Art & Architecture – Page 7 – OttawaVeloOutaouais

Visiting Mary on Christmas Day

The true heroes on birth days are mothers, a status all the more enhanced when the magical moment occurs in less than ideal conditions, like in a manger surrounded by livestock. So in recognition of this I toured a few depictions of Mother Mary throughout the city. Here’s the route I followed, purple line going one way, blue line coming back.

First stop was just inside the gates of St Vincent Hospital overlooking Lebretton Flats towards the Gatineau Hills. That’s where this statue of Mary stands in a small grotto.

in my last post I lamented not being able to cross over the pretty white bridge leading to New Edinburgh. I took a closer look at the map and discovered there was another way to gain access by following a path off Sussex Drive as shown on the above map. The plaque mounted on one of the steel supports tells us it’s the Minto Bridge, installed in 1900.

I was also able to ride along the well travelled and packed down Rideau River Trail as far as Beechwood Avenue. A little bumpy but well worth it.

The second depiction of Mary on our tour is this statue at the end of Avenue des Pères Blancs. The Pères Blancs is a Catholic Society of Missionairies of Africa whose scholasticate occupied the site of Parc Richelieu. 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.

Next stop – Notre Dame de Lourdes Grotto.

Statue of Mary at the Notre Dame de Lourdes grotto

The surrounding context is quite a sight to behold. All around there are miniature shrines depicting the stations of the cross such as these.

Near the entrance to the site is this assemblage of miniature plaques giving thanks for various divine interventions. It is interesting to note the evolution of mini-plaque designs over the years.

UPDATE – Christmas 2019 – The original tour included a final stop back in Chinatown, where this painted icon of Mary and child was mounted outside the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral. Hélas, it is no longer there.

Icon of Mother Mary and Child originally outside the Annunciation Orthodox Cathedral at the time of the original post (December 2012), since removed.

Happy birthday JC, and way to go Mary!

Biking to Gatineau in the winter

Today I biked to a meeting at Les Ateliers du Théâtre de l’Île on Rue Garneau. Some sections of my route were sufficiently icy that I would not have ventured down them sans studded front tire, so on the map I’ve hi-lited those sections in red. As you can see these sections are intermittent and avoidable. It was great to see many people out biking throughout this blustery day.

There was some slick ice lurking beneath the dusting of snow along this off shoot of the Ottawa River Pathway, just west of the Portage Bridge, up the hill from where the kayakers big storage containers are located.

A bit further on, just west of where the path goes under the Portage Bridge, one section is cleared and salted. I came from the left.

It was a windy day, as suggested by the tufts of snow clinging onto this frozen section of the Ottawa river.

Where the path turns back under the Portage Bridge on the Gatineau side, there is a surreal soundscape of industrial steam pipes hissing and popping away intermittently all around. This wasn’t happening in the summer when I biked past on numerous occasions, so maybe it’s only a winter thing.

On the way back from my meeting I biked through Le parc Fontaine. It’s standardized modern facilities and layout belie the importance it held within the community over the years, as described on this interpretive panel situated on the southern edge of the park.

There are a number of beautiful old buildings along Rue Laval and Promenade du Portage, such as these.

There is also this well preserved 60’s building where the two streets cross, suitably adapted as a modern furniture store.

Biking along Slater St and Queen St

My goal is to pedal down every Ottawa/Outaouais street at least once. For some streets, once is enough. Like Slater Street and Queen Street, which I rode along yesterday morning. They are not very bike friendly, regardless of the green bike ROUTE signs fastened to the occasional telephone pole. But they ought to be safe to bike down for folks who work there, live there or need to ride down them for whatever reason.

My destination was the old post office at Sparks and Elgin to mail off Christmas gifts. Blue line’s how I got there. Red line’s how I got back.

At the corner of Bronson and Slater there is a very wide graffiti wall. Here’s how it appeared through the frost covered chain link fence.

Slater is three lanes heading east one way. The south side is pretty much a transit way, forcing bicyclists to hug the shoulder-less curb on the opposite side. Drivers instinctively consider this outside lane to be the passing/speeding lane. Pretty nasty.

I was pleased to turn up Elgin Street and see Oscar sitting outside the NAC covered in a frosty layer. This wonderful commemorative statue by Ruth Abernethy is extremely welcoming. I often see folks sitting on the piano bench beside Oscar, listening to his music coming from speakers placed up above.

Construction scaffolding and plywood presently surrounds the main entrance of the post office at Sparks and Elgin, caging in this noble sentry.

Fortunately these two proud beasts remain on duty at the side door on Sparks St.

