Elaine Russell is living her dream THE EMC - KA8

By SARAH KELFORD
Staff Writer
EMC News – Watching
Victorian-era movies like
Pride and Prejudice or Sense
and Sensibility it is hard
not to get caught up in the
moments of dance and performance at the portrayed
social gatherings.
Residents of Ottawa have
an opportunity to learn these
dances with the Ottawa
English Country Dance
Club.
“The tunes are absolutely
gorgeous,” Mary Williams
describes of the many things
she enjoys about dancing.
“You feel yourself flowing
with this kind of music and
you don’t have to worry
too much about fancy footwork.”
Williams said that the
club encourages anyone who
is interested to try, no experience is necessary.
“We encourage young and
old, as long as you want to be
there, want to listen and
want to improve,” Williams
noted.
A big draw for many
dancers is that with English
Country Dance partners are
not needed.
“One of the reasons I
joined was because you
don’t need a partner,” said
Vivienne Chenier, who has
been dancing for over two
years. “You have to know
your left foot from your right
foot. That’s about it!”
Bob Cook, who started
dancing because he is a historical reenactor, said that
many of the dancers are history buffs.
Once a month the dancers
are treated to live music by
the Playford Players, a local
group of musicians who play
time pieces. Some of these
dances include the Queen’s
Jig, Chestnut, Long Odds,
Chocolate Round O, Winter
Dreams, 1st of October and
Dublin Bay.
Williams noted that new
members don’t need to be
nervous because every dance
is lead by a caller, who has
studied the dance and will
make suggestions to help
dancers learn the moves.
“It’s good physical exer-
cise, it’s social exercise,”
said English Country Dance
“guru” Irfona Larkin, who
started dancing while at
school in Wales. “There is
not many opportunities in
day to day life to take hands
with people and look at them
in the eyes. It’s a wonderful
social activity.”
There are currently at
least 40 members of the
Ottawa English Country
Dance Club. The dancers come from all over the
Ottawa region.
Members of the club
dance every Friday night
at the Mlacak Centre from
7:30 until 10 p.m.
For more information
about the club, visit www.
ottawaenglishdance.org.
A local
Realty
community
Solutions Ltd.
fundraiser with
Brokerage
a global cause.
50% of proceeds
to Haiti
Earthquake
Relief
&
HURCH
The Trinity
C
a
r
r
e
n
t
n
i
val
i
W
Come and Join the Fun!
BAKERS DELIGHT SALE:
Baked Goods
Cook Books
Cooking Equipment
FILL THE IGLOO FOOD DRIVE
Please bring non-perishable food
items to help us fill the igloo.
Carnival Games and Prizes
Snow Sculpting Contest
Kids Ball Hockey Tournament
for Ages 7-12
Get your photo with the
Olympic Torch (10:30am-Noon)
EMC photo by SARAH KELFORD
PRESBYTERIAN
present...
PLUS LOTS OF FUN
FOR KIDS INCLUDING:
The Ottawa English Country Dance club spends Friday
evenings at the Mlacak Centre in Kanata where they
enjoy building their dancing skills and friendships.
Every month the club enjoys live music from bands,
including the Playford Players, who were present on
Friday, Jan. 22 to help members get in the mood.
RINITY
275847/0122
English Country Dancers
bring lively spirit, simple
footwork to Kanata
Entertainment
SHOW
at 1:00pm
Saturday
February 6
10:30am-2:30pm
110 McCurdy Dr.
Canteen, Cafe, Chili and Hot Dogs and more
KANATA
Email to register for hockey is: twcht10@gmail.com
Check out: www.trinitykanata.ca for more info.
or Search Trinity Winter Carnival on Facebook
Elaine Russell is living her dream
For the first 20 years of
her career, Elaine Russell
was an employee. She
worked in dental offices
as a hygienist, a labour of
love for someone who truly
enjoys caring for people.
But, then it all changed.
Elaine ventured into the
unknown. She opened her
own small business, Kanata
Dental Hygiene at 417B
Hazeldean Rd. in Kanata.
She recalls that it was
scary at first, but now two
years later, she is proud
of her accomplishments.
