October 17, 2013, 5:38 pm
Though spring flooding along the Rideau River may have been a more common concern, summer and autumn storms have also flooded Vanier’s streets from time to time. Pictured here, on August 10, 1959, is the original Notre-Dame-de-Lourdes Church, on a flooded Montreal Road.
The church building was destroyed by fire on May 28, 1973, with today’s modern church structure built two years later. Five bells from the original building have been incorporated into today’s church bell tower.
VanierThen is a regular series, produced in collaboration with Vanier’s Muséoparc. Special thanks to the museum’s researcher, Yanick Labossière, and museum’s curator, Janik Aubin-Robert, for identifying this image and making this possible. Image Credit: Ottawa City Archives, Citizen Fonds.
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October 21, 2013, 7:19 pm
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In a recent publication, The Official Picture, Carol Payne brings to light a long-neglected collection of photographs depicting Canada and Canadian life from the 1940s to the 1960s.
Long-time National Film Board (NFB) photographer Chris Lund was responsible for a significant portion of the thousands of photographs taken for the NFB’s Still Photography Division—a collection now divided between Library and Archives Canada (LAC) and the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography (CMCP).
Payne suggests that Lund’s seductive and technically sophisticated images contributed to the Canadian nation building exercise and that the beautiful images—photographs of an “undeniable sameness”—were accepted almost unquestionably. As such, she argues, the highly choreographed and carefully crafted images produced a form of “banal nationalism,” repeatedly depicting what was commonplace and thus producing “a visual model of normative Canadian identity.”
Lund’s photographs presented here, while not directly discussed in The Official Picture, further Payne’s argument. A group of youthful and fashionable people is touring the National Capital Region. Their activities—hiking along the Rideau River, playing table tennis at Britannia Yacht Club and canoeing at Dow’s Lake—reflect the lifestyle of a new Ottawa, a capital city already freed of what the Gréber Plan had identified as congested roads, unattractive industrial zones and unsanitary housing.
This group of images is part of a broader series that became Canada's photo stock of sorts—a collection of official pictures that “often appeared without a photo credit or with minimal identification of the photographer.” The various regions and activities performed in Canada were photographed and the Division compiled a stock of some 250,000 photographs including a series on skiing in the Laurentians, camping in the Maritimes, fishing in Newfoundland, (shirtless men) gardening in Niagara and shopping in Montreal.
The photographs posted here were taken by Chris Lund in 1952. One of the images, Man, woman and young boy at a motor court in Eastview, was photographed at the Reliance Motor Court (later the Butler Motor Motel; now the Econo Lodge Downtown East) in Vanier.
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Two travellers - one man and one woman - consult a road map before the trans-Canada highway sign at the intersection of highways 15 and 17, Ottawa, Ontario (4292880)
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Man, woman and young boy visit Parliament Hill, Ottawa, Ontario (4292877) |
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Man, woman and young boy at a motor court in Eastview, Ontario (4292882) |
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Man fishing in the Rideau Canal near Ottawa, woman seated next to him (4292847) |
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One man and one woman starting out on a fishing expedition on Dow's Lake, Ottawa, Ontario (4292851) |
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Man and woman canoeing on Dow's Lake, Ottawa, Ontario(4292848) |
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Two women perched on rocks at Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa, Ontario (4292867) |
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Two men and two women play ping-pong at Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa, Ontario (4292869) |
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One man and three women at Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa, Ontario(4292864) |
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Two women at Britannia Yacht Club, Ottawa, Ontario (4292865) |
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Two travellers - one man and one woman - consult a road map before the trans-Canada highway sign at the intersection of Ontario highways 15 and 17 near Ottawa (4292856)
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Two cyclists - one man and one woman - consult a road map on the bank of the Ottawa River in Rockcliffe Park Village, Ontario (4292857)
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Man and woman on fishing trip to Lac Deschênes, near Ottawa; woman takes man's picture (4292858) |
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Man taking picture of woman and small boy at an Ottawamotor court near intersection of Ontario highways 15 and 17 (4292846)
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One male and one female hiker stop to view scene from a height overlooking the Ottawa River in Rockcliffe Park Village, Ontario (4292854)
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Picnicking in Brébeuf Park on the Ottawa River near Hull, Québec (4292852) |
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Two male and two female Canadians greet guests arriving by air at Uplands Airport, Ottawa, Ontario (4292860)
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Sources:
Gréber, Jacques. The 1950 Plan For The National Capital Region: General Report. Ottawa: National Capital Planning Service, 1948.
Payne, Carol. The Official Picture: The National Film Board of Canada’s Still Photography Division and the Image of Canada, 1941-1971. Montreal & Kingston: McGill-Queen’s University Press, 2013.
Photo Credits:
Library and Archives Canada; Copyright: Government of Canada; Photographer: Lund, Chris, 1923-1983.
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October 24, 2013, 4:35 pm
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click image to enlarge
Map: City of Ottawa / Photos: Vanier Cycles (top)
and Rachel Muston (bottom) |
by Rachel Muston
Currently no single, safe route exists for cyclists to travel East to West across Ottawa’s urban centre. Sure, cyclists who know the streets (which ones have lanes, which ones aren’t busy, which ones allow for safe turns) can and do cycle from Vanier to Westboro. But the rest of us, the majority of us, don’t.
Ottawa’s new East-West Bikeway aims to change that. It is part of the Transportation Master Plan and its 12km network of segregated lanes, painted lanes and sharrows will connect the near east (St. Laurent and Hemlock) with Westboro.
This is an exciting and much needed project for Ottawa and also for Vanier. The development of this Bikeway has the potential to dramatically improve the health of Ottawa residents by increasing bike ridership -- one of the goals the City set in the Ottawa Cycling Plan (2008). The latest draft of the plan, to be presented to Council on November 26, 2013, shows that there has been a city-wide increase in cycling during the AM peak period of 40% (over 2006 levels) thanks to changes already implemented such as the segregated lane on Laurier. Vanier results are better than average with a 50% increase in cycling during the AM peak period. The Vanier results are no surprise; as the Urban Commuter blog pointed out, Vanier’s high density and urban location make us a prime candidate for a high bike modal share.
Some major cycling improvements coming to Vanier thanks to the East-West Bikeway include: - The addition of bike lanes on Hemlock and part of Beechwood, designating space for cyclists on what is currently a busy street with fast moving traffic. In addition, the traffic light planned at Hemlock and Birch will increase the likelihood that Vanier parents transporting their children to school at Manor Park will do so via bike.
- Street storm catch basins are being upgraded as part of the construction of the Bikeway. This means that most of the surface grates (which cyclists often have to swerve around and into traffic) will be replaced with curb inlets.
- A left turn bike box is planned on Charlevoix at Beechwood which will move cyclists to the front of the queue and will enable safer, more visible left turning.
- As part of the latest draft versions of the Ottawa Cycling Plan and the Transportation Master Plan, a winter-maintained cycling network is being proposed. The East-West bikeway has been designated as part of this network.
Of course, the plan for the East-West bikeway is not without its challenges. With regards to the section through Vanier, the biggest question is how to equally balance the needs of all the Hemlock/Beechwood users. The designation of a Traditional Mainstreet means that Beechwood must: foster and promote compact, mixed-use, pedestrian-oriented development that provide for access by foot, cycle, transit and automobile (Traditional Mainstreet Zone).
With the proposed bikeway detoured off Beechwood and down Barette for the majority of the shopping district, it is easy to argue that this is not equal treatment. Adding a segregated lane in shopping districts has proven to be an economic driver (evidenced by this NYC study which indicated that businesses along a segregated bike lane showed an increase of sales of 49%); the detour on Barette will do the opposite by taking cycling shoppers away from Beechwood.
