A Capital Life: What it’s Like to Live in Ottawa, Canada
We happen to have a tonne of new folks onboarding at work next week, so I thought I’d take a moment to write about what it’s like living here (In Ottawa). So, this post is for tourists who are considering stopping by to say “hey Ottawa, hey,” for my kickass new coworkers who just relocated here, and for all my Ottawan pals who I share this special spot with.
I can divide my favourite things about Ottawa up into three sections: the seasons, the people, the hidden gems.
1. The Seasons
Ottawa is the first place I’ve lived that has such distinct seasons. Each has a special quality unto itself.
Spring
The moment when spring has sprung (i.e. when we wind our clocks forward for daylight savings) is one of the most celebrated moments of all. This season marks the end of the grisly tail end of winter, as we say farewell to brown melting snow and hello to the chirping of chickadees in the morning. (I thought that sentence just sounded cool with the word “chickadee” but chickadees were once actually dubbed Ottawa’s unofficial bird of choice. Nice!)
Spring is a time when Ottawa’s natural wildlife come out to play. It is a fecund natural wonderland we live in here, with the occasional cool grey crane chilling along the canal, and the flash of an orange fox nimbly stealing lunch as a mother goose takes her fluffy goslings for a stroll (I saw this in action once, it was like seeing the discovery channel happen in real life). On this topic, a couple of weeks ago a shockingly large turkey flew into a neighbours garden and then wandered off to tour the surrounding neighbourhoods. He’s still out there, terrorizing unsuspecting folk, no doubt. But on the more adorable scale, there are also bunny rabbits and chipmunks and woodpeckers, and sometimes those crazy beautiful scarlet red cardinals will appear in the trees. These are fertile lands I tell you!
With the emergence of these cute critters, so too do tulips start to bud. The first few pops of colour act as an opening teaser before Ottawa’s stunning tulip festival turns hotspots into what looks like colourful scenes from an impressionist painting. Oh, and if you find a blossoming magnolia tree, take a minute to inhale deeply — these petals carry the quintessential perfume of springtime.
Sure, there is a bit of rain at the start of spring, but the pitter patter of raindrops tapping against your window pane is surely the most soothing way to end a long day of frolicking with the chipmunks and chasing cranes.
Summer
In my opinion, summer is the most delicious season. Every pub, café and restaurant with space decks their patio with vibrant flowers and rattan chairs. Chalk-board signs line the streets advertising sparkling sangria specials or the classic corona ice bucket. Street performers and musicians appear in hotspots downtown, and Majors Hill park becomes full of happy folk tossing frisbees or having picnics with their adorable puppy dogs.
Summer here can get swelteringly hot. This makes a bike-ride along the canal extra sweet, since a cooler breeze lingers above the waves. These perfectly paved paths also lead to a couple of beaches, like Westboro and Moody’s Bay. They’re not quite the crystal blue beaches like you see in travel posters, but they are packed with colourfully clad Ottawans, joyfully basking in the golden rays (it takes half the summer to fully thaw after the frostbite of winter, so we need to absorb that sunshine as much as humanly possible).
Summer is the season of road-trips and campfire marshmallows, of sunny bike rides and friendly “cheers!” on patios. It’s the season when ice-cold, sweet Fererro Rocher flavoured gelato instantly melts in your hands so you have to inhale it before it turns to soup. It’s the season of outdoor festivals and live music, of Shakespeare in the park, and warm moonlit strolls by the canal.
Autumn
Autumn, or Fall as the locals say, is one of my favourite times of year. Though the temperature starts to drop, the heartwarming scents of homemade pumpkin pie and crackling fireplaces that linger in the air make up for the cooler climate. The streets — and more spectacularly, the mountains in Gatineau Park — are lined with trees coloured tangerine and scarlet. The city looks like it’s on fire and the mountains glow ruby red. This is the season of leaves.
Fall is also the last season before we bundle ourselves into unrecognizable blobs, making it the last opportunity to have a sense of fashion. Thus, this is the season of cosy scarves and cute hats. Of light jackets and brown lace-up boots. It’s also when friends start to gather around and play board-games — we know we must fill as many evenings with laughter and treats before the great winter hibernation.
Winter
This is the best time of year to see folks of all ages repeatedly eat it as they attempt to ice-skate. Either that, or they’re gliding past you like elegant swans, making it seem as if skating was as easy as breathing. (Ahh, the dream).