After her inaugural year,
her enterprise was named,
“new business of the year”
by Kanata Chamber of
Commerce. Now the fledging operation has expanded with a second hygienist
and two more nominations
for Chamber Awards.
“This year we’re nominated in the small business
category and in the health
and wellness business category,” said Elaine. “We’re
very grateful for the support we’ve received from
our clientele.”
That support has been
earned by offering quality
service at affordable rates.
Both Elaine and Kathleen
Feres
Patry,
another
20-year veteran in dentistry, are dedicated to providing clients with friendly,
caring service. As a member of the Ontario Dental
Hygienists Association,
Kathleen helped to set the
legislation that established
dental hygiene as an independent practice. That leg-
running my own business,
and I have found it to be
very rewarding,” she says.
“You meet many interesting people as a business
she remarks. “But if you are
willing to work hard and
provide excellent service,
then you should succeed.”
Elaine is reaping the
EMC photo by DAVID JOHNSTON
By DAVID JOHNSTON
Special to the EMC
Kanata Dental Hygiene is a small business that cares for people. Jennifer
MacPherson (left) is ready to schedule your appointment with owner
Elaine Russell, or her new colleague Kathleen Feres Patry.
islation was the catalyst for
Elaine to venture out on
her own in business.
It takes courage to start
your own business, but
Elaine believes that her
dedication to service is a
winning formula that will
help her business to thrive
for years to come.
“ I thought I would
enjoy the challenges of
owner and that helps to
expand your perspective
and knowledge.”
Elaine also likes to
network, and is active in
local associations as well
as taking part in events
sponsored by the Kanata
Chamber of Commerce.
“You have to be committed to success in today’s
competitive marketplace,”
rewards of building a solid
business plan.
“For the first 20 years, I
was gathering experience
and knowledge and creating my vision. Now I am
living my dream.”
For customers, the benefits are bountiful. Dental
hygiene is a conduit to
early detection of a variety
of health issues. It’s widely
THE EMC - KA8 - Friday, February 5, 2010
accepted that oral infections and conditions such
as gum disease can lead to
serious health risks.
“If improving your
health isn’t reason enough
to visit a hygienist regularly, then your smile should
be,” she said. “Your teeth
are one of the first things
people see. If they’re bad
or you have poor oral
hygiene, people may think
that you don’t care about
yourself. That can lead to
missed opportunities, low
self-esteem or a lack of selfconfidence.”
The dedicated and
committed staff at Kanata
Dental Hygiene will ensure
that you get the benefit
of personal attention to
health issues related to
your mouth.
Regardless of age or
lifestyle, the warm welcome is the same when
you come into Kanata
Dental Hygiene, easily
accessible across the street
from Hazeldean Mall, with
plenty of free parking.
“We serve a lot of families here,” says Elaine. “Our
services are more affordable, generally 20 to 30
percent less than the fees
established by the Ontario
Dental Association. That’s
important for people who
may not have a dental
insurance plan.”
With flexible hours six
days a week, Kanata Dental
Hygiene is open to serve
you when you’re available.
Elaine schedules enough
time to ensure a thorough,
unrushed assessment.
“Dental hygiene is one
of the things people should
not take for granted. You
have to make the time for
maintenance if you want
the value of prevention,”
advises Elaine.
When you visit Kanata
Dental Hygiene, you will
receive a comprehensive
oral assessment, backed up
by planning, implementation and evaluation.
Your hygienist will look
for signs of health issues
visible in the soft tissues
of the mouth. Then she
will discuss your options to
improve your hygiene and
overall health.
If a whiter smile is
your goal, Kanata Dental
Hygiene can help with an
inexpensive way to look
and feel better about your
appearance.
Take the first step
toward better oral health
by visiting Kanata Dental
Hygiene. Call Jennifer at
613-592-2044 or email
kanatadentalhygiene@
bellnet.ca to make your
appointment. To learn
more about their many services, check out Kanata
Dental Hygiene online at
www.kanatadentalhygiene.
com.
David Johnston is a freelance writer currently on
assignment with the EMC.
311706/0205