In addition to this challenge, there are some other opportunities for improvements: - Increasing the number of segregated bike lanes (upgrading from painted lanes) would make the Bikeway safer for cyclists and is more likely to increase the number of bicycle trips in Ottawa. Cycle Toronto has written that segregated lanes also make roads safer for cars, and sidewalks safer for pedestrians. Local cycling groups have also weighed in with Ottawa Bicycle Lanes Project expressing disappointment that the East-West Bikeway “is not a segregated lane”. In a recent conversation with Sarah from Vanier Cycles, she clearly stated why segregated lanes are needed, “fundamentally people feel safer when they are in a segregated lane.” Further, segregated lanes create “complete and liveable streets and a better, more desirable community”. Last week’s tragic death of skilled cyclist Mario Théoret, who was travelling in a non-segregated bike lane at the time, emphasizes the dangers that cyclists face even in painted lanes.
- Implementing bike lanes instead of sharrows (e.g. along Barette) would provide greater benefits. As many cycling advocates, including Vanier Cycles, have pointed out, “sharrows are not cycling infrastructure” as they do not allocate any space for cyclists and simply act as a reminder to drivers to share the road.
- The Minto development on Beechwood provides an opportunity to vastly improve the cycling infrastructure on the Bikeway section on Beechwood between Charlevoix and the Vanier Parkway and the safety of cyclists and pedestrians at the intersection of Vanier Parkway and Beechwood. This intersection is notoriously busy and dangerous with many drivers rushing through the intersection.
While construction on the East-West bikeway began last Thursday, the plans for the bikeway have not been completely finalized. If you have ideas for how to improve it for our community, there is still time for your voice to be heard. The best way to do this is to contact councillors Mathieu Fleury (Rideau-Vanier) and Peter Clark (Rideau-Rockcliffe) to let them know what you think.
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October 30, 2013, 7:07 pm
by Eva Russell
Halloween is the one day of the year you can dress up as a zombie covered with blood or your favourite Rock icon and assume another identity. The same applies for houses as they can be transformed into spooky haunted mansions with skeletons and zombies lurking behind the bushes. Some of the houses in Vanier have been decorated in the spirit of Halloween, each with varying levels of detail that are worth exploring both in the day and after dark. I wandered around the streets of Vanier earlier this week to explore the bizzare and fantastical houses before the ghosts and goblins arrive in search of treats, and hopefully not so many tricks! ![]() |
| Some houses have expanded on their current decorations, and are animated both in the day as well as the night. |
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| A few houses have kept a minimal approach to Halloween decoration, with pumpkins ready to be carved, cobwebs and a few lonely scare crows. |
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| There are doors with scary faces, missing bloody arms and of course a skeleton or two. |
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| Some houses appeared to be the scene of a crime, but on closer inspection it is a zombie keeping watch! |
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| There are houses with scary black cats, hanging goblins and a mysterious witch lurking in the corner, ready for visitors. |
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| A grave yard or two have been temporarily placed along with costumes available for a last minute rental. |
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| There are spooky houses that reveal even more detail and mysterious figures when one wanders closer. |
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| Skeletons and a lone Montreal Canandians fan keep watch over this house and its collection of cemeteries. |
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| And the graveyard is transformed after dark as the collection of skulls seem to watch one’s every move. |
As you can see, Vanier has certainly kept the spirit of Halloween, and there will be many a treat to be had on Thursday when the ghosts and goblins will be out on the hunt for candy! Happy Halloween from VanierNow!
(Photos by Eva Russell)
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November 6, 2013, 5:34 pm
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By Kristina Sparkes
Get any group of people together in Vanier these days and talk often turns to the future of our neighbourhood. With all the exciting changes that are happening, many of us are hopeful that an exciting mix of restaurants and retailers will someday line all three of our main streets - adding to the walkability and village feel that we love so much about Vanier.
We are off to a great start with many fantastic options available right now! Let’s get out there and support our local establishments and small businesses – it is up to us to prove that Vanier is a great place to operate a business.
The Vanier ‘Must Taste’ list includes fourteen unique tastes from our neighbourhood. These are the dishes that get my taste buds excited, the delicacies that I bring home to serve my guests, the places where I meet my friends and some of the unique culinary experiences that one can only find in and around Vanier.
Some tastes on this list are from our neighbourhood staples that most of us are proudly aware of and continue to support; but if there are items that you haven’t yet experienced – I hope you are tempted to venture out and give them a try!
Here is the list (in geographical order). - Sunday Night Family Dinner - Da Bombe (18 Beechwood): This bustling little café at the corner of Beechwood and Charlevoix is known for its amazing desserts but did you know it also serves a traditional Sunday night dinner? For $23.95 you are treated to a prime rib dinner complete with Yorkshire puddings and of course, a fabulous dessert. Seating is limited so Sunday’s dinner is by reservation only – call (613) 741-0044 to book.
- Week Night Dinner – Arturo’s Market (49 Beechwood): It is impossible to pick just one thing on Arturo’s menu. Their homemade pasta, thin crust pizzas and paninis are all consistently excellent. Fresh without too much fuss – it’s perfect local weeknight dining.
- Cheese Counter - Jacobson’s (141 Beechwood): The selection of cheeses at Jacobson’s is second to none. Just tell them what you are looking for (Pungent? Creamy? Nutty? Musky?) and they will let you sample until you find just the right flavor and texture for your salad or cheese platter.
- Poutine – Vanier Snack Shack (200 Deschamps Ave): And speaking of cheese… My 11 year old nephew (a self-designated poutine expert) ranks the poutine from the Vanier Snack Shack in his all-time top three. And he is not alone – people come from far and wide for the comfort food and friendly service that we are lucky to find right here in our backyard.
- Maple Syrup – Vanier Sugar Shack (300 des Pères-Blancs): Bottled maple syrup is made from sap harvested from trees in Richelieu Park and boiled down to our iconic syrup at the Sugar Shack. The Sugar Shack opens seasonally around December 1st but products are available year-round at the Vanier Museopark.
- Vegetable Soup - Maskali (23 Selkirk): There are many delicious East African options to try here at this small restaurant tucked away in Eastview Plaza but at $1.50 the soup with coarsely chopped root veggies and a lightly spiced broth is warm, filling and probably the best bargain on this list. The “heart” of this soup and all the recipes at Maskali is an aromatic concoction of green pepper, cumin, garlic, coriander and other traditional spices. **Get it while you can – I was very sad to learn that the restaurant has been sold and is scheduled to close November 15th. Stop in and let them know that you hope they will reopen in another location in Vanier.**
- Pupusas - El Tucan (85 Montreal Road): This colourful Salvadorian restaurant famously prepares these traditional corn tortillas filled with cheese, pork or beans served with curtido (fermented spicy cabbage slaw) and tomato salsa.
- Smoked Meat - Bobby’s Table (255 Montreal Road): Bobby’s Table has very quickly and firmly established its place as the neighbourhood hub of Vanier. The congenial hosts, welcoming environment, bargain breakfast specials and of course, their smoked meat, make it everyone in Vanier’s second kitchen table.
- Charcoal Barbequed Chicken - Pili Pili Grilled Chicken (355 Montreal Road) and YKO Charcoal & BBQ Chicken (375 McArthur): We are blessed with not one but two options in our neighbourhood for authentic West African spicy wood charcoal grilled chicken. The whole chicken is rubbed with spices (available in spicy and mild) and left to marinade before it is placed on the grill to create a juicy flavour that puts those grocery store birds to shame. (Call ahead to place your order YKO 613-747-8947 Pili Pili 613-695-7454)
- Double Chocolate French Toast – Todric’s (10 McArthur): Take your brunch up a notch at Todric’s. There are lots of great diner breakfasts to be had in Vanier (favorites include Fontenelle, Vanier Grill and Eddy’s on Montreal Road) but Todric’s offers slightly more elegant breakfast options such as four varieties of poached eggs (including smoked salmon, gluten free cheddar and Cajun chicken) and showstopping French toast made with double chocolate bread made especially for Todric’s by the French Baker in the Byward Market.
- Pizza – Louis’ Restaurant and Pizza (181 McArthur): This Vanier institution on McArthur Road needs no introduction. Their egg dough, thick crust pizza is cited as the best in the city by many - including Councillor Mathieu Fleury who challenged any of his colleagues to dispute this on CBC Ottawa Morning last week.
