Maloney Mountain - dedicated to the Maloneys then and now

Here are Maureen's videos she took of our trip to Mt. St. Patrick and up Maloney Mountain to our family's homestead.

This is at the base of the mountain where the Church is and the cemetery where my relatives are buried.

                                This is the trip up the mountain and approaching the house

 

 

The fences on Maloney Mountain

 

 

 

Picnic on the Mountain

 

 

Walk to the back of the property and saying goodbye to Maloney Mountain

 

 

Maureen has done a great job on these videos

 

Dedicated to all our Maloney Ancestors

Our trip to Ireland - the circle is almost closed

This week I travelled to Mt. St. Patrick where my Canadian roots began after John Maloney's immigration from Ireland. It is west of Renfrew Ontario.

A bit of history on the homestead from the census records I have.

From the 1851/1852 Canadian census, the family was living in a one storey shanty house and born in "Earland" (I think that was supposed to be Ireland but it seems the census takers spelled phonetically, as you will see from the spellings of our name). My gg-grandfather's name was spelled "Mulloney" and his wife's name was Debby "Murarty" (her name was Moriarty).

In the 1861 census, the family was now living in a one storey log house.

In the 1871and 1881 census my gg-grandfather's name was spelled "Moloney". In 1871 Daniel Moriarty appears on the scene, must be Debora's father from Ireland.

Then in the 1891 census, we see "Maloney" spelled as we spell it now. Son Michael Maloney and wife Johanna Kiely and their two children, now lived in the house along with Debora and John and two of their children. It notes that my gg-grandmother could not read or write.

The 1901 census states that both John and Debora spoke "Irish" (not sure why Irish is in quotes). They both still live in the home along with Michael and Johanna and their four children.

Not sure how everyone fit into a one storey log cabin. For instance in the 1861 census I count 12 people living in the house.

The house that stands on the property now was built in 1922, the same year my father was born.

John and Debora had 12 children, Patrick died at one, and Mary before her first birthday, maybe at birth.

My great great grandfather is buried in the parish cemetery along with other Maloneys, including my own brother John Maloney.

 

I went with my two sisters, one brother, and three spouses. We drove the four miles from Mt. St. Patrick where the cemetery is, up Maloney Mountain to the farm that housed five generations of Maloneys.

 

Jimmy, moi, Paula, Maureen at cemetery at the base of the mountain, along with a few dead Maloneys

 

 The house and land is still owned by my two cousins, and is still used as a hunting camp. In the picture below, you can see some of the barns. Notice the barn to the right of the house. That is the cook house. This was used in the summer. They would literally move the wood stove in the kitchen out to the cookhouse in the summer, since it would heat the house up too much. Then they would move it back into the house for the winter. The stove was the only heat source in the house. Below the picture is a hole in the kitchen above the stove. This is how the heat made its way up into the second floor. There may have been an actual pipe up to the second floor, but as a child going up to the farm, I don't remember ever seeing one. There are no heaters on the second floor. And remember this is Canada where winters can be as cold as -35 Celsius and probably colder on the mountain. My father used to tell me that when they woke up in the morning during the winter, the water in the water basin in the room would be frozen.

There was no running water when my father was growing up either. They used an outhouse as well.

 

The house on our approach down the laneway

 

 

 Hole above the stove in the kitchen, I am standing upstairs.

  

Canadian fences are mostly made of cedar

 

From behind the house, we are back quite a piece

 

One of the barns, probably one of the original buildings

Cows in the pasture just like Ireland. House to the left, another barn to the right. Pat McDonald grazes his cows here.

Michael Maloney and Johanna Kiely, my great grandfather and great grand mother, also buried in the cemetery.

 

 

My grandfather, John Maloney (I think)

 

Kitchen

Dining room and living room

And lo and behold I discovered STONE FENCES back on the property. OH. MY. GOODNESS. I have never seen stone fences in Canada, like those we saw in Ireland. But here they are. They appear to have cedar placed on top of the fences. I imagine that these fences were built when my ancestors first built the homestead, and then started using cedar when they discovered how plentiful it was.

