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Transit Changes
Oct. 4th, 2019 08:39 pmSo we're winding down an era of public transit history here on the Ottawa side of the river this weekend.
Route 95 was part of my life from the day I started taking classes at Algonquin. Since I live on the other end of the city - even pre-amalgamation, this was true - from the Baseline campus, Route 95 was an essential component of getting around town. Officially, I lived in Gloucester for the first year, Cumberland for the second, and my classes were in Nepean. But, still...it was all Ottawa, or it was all going to have to become one Ottawa eventually. Mike Harris' shotgun civic marriage plans in the works or not.
Route 95 was the glue that was binding them together. And now, supposedly, the O-Train Confederation Line is taking over from that. The vision is incomplete for now, but Phase 2 pre-construction tree-clearing and suchlike is underway. So that's going to happen. Barring a total disaster in federal and provincial funding not coming through, which...I suppose is possible in the next three weeks once the 2019 federal election is done.
It makes getting around town a little more complicated than it was. No more single-route bus-rides straight into Centretown and Lowertown West/ByWard Market and Sandy Hill.
It's going to take some adjustment.
Route 95 was part of my life from the day I started taking classes at Algonquin. Since I live on the other end of the city - even pre-amalgamation, this was true - from the Baseline campus, Route 95 was an essential component of getting around town. Officially, I lived in Gloucester for the first year, Cumberland for the second, and my classes were in Nepean. But, still...it was all Ottawa, or it was all going to have to become one Ottawa eventually. Mike Harris' shotgun civic marriage plans in the works or not.
Route 95 was the glue that was binding them together. And now, supposedly, the O-Train Confederation Line is taking over from that. The vision is incomplete for now, but Phase 2 pre-construction tree-clearing and suchlike is underway. So that's going to happen. Barring a total disaster in federal and provincial funding not coming through, which...I suppose is possible in the next three weeks once the 2019 federal election is done.
It makes getting around town a little more complicated than it was. No more single-route bus-rides straight into Centretown and Lowertown West/ByWard Market and Sandy Hill.
It's going to take some adjustment.
Street Name Connections
Aug. 27th, 2019 10:47 amLast weekend, I took a walking tour of Elmvale and Alta Vista. Towards the Elmvale end of things, there's a couple of streets named for title characters of Shakespeare's plays...
And the man himself who wrote those is commemorated in Vanier, a little ways north of Elmvale (using the oldest street-name sign that I could get a picture of):
And the man himself who wrote those is commemorated in Vanier, a little ways north of Elmvale (using the oldest street-name sign that I could get a picture of):
Art Schooling in Orléans
Jun. 26th, 2019 09:02 amIf you're in Orléans, the east end of Ottawa outside the Greenbelt, you might mistakenly believe that there's not much in the way of art-skills learning in this borough. The good news is that "mistakenly" adverb choice is on-target.
The Apartment 613 arts and culture weblog has a profile on the Ottawa School of Art's Orléans Campus at the Shenkman Arts Centre.
An additional thought: in recent years, the photography equipment retail chain Henry's and the Ottawa-headquartered art supply store Wallack's retreated from Orléans for financial reasons. I would argue that putting their stores at the corner of Innes and Tenth Line - at the opposite side of the borough from "the Shenkman" - was a mistake. As was the later retreat. The Orléans Town Centre Mall, clustered around the Cinestarz Orléans cinema and right across the street from "the Shenkman" and ten minutes away from Place d'Orléans Mall, might have been a better venue for both retail operations. There was enough empty space in the Town Centre to serve them both.
Now? Not so much. The empty space seems to be more available at Place d'Orléans nowadays. If Henry's and Wallack's were to return to the east end...
The Apartment 613 arts and culture weblog has a profile on the Ottawa School of Art's Orléans Campus at the Shenkman Arts Centre.
