ottawavelo

Elmvale Acres

I’ve covered streets in the Elmvale Acres housing development a few times already without even knowing it. Created by Robert Campeau‘s company in the 1950’s, it comprised 1600 homes built on acres of farmland. It was his biggest housing development at the time. Now absorbed into Alta Vista, its existence is alluded to on my paper map by the Elmvale Acres Shopping Centre. A friend mentioned he had grown up in Elmvale Acres, so with fresh info and renewed interest, I headed over to visit the few remaining streets in the area to be hi-lited on my map. Figuring out the boundaries of Elmvale Acres proved a little tricky. The most detailed description I found was on this real estate website, which I’ve outlined below. Hope it’s right.

Here are the streets within Elmvale Acres I covered today.

While the design of the buildings varied, it was interesting seeking out common details, figuring out which forms and proportions had survived the test of time. The varied flat stones on the exterior walls on this house, in combination with the rich red brick were a common detail, emphasized by the horizontal sills extending beyond the edge of the windows. I like it.

Campeau is described in one of his biographies as having very high standards of quality control. The number of houses within Elmvale Acres retaining their original form would support this argument. For example this house with it’s vertical bands of brick appears to be original.

Horizontal house2 — Vertical bands of brick.

The house in the photo below also appears authentic. The one to the left beside it in the same photo must have been identical, having since been renovated with the addition of a wooden deck and matching siding, but never completely shedding its original proportions.

Similarly the house shown below, extensively renovated on the outside, will always retain it’s mid-century proportions.

Horizontal house4 — ‘A man’s home is his castle’

Those houses which have been renovated and taken on their own personality over the past 55 to 60 years have allowed this area to shed an overly dominant sense of repetitiveness that may have existed when they were built. The mature trees and gardens lining the streets contribute to this even more so. Tragically, on one of the last streets visited in the area today I noticed instances of the devastation being wrought by the Emerald Ash Borer Beetle, previously mentioned in this post. A sad sight, a time for rebirth.

One defining feature Elmvale Acres has as a housing development which it shares with developments that followed is the lack of businesses within the community, something my ex-Elmvale Acres resident friend laments. As he pointed out, older communities in Europe as well as some within our region retain more mixed use, such as Centretown and Vanier. I heard the same opinion expressed by Bruce Firestone, interestingly, at a presentation on Lebretton Flats awhile back, summarized in this bloggers posting. Important stuff to ponder as our region evolves.

On the way to Nepean

Needed to pick up some work stuff in Nepean, so I biked there.
Along the Ottawa River Pathway the rich odour from last nights deluge as it fed the desperate flora was intoxicating.

Someone has painted a landscape on this exposed stump of what once must have been a huge branch. The profile of another tree trunk close by has the form of a jovial face.

It was windy.

Greenbelt Pathway – Pinegrove Sector

This morning I headed out to discover the Pine Grove Sector of the Greenbelt pathway.

nccgreenbelttrails-ceintureverduresentiersccn_Page_4 — Greenbelt Pathway – Pine Grove Sector

While passing Hawthorne Park on the way, I noticed this elegant baseball fence behind home plate, made out of chain-link fencing no less.

Still en route, I biked under the wires leading from this hydro complex along Russell Road, as they buzzed madly above me.

The first stretch of trail between Russell Road and Hawthorne Road is lined with Queen Anne’s Lace growing as tall as my handle bars.

The trail eventually bends just before the entrance to Pine Grove Forestry Trail. I didn’t have time to explore the trail, but I did notice the first of these small interpretive panels, the graphics for which are so beautifully layed out. The artist who rendered them is Kiyomi Shoyama. I will return with Carla and the kids to visit the Pine Grove Forestry Trail on the weekend.

There are a number of larger interpretive panels on the way to where the path crosses Davidson Road, to be studied when we return.

Boulevard de la Technologie, and beyond….

Decided to check out Boulevard de la Technologie in Gatineau.

It appears to have few industries, hi-tech or otherwise, so perhaps there are plans in the making.