 Me sitting on one of these combo stone/cedar fences.

 

 We need some colour

 Fred, Maureen and Mike with another barn behind them

 Another stone/cedar combo fence

 

A cedar fence on the property

These pictures were taken as we were leaving and were down at the bottom of Maloney Mountain Rd.

I still have not been able to trace back my roots to Ireland. But I did find a distant cousin, Michael Maloney (descendant of Patrick Maloney: my gg-grandfather John Maloney's brother). He has been in touch with the Clare Heritage Centre, to do some research with the objective of finding the parents of John, Patrick and Michael.

So maybe we will eventually figure out the rest of our story, and who my ggg-grandparents were. God willing.

Ottawa Public Health says lives destroyed by gambling

Last year I sent Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and all the city councillors a letter, regarding my strong objection for a gambling casino in Ottawa. You can read my letter below to him, and his reply. Note how Mr. Watson doesn't actually address any of my concerns in his lengthy reply, but rather details the process of how a casino is approved.

Looks like Ottawa Public Health is also against the casino. Thank God for that:

A new casino in Ottawa will lead to more lives destroyed by gambling addiction, the city’s public-health unit warns in a new report — and the city shouldn’t let the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp. build one to extract more money from gamblers’ bank accounts to feed the provincial treasury.

“Most Ottawa residents engage in some form of gambling, and do so without significantly affecting their health or the well being of others. But for some individuals, gambling is a devastating problem that affects not only the gamblers themselves, but also their families and communities,” the report says.

“Increasing the availability and accessibility of gambling in Ottawa, including new casinos, slot machines and table games, will likely result in an increase in the prevalence of problems with gambling among Ottawa residents. Gambling opportunities already exist in many forms in Ottawa, both online and in casinos. But electronic gaming machines, such as slot machines, and casino table games are more likely to be associated with gambling problems.”

My Letter to the Mayor and the councillors:

Dear Mr. Watson and Ottawa city councillors,

We must register our strong objection to Ottawa opening up its own casino. We are completely against city sanctioned gambling for ethical reasons. This is a tax on those who can ill afford to pay it, and preys on gambling addictions, purely for the sake of increasing tax revenues through what is ultimately, a volunteer tax system. It is wrong to do this.

I strongly suggest you read the book called "Betting the House" by Canadian Brian Hutchinson before continuing with this venture. Mr. Hutchinson's research will change your mind about gambling.

A few excerpts from Hutchinson's prologue:

"I set out across Canada in October 1998 to find out. In the next eight months, I talked to dozens of gamblers, dealers, business people, casino executives and government gambling strategists; some were remarkably candid about their experiences, despite the fact that most of their stories spoke badly of the industry.

It didn't take long for a simple picture to emerge: Gambling produces few winners, but many losers. But there's more. I realized that governments caught up in the revenue frenzy and building new gambling venues are reaping short-term benefits. The Canadian populace didn't ask for gambling; in most cases, cash-starved politicians foisted it upon us. There's a great price to be paid; now comes the accounting.

As I discovered, provincial governments in Nova Scotia, Ontario,Manitoba, Alberta and British Columbia have attempted to hide embarrassing details about their emerging gambling industries. Independent regulatory bodies have been co-opted. Backroom deals have been brokered. Promises have been broken. Voters have been lied to. All for the sake of opening the door to a handful of unsavoury gambling hucksters, and grabbing what amounts to nothing more than another tax, albeit huge, by populist, "tax-cutting" regimes.

Hordes of problem gamblers are now created every year—there are forty thousand in Alberta alone—and they are increasingly turning to crime in order to feed their addictions. Therapists attempt to soothe them, but it's a losing proposition; treatment costs are enormous, and providers can't keep up with the volume of new clients. Gambling-related suicides are now all too common."

