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.
This morning I headed out to discover the Pine Grove Sector of the Greenbelt pathway.
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.
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.
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.
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.
On my ride yesterday morning I happened upon the Nepean Allotment Garden along Viewmount Drive.
The group Just Food has all of the community gardens throughout the city listed here.
Not far from the garden I discovered this impressive treehouse.
There are also many examples of houses designed in the Mid-Century Modern style throughout Nepean, such as this one.
The small east-end community of Briarcliffe is attempting to have itself designated as a mid-century architectural heritage site. Read more about it here and here. Made me think of the fantastic Mid-Century Modernist home depicted in the movie The Incredibles. I had to see what Ottawa architects were thinking at the time, so off I headed to Briarcliffe!
The architects success at designing homes in harmony with their natural surroundings made it a bit of a challenge to distinguish period details, especially since the natural environment has had a good fifty to sixty years to establish itself. However what can be seen of the houses in amongst the trees is wonderful. The community is also great to bike through, winding up-and-down quiet streets.
Another wonderful portion of todays trip was spent further contemplating the strange Rothwell Heights ghost town described in my earlier post. The mystery of this abandoned land has been resolved. Since the military took off it has been embroiled in a land claim by the Algonquin First Nations. So the narrative may be clearer, but the eeriness of the place remains. However it won’t be long before all that changes, as issues surrounding the Land Claims seem to have been resolved.
Biked back along the river. Try to make out the svelte early morning rowers in the distance.
Further up stream the New Edinburgh Boat Club is a lovely site to see.
On the way past the GG’s, I paused to take in this landscape installation set into the round-about commemorating the streetcars which once dominated the city landscape. More on that here.
Headed west and found myself in a residential area in the form of a triangular island, defined on three sides by busy traffic arteries: the Queensway, Richmond Road and Pinecrest Road.
It’s streets are laid out in such a way that vehicules are discouraged rushing through in search of short cuts. The area seemed to maintain a sense of quiet self containment. Fortunate circumstance despite the rush of traffic on all sides.
To get there I passed through a rich patch of forest called Frank Ryan Park.
On my way home along Iris Street behind Ikea I happened upon this front yard filled with eclectic sculptures.
When I dropped my sister off at her place on Kingston Avenue a couple of nights ago, we noticed a little tree sitting on her front yard, it’s base all wrapped up in burlap. It completely took her by surprise. We then noticed similar little trees on all the front yards along the street. I decided to bike by yesterday and see what had transpired. Sure enough they have all since been planted where they had been dropped.
She subsequently discovered from a neighbour that the city was going to cut down all the tall ash trees lining the street because of the invasive Emerald Ash Borer Beetle which was in the process of killing ash trees throughout the city. Amazing the devastation the little vermin is capable wreaking.
On my way home from Vanier, an area of town layer out in a network of twisting and turning streets I very much enjoy exploring, I cut through New Edinburgh to get to Sussex Drive. I was spurred on by this great story posted by an enthusiastic visitor to the Capital. It wasn’t clear in his post whether he had found a bike path along Sussex to take him to Rideau Falls. I have always found this section very treacherous to ride along, a fear heightened by the senseless death of Melanie Harris, killed by a city bus on this stretch of road. So, with fingers crossed, I checked it out. Hélas, there still aren’t any bike lanes heading west beyond King Edward HOWEVER I had heard that the NCC is in the planning stages of modifying the road to include two bike lanes. Heritage Ottawa isn’t keen on the need to tear down two old buildings (see below) to accommodate the changes proposed. Here is a link describing the planned changes.
OttawaVeloOutaouais 