for room and board, Rupert was on duty full-time and on-call daily.

However, back home he’d left girlfriend Mary — the love of his life who would later become his wife. Distance proved too great; phone calls exorbitantly expensive. At Christmas, he packed his bags and returned to Ottawa.

There, in 1953, Milt Hurd offered him a job at his Shell station where Bridgehead is today. Hurd sold Rambler cars; the station had two pumps and the garage changed oil and greased cars. Hurd took over the Esso lease further east across Beechwood and, on July 31, 1955 — the year he married Mary — Rupert was asked to manage this larger operation with four pumps and two service bays. Back then, it was a 7-day-a-week operation with longer hours than today.

Within a year, Rupert had tripled sales and Hurd offered him a business partnership. It was hard work — profit margins were a ½ cent on every gallon. Rupert put $25 in the till to make change; each night he’d take the money home to their place in Vanier for Mary to count.

Two years later, Rupert, ever entrepreneurial, approached Hurd to take over the Esso lease figuring his ‘partner’ was getting commission for all his hard work and doing little in return. With a deal cut at La Paloma restaurant, Rupert paid $5,000 (and a measure of goodwill) and was in business for himself.

Ever the businessman, Rupert made use of the vacant, brick horse stables on Joliette Ave. turning the space into a car wash and offering ‘Simonizing.’ After working in the Sudbury mines, his cheerful, personable brother Clarence came to work at the station and stayed.

Together, Rupert and Mary raised seven children (five girls, two sons). Mary, always supportive, stayed at home to raise the kids, providing a hot supper no matter what time he got home. When his father wished to retire, Rupert bought the 135 acres and, by 1960, had not only paid back his dad but bought two more farms.

Meanwhile, Esso, impressed with sales, took down the stable in 1960 and built an extension with new service bays on the west side at Marquette St. Ten years later, Esso added sporting goods and Rupert’s station sold camping and fishing gear and hunting supplies. Business was good, with average weekend sales of $300 to $400. Rupert’s younger brother Carl worked at the station part-time and at the family farm. By the late 1970s his children, Terry first and then Joey, his youngest, were working there while attending school.

In 1994 Esso closed its sporting goods operations; Rupert put in another garage in the space and soon faced the biggest challenge of his career. He received a 160-day notice advising that Esso would be buying out the franchise and wishing him good luck. Rupert had a year-long battle on his hands; the community rallied; local politicians (even a Senator) protested.

1995 was a banner year. Rupert successfully bought out the Esso franchise for $1M. The bank backed the deal and he went on to put in a car wash. Son Terry, who had been operating garages elsewhere, joined the business to run the station’s garage. By 1998, Nektar Katsoulakis was renting space and running his Royal Shine Car Wash.

The station marked its 50^th anniversary with a complete station makeover. Following a 2 ½ month shutdown, Kavanaugh’s celebrated its grand re-opening in October 2005. Rupert was there to celebrate, having returned to fulltime work after more than two years in physiotherapy and another year of part-time work following a snowmobile accident in 2002 that almost claimed his life. Clarence had retired from the station, but son Joey was now there fulltime.

Today his work day is shorter (5 a.m. until 9 a.m.), but Rupert still runs the shop. Rupert and Mary spend weekends at their log cabin on the farm, now the largest in the Buckingham area at 430 acres. An avid fisherman, Rupert heads annually to northern Quebec for a week’s fishing.

Life at the station continues. Terry’s sons Kenny and Kyle now work with their dad. Rupert and Clarence joke with customers and with each other. “People are like bananas, they come in bunches,” jokes Clarence. “My brother’s down a quart, he’s older than me”. Not to be outdone, Rupert bounces back, “My brother tells jokes, but I tell true stories.” Joey just smiles at his father and uncle.

In honour of their years of service, Domicile’s new condominium project at 222 Beechwood will be named “The Kavanaugh on Beechwood.” What a fitting tribute!

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Jog It Out At The 2012 Maple Run

Posted on 19. Mar, 2012 by Madison.