Sincerely,
Patricia Maloney


Mr. Watson's response to me:

Good morning Pat,

Thank you for your email. I appreciate your input on this issue, and would like to take the time to address some of your concerns and provide you with some key information on the matter.

As you know, Ottawa has been identified by the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) as a possible host city as it looks to modernize gaming in the province. There has been much interest in this issue, and I believe we need to set a way forward that is clear, fair and transparent. This process begins with City Council signalling its support, in principle, of a possible, new Ottawa gaming facility. This decision would not commit the City to a gaming facility, or a specific site location.

In my view, every Ottawa dollar that is spent at the Gatineau casino is a dollar lost for Ottawa taxpayers. An Ottawa gaming facility would allow us to repatriate the money currently going into Quebec roads, schools and hospitals. If a new gaming facility were to open in Ottawa, I am proposing that any new revenue generated for the City be split equally between infrastructure renewal and economic development initiatives that create jobs in Ottawa. In a time of infrastructure challenges and federal job cuts in Ottawa, we need to thoughtfully consider this opportunity.

Gaming is not new to the City and its residents, and Ottawa's experience with gaming has been generally positive. The City has had a long-standing and successful relationship with the RCR, with the slots welcoming 2 million visitors per year. Since 2000, the slots at RCR have generated over $45 million in general revenue for the City. In 2011 alone, the Slots at Racetrack program contributed $4.4 million in revenue to the City of Ottawa

At the same time, we need to fully understand the economic benefits and potential public health impacts of a gaming facility. We recognise the health impacts. That is why we are asking staff at Ottawa Public Health to provide the background and advice. It is also worth noting that OLG spends million per year assisting with the challenges of gambling addiction. Revenues from OLG also support health care and other social spending within the province of Ontario. Today we lose the revenue across the river to Quebec, while having to deal with any potential health fallout within our own city and healthcare system.

It is important to ensure that residents have ample opportunity to provide their feedback through public delegations at committee so that when a final decision is made, we will ensure that we have all the necessary information in front of us.

To proceed with this issue, I am proposing a clear two-stage process. The first stage would begin on October 2, 2012 at the next FEDCO meeting. At that time we will consider a staff report, released on September 25, which includes a direction to staff to look at the economic benefits of a gaming facility. This October 2 FEDCO meeting will be held in the evening to make it easier for residents who work during the day to comment on the staff report.

If approved by FEDCO and subsequently by City Council on October 10, 2012, I would write a letter to the OLG to signal that the City would be supportive of a gaming facility in principle. This would not commit the City to a gaming facility, or even a site location, but it allows the OLG to issue a Request for Proposals (RFP) to accept bids from proponents.

The second stage would occur in 2013. It would involve the OLG coming back to the City after completion of their RFP process with a prospective proponent and location. At this time, we would receive a second set of public delegations so that residents can speak to the specific proposal and location. We would also receive the staff report requested earlier on the economic impacts of a gaming facility, and also have an opportunity to review input from staff at Ottawa Public Health.

You should note that, while this is a process driven by the OLG, Ottawa City Council holds the final approval on rezoning for a new gaming facility. It is also important to note that currently there are no sites proposed or shortlisted by the OLG. The OLG modernization process is about involving the private sector and becoming more customer-focused. A broad and competitive bidding process is likely to lead to a higher level of innovation and competition between proponents.

It is in this spirit that I think we should proceed. While some, myself included, have expressed early personal opinions about possible locations for a new or expanded gaming facility, we should not pre-judge or rule out any locations or areas until we receive a final proposal from the OLG. I will be encouraging Council to allow the OLG to work with proponents who have the expertise and market depth to identify options for Ottawa that are most likely to lead to long-term success. We should see what the best proposal is and make an informed decision when the time comes.

Along these lines, I also want to recognize the long-standing, positive relationship we have had with the Rideau Carleton Raceway (RCR). We all recognize the importance of the Raceway to the local economy. I will be calling on City Council to encourage the OLG to run a fair, competitive process that provides all proponents, including the RCR, an opportunity to compete on a level playing field. Further, I will be proposing that Council ask the OLG to consider providing an opportunity for the RCR to be pre-qualified to take part in the final bidding process, given their strong record of success in the Ottawa region.