An additional thought: in recent years, the photography equipment retail chain Henry's and the Ottawa-headquartered art supply store Wallack's retreated from Orléans for financial reasons. I would argue that putting their stores at the corner of Innes and Tenth Line - at the opposite side of the borough from "the Shenkman" - was a mistake. As was the later retreat. The Orléans Town Centre Mall, clustered around the Cinestarz Orléans cinema and right across the street from "the Shenkman" and ten minutes away from Place d'Orléans Mall, might have been a better venue for both retail operations. There was enough empty space in the Town Centre to serve them both.
Now? Not so much. The empty space seems to be more available at Place d'Orléans nowadays. If Henry's and Wallack's were to return to the east end...
This isn't an "authorized" follow-up yet. But...some of you might remember my article on the backstory of Eastway Gardens originally "Bannermount". If not:
http://spacing.ca/ottawa/2010/09/13/ottawas-alphabet-village/
There's a bit of a follow-up nine years onward. The people living there now might have their own hopes and plans, but it's going to get (more) complicated to act upon those plans judging by this report from CBC News Ottawa:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/tremblay-road-eastway-garden-development-1.5188581
We're talking here about lands bordering on the cloverleaf interchange at Tremblay Road and St. Laurent Boulevard here. When I first moved to Ottawa back in 1985, they were used by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. I don't recall what that branch of the provincial government did there. Evidently, the land fell into federal hands in the decades since then. Sandwiched, so to speak between Avenue U and St. Laurent. Does it mean we finally get Avenues V, W and X added in? I don't know right now.
Something to keep an eye on.
http://spacing.ca/ottawa/2010/09/13/ottawas-alphabet-village/
There's a bit of a follow-up nine years onward. The people living there now might have their own hopes and plans, but it's going to get (more) complicated to act upon those plans judging by this report from CBC News Ottawa:
https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/tremblay-road-eastway-garden-development-1.5188581
We're talking here about lands bordering on the cloverleaf interchange at Tremblay Road and St. Laurent Boulevard here. When I first moved to Ottawa back in 1985, they were used by the Ontario Ministry of Transportation. I don't recall what that branch of the provincial government did there. Evidently, the land fell into federal hands in the decades since then. Sandwiched, so to speak between Avenue U and St. Laurent. Does it mean we finally get Avenues V, W and X added in? I don't know right now.
Something to keep an eye on.
It's an Anglican Church on Elgin Street in Centretown Ottawa. They've since removed this signage in favour of a more fixed and unchanging design.
Ottawa-Gatineau History Bookmarks
Nov. 12th, 2017 08:17 amOn the Veterans' Housing Project in modern Carlington:
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/the-vets-neighbourhood-where-everybodys-mother-was-everybodys-mother
http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/the-vets-neighbourhood-where-everybodys-mother-was-everybodys-mother
RIP: David Dollin
May. 10th, 2015 10:31 amI just got the word in e-mail from Leslie Wilson at WritersFest. We've lost the festival's signature bookseller, David Dollin. Some of you who live in Ottawa will remember him working for years with the local Nicholas Hoare Books location on Sussex Drive across the street from the National Gallery. I'd bought more than a few tomes from him in both of his roles.
Details here.
OIWF is hosting a Celebration of Mr. Dollin's life.
Details here.
OIWF is hosting a Celebration of Mr. Dollin's life.
Research: Kenson Park
Aug. 5th, 2013 09:13 pmNoticing the neighbourhood's existence again today after travelling to get pix of the local street-name signage. Here's what little Wikipedia has on it so far.
Can anyone help me find more on how the neighbourhood was developed?
Can anyone help me find more on how the neighbourhood was developed?
One last weekend...
May. 5th, 2013 08:43 pm...before I rejoin the ranks of the un(der)employed again.
Yes, again.
It's become somewhat damaging to what peace of mind there is in this skull of mine, never mind the financials over the years. But it seems that a great many of us across the planet are still Expected to bear such burdens as part of the Price of Employability.