I travelled down Queen Street on the way home. It felt safer than Slater, perhaps because there was only one lane keeping the traffic calm.

The narrow space between the parked cars and the traffic presents another very real danger of being doored, i.e. when a passenger of a parked car opens their door without checking to see if any bicyclists are coming, forcing a collision. This is what lead to the senseless death of Danielle Naçu in October 2011. Here is the ghost bike along Queen Street commemorating this tragic event.

Danielle Naçu — Commemorative ghost bike

They knocked down part of Christ Church Cathedral awhile ago along with a few other old dwellings to build condo’s, but retained these facades to be incorporated into the new building. I am often fascinated by the juxtaposition of temporary structures used to retain or protect old structures as shown in this image.

And finally, a shot of Jack Frost’s handiwork, looking out towards the park at the western end of Queen St.

Biking to Yarn Forward in the Glebe

I biked to Yarn Forward in the Glebe late in the afternoon to buy some sewing supplies. Here’s how I managed to get there and back, avoiding traffic as much as possible along the way.

I set out following the north-south bike path along Percy Street. Once on the other side of the Queensway I turned east on Glendale Avenue. This led me to the edge of Ottawa’s very own Central Park. The path through the park isn’t cleared, as you can see in the image below, but it’s extremely well travelled, so I’m guessing it will be navigate-able throughout the winter. Yes, that’s ice all over the path. My studded front tire was an absolute necessity through this section.

Most of the houses in the Glebe were constructed in the early part of the 1900’s. It was one of Ottawa’s first suburbs. The sturdy dwellings which have survived the test of time have adapted over many generations of residents and taken on their own personal character, like this house along Roseberry Avenue with its interesting porch detailing.

Yarn Forward on Bank Street is a great mid-sized store for all kinds of sewing and knitting supplies.

I decided to take a more circuitous route home that took me along the Rideau Canal and the Laurier Avenue bike lane.

Here are a few other examples of early Glebe dwellings along Strathcona Avenue decked out in Christmas lights, all set for the festive season.

The path along the west side of the canal is cleared making it a great ride all year round, with the Pretoria Bridge and Laurier Bridge to be admired along the way.

Biking to Bernard Grand Maître Arena in Vanier

My son had a hockey game out in Vanier last night, so I biked there. Here’s how.

Sandy Hill is full of big old beautiful houses. That’s because Louis Besserer, who owned most of it when Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital in 1857, decided to develop Sandy Hill into THE place to live for rich folk like lumber barons, diplomats and politicians. And it worked. Laurier, MacDonald, Pearson and Mackenzie King each set up residence there at one time. Now a bunch of embassies have settled into a number of these old gems scattered throughout the area, like Poland, at 443 Daly Street, which looks great at night. They light their ornate front porch with its panelled copper ceiling to great effect.

Biking along Montgomery Street in Vanier I noticed a mural on the side of this building, depicting how a Dr Harris’ property along the Rideau River might have looked like back in 1870.

Then I noticed this very funky 60’s style canopy and decorative detail on the same side of the building that have survived the test of time.

Just before I got to the arena I passed this modernist church on Cyr Avenue, graced with big panels of stained glass.

Christmas Lights in the National Capital Region – By Bike!

They turned on the annual Christmas lights display along Confederation Boulevard last night, so I checked them out! They will be on every night until January 7th.

Orange line is how I biked to Parliament Hill for the launch. Blue is the route I followed to see most of the official sites.

The flipping of the switch was launched with an explosion of mini fireworks.

... as the smoke settles. — … as the smoke settles.

Now the route I’m proposing is full of splendid night time sceneries, with or without Christmas lights. The view from behind the Centre Block across the Ottawa River to Gatineau is one such example. Looking out across the river also gave me my first indication that they’ve considerably scaled back on the number of Christmas lights from previous years.

View across the Ottawa River to Gatineau

Major renovations are happening on the West Block. Whole sections are wrapped in scaffolding and tarp, creating these internally lit glowing cube structures.

One used to be able to bike in front of the West Block, avoiding having to ride along Wellington, which is not a very bike friendly section of road. Hopefully once the the West Block renovations are completed they will lighten up with the crazy security and once again allow folks to access the hill from the west gate. Otherwise, the first opportunity to get off Wellington is opposite Bank Street, just beyond the closed off gates and line up of parked police cars. First left and a bit further along brings you alongside the wonderfully lit Supreme Court of Canada.

Continuing straight ahead leads to these stairs down behind the Library and Archives building.

Behind the National Library and Archives — Behind the National Library

Riding around behind the archives building brings you to Wellington right where the designated bike lane begins. Now that’s the way to go!

