Orleans Weekly Journal
Published: Friday, February 15, 2008 

In defence of Walter's column

Dear editor,

Last week you published a letter from A. Widdows wherein she asserts that Walter Robinson’s “writing says nothing about Orléans.” Widdows wrote that Robinson should talk to his neighbours, friends, co-workers, etc., for column ideas. And she asked that he add some humour, look at situations differently and reach out to the Tim Horton’s crowd.

Robinson assures me that his column ideas do come from neighbours, friends, etc. Over a recent two-week period his minivan was spotted at all five Tim Horton’s. He also bought coffee at both Esso’s and sadly, his local Tim’s crew on Trim has revoked his morning coffee-club membership due to his penchant for looking for java in all the wrong places.

I have clipped each of Robinson’s articles since he first appeared on Nov. 2. He started with the top five reasons to live in Orléans. The next week he wrote a humourous account (just my opinion) of riding OC Transpo from and to Orléans.

I clearly related to his Nov. 16 column about local over-commercialization of Christmas. On Nov. 23 it was the “lockdown” at his son’s school… a drill repeated at several schools in our community last fall. On Nov. 30 it was a timely piece about horrible highway habits of Orléans drivers on Highway 174.

Dec. 7, it was dinner hour interruptions. Is Widdows the only person in Orléans whose residence has not been assaulted by suppertime peddlers? This experience of fending off charity canvassers at the door and telemarketers on the phone while trying to cook dinner and help with his son’s homework set the stage for Robinson’s Jan. 18 multitasking column.

On Dec. 14 I enjoyed learning about the 100 Greatest Hockey Arguments book, co-authored by Orléans resident and sportswriter David Naylor. A week later, Robinson profiled a Team Ottawa-Orléans workshop on new ideas for community development.

Early January it was Robinson’s non-working, leisurely day life in Orléans at the grocery store, the LCBO, Tim Horton’s, etc. Jan. 11 was about the struggle to keep New Years resolutions; it was a hot topic at a neighbourhood dinner party on Robinson’s street. Jan. 18, see above. As for Jan. 25, he wrote about the city’s reclamation of the Ray Friel complex. MapQuest says Ray Friel is in Orléans.

Then last week it was Afghanistan and the military families in our community. Confession time: I eavesdropped on Robinson’s chat with General Rick Hillier in the dairy section of the Superstore.

If Widdows or other readers have ideas for columns, they can email orleansouttakes@transcontinental.ca, I hear Robinson is always open to suggestions.

-- By John Doe

Editor’s note: John Doe is Walter Robinson’s alter-ego.