Pfah.
Anyway, the weekend was good in several senses: educational, entertaining, with a fair bit of travelling involved. Three Jane's Walk-affiliated tours of as many neighbourhoods: ByWard Market, Old Ottawa South and New Edinburgh. Roughly 350 photos of varying levels of quality taken in the course of those, from which I hope to cull a sufficient number to be of help on Flickr and possibly to a couple of publications as well. We'll see how that goes over the course of the next week.
The resumption of allergic reactions made enjoying the walking tours a bit more difficult than would have been preferred. But it should be over and done in a couple of additional weeks, if everything sticks to established patterns.
Speaking of travel plans: over on meetup.com, I've got movie dates set for the Ottawa SF Society re: Iron Man 3 (this upcoming Friday) and Star Trek 12 (two Fridays thereafter). Hoping to lock in a 2D-format showing as close to 7 PM as humanly possible, and keeping an eye on both the Silver City Gloucester and World Exchange Empire theatre complexes to that end. The meetup.com dates are officially set for Silver City, but that's subject to amendment.
More as it comes to mind...
Yes, again.
It's become somewhat damaging to what peace of mind there is in this skull of mine, never mind the financials over the years. But it seems that a great many of us across the planet are still Expected to bear such burdens as part of the Price of Employability.
Pfah.
Anyway, the weekend was good in several senses: educational, entertaining, with a fair bit of travelling involved. Three Jane's Walk-affiliated tours of as many neighbourhoods: ByWard Market, Old Ottawa South and New Edinburgh. Roughly 350 photos of varying levels of quality taken in the course of those, from which I hope to cull a sufficient number to be of help on Flickr and possibly to a couple of publications as well. We'll see how that goes over the course of the next week.
The resumption of allergic reactions made enjoying the walking tours a bit more difficult than would have been preferred. But it should be over and done in a couple of additional weeks, if everything sticks to established patterns.
Speaking of travel plans: over on meetup.com, I've got movie dates set for the Ottawa SF Society re: Iron Man 3 (this upcoming Friday) and Star Trek 12 (two Fridays thereafter). Hoping to lock in a 2D-format showing as close to 7 PM as humanly possible, and keeping an eye on both the Silver City Gloucester and World Exchange Empire theatre complexes to that end. The meetup.com dates are officially set for Silver City, but that's subject to amendment.
More as it comes to mind...
Ogilvy's - After the Crash
Apr. 6th, 2013 08:33 am
Ogilvy's - After the Crash, a set on Flickr.
A week or so ago, a planned "slow" and partial demolition of the old Ogilvy's Department Store Building in Ottawa's ByWard Market district intended to be partially reversed to the effect of recreating a five-story building as a three-story facility went somewhat...awry. These photos depict the state of the building as of Easter Sunday 2013.
Mapping Projects of the Moment
Jan. 13th, 2013 11:29 amTwo things I'm learning Google Maps in order to build right now:
A map of possible locations for an independently-owned bookstore in Orléans, Ottawa.
A map of my perception of Ottawa's neighbourhoods past and present. Call it a prelude to building a proper historical atlas of the city.
A map of possible locations for an independently-owned bookstore in Orléans, Ottawa.
A map of my perception of Ottawa's neighbourhoods past and present. Call it a prelude to building a proper historical atlas of the city.
Farewell, Collected Works
Dec. 24th, 2012 04:55 pm
And the word is out.
No rescue to be found for the Collected Works Bookstore.
As I mentioned earlier in the month, this is where - for two years - the Pen and Paper writing workshop held most of its sessions. They'd set up tables and chairs for us, and
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themoo37 would lead our "Merrye Bande" in telling each other tales, fictional or not, in order to see what worked, what didn't...or maybe just to vent somehow. Some of the articles I've written for Spacing Ottawa over the years got some issues resolved during those sessions, in fact, with help from the gang at the store.