- Macarons - Hearty Bakery: Arguably the best macarons in the city are made right here in Vanier. Sisters Erin and Amanda Hearty do not have a storefront but make appearances at most local events and if you place an order though their website www.heartybakery.ca you can pick up from their production kitchen on Jeanne Mance.
- Pie - Agop’s Bakery (304 McArthur): These delicious pies are similar to a thin crust pizza that has been toasted and folded in half. It’s heaven you can hold in one hand! There is a great selection of pies at this Armenian & Lebanese Bakery including meat, cheese, feta and spinach and Soujouk (an Armenian sausage). They are great value ranging in price from $1.50 to $3.75.
- Lunch Buffet - Golden India (408 McArthur): This buffet allows you to try most of Golden India’s extensive menu for only $11.99 seven days a week. I am not brave enough to try it but, I have heard from local foodie Kirsten Duke that their Bangalore Pal is very authentic and so spicy that it requires a gallon of milk to eat all of it.
Please share your local favorites. What you would add to the list?
Photos: Kristina Sparkes and Hearty Bakery; Image Design: VanierNow;
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November 13, 2013, 5:59 pm
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by Jennifer Cavanagh
With Rideau Street construction upon us, anyone driving or taking transit across the Cummings Bridge in recent weeks may find themselves wishing for alternate river crossings. Good news! Adapted from another neighbourhood blog, Sandy Hill Seen, we share long-anticipated news from Jennifer Cavanagh.
Back in mid-October (and to be confirmed with passage of the 2014 Budget), the City of Ottawa announced that funding had been allocated for the long-awaited pedestrian and Bike Bridge linking Overbrook’s Donald Street and Vanier’s North River Road with Sandy Hill's Strathcona Park! With the announcement, cheers and joy erupted on both sides of the Rideau River. For those just tuning in, here are some sketches produced by the City of Ottawa to further whet our collective walking and cycling appetites.
The narrow pinch-points have made pedestrian and cycling travel between the two areas unsafe (pinch points on Cummings Bridge), overly extended (the converted train bridge, just north of the 417) and simply unpleasant. It's refreshing to see logic prevailed in this undertaking to build a permanent structure where historically locals once built a summer crossing (see image below).
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The bridge, linking park space along the Rideau River’s eastern shore with Strathcona Park and Range Road on the river’s western shore, creates better access to existing river-side multi-use paths, facilitates access to services & businesses in the adjoining neighbourhoods while creating an essential link for cyclists to the Rideau Canal, Laurier Street, Western Parkway Bike Lanes and beyond. Work still needs to be done to finesse links within neighbourhoods and to create safe-cycling for all levels of bike riding - we'd like to see novices, kids, retirees and lycra on two wheels to relieve traffic congestion & better connect our neighbours and businesses - however the advent of this bridge is confirmation that we are rolling forward in the right direction.
Of particular interest to cyclists is the plan for a designated bike lane connecting the crossing to North River Road (along Donald) on the east, and for a designated bike path around the parking lot in Strathcona Park, on the western edge, eliminating the need for cyclists to traverse the parking lot – making entering and leaving the park much safer. The bridge has also been designed with greater width in the middle to accommodate pier-lookouts that do not impede commuters.
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| Wrapping around Strathcona Park (western shore) |
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| A designated path on the south side of Donald (eastern shore) |
Construction is due to commence in Spring 2014 and be completed in the Fall of 2015 (Wouldn't it be great if it could be done sooner?).
All images: City of Ottawa
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November 20, 2013, 7:02 pm
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by Jessie Duffy
“How long have you been coming here?”
“For as long as the woman could leave the house!”
Murielle, smartly dressed for the monthly social night at the Knights of Columbus, hustled Dominic and I into a tucked away community hall off McArthur Road early in October. Being the first Friday of the month we were some of the last to arrive at nearly 6pm. The long driveway was already packed and still teemed with a steady stream of cars, hopelessly looking for space. Murielle and Yvon, Dominic’s grandparents and residents of Vanier for about 70 years, hailed us down and ushered us through a flurry of great-aunts and uncles, a few cousins and a network of family friends. There was an overwhelming feeling of familiarity, not just among our clique but through the few hundred or so in attendance that had gathered there, as they had many Fridays prior, for one simple thing.
Beans.
Fondly referred to as “Les Binnes”, the bean night is a casual affair that occurs on the first Friday of every month and is hosted by the Knights of Columbus, a religious fraternity, with the proceeds going to charity. Dominic’s family has been going for as long as he remembers, and, well, as long as Murielle can remember too. She and Yvon built their home in Vanier nearly 60 years ago on a quiet corner on St. Denis, when the surrounding area was still filled with streams and forest. While Yvon worked as a cop in Eastview, Murielle tended to their three children, Dominic’s father, aunt and uncle. I suppose it wasn’t until she was free of some of her motherly duties that she was able to accompany Yvon to the bean night.
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“How are the beans tonight?”
Not exactly the stuff of gastronomic passions, baked beans are humble fare, common in many cuisines due to their ease of preparation, availability of ingredients, high protein and inexpensive nature. Their history can be traced across so many varied cuisines that their point of origin is well-disguised. Often associated with the traditional cuisines of New England, Boston baked beans were prepared in earthenware pots, the city symbol during the 18th and early 19th centuries. A flourishing rum (and slave) trade left plenty of molasses for sweetening the iconic dish of “Beantown”. Puritans loved them. Prepared on Saturday, the pot would still be warm come Sunday, the Sabbath, when it was forbid to cook any hot food.
Another thread leads to the cattle-driving cowboys of the American midwest. The chuckwagon (the original food truck!) would push ahead through the night ahead of the crew to have steaming pots of beans ready for them at breakfast. “Cowboy beans” were usually baked with a rib of corned pork and a touch of cayenne, generating some much needed warmth for the trail-weary wranglers.
Then there are feves au lard, or simply, les binnes.
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A staple dish in Francophone cuisine, it most likely has roots in the cassoulets of Southern France, and evolved through the different ingredients and influences that the French settlers found in Canada. New varieties of beans and the sweet perfection of maple syrup were added. The beans, along with chunks of salt-pork and maybe a touch of mustard, would cook in a cast iron cauldron over a wood fire for hours, slowly developing a somewhat smoky, somewhat sweet character. While methods have in most cases (but not all) changed, the dish itself has remained virtually the same. An integral component of the classic fare continues as well. People and communities gather around them.
We lined up behind Murielle, with others piling into the queue, and waited patiently for our turn at the serving table. Pots filled with macaroni and tomato sauce; trays of raw, sliced onions and cheddar cheese; jugs of ketchup and lots of molasses. And of course, what we all came here for. Les binnes.
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It is delicious simplicity. Soft but not mushy, having something of the texture of freshly mashed potatoes, each bean is enveloped in a delicate sauce without being obscured, in a perfect balance of salt, sweet, spice and smoke. Each sense satisfied. And meanwhile a conviviality that is something to behold, the hall loud with laughter and animated conversation. Those wishing to make a night out of it can stay for the live country music or a few rounds of darts. We actually didn’t have the energy to tear up the floor, unlike Murielle and many who were well past our senior. Having stuffed our bellies with dinner and dessert (slices of cheddar dunked in molasses; how could we possibly dance after that?!) we ditched the fledgling party and strolled on home.
For $7 a ticket, the bean night is well worth a visit. You can support a charity, imbibe in a few cheap quarts, savour some hearty and tasty fare, and meet a community of Vanier that has been gathering over this rustic food for decades. It is an easygoing night that offers a glimpse into the uncanny ability of traditional foods to diffuse through cultures and throughout generations. Murielle and Yvon had kindly given us the tour. Dominic summed it up perfectly.
“No special occasion. No celebration. It’s just for some beans.” And good company.
Photos: Jessie Duffy (2013) and from family archives
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November 28, 2013, 7:41 pm
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by Chris Cline
The first chapter of Ottawa's street food experiment is coming to an end as we approach the holidays. The success of many of the trucks and carts, coupled with massive crowds at the Food Truck Rally in September, seems to indicate that street food is here to stay.
Meanwhile, the warmer months were tough for foodies in Vanier. Not only did our farmers' market fail to surface, but we were also left out of the street food frenzy. And so, in some respects, Vanier residents were forced to leave the neighbourhood to take part in some of the foodie fun.