On the other side of Portage Bridge dip down the bike path to the right where there are some great unimpeded views of the Hill.

It’s pretty thrilling where the path crosses under the Alexandria Bridge. The whirring sound of the cars on the metal mesh road way above resonates all around you, while the beams from the headlights flash and flicker down through the steel girders.

Out in Jacques Cartier Park there are a few arrangements of lights, including this droopy bunch of red ones hanging way up in a couple of trees.

After crossing back over the Alexandria Bridge I turned up behind the National Gallery to re-visit this piece of outdoor sculpture, made up of a number of streetlights blown over by hurricane Katrina. Love it!

In previous years the trees of Majors Hill Park were filled with lights, but this year, nil. S’okay, still a nice ride along the edge of the cliff. Very pleased to discover the terrace above the canal was still accessible from the park to Wellington, affording this dramatic night time view of the Chateau Laurier. The terrace has been previously closed for the winter.

Look up, look way up... — Look up, look way up…

The Cenotaph has lots of cool lights all around it.

Opposite the Cenotaph there is this arrangement of warm lights set against the Conference Centre.

The city has added Christmas lights to compliment the exuberantly lit walls of their outdoor rink in front of City Hall.

I end the tour with this photo from Confederation Park looking towards the Lord Elgin Hotel.

The only official Christmas Lights site I didn’t get to was the one out near the Governor Generals Residence. I will have to figure out a safe night time route that avoids the dangerous stretch of Sussex between the National Gallery and the External Affairs building.

Biking through Centretown from Bronson to Bank on a slippery day

So, it’s Sunday morning, freezing rain, super slippery, and I’m out of rosemary to prepare a marinade. Got to get to Herb & Spice over on Bank, but how? Solution – studs! Whereas last week I was a convert to the concept of studded tires, today I am a full on Preacher Man! The only danger, as a fellow member of the Church-of-Holy-Studded-Rollers explained to me, is over confidence. He described people slipping and falling only after getting off their bikes upon arriving at their destination.

Here’s the safe route I followed to get across Centretown from Bronson to Bank. Blue line to get there, red to get back.

Heading east-west is safest along any street other than Somerset or Gladstone, providing you choose the proper one way direction. Heading south is best along the Percy Street bike lane.

Percy bike lane — Percy Street bike lane

Shiraz food store, located where Percy crosses Somerset, is fantastic for assorted nuts and other Iranian goodies. Their chicken is really good too.

But I was on a hunt for rosemary and I knew I could count on Herb and Spice on Bank to have some. I was not disappointed.

On the way back along James St there are a couple of architectural delights to take in. At Lyon and James is this wonderful row house called Hollywood Parade, built in 1892. Fantastic brickwork, and big round arches.

At James and Bay sits the Power House, an example of the Prairie Style, from 1915.

I then followed the bike path along Bay and made my way home. Mission accomplished!

Picturesque Ruins at the Mackenzie King Estate

While composing the last post I was reminded of Prime Minister Mackenzie King who collected a number of old ruins and selectively placed them throughout his property in the Gatineau Hills. So I decided to bike up and pay them a visit.

It was the first time I had taken advantage of the Gatineau Parkway being closed to traffic for the season, and it was fantastic. Lots of folks walking, jogging, biking, out having a great time. The Parkway is closed to cars north of the visitor parking indicated by the P on the following map.

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Here’s a map showing where the various ruins are located up at the estate which is open to the public.

Print — Map of MKE showing where to find the ruins

1) The first is this bay window on the edge of the woods.

2) A bit further along stands this majestic arch. Love it.

3) On the crest of a little hill sits an assemblage of architectural details Mackenzie King named the Abbey Ruins. Here are the various pieces that make up the Abbey Ruin.

I end this entry with a shot of the trail through the woods between the Abbey Ruins and the Mackenzie King Estate parking lot.

Chunks of Old Buildings

Over the course of my local velo adventures I’ve happened upon a number of old architectural ruins selectively placed throughout the city. On Saturday I re-visited three of them. Here’s how the grand tour panned out.

The first, located behind the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Centre, is this handsome entrance to what was once the E.C. Whitney Building. I can’t find a description of the original building, or who E.C. Whitney was, however there was a successful general manager of a wood mill in the township of South Algonquin community of Whitney by that name who appeared on the scene way back in 1895.

Next stop brought me to the edge of the Rideau River near Bank St where this commemorative wall is located. It is constructed of stones that formed part of a blacksmith’s fireplace dating back to 1814, which was disassembled in 1960 to make room for road construction. Two interpretive plaques are mounted on the wall, one facing the bike path which includes a rendering of the original fireplace. The other plaque is attached to the other side, and describes Braddish Billings on whose estate the blacksmith shop was situated.