The Festival des Sucres, in partnership with Domicile Developments, presents the 5k & 10k Maple Run on Saturday, March 31, 2012. The start and finish lines are at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre (300 Des Pères-Blancs). The races start at 9am and will take you through the historic streets of Vanier and New Edinburgh. To view a map of the course, click here. Walkers and runners of all abilities are welcome even jog strollers. Registration for the run will take place on site prior to the event. The 5k and 10K races are $20 per registrant. Registrants should arrive approximately 30 minutes before the race – sooner if you wish to warm up. Participants are invited to join in on a post-race festivities and pancake breakfast at the Festival des Sucres.

The City of Vanier traces its history of maple-syrup making back to 1939, when the Père Blanc Missionaries began the process of tapping trees and collecting the sap to create the sweet treat. The city now celebrates this heritage with the annual Festival des Sucres which draws thousands of people to the sugar bush to enjoy maple-flavored delicacies. Located on the site of the original sugar shack, the Festival des Sucres continues the tapping tradition, producing up to 400 litres of syrup.

For more information about the run or the Festival des Sucres, contact Stephanie Plante at 613-252-7778 or visit the event on Facebook.

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Afraid of Heights? Jane Isn’t…

Posted on 16. Mar, 2012 by Madison.

And neither is her crane operator. This shot was taken today, overlooking the hōm construction site, approximately 200 feet in the air.

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Exclusive One3One Construction Tour

Posted on 14. Mar, 2012 by Madison.

On Monday, I ventured to the One3One site to see Craig in action. And boy, was I impressed. I stood at Wellington and Holland for a bit, watching Craig work his magic.

Two questions popped into my head: How does the crane operator get all the way up there? [He climbs up the stairs, approximately 200 feet to his cab] What if he forgets his lunch and needs to come down for a snack? To my amazement, he stays up there ALL day. From 7am to 4pm, he works diligently with Craig to get One3One erected. My curiosity about the life of a crane operator led me to YouTube. If this interests you at all, Google it. Warning: you may lose several hours of productivity watching videos of cranes and their masters.

After I sat in awe of Craig and his operator for a few minutes, it was time to see if I could get on site. Manuel, the One3One site superintendent, told me if I wanted access I absolutely needed three safety items: a reflective vest, steel toed boots and a hard hat (the latter two were pink, of course).

After getting geared up, laughing at my flashy construction attire and learning about proper site safety, I was finally allowed to step on site.

I came at the perfect time. The construction guys had started pumping concrete from the concrete truck to the pump truck (the truck with the long purple arm in the background). The concrete is transported through the arm, to a tube, and then deposited at the pour site below.

As you can see, the process involves a lot of man power, precision and, obviously, waterproof boots.

I opted not to get knee-deep in concrete for this photo shoot. Maybe next time.

I climbed down the steep staircase to reach the bottom of the pit.

After walking around the site, I saw where they were building forms, which will hold the concrete in place until it cures. Before they can pour the concrete, the rebar and steel are secured in place to reinforce the future walls. The forms stay in place until the walls have dried enough to stand on their own.

This uncle-nephew team is hard at work, securing the forms against the poured concrete.

For a Domicile Blog Exclusive, I asked to go underground, to see lower level parking garage. If you’ve ever wondered what that looks like during construction, wonder no more.

As soon as I walked in, I felt like I was in a mine. Though I was just one storey down from outside air, the sounds, smells and darkness  are the way I imagine mining conditions to be.

The concrete, which forms the lower level parking garage, was poured a week ago. The walls and ceilings are supported with Peri Form to support the concrete until the concrete is dry and secure. Heaters and fans installed underground warm the air and expedite the curing process. Boy, do those heaters ever make it hot down there!

Upon emerging above ground, I looked up at Craig. I thought it would make a great picture to see him from this angle. I knelt down, looked up and snapped a shot.

At the same time my finger hit the trigger, my hat came toppling off and, in one swift movement, skid into the freshly troweled concrete.

The picture definitely doesn’t do the mark justice…

Oops, sorry guys! I guess wasn’t cut out for life on a construction site, but it was fun while it lasted- and informative too.

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