It wasn't supposed to be this way. City of Ottawa officials selected locations for street food vendors by lottery. In late-2012, before the lottery took place, prospective locations were made public and many neighbourhood residents were pleased to see that a spot in Vanier was included. The corner of Olmstead Street and Montreal Road, near the LCBO, would be home to a new truck or cart (see March 3 post: Coming Soon to Vanier).
As summer 2013 approached, results of the lottery were released to great excitement. We discovered that Vanier would be receiving a truck by the name of Epicurean Munchie Truck, or EMT for short. The truck would be run by a group of local restaurant pros, and would focus on tasty, but healthy, options.
The city as a whole hit a bump in the road when many of the vendors had a difficult time meeting their launch dates in early-July. Some vendors complained that the timelines were too tight. Vendors received their permits shortly before the weather started to turn warm and, as a result, many were still putting the finishing touches on their trucks long into the summer. EMT was one of these, with the following message popping up on their website:
"Due to circumstances beyond their control EMT's launch will be delayed! We certainly haven't thrown in the towel..so keep an eye out for us in the future! Great things are coming......." (We haven’t edited this message in any way.)
Despite the optimism of the message, which is still live on their website at the time of this writing, EMT was dead-on-arrival. Though it never did see the light of day, questions remain as to why. EMT’s would-be proprietors didn’t go public with the details of their failure to launch and, naturally, some started to wonder whether Vanier was the problem. Had the folks behind EMT balked at the location they drew in the lottery?
In August, this very question was put to a City official by a local journalist. His response was that, to the City's knowledge, Vanier was not the problem. Rather, the proprietors had had some undisclosed problems in making their truck ready for business. The excuse sounded business-like, leading some to believe that it was a stock reply.
We may never know why EMT didn't make it to the streets of Vanier, but it is a shame that the neighbourhood didn't get to take part in Ottawa’s first large-scale street food experiment. I think that Vanier is a great place for street food, particularly at the corner of Montreal and Olmstead. The area is something of a desert for food options, lacking restaurants or food vendors within a block, yet having a built-in group of lunch-seekers in an adjacent office building. Additionally, beyond area residents, the location is also within walking distance of several large government buildings filled with workers, some of whom would most likely travel for a food truck.
Here's hoping that Vanier will get to take part in the food truck scene in 2014. It's the only way we'll ever know if the neighbourhood can support such a venture.
(Image credit: 123RF Stock Photo)
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December 8, 2013, 4:50 pm
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Image: Cummings Island; Bytown Museum (P154)
Serré, Robert (2008) “Pioneer Families of Janeville (Gloucester Township)” (Ottawa: Gloucester Historical Society)
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December 11, 2013, 5:53 pm
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By Catherine Brunelle
If you live in Vanier, then you know this is a neighbourhood built upon many different stories. Sometimes it’s the entirely charming story of Vanier’s festivals, bike repair shops, sugar shacks, secret artists, history lessons and surprising food options. But there are other realities as well, the harder stories . . . Today’s post is a neighbourhood snap-shot of seeing those realities and taking action.
I was walking down the street the other evening with my husband when we happened to pass a neighbour sitting on his stoop. It was Robert*, a Vanier resident of many years. As usual, we waved to one another and said hello. But instead of passing by as usual, this time we decided to stop and have a real chat. The conversation that followed left me a little more wide-eyed, and quite inspired.
Anyhow, we were passing by his lovely home and commented on how gorgeous the garden was looking. This somehow led into a conversation on house pride, and how he now enjoys sitting on his front porch and watching the world go by. But it wasn’t always like that. For years, the street was dominated by stigmas that have tarred Vanier.
You see, Robert lives on what could now easily be called a ‘booming’ street in Vanier. It’s an example of change that reflects an overall trend in the Vanier community. But go back a couple years, and this was a place of heroine dens, drug trade, prostitution, and slum-like housing. (Mind you, I don’t have a record of these realities, this is just what several neighbours have told me.)
Anyhow, down the road from Robert was a particularly bad apartment building. Cars were pulling up at all hours of the day to buy and sell. All of this was led by one very intimidating man who would sit outside the building with his friends and clients.
Apparently this was going on for quite some time, but when Robert became aware (after he and his girlfriend starting doing gardening, actually, which brought them out of their house more often to notice the growing problem), he decided it was time to create a change.
First, he and the neighbours started a petition. They went house to house collecting signatures of neighbours who didn’t want to live in such conditions.
Then, the street began to watch. Every time a car pulled up to the bad-seed apartment, they recorded the license plates and descriptions of people coming and going. All this was collected in a red binder which Robert kept at his home.
And then, they began to make phone calls. One call after the other, they’d file complaints against the neighbours.
One day it accumulated to the point of being noticed by those in the apartment. The man down the street came over to Robert’s home, where Robert was sitting by the front door. Obviously, I don’t have the exact transcript of the conversation, but it went along these lines:
The fellow was this heavy, intimidating man. Not the kind of guy you want to pick a fight with. He came up to Robert’s doorstep and said, “Hey, Smith (not Robert’s real last name), come over here.”
So Robert gets up and steps down from his porch to be face-to-face with this guy.
The guy continues. “You see this street.” And he gestures so that Robert looks up and down the street.
“Yep,” replied Robert.
“When I move somewhere, it becomes mine. I own this street now.”
To which Robert becomes a Vanier Superhero.
“You see that sidewalk?” Robert asked in reply. “That’s my sidewalk. I pay the taxes for that sidewalk and I pay the mortgage on this home. You see my neighbour? That’s their sidewalk. They pay the taxes, they own their home. You see that house across the street? They pay the taxes, they own their home. We pay our mortgages, we pay the taxes. We own this street.”
I swear to goodness, I had chills as Robert told my husband and I this story. It was astonishing to imagine him pointing his finger at the street, at the houses, at the man who had the drug den, and declaring ownership.
After that confrontation things began to roll. There were talks with the landlord of the building, encouraging him to no longer tolerate the situation; the landlord began participating in tracking the problems and changing tenants, eventually renovating the building. There were talks with the police and presenting the binder full of cars and descriptions; the police began to patrol, patrol, patrol. And there were reports, one after the other, of any and all complaints that could be made against the problem-causers.
What happened? Change happened. I actually now live in that building that was once a cavity. It’s full of renters still, but young professionals and students. There are no midnight parties, no prostitutes, no trouble. And while this type of proactively doesn’t solve the bigger problem of poverty, vulnerability, drugs, prostitution, etc., it did change the area.
It took work to create change, but change they got. As Robert suggested, the first step is looking out your door and noticing the problem, and the second step is doing something about it.
I’ll never forget Robert’s inspiring words, they carry a moral that I think can be applied to Vanier as a whole: “We own this street.” How is that for a good local story?
*Robert is an alias. We’ve decided it is best to change his real name.
Photo: Mike Steinhauer (2008)
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December 15, 2013, 4:43 pm
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| Images: Eva Russell |
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- Public cultural facilities;
- Building design and public art;
- Conservation of heritage resources;
- Conservation/replacement of rental housing;
- Provision of new affordable housing units; land for affordable housing, or, at the discretion of the owner, cash-in-lieu of affordable housing units or land;
- Child care facilities;
- Improvements to rapid-transit stations;
- Other local improvements identified in community design plans, community improvement plans, capital budgets, or other implementation plans or studies;
- Artist live-work studios;
- Energy conservation and environmental performance measures;
- Conservation of existing greenspace or the creation of new greenspace
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According to the City of Ottawa website, four properties in Ottawa are currently in agreement to provide provisions to the surrounding communities as per Section 37: - 801 Albert Street - Contribution of $450,000 towards the design and construction of a future pedestrian bridge over the existing O-Train, with pathways and stairs along the O-Train.