Well, the Merrye Bande of Pen and Paper still survives, and will be holding our gatherings at Rideau Branch of the Ottawa Public Library on Tuesday nights from 6:30 PM to 8:15 PM, barring any sudden changes in venue preferences. It's not the first time we've moved onward. From Chapters-Gloucester to the Nihao Tea House in Gloucester Centre Mall to Collected Works...and now Collected Works is gone the way of the Nihao Tea House.
I enjoyed Collected Works, though.
Thank you to Christopher Smith and Craig Poile and their staff for hosting us these past two years. Thank you for your help with my entertainment and my research alike. You helped me a lot.
I'm sorry that it's over.
The Ghost of a Bookstore
Nov. 15th, 2012 08:53 pm
It happened a few months back, in the Spring of 2012. The National Capital Commission hiked up the rent far enough that the store's namesake and owner decided it wasn't worth the trouble to maintain an Ottawa presence anymore...
Notes from Around Ottawa
Aug. 24th, 2012 09:43 pmTwo items of recent interest:
Eric Darwin notes some of what was going on in the near west side neighbourhoods - from Tunney's Pasture to Dow's Lake - in 1967. I'm considering adding his feed to my friendlist here.
UrbSite notes some of the archeological finds coming out of Lebreton Flats and the need for a proper city-focused museum.
Anyone found anything of interest about their own neighbourhoods?
Eric Darwin notes some of what was going on in the near west side neighbourhoods - from Tunney's Pasture to Dow's Lake - in 1967. I'm considering adding his feed to my friendlist here.
UrbSite notes some of the archeological finds coming out of Lebreton Flats and the need for a proper city-focused museum.
Anyone found anything of interest about their own neighbourhoods?
Photography in and of Orléans
Aug. 19th, 2012 10:42 amI've started up something new on Flickr:
Orléans, East of Ottawa
Our focus: Photography done in and around the borough of Orléans, in the eastern reaches of the city of Ottawa, from its earliest days post-settlement to the present.
If you've taken pix of the neighbourhood, on the ground or in the air, from Convent Glen to Avalon, those pix are welcome in this particular Flickr group!
Orléans, East of Ottawa
Our focus: Photography done in and around the borough of Orléans, in the eastern reaches of the city of Ottawa, from its earliest days post-settlement to the present.
If you've taken pix of the neighbourhood, on the ground or in the air, from Convent Glen to Avalon, those pix are welcome in this particular Flickr group!
Sources for the Emily Stowe Article
Aug. 7th, 2012 05:17 pmIn case anyone's wondering about those:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Stowe
http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/emilyjenningsstowe.html
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/physicians/030002-2500-e.html
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emily-stowe
If anyone would like to suggest additional sources...?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emily_Stowe
http://www25.uua.org/uuhs/duub/articles/emilyjenningsstowe.html
http://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/physicians/030002-2500-e.html
http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/articles/emily-stowe
If anyone would like to suggest additional sources...?
Heads-Up re: Jane's Walk in Lebreton Flats
May. 6th, 2012 09:15 amI hope to have photos up later today or tonight re: the Jane's Walk tour of the railroading history landmarks - what there still is and may yet be of them - of Ottawa's Lebreton Flats district.
Watch this space and/or my Blogspot "art blog"...
Watch this space and/or my Blogspot "art blog"...
More Good (Spacing) News
Dec. 5th, 2011 03:29 pmAs in Spacing Ottawa.
That item I promised re: Besserer Street in Sandy Hill?
It's live!
More, it's been reviewed by Open File Ottawa.
Also: fellow Spacing Ottawa contributor Kathryn Hunt comments on cycling issues over there. You might want a look at that one also!
That item I promised re: Besserer Street in Sandy Hill?
It's live!
More, it's been reviewed by Open File Ottawa.
Also: fellow Spacing Ottawa contributor Kathryn Hunt comments on cycling issues over there. You might want a look at that one also!
