Month: October 2012

In the middle of the Experimental Farm, just west of Fisher Avenue, sits a big gorgeous solitary oak. Today I biked over to pay it a visit.

I biked past the Experimental Farm greenhouses along the way. This old one is looking great.

To get up close to the oak tree, you need to ride along the inside of the fence that runs along Fisher avenue, then turn west along an old gravel road that brings you to the tree.

The isolated oak sits in stark contrast to the harvested fields.

And if you love Canada geese, this is one place you are likely to find them. There were hundreds in the surrounding fields. Their continuous honking echoed across the open ground, providing an eerie soundscape while contemplating the oaks heavy gnarled surfaces and complex network of leafless branches.

I continued along the gravel path through the farm heading west until I came to Merivale Road, and then followed the Experimental Farm Pathway to Nepean to cover some residential streets through Centrepointe I had yet to visit. Based on the styles of all the brown brick houses and the height of trees I’d guess the area I biked through was developed in the 80’s and early 90’s.

On the way back I happened upon the old Nepean City Hall and Centrepointe Theatre. The theatre is still going strong. There was a tone of green strongly adhered to throughout all of the old city’s corporate identity that I’ve come to know as Nepean Green. It is still in evidence on the exterior of the building, as is the old city logo above the entrances.

Across the street at the entrance to Centrepointe Park sits this memorial to the late city. The stepped landscape gradually builds centripetally upward towards the fountain. In the middle is mounted a bronze slab, the outline of which describes the boundaries of the old city. On one of the concrete pillars behind the fountain are mounted the dates of the city’s existence (1792-2000) in raised letters set against possibly one of the last applications of Nepean Green.

I then hopped onto the network of NCC pathways which led me along our mighty river towards home.

Yesterday my son had an afternoon hockey game in the Urbandale neighbourhood so I biked there. A section of the Poets’ Pathway passes through nearby Pleasant Park Woods, which I’ve been wanting to re-visit, so I followed their suggested route on the way home. Here’s how the journey panned out.

To get to this part of town I usually ride along the canal, cross over at Hogs Back Falls, bike back down along the Rideau River Eastern Pathway, then cut east along Pleasant Park Road. This I did in reverse on the way home, but today I was running late so I chose a more direct route down Bank Street to get there. Bank Street Bridge over the Rideau River is treacherous on a regular day. Presently it is under construction, making it even more dangerous for bicyclists. Won’t do that again. It’s a spot to avoid.

Many houses in Urbandale have this interesting pattern of protruding bricks on their front facades.

This raised paved shoulder straddles Heron Road, which I rode along to get to the start of the Poets’ Pathway. These exist along other busy roads throughout the city as well. Not sure what their intended purpose is. Carla thinks they pave them because nothing worthwhile can grow so close to the side of these busy roads due to the salt and dirt plowed there in the winter. I consider them bike path wannabe’s.

The Poets’ Pathway (Walk 8) is along a network of intersecting unmarked trails, which isn’t too confusing since the strip of parkland it follows is relatively narrow, as long as you generally keep heading in the right direction. A compass or gps might be useful.

Most of the trail looks like this….

… until you reach the woods.

It started to rain as I made my way back along Pleasant Park Road, so I pulled out my super water proof gloves purchased at Preston Hardware just the other day for 50¢! I kid you not – 50¢! OK, they lack bling, but they work like a charm. There’s even room for little wooly gloves when it gets colder.

Here’s what you’ll be up against if you choose to bike back over the Bank Street Bridge.

Here’s a view of the Rideau you’ll be treated to if you choose to continue along the Rideau River Pathway.

Now that they’ve drained most of the canal, Dow’s Lake is teeming with ducks and Canadian Geese. I’m guessing they are taking advantage of the freshly exposed seaweed. Mmmm, yummy!

There’s an area east of the Gatineau River where most of the streets are named after French regions, cities or communes. Yesterday morning I biked over and checked some of them out.

Here is the Gatineau River where it flows into the Ottawa River, as seen for the Lady Aberdeen Bridge.

From Rue St Louis along the river I turned up the bike lane that runs parallel to Rue de Picardie, (below on the left) which joined this dedicated bike lane along Rue des Flandres (below on the right).

The area is bordered on three sides by the Gatineau River, highway 50 and avenue Gatineau. Based on the styles of houses I’d guess the area was developed in the fifties and sixties.

Many of the front yards are graced with full deciduous trees looking glorious at this time of year.

On Monday afternoon Carla and I headed east to explore Richelieu Park. We took a slight detour along the way to have a peek at Gamman House, purported to be the oldest house in the pre-amalgamated city of Vanier. Here’s the route we followed.

I was anxious to see what shape Gamman House was in, since the image on Google Street view shows it boarded up and seemingly abandoned. According to this article recent plans to turn it into the Ottawa’s Workers’ Heritage Centre Museum have fallen through. When we pedaled up to it I was pleased to discover the exterior in good shape. Renovations are being done on the inside. What it will be used for I don’t know.

UPDATE, April 12, 2013 – Gamman House has been turned into an artists studio!

On the way to Richelieu Park we came across this eye catching and well preserved old house. A little plaque says it was built in 1923. A sign on the gate post reads ‘CHAT LUNATIQUE’.

Further along just before turning up Avenue des Pères Blancs sits this fantastic house with a front yard that pulls out all the stops. UPDATE Summer 2017 – All the lawn ornaments have sadly been removed.

Avenue des Pères Blancs is a nice long street leading up past stone pillars into Richelieu Park.

The Pères Blancs is a Catholic Society of Missionairies of Africa whose scholasticate occupied the site of Richelieu Park. They were expropriated by the city of Vanier when the province ordered the city to acquire more park land. This statue of the Virgin Mary left by the missionaries greets visitors as they enter the park.

Sneaking around the back of the building on the right, we came across this impressive communal garden.

Other vestiges of the Pères’ presence are scattered throughout the Park, like this white cross sitting in amongst the trees.

But the trees themselves are the most memorable offerings the Pères left for us to enjoy – hundreds of sugar maples which continue to be tapped annually, boiled down to maple syrup in their sugar shack, and celebrated during the Spring Maple Sugar Fest. Never been, but I hope to now that I know about it. Here’s the sugar shack.

And here is one of the many paths we followed through the trees.

We exited to the East and biked up Saint-Laurent Boulevard. Carla lived in this part of town when she was really young, and remembers this great vintage DQ sign always being there.

Too chilly for ice cream, so we retraced our path down St-Laurent and worked our way back through Beechwood Cemetery, which is extremely picturesque especially at this time of year with all the leaves on the huge trees changing colours. So why didn’t I take any photos? I dunno.

Beechwood Avenue to the north of the cemetery is a nice street but not so great for biking. Cars go fast and there isn’t much of a shoulder.

So if you don’t find it too creepy, biking through the cemetery is a much better option.