- 111, 115 and 121 Parkdale Avenue and 71 Burnside Avenue– Contribution of $400,000 to a building and recreation fund for the community of Mechanicsville
- 505 Preston Street – Contribution of $1,150,700 secured for various projects including pathway and sidewalk improvements, a public square at Preston and Carling, park development and traffic calming projects
- 460 St. Laurent Boulevard – Contribution of $312,000 for the neighbourhood of Cardinal Glen neighbourhood (adjacent to Vanier’s northeastern edge) to provide bike/walking pathways, tree planting and park infrastructure.
With the rapid growth and increase in density, the City of Toronto has seen the greatest use of Section 37 with a wide range of projects that benefit surrounding communities. What can we learn from the communities in Toronto? That when communities mobilize and formulate their needs to the City and developers, funds from Section 37 can be secured for important projects. These projects are not decided by City staff, but rather (ideally) from active community groups and residents that voice what their community needs. No project is too small or too large, and from the examples of large projects in Toronto, the list is long with potential ideas. Projects such as:
- 1 Valhalla Inn R (22 storey condo project) - $200K for public art (on site or in local area); $1,005,000.00 towards new community centre and/or gymnasium facility in vicinity of site.
- 2464, 2474, 2490 Bloor Street West (10-12 storey condos, mixed-use project) - $290K for streetscape improvements; $500K for capital improvements; $650K for day nursery capital funds in the local area; public art contribution.
- 1171 Queen St. West (19 storey condo project). - $500K (indexed) for one or more of the following: affordable live/work or work spaces for artists, owned/operated by City or non-profit artspace management organization; public art; new work space for Toronto Public Health to allow community/arts use of former space; renovations/restoration of Carnegie Library bldg at 1115 Queen St. W. for performing arts hub and community meeting space.
- 426 University Avenue (42 Storey Condo Project) - $1M (indexed) for affordable housing in Ward 20, local park improvements, and/or streetscape improvements to Dundas Street West; Heritage Conservation Plan including costs for the reconstruction and restoration of the façade and library of 426 University Avenue.
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Now, the residents of Vanier have the opportunity to submit projects for consideration for Section 37 benefits arising from redevelopment of the Eastview Shopping Centre site. The dollar value is unknown at this time, however residents have been asked by the Vanier Community Association for suggestions to ensure that Vanier’s voice is heard. The location for the projects would ideally be surrounding the Eastview site, considering an area within Montreal Road to the north, the Vanier Parkway to the east, Mcarthur Avenue to the south, and North River Road to the west of the site. However the area is not limited to the boundaries of the site and can be expanded. Potential projects for our neighborhood could include:
- A Gateway to Vanier at Cummings Bridge
- Public art
- Traffic calming projects on Montreal Road
- Bixi bike stations at the Eastview development
- A community centre
- A child care facility
- Park redevelopment
- A permanent location for the Vanier’s Farmers Market
- Bicycle/pedestrian underpass under Cummings Bridge
- Affordable housing in the new projects
- New facilities for surrounding parks
Section 37, applied appropriately, can be a positive win for both the community and developers that have chosen to invest in Vanier. These incentives will provide the community of Vanier some much needed financial support that will improve our neighbourhood and promote further development. Suggestions can be provided by email to the Vanier Community Association Sustainable Development Committee.
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December 18, 2013, 5:21 pm
By Rachel Muston
Ola Cocina (pronounced Ola Co-cee-na) opened their doors on Wednesday, December 11 in the old Mitla location and I rushed in on their first day to check it out. I had been anxiously awaiting their opening. In the months since Mitla closed at 62 Barrette, the windows have been covered but it has been a hive of activity inside. The extensive renovations include a sleek new gas stove, a super fast steamer (for tamales), a new floor, a great paint job, and the addition of a soda dispenser -- meaning they have Harvey and Verns on tap.
Editor’s Note: Word on the street is that Ola Cocina will have some hot Mexican bites at this Saturday’s Beechwood Solstice Social, from 2-4, as well; get them before they are gone!
There is some bar seating and a shared family style table, but like it’s predecessor, Ola Cocina is primarily a take away business. What is most important, though, is the food. Fans of Mitla will see familiar items on the menu such as tortas and quesadillas. However, there are some new items, as well, such as tacos (with fillings like pulled pork, house made chorizo and chicken) and churros. Owner Donna Chevrier, is starting with a shorter menu while they get their legs; tamales were put on the menu this week, and in the new year, look for ‘meals to go’ and even paella. Brunch will be available on Saturdays, including the essential huevos rancheros. Donna and 2nd in command Matt Herbert are focused on making food that is familiar but also has a bit of a twist. Fresh is the name of the game here - everything is made from scratch (including the corn tortillas, made fresh daily).
And the food is good. That first night I picked up a taco platter (three tacos plus 2 sides) for hubby and a torta (vegetarian – not on the menu but just ask) for me. The torta (aka “Mexican panini”) was a fantastic mix of refried beans, guacamole, cheese, onions, herbs and spices that was grilled until everything was warm and melty. Yum. Hubby said his pulled beef tacos were equally delicious. I can attest that the sides of beans and Mexican rice were very tasty. ![]() |
| Images: Rachel Muston (2013) |
While there are no vegetarian-specific items on the menu yet, Donna has had many requests for vegetarian offerings and is looking at making the vegetarian torta a mainstay, possibly along with some other items. In the meantime, just ask – many things on the menu can be vegetarian-ized.
The hours are perfect for dropping in on your way home from work. So perfect that I stopped by again on Thursday for another torta.
Welcome to the neighbourhood Ola Cocina. We are glad you are here!
Ola Cocina
62 Barrette St
613-746-6222
@olacocina
Hours: Mon - closed
Tues - 11-7
Weds - 11-7
Thurs - 11-7
Fri - 11-7
Sat - 11-7
Sun – closed
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December 23, 2013, 9:51 pm
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| Click here to see the full set! |
by Mike Bulthuis and Mike SteinhauerWith about 100 cm of snow already having fallen, this year’s holiday lights are lighting up the snow (if the snow has not already covered the lights), while warming the streets, creating playful and intimate streetscapes. And, as in years past (2011 and 2012), we wish everyone Happy Holidays with this, our annual snapshot of Vanier, lit up for the season’s festivities.
From all of us with VanierNow, Happy Holidays! (Photos by Mike Steinhauer)
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| Brass memorial plaque commemorating poet Archibald Lampman |
by Mike Steinhauer
St. Margaret’s Anglican Church, a small chapel-like structure, stands at a busy intersection at the corner of Montreal Road and Cody Avenue. The limestone building, with a short square bell tower and a semicircular apse, could easily be missed as the bright fluorescent lights of a nearby Burger King and the oversized signs of the many cash marts—promising cheap money—compete for attention along Montreal Road.
It may be difficult then to imagine that the church, constructed between 1887 and 1888, was once surrounded by fields and marked the western edge of Janeville—a rural suburb of Ottawa.
In the article ‘Ottawa and its Churches’, published in the Canadian Church Magazine in 1890, Rev. Rural Dean Pollard provides an early account of Anglican churches located within the Ottawa region. St. Margaret’s only gets a brief mention. “Following the line of Rideau Street, past the hospital that crowns the height of Sandy Hill, across the Rideau River and out the Montreal Road about a mile,” writes Pollard, “is a stone church, called St. Margaret’s, Janeville” (1).
Archibald Lampman, a contemporary of Pollard, was familiar with this route. In fact, he would have taken it often—by foot—to escape the sights and sounds of the city. Lampman, both a poet and a postal clerk, lived in Sandy Hill at the Philomène Terrace on Daly Avenue and felt confined to a menial job and restricted by a young wife he slowly became estranged from.
He crossed the Rideau River into Janeville frequently and it is said that he visited St. Margaret’s to meditate (2). The walks to the countryside that surrounded the small church inspired Lampman and may have influenced his poetry. These same walks also took him to the forest at Beechwood cemetery—a wild forest “through which he was accustomed to wander speering about the chilly margin of snow-water pools for the first spring flowers” (3). It was at Beechwood cemetery that Lampman also had to bury his infant son in 1894. ![]() |
| Exterior of St. Margaret’s Church as seen in 1900 |
It is not surprising that the poet, yearning for a simpler life, was drawn to St. Margaret's. Its low walls, sturdy buttresses, pointed arch windows and high-pitched roof—all referenced from English parish churches of the thirteenth century—created an unadorned but intimate space and provided a refuge from the industrialized environment Ottawa had become.