The last bunch of ruins on this tour can be found in Rockcliffe Park just east of Acacia Avenue. They are my favorite.

This fountain is actually a faux ruin. It was designed by the sculptor René Bertrand Bouté 1912 to look like one. But who’s splitting hairs? I love it.

These columns come from the Carnegie Public Library, which was located at the corner of Laurier and Metcalfe from 1906 to the early 1970’s.

I think this tumbled column and the scattered capitals near the fountain come from the same building.

This variation of a Corinthian capital, located away from the other ruins near Acacia Avenue, reminds me of the sad legend describing how this architectural order came to be. I’ve included Vitruvius‘ telling of the story below the photo.

“Now the first invention of that capital is related to have happened thus. A girl, a native of Corinth, already of age to be married, was attacked by disease and died. After her funeral, the goblets which delighted her when living, were put together in a basket by her nurse, carried to the monument, and placed on the top. That they might remain longer, exposed as they were to the weather, she covered the basket with a tile. As it happened the basket was placed upon the root of an acanthus. Meanwhile about spring time, the root of the acanthus, being pressed down in the middle by the weight, put forth leaves and shoots. The shoots grew up the sides of the basket, and, being pressed down at the angles by the force of the weight of the tile, were compelled to form the curves of volutes at the extreme parts. then Callimachus, who for the elegance and refinement of his marble carving was nick-named catatechnos by the Athenians, was passing the monument, perceived the basket and the young leaves growing up. Pleased with the style and novelty of the grouping, he made columns for the Corinthians on this model and fixed the proportions. thence he distributed the details of the Corinthian order throughout the work.”

The spirit of the Colonel lives on!

Years ago a friend and I drove to Vancouver, then down the west coast as far as Tijuana, and back home to Montreal across the midwestern states, which is how we wound up in Corbin Kentucky. That’s right, the birthplace of Kentucky Fried Chicken! Although I’d only sampled KFC’s finger lickin’ goodness once or twice before, we couldn’t just drive past without checking it out. Expecting a glorified shrine of sorts (we had just visited Graceland) I was pleasantly surprised at how low key and homey they had kept Harland Sanders original wood clad restaurant, like so:

As this interpretive plaque explains, Harland tried various careers with little success before catching his groove cooking chicken, and the rest is history.

Now of course KFC is a gargantuan fast food enterprise, but in one of its transitional phases from monstrous to gargantuan, it unloaded many of it’s trademark outlets that looked like this.

Over the course of my local bike ride adventures I’ve noticed three outlets have been converted into small, one off restaurants, just like the Colonel’s first digs so many years ago. SO, I decided to visit all three, with a couple of extra stops along the way.

First stop, Ottawa U’s Academic Hall. Built in 1901, it is the oldest theatre in the National Capital Region.

On my way to the first ex-KFC, I paused to photo this panorama from the centre of Parc Jules Morin. This is also Angel Square, popularized by Brian Doyle in his story of the same name, and adapted to the stage by Jan Irwin.

Casa do Churrasco, at the corner of St Andrew and Dalhousie, once served up yummy Portuguese food. Unfortunately it didn’t survive. In its KFC conversion they removed the big bucket sign but kept the sign post to use as a planter holder.

I headed down the path behind Majors Hill Park, but someone left all the canal locks open, except the top most one near Sappers Bridge. Usually one of the two lower ones are closed, providing access to the other side. No problem. It just meant climbing all the way up to the top of the locks, affording me this wonderful view back down to the river.

Next stop: Hintonburger. Lots has been written about this new kid on the block. They haven’t even taken down the big bucket yet. (Update, August 6, 2013 – They took the bucket down).

My final ex-KFC destination was Mia’s Indian Cuisine further west on Richmond Road near Woodroffe. Richmond hasn’t much of a shoulder on the north side to ride on and traffic can be pretty speedy in this area so I followed the winding path straddling Richmond and Byron.

Samsu Mia is a refugee from Bangladesh. His story, and how he and his family managed to start up Mia’s Indian Cuisine restaurant in another converted KFC outlet, can be found in this CBC report by clicking here. There’s even a bonus photo of the original KFC included in the article to compare to how it looks now.

I ordered a couple of vegetable samosa’s and onion bhaji from the take out menu to share with Carla and the kids. It’s all I could fit in my handle bar bag.

So there you go. Two out of three successful Kentucky Fried Phoenixes risen from their ashes!