According to my map, the Boulevard suddenly ends at the edge of an open field. One way to check for unmarked roads or paths is to choose Satellite view in Google Maps. As this image shows, there seemed to be a faint indication of paths criss crossing through the field north of where the Boulevard ends. Noticing that some of these paths lead to Rue Fleury on the eastern side, I decided to try my luck.

I discover there is indeed a gravel path where the Boulevard ends. Further along, the path became truck tire treads through tall grass and dried mud.

Started to get a bit lost, when I came upon this tree with a ladder and platform perched way up high. I don’t hunt, but people I know who do describe using such perches to look out for game. Could have been a kids tree house, but the crushed cans of Busch scattered about the base of the tree suggested other wise.

From atop of the platform I noticed trampled grass heading in the direction I wanted.

field from above — Look down. Look way down.

Further along I came upon this abandoned helmet. But where did the bicyclist go…? I started to get nervous.

Finally I found what I had been seeking – the end of Rue Fleury! Phew! Back to civilization!

But what was this? A cow ski jumping on someone’s front yard? And what possible use could she have with that giant fork?

I then discovered another unmarked path at the end of Chemin Loretta….

… which eventually crosses the Wakefield train tracks, right where they are washed out. Very sad.

Continuing along from here, I joined the NCC bike path at the end of Rue du Dôme where you can catch this amazing graffiti flanking the highway 5 bike path underpass.

Bicycling directions to Boulevard de la Technologie, Hull, QC - — Gatineau Grafitti

I headed home from here. A very exciting outing.

Parc National de Plaisance

Yesterday we loaded up our new bike rack and headed off for a ride in Parc National de Plaisance.

We biked 11 km westwardly along the Sentier des Outaouais from Maison Galipeau in Thurso to the pontoon ferry docking in Baie Dubé. The ferry usually carries passengers and bikes on a half hour ride to the visitors centre near Plaisance, however the mouth of the Petite-Nation River which the boat follows to the visitors centre was not navigable due to the ongoing drought, so we biked back the way we came.

Untitled — The Trail (Sentier des Outaouais)

Apart from the occasional motorboat passing on the Ottawa river, we were surrounded by nature.

We took advantage of one of the many picnic tables interspersed along the route. A couple of lookout towers near both ends of the trail allowed us to observe the flora and fauna of the inland marshes from above.

View of Baie Dubé from bottom of lookout tower…

I was very proud of the whole gang. 22km. I think we set a family distance record. To celebrate we headed into Plaisance for an ice cream. This place has a choice of 20 flavours of slushie, 20 flavours of hard ice cream, and 60 flavours of SOFT ice cream!

Ice Cream Man Eating Ice Cream or Cannibal Cone

Cyrville Industrial Area and Beyond

Decided to cover streets in the Cyrville Industrial Area, right where the Queensway and highway 417 meet.

It’s a quirky place. A small residential area mixed in with light and heavy industries. Many of the houses on the periphery of the residential area have been converted to commercial use.

This new house caught my attention for its seeming confidence of place, regardless of the industrial complexes surrounding it. I love how it is juxtaposed with the log structure off to the side whose sign reads ICE STORM 98. Most likely a tenacious victim of that incredible event.

I’m guessing this was once a residential area before being converted to an industrial zone. I noticed a church in the distance, usually a sign of an established community, so I went to take a look. It’s the Portugese parish of Senhor Santo Cristo, and it looked like these parishioners were getting ready to celebrate! A little research suggested they were preparing for the procession of Senhor Santo Cristo dos Milagres, best described in this post.

Took Cyrville road over to the other side of the 417 which is more residential, even with the Telesat headquarters and dishes looming above.

To get to the other side of the Queensway you can walk your bike over this OC Transpo pedestrian bridge.

Arriving home I was greeted by these two morning glories on either side of the front door.