It is perhaps unusual, however, to find a plaque dedicated to Lampman inside of St. Margaret’s as neither his family, nor that of his wife, ever commissioned one. In some of the publications produced by St. Margaret’s Church, it is suggested that Lampman was one of their parishioners (4). This may not be quite correct as Lampman attended St. Alban Church in Sandy Hill—the church where he first met, and later married, Maud Emma Playter.
The story (or rather the lack of details) on how the plaque came to be deserves further attention. The plaque, which was unveiled in a quiet evening ceremony on June 27, 1907 (5), prominently hangs on the northern wall of the nave. It includes the last verse of Lampman’s sonnet Life and Nature:
I passed though the gates of the city,
The streets were strange and still,
Through the doors of the open churches
The organs were moaning shrill.
Through the doors and the great high windows
I heard the murmur of prayer,
And the sound of their solemn singing
Streamed out on the sunlit air;
A sound of some great burden
That lay on the world's dark breast,
Of the old, and the sick, and the lonely,
And the weary that cried for rest.
I strayed through the midst of the city
Like one distracted or mad.
"O Life! O Life!" I kept saying,
And the very word seemed sad.
I passed through the gates of the city,
And I heard the small birds sing,
I laid me down in the meadows
Afar from the bell-ringing.
In the depth and the bloom of the meadows
I lay on the earth's quiet breast,
The poplar fanned me with shadows,
And the veery sang me to rest. Blue, blue was the heaven above me,
And the earth green at my feet;
"O Life! O Life!" I kept saying,
And the very word seemed sweet. ![]() |
| Interior of St. Margaret’s Church |
Margaret Coulby Whitridge, a leading authority in Lampman studies, writes that the plaque was commissioned by Katherine (Kate) Waddell—a parishioner at St. Margaret’s and a clerk at the Post Office Department where Lampman was employed (6). Whitridge’s Lampman’s Kate: Late Love Poems of Archibald Lampman, 1887-1897, published in 1975, further reveals that Lampman had an intimate relationship with Waddell. “There is no doubt that Lampman loved Katherine Waddell dearly and that the passion was an abiding one,” writes Whitridge. “It lasted, through a great deal of suffering and adversary, from soon after they met until the day he died” (7).Regardless of how the plaque came to be, St. Margaret’s seems to be the perfect location for a memorial tablet for one of Canada’s ‘Confederation Poets’. Lampman composed much of his poetry during his excursions in the countryside (8). The poet, “a sensitive, romantic young man in the narrow and suffocating society of Ottawa at the end of the 19th century,” writes biographer Marcus van Steen, “was trapped in a low-paying job and in an impossible marriage” (9). ![]() |
| Lampman at the age of 29 |
Duncan Campbell Scott, a close friend, writes that Lampman, “born without means and always living on a narrow income,” had a desire for simplicity (10). Living “on the borders of the wild nature” allowed him to escape Ottawa. “Lampman felt contemporary society to be inimical to the values of the imaginative life. He protested constantly against an encroaching materialism which encouraged a defective, fragmented sensibility at the expense of vitality, intelligence, and spirit” (11).The poet found comfort outside of the city (12) and found solace in places like St. Margaret’s. Whitridge writes that “Lampman and [Waddell] occasionally stopped beside the church to rest on long weekend walks through the environs of Ottawa” (13). The church’s surroundings provided a space to escape for a poet who “wrote bitterly against marriage, the church, the government, industrialization, and the stifling effects of city life. The poet became increasingly a prey to hypochondria, anxiety, insomnia, and nervous tension” (14).Lampman died of pneumonia at the age of 37 in 1899. His wife, Maud Emma Playter, became the first woman to work at the Library of Parliament where she died, at her desk, in 1910 (15). Katherine Waddell never married and lived with her mother and later her sister until she retired. According to Whitridge, Waddell “died alone at the age of sixty in a small cottage near Hudson, north of Montreal” (16).
The plaque, a beautiful brass memorial tablet, still hangs today on the walls of St. Margaret’s Church—some hundred years after it was unveiled.
NOTES
(1) Pollard, Rural Dean. 1890. “Ottawa and Its Churches.” Canadian Church Magazine. (p. 103)
(2) As stated by both Marion Rogers and the Muséoparc Vanier. Rogers, Marion. 1962. “Archibald Lampman Meditated Here; The Church with the High-up Cornerstone.” Ottawa Diocesan News, June; Muséoparc Vanier. n.d. “Circuit Vanier.” Accessed November 2, 2013. http://www.museoparc.ca/circuitvanier/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/ouest.pdf.
(3) Lampman, Archibald, and Duncan Campbell Scott. 1900. The Poems of Archibald Lampman; Edited with a Memoir by Duncan Campbell Scott. Toronto: George N. Morgan & Co., Limited. (p. xxiv)
(4) Edmond and Pavlis write that one St. Margaret’s memorial plaques was placed “in memory of a parishioner, the famous poet Archibald Lampman.” Edmond, Patricia, and Egon Pavlis. 1998. “St. Margaret’s Anglican Church; Erected 1887; 206 Montreal Road; Vanier, Ontario; 746-815”. St. Margaret’s Church. In a previous handout Elizabeth Wiesner writes that Lampman “although not a regular church goes, may have dropped into St. Margaret’s on his way home after a walk in the surrounding countryside.” Wiesner, Elizabeth. [before 1969]. “St. Margaret’s Church, Eastview, Erected 1887”. St. Margaret’s Church.
(5) “Tablet Unveiled; To Memory Late Archibald Lampma at St. Margaret’s, Janeville.” 1907. Ottawa Citizen, June 28.
(6) A more recent publication by Eric Ball suggests that it may have been more likely that the tablet was donated by a Lampman’s friends from Ottawa. Ball does not dispute the affair with Waddell. Ball, Eric. 2013. Archibald Lampman : Memory, Nature, Progress. Montreal; Kingston: McGill - Queen’s University Press. (p. 159)
(7) Whitridge adds that “considerable evidence exists to suggest that there was at least a brief liaison; but it may have endured for four or five years.” Whitridge, Margaret Coulby. 1975. Lampman’s Kate : Late Love Poems of Archibald Lampman 1887-1897. Ottawa: Borealis Press. (p. 19)(8) Lampman and Scott, p. xxiii
(9) Van Steen, Marcus. 1975. “Lampman’s Secret Love Poems.” [Ottawa Citizen?], August.
(10) Lampman and Scott, p. xxii
(11) Davies, Barrie. 1977. “Marginal Lampman.” Canadian Literature 73 (Summer): 122–124.
(12) Scott writes that “in the city he walked habitually with a downcast glance, with his eyes fixed upon the ground; in the fields and woods he was alert and observant.” (Lampman and Scott, p. xxi)
(13) Whitridge, p. 22
(14) Whitridge, p. 14
(15) Email conversation with Dianne Brydon, past Director General, Learning and Access Services, Library of Parliament; November 14, 2013.
(16) Whitridge, p. 22
Photo Credits
Brass plaque: Mike Seinhauer, 2013
Exterior of St. Margaret’s Church: Anglican Diocese of Ottawa Archives; 51-03-9
Interior of St. Margaret’s Church: Mike Steinhauer, 2013
Lampman at the age of 29: Topley Studio Fonds, Library and Archives Canada, PA-025725
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| Richelieu Park |
By Rachel Muston
Outdoor activities are a proven way to beat the winter blues and here in Vanier there are plenty of activities from which to choose. One way to enjoy the great outdoors is by skating at one of four outdoor rinks.
1. Optimiste Park (between Marquette and Ste-Cécile). This rink is maintained by City of Ottawa crews. Hockey players take note - the rink has boards. As there is no supervision, use of the rink is on a first-come first-served basis. Note that there are no washrooms as the pool building is closed for the winter. However there are lights so the rink can be enjoyed day and night.