Another gaming option is about 6 km from the Ottawa downtown core - the Gatineau casino. Industry experts suggest that a majority of the Gatineau casino’s revenues comes from Ottawa residents – revenues that the City of Ottawa and the Province of Ontario do not benefit from. These economic benefits, driven by Ottawa residents, instead accrue to the Province of Quebec. They use this money to invest in roads, hospitals and schools – while the City of Ottawa wrestles with tough decisions about infrastructure renewal and feels the effects of federal job cuts.

Ottawa residents enjoy easy access to these two facilities, but also have smaller-scale gaming options right in their neighbourhoods. This includes charity and church bingo fundraisers, as well as lottery tickets sold in most convenience stores. Given these existing gaming options, a new Ottawa gaming facility would not be a big change from what our residents are used to.  However, the difference would be that the City of Ottawa would receive new revenues that would be earmarked for investments in infrastructure renewal and economic development initiatives that create jobs in Ottawa.

In March 2011, Council’s solid vote (20-3) in favour of adding gaming tables at the RCR underscored Council’s desire to provide residents with a broader range of quality gaming services. The decision was made with the goal of generating more revenue for the City of Ottawa derived from that which is currently crossing the river to Quebec. My discussions with Council colleagues indicate that the vast majority of members of Council do not favour holding a divisive referendum on the issue of gaming. Instead, we should let the best proposal come forward based on industry expert opinion and make a decision, as we are elected to do on many issues each and every day.

I recognize that the idea of expanding gaming in the City of Ottawa may not be met with unanimity, but I also believe that given our City’s positive experience with gaming, residents would support a modest expansion of gaming in Ottawa. I also believe that at the end of the day, individual residents are best able to decide whether or not they want to use a gaming facility in our community – it really comes down to an issue of personal choice.

Again, I thank you for sharing yours with me as it is always welcome.

Sincerely,

Jim Watson
Mayor
City of Ottawa

Detachment and God's will

Here is Fr. Terry's homily for the feast of St. Ignatius. He explains the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola. 

He talks about Ignatius Spiritual Exercises, and in particular the Principle and Foundation, which forms the basis of Ignatius philosophy.

Fr. Terry gives us a very understandable synopsis of St. Ignatius way of finding God.

Our trip to Ireland (God in Ireland)

This video is a small representation of the churches, cathedrals and grotto's in Ireland.

 

The pictures were taken in Ennis and Kilfenora, where both places have churches from the 11th century.

 

Notice in the video, the painting of the Annunciation of Our Blessed Mother Mary. This painting is on loan to the Ennis Cathedral and was painted by Adam Pomeroy.

 

When I saw the painting, I was transfixed by the artist's depiction of this event. An event that is so pivotal to Christianity and especially to Catholics.

 

(Thanks once again to Maureen for putting this together.)

 

Who shall I trust?

Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

Our trip to Ireland (fences)

There's very little I can say about the video below. It speaks for itself. It is a compilation of some of my fence pictures from Lahinch, Kilfenora and the Burren. Mostly stone fences.

There is also a picture of a fairy tree in one of the pictures. According to Irish folklore, it was bad luck to take these trees down, so they are frequently seen in the middle of grazing fields.

I was rather surprised with the lack of trees I saw in Ireland. I never received a clear answer as to why there seem to be so few of them, at least in West Clare where we were. One of the musicians at the Fleadh Nua in Ennis said that the EU wanted the Irish to plant more trees, and he didn't seem too happy about that. Most of the land does seem to be used for grazing of farm animals and he said something to that effect as the reason.

Or maybe the Irish don't like someone else telling them what to do. I get that. I don't like someone telling me what to do either. Like when someone tells me I've already taken enough pictures of stone fences, and why do I need to take more? How could anyone possibly ever have enough pictures of stone fences?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4I6JPuTXbs