Bellwether – Longfields Transit Station Art Installation

The other day my daughter and I visited the City Hall Art Gallery’s latest exposition Close to Home, presenting recent additions to the City of Ottawa’s Fine Art Collection. Lots of great work, including a scale model of Bellwether, the Longfields Transit Station installation by Erin Robertson and Anna Williams. I had to see the real McCoy, so it became yesterday’s destination!

This section of the NCC Greenbelt Pathway between Merivale Road and Fallowfield Road weaves it’s way through a combination of wooded area and farmland making it a fine lead up to viewing the piece.

I love what Erin and Anna have done. The work is spread out over three locations on the upper platform, two of which are shown in the photos below. Described here, the strength of the piece is heightened when considered in its context as a point of transition. Each grouping in the three locations can be considered individually, while its overall cohesiveness and layers of meaning can build up over the course of several visits through the station.

On the way back through the Experimental Farm I realized how fortunate we are to have big sky moments such as this so close to the heart of our city. Thank you Experimental Farm.

Ottawa South, way South

Travelled down Albion Road with the intention of turning east towards the NCC Greenbelt Pathway, but I missed my turn, and only realized my mistake as I approached the Rideau Carleton Raceway. I highly recommend against biking along Albion Road. There are no paved shoulders and folks seem to take pleasure in driving very fast down this straightaway.

That said, my mistake was serendipitous as I happened upon a very old and intimate grave site just before the Raceway that I doubt I would have noticed flying by in a car.

The few tombstones date back to the mid 1800’s. This inscription suggested a very sad story, that of a 19 year old mother, her 11 week old daughter and her infant son.

If you forget to bring your water bottle (ARGHH!) you can pop into the Raceway to buy a drink from a Coke machine but expect strange looks and questions from the helpful security guards in attendance.

I have previously been to the Raceway to research a play involving a character addicted to horse betting. A visit to the Rideau Carleton Raceway is a fun outing – choosing your horses while trying to decipher how track gambling works, and the thrill of cheering them on as they trot around the track. Observing the regulars is pretty interesting as well. They tend to wear grey and remain very stoic regardless of which team wins.

I turned off Albion and headed West along Rideau Road, which is equally shoulderless, so I was pleased as punch to happen upon the Osgoode Trail. Never even knew it existed. It was officially opened in 2011.

Up the Gatineau

I’m working on a play that is set primarily along the Gatineau River, so, taking this as inspiration, I set out to cover a few uncharted streets close to its shores.
I crossed over the Pont Lady Aberdeen and headed north.

A short distance up stream I noticed this house covered in it’s original asphalt siding, something I have rarely chanced upon. This style of siding was popular in the 40’s but fell out of fashion and was replaced or covered up with other types of siding.

Shortly after discovering this interesting house I started to experience some intense internal conflicts, and was seriously considering abandoning the adventure, when suddenly, from across Parc de la Riviera I spotted this!

Bless you Ville de Gatineau!

I then continued north and crossed back over at the Alonzo-Wright bridge, which afforded this wonderful view up the Gatineau.

I also checked out Chemin côte d’un mille and happened upon this property filled with a treasure of assorted old vehicles.

Ottawa West via Stony Swamp

The myriad of trails throughout the NCC Greenbelt has this unique signage system to help users navigate their way.

Once one gets used to the idea that the number and letter code at the top of each post designates their specific location on the trail, versus the norm of each trail having its own designation, be it a name, colour or number, the rest is easy-peasy. The location codes correlate to the trail map affixed to each post. You can also download all of the Greenbelt trail maps here.

I found myself travelling through a section of the Stony Swamp trails I’ve hi-lited in blue on this map, along with an image of only one of the wonderful natural landscapes I passed through.

I also came within yards of deer on three occasions, including these two staring back at me.

After exiting the trail at West Hunt Club Road, I was unable to access trails on the opposite side of Moodie Drive because of the brush fire in that area. Access was blocked off to everyone, except these turkeys who chose to ignore the barricades. I photo’d them from Moodie.

Closing this post off with an image of one of The many farms circling Stony Swamp.