2. Richelieu Park (300 des Pères Blancs). This rink has a long history and has been on the same site for over 50 years! The Vanier Rink Rats establish and maintain the rink each winter thanks to the help of a number of volunteers and a small grant from the City. This money is used to buy equipment like shovels, a snow blower, waterproof gloves, etc. In true community spirit, the Rink Rats donate any money that is left over at the end of the season to the local food bank. Like the rink at Optimiste Park, there are lights and boards. Washrooms are available in the adjacent community centre (hours of operation). The rink is a true public rink – which means no bookings and anyone is free to use it at anytime (groups are not allowed to exclude others from using the rink at the same time).
3. St Paul’s Park (admittedly, located just beyond Vanier’s former boundary, between Donald and Moorvale, but are we still keeping track?). This rink has lights, meaning it too can be used day and night. There are also washrooms and a field house. Use of the rink is on a first-come first-served basis but can be booked for an event or hockey game. To book the rink at St. Paul’s Park, fill in the online Outdoor Rink Permit form. Note: This rink is not yet operational for 2014.![]() |
| St. Ambroise Park |
4. St. Ambroise Park (off Landry) This cute puddle rink is a relatively new addition to Vanier and looks to be in great shape for 2014. There are no lights, boards, washrooms or supervision, but it’s a great rink for little ones.
Want to get involved? Two of the four rinks are actively looking for volunteers:
1. The Vanier Rink Rats are always looking for volunteers to help with flooding or shovelling the rink at Richelieu Park. If you are interested, contact the Vanier Rink Rats at stefancherry@yahoo.com or pigeon@primus.ca.
2. Due to a shortage of volunteers, the rink at St. Pauls Park is not yet up and running. If you would like to help get it started or help maintain it, contact the Seasonal Recreation Office at 613-580-2590 or via email at seasonalrecreation@ottawa.ca![]()
For more skating and winter fun, be sure to mark the Vanier Winter Carnival on your calendar, set to occur on February 15 (at Richelieu Park). Hockey games are some of the events being planned (with one team involving members of the Ottawa Police).
Photo Credits: (top) Mike Steinhauer, 2012; (centre) Rachel Muston, 2014. Map: VanierNow
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January 16, 2014, 3:51 am
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| Ottawa's Craft Breweries (click to enlarge) |
by Chris Cline
Beer lovers in Vanier are likely well aware of the explosive growth of the craft beer scene. In Ottawa and beyond, the craft beer movement seems to be expanding at breakneck speeds and, with it, the growing masses of beer aficionados waiting impatiently for the latest IPA, saison or smoked porter.
But the growth of the craft beer movement hasn't happened equally, at least in geographic terms. A quick glance at the map of Ottawa craft breweries I created (above) for Apartment613 in 2013 shows this phenomenon locally.
Simply put, the east end of Ottawa proper is something of a desert for craft beer. Sure, Beau's All Natural Brewing and Cassel Brewery are located east of Ottawa. And granted, Beechwood has an outpost for fans of the Clocktower Brew Pub. But otherwise, there's little else for east-enders to get excited about when it comes to beer, especially for those who don't want to leave the city. That certainly rings true in Vanier.
But things seem to be changing in 2014. Dominion City Brewing is set to open this year on Canotek Road and I personally can't wait to see what they come up with. And this Saturday, January 18th, the Black Irish Pub on Selkirk Street will hold its first ever Craft Beer Night in Vanier.
Attendees can sample a cross section of beers from four fantastic breweries, including locals Kichesippi Beer and Beyond the Pale Brewery, Vankleek Hill's Beau's and Toronto's Spearhead Brewery. Each of these breweries consistently delivers exciting new brews, so you could do worse than to head out and sample their wares on Saturday. And doing so might show business owners and breweries that there is a market for craft beer in Vanier and Ottawa's east end. Black Irish Pub owner Derek Marcotte is certainly thinking that way. If things go well, he told me, we may see more Craft Beer Nights at the Black Irish in the future.
Things kick off at 7 p.m. The Black Irish Pub is located at 15 Selkirk Street. Other online details are sparse, but you can follow the hashtag #CraftBeerNightinVanier on Twitter.
Map: Chris Cline
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January 22, 2014, 7:23 pm
Remnants of a mainstreet (Beechwood Avenue)Photo: Mathieu Trudel, 2014
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January 27, 2014, 7:40 pm
by Catherine Brunelle
Who doesn’t love maple syrup? And if you love maple syrup, you probably also love Vanier’s charming community-centred Sugar Shack. And if you love the Sugar Shack, then you must love the Vanier Museopark, because that is the organization behind your lingering-winter-Sunday-morning-treat of pancakes, eggs, bacon and puddle of local maple syrup. Today I’m so glad to introduce to you the newest director of the Vanier Museopark, Marie-Claude Dicaire. Marie-Claude arrives to our neighbourhood (having previously lived here as a student) with a background in theatre. Currently, she splits her time between working at the Vanier Museopark and acting as coordinator of French Theatre and for Zones Théâtrales at the National Arts Centre. Marie-Claude was also nominated in 2013 for a Gemini Award for Best Original Program produced for Digital Media, which is impressive and cool. You may be wondering, what is Marie-Claude planning to bring to the Museopark? “It’s a bit early for me to speak about what I want to bring here, cause it’s only been a week,” explains Marie-Claude. “But I surely want to keep the contact that we have with the community, the Vanier residents. We do have good contacts with older people, but one thing that I’d like to do is expand the big family of the Museopark by doing more activities for young people, for youth, and the twenty-five to thirty-five year olds, the young families and students.” Which made me wonder, how does this potential expanded family learn about the Museopark? There are many educational programs for kids. Marie-Claude shows me the flyer listing events and talks about upcoming programming. This year, during the Sugar Festival, the Museopark will be hosting a project for teens to become involved with the publisher Les Éditions David. However, it is interesting that when I mentioned writing this article to my friend who recently bought a home in the area (having moved over from Beechwood), she asked me, “What is the Museopark?” As if she’s heard of it, but doesn’t actually know what it’s all about. And that somewhat puts a pin in a big question. What is the Museopark? Where does it fit in Vanier? It’s certainly more than a space hosting exhibits (pretty cool exhibits, actually. They are currently showing the history of Le Droit) on the second floor of the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre. According to their website, the Vanier Museopark is an organization dedicated to the tangible and intangible heritage of Quartier Vanier, Richelieu Park and the French-speaking population of Ottawa. The museum isn’t just a stationary exhibit: it’s the Sugar Shack, it’s in Richelieu Park, it’s the Trail of Authors, it’s the activities, it’s the chronicling of our local history, it’s the murals (whether or not you love them), it’s the maple syrup ... (By the by, The Museopark is coming out with an app to walk the murals and learn the history of Vanier. That app with also include a map to walk the trail of authors, along with audio accompaniment, so the “museum experience” truly does extent into the community.) ... And it’s the heritage of a French community. Which is where I become a little extra curious. The museum is a preservation of French Culture, but it’s also an active member of the Vanier community, which is certainly starting to shift in demographics away from being predominantly French. So as a new director, what is Marie-Claude’s perspective on the evolution of the Museopark and the French Quarter? “If we still want people to come, we need to adapt,” she explains. “I think there are more young families coming around here, so we’re still developing educational programs. We have a few that we are developing. [...] I think the history of the French community here is quite important. I think there are still many Francophones around. But it’s true that there is a big community of Francophones in Orleans too, but I think that people who are born in Vanier want to stay.” No matter what side you fall on the French Quarter question, the Museopark does a good job of honouring the rich history of our area, and that’s a fortunate thing for anyone who loves Vanier – Francophone or not. Expect more Sugar Festivals, audio tours of our neighbourhood, history lessons, Easter egg hunts, tapping of maple trees (happening this Family Day), and beautiful pilings of pancakes. Aren’t we lucky to be able to live our local history? It was a pleasure to meet Marie-Claude, and I was excited to hear about her experience in storytelling through theatre. She was welcoming and a humble host during my visit. Actually, everyone I met that day while visiting the museum was welcoming. The admission is free, and the space is a secret that needs to stop being a secret. Next time you find yourself in Richelieu Park, why not drop in? And once released, hop onto their website and download the tour guides. There’s loads of opportunity here for a great afternoon out. And personally, I can hardly wait for those maple trees to be tapped! Many thanks to Marie-Claude for her time and consideration in sharing the story of the Vanier Museopark. The Museopark can be found at 300, avenue des Pères Blancs, second floor. They’re also on Twitter, and Facebook too. Photos: (top left) Muséoparc Vanier Museopark / Benoit Aubry; (top right and bottom left) Mike Steinhauer; (bottom right) Le Droit as published with “L'union de la poésie et d'une web série” article on October 25, 2012
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February 2, 2014, 8:47 pm
by Eva Russell
Spring may still be months away, but when the snow finally melts, pedestrians and cyclists will be treated to some new way-finding signage and bulletin boards with directories on the streets of Vanier. In late 2012, a group of residents on the Vanier Community Association (VCA) submitted an application to the City of Ottawa Better Neighbourhoods Program, a program which supports community driven neighbourhood improvement projects and provides funding up to $30,000 for projects that may not otherwise receive funding. The submission from the VCA included a neighbourhood way-finding system, a network of community bulletin boards and a Festival of Nations (which was held August 24, 2013). The application fit the bill for the program’s goal of supporting small scale community projects that contribute to making more livable neighbourhoods. The team, led by Nick Heisler and Ron Stone, set forth planning and developing the way-finding signage and directories projects with City of Ottawa Staff over the course of 2013, and are now just waiting for things to thaw out before installation.
The inspiration behind the way-finding signs comes from the Walk (Your City) project born as a Guerilla Signage project in Raleigh, North Carolina with the goal of promoting walkability and cycling for residents. The movement has spread to cities all over the globe, fueled by residents that want to promote walkability and neighborhood development while improving the health of their communities. What destinations in Vanier would you want to highlight to pedestrians and cyclists that are new to our neighbourhood or long time residents? The VCA asked the same question and used a temporary “Guerilla Signage” project to involve the community to identify the destinations. Blank signs were provided and residents were instructed to place their sign in a visible location, directing pedestrians and cyclists to the destination by providing walking and cycling times. These temporary signs could be found around Vanier providing walking and cycling times for destinations such as Nault Park, the Wabano Centre, Bobby’s Table and Optimiste Park. Based on survey data and feed back from the community, a list of destinations was finalized, locations for the signs were identified and the signs were designed with walking and cycling distances and times. Come this Spring, there will be about 30 signs located throughout the neighbourhood for non-commercial destinations such as parks, community centres and various social services. Each will display distance and approximate walking/cycling times and will also include a QR code directing users to the VCA website for more information. A series of community maintained directories will complement the signs and provide more information on commercial destinations not captured by the way-finding signs and will provide space for community postings that will be located in visible sites with pedestrian traffic. So hang on for a few more months of winter, and get ready to start following the Vanier signs and directories to unknown and known destinations.
Photos: Eva Russell (2014)
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February 7, 2014, 2:08 pm
by Mike Bulthuis
Set within about a square-mile, and adjacent to downtown, Vanier’s character as an urban neighbourhood creates a number of opportunities for getting around. Transit routes aren’t always the most direct – making even more desirable the possibility of cycling, especially for shorter errands or community jaunts. The 2014 arrival of RightBike, Ottawa’s own (well, Causeway’s own) community bike-share, is about to make this even easier – connecting Vanier to a growing list of other downtown and downtown-adjacent neighbourhoods.
In January, the City’s Better Neighbourhoods Program (BNP) announced the winning submissions for 2014. Vanier residents may already be familiar with the program; Eva Russell wrote earlier this month about the community pedestrian and cycling wayfinding signage to be permanently installed this spring – another outcome of the BNP, and another demonstration of what the City aims to achieve through the program – namely, “small-scale projects that make neighbourhoods more liveable, vibrant, healthy and beautiful.”
Enter RightBike.
Operating as a community-owned bike-share system, RightBike has operated in Westboro and Wellington West since 2012, growing in 2013 to include the Glebe. First envisioned by Causeway Work Centre, the Wellington West BIA and SLOWest, the bike-share began operations with 40 (purple) bicycles and 3 “rental” stations, known as “hubs.” Hubs are hosted by businesses or community institutions – much like the one in front of Cycle Logik (above) – and inevitably help to facilitate street-level interactions. Last year’s RightBike expansion saw growth to 8 hubs, creating greater possibilities for inter-neighbourhood trips (bikes can be left at a different hub from where they are rented). Clearly, proximity of hubs within a growing network matters.
As one of three BNP winning submissions for 2014, RightBike plans to expand the community bike share to Vanier, Overbrook, Sandy Hill and Somerset West. Through the BNP, the City-RightBike partnership will help trouble-shoot possible issues with expansion, whether related to right-of-ways, hub locations, or other unanticipated hiccups – while benefitting multiple neighbourhoods over several wards.
Not only does RightBike offer individuals viable opportunities to bike short distances (with either a paid membership or daily fee), but the initiative creates employment opportunities for marginalized individuals. Indeed, RightBike is a member of the Causeway group of social businesses, a network of socially-minded, not-for-profit ventures focused on creating training and employment opportunities for persons experiencing barriers to the labour market. RightBike’s bikes are maintained by mechanics with Cycle Salvation, another initiative of Causeway (giving used bikes another chance at life).
Causeway clients may work for extended periods with one of their social businesses, or may graduate elsewhere into the labour market (as an aside, it’s exciting to see such social businesses growing in and around Vanier; Gourmet Xpress, at the corner of Montreal Road and Marier Street, was profiled earlier on VanierNow, while EcoEquitable is set to open its fashion boutique at Heartwood House, on McArthur, later in February). As with other social businesses, more than teaching and learning employment-related skills, RightBike clients and staff experience deeper inclusion within the urban social fabric.
So, why Vanier? Beyond proximity, Shane Norris, head of RightBike, suggests Vanier already understands the RightBike mission. He points to Vanier’s growing cycling culture. Not only is the neighbourhood adjacent to downtown, but we’re increasingly connected to a citywide (ish) cycling network – with the East-West bikeway being developed and the Vanier / Overbrook - Sandy Hill multi-use crossing over the Rideau River set to become a reality in 2014-15. Last year’s VéloFest – spearheaded by Vanier Cycles - was a big success, with a repeat already in the works for June 1, 2014.
Beyond the neighbourhood’s cycling culture, Shane also points to RightBike’s existing relationship with the Vanier Community Service Centre (VCSC). In fact, since 2012, the VCSC has coordinated Vélo Vanier, described by Citizen Cycle as a “free bike loaner initiative.” With just under 90 bikes, Vélo Vanier operates like a bike library – offering loans, with periods of a day to several weeks, for no-cost to Vanier residents (the K1L postal code pays!). The program was launched by VCSC after an initial purchase of 40 bikes from Cycle Salvation, and subsequent contributions of the Optimiste Club and individual donors (made possible with external funding). Borrowers include kids or adults, with a primary goal of making cycling accessible to all. These bikes, too, are maintained by Cycle Salvation.
RightBike and Vélo Vanier are each unique; however, having them both in the neighbourhood may foster innovative synergies – further enhancing access to bikes and cementing Vanier’s cycling culture.
What's Next? Businesses wanted
Before RightBike sets up shop, they’re welcoming businesses or community institutions - particularly those with space for outdoor bikeracks -- to self-identify! While a business needs an individual to be on-site for handing out keys to unlock the bikes, the RB staff make this a painless affair, providing all of the scanners, software and training needed. Indeed, the face-to-face contact is a key element of RightBike – and its goals for community interactions. Even moreso, space for a local servicing centre for the mechanics would be welcome (RightBike staff carry broken bikes via cargo bikes; this is a carless operation). Donations to the bike fleet are welcome, too (contact Shane, or head over to the RightBike headquarters).
RightBike’s planned expansion into Vanier creates exciting opportunity – fostering cohesion across neighbourhoods and cementing Vanier’s place in Ottawa’s urban environment. Maybe it's time for our own bike repair shop / café on Montreal Road?
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Photos: RightBike (2013)
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