The first snowfall is one of the most magical moments of the year. One day, you wake up and look outside and the world is a pristine, white wonderland. The first snow-dump forms billowing white mounds that actually sparkle. Sometimes, if you time it right, the ground glows golden, violet and rose as it reflects the morning sky. The best part is that the snow here is often fluffy and light, so when it falls past your window, it floats; taking it’s time to twirl and dance before it kisses the ground.
There is also the Winterlude festival here, meaning there’s live music and often free hot chocolate somewhere downtown. Yum! There are also intricately chiseled ice sculptures on display, crafted by artists from all over the worlds (including, oddly enough, the Philippines). And of course there’s the signature maple taffy stand, with Canada’s liquid pride and joy frozen onto popsicle sticks. Nothing like sugary sheets of maple-flavoured ice to give you that afternoon buzz.
2. The People (“Ottawans, eh!”)
Ottawa is one of the friendliest places I’ve ever been. This is the kind of place where you bump into someone and they apologize to you — literally, that happened to me the other day. It’s the place where if your winter hat falls off as you exit the bus, the people on board will demand the driver stop, and your hat shall be handed back to you with a smile (this also happened to me). Ottawa is like a small town community at heart. I mean, even the homeless people are some of the friendliest people around.
Of course, not everyone is perfect or friendly all the time. Some people are assholes, you get that everywhere. Heck, sometimes I’m the asshole. But overall, folks here are definitely nicer than a lot of places. There’s just nothing serious to complain about really, we live in a sheltered sort of paradise here. Life is good. And that means we have no excuse not to be good to each other. So whether you’re a local, or just passing through — Welcome! Bienvenue!
3. The Hidden Gems
- The Canadian Museum of Nature is in a castle. Need I say more? They also have live insects in there.
- If you’re here in May, you must check out the Great Glebe garage sale. A treasure trove of knicker-knackers and friendly kiddos selling homemade muffins and lemonade await!
- The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is free and well worth a visit for anyone that appreciates architecture (regardless of your creed or beliefs, this place is a beauty).
- The Experimental farm pathway trails will connect you from one end of the city to the other end of the planet. Through farmland, pine forests, along waterways, by beaches, over bridges, under bridges…these well-maintained trails have it all. Just be sure to behave and walk on the right side of the path. Ottawans (and Canadians in general) are very serious about the rules of pathways.
- There’s this place where you can jump on trampolines. Even the walls are trampolines. And there are “lifeguards” that bounce to your rescue, which is exactly as hilarious as it sounds.
- If it’s rainy out, or you want a treat, check out the VIP Theatre at Lansdowne — get there early and order yourself a full meal and bottle of vino. It will be delivered to your seat so you can enjoy the show like a spoiled sloth sinking into the giant padded leather chair. This is the life.
- The House of Targ is a retro game arcade that serves perogies and frequently hosts live punk and grunge rock shows. ‘Nuff said.
- Something’s happening almost every day of the week at Live! on Elgin — I saw a variety show with burlesque dancers, crazy well-done magic, whimsical puppetry and live jazz.
- The Improv embassy is a community of warm-hearted nerds and I love them to pieces. $5 shows and optional jam sessions on Thursdays.
- I could go on and on (and on) about food, but I’ll keep these recommendations to a few of my absolute favourite gems. Pure kitchen and The Green Door, are two of the tastiest and healthiest restaurants I’ve ever experienced anywhere. I’m salivating thinking about it. Their vegetarian and vegan menus are out of this world — and I’m as omnivorous as they get. It’s that good. The first place I visited for food here when I was a tourist, and still one of my favourite places to grab a bite is La Bottega Nicastro. It’s an Italian Deli that most people totally miss because it looks like a grocery store (which it is). But in the back there’s the freshest build-your-own-sandwich counter and espresso bar that will rock your world. Arlington 5 is my favourite coffee shop in Centretown. Their baked goods are divine, and they make a mean almond-milk latté. Mill St. Brewery is a little tucked out of the way, but worth the visit. It’s got a cool ambiance, great patios, and an awesome beer selection. Union 613 is a bar with the most expensive, but most interesting hand-crafted cocktails you might find. And they have a speakeasy downstairs behind a fake bookcase.
- If you have a vehicle, definitely visit Gananoque and the 1,000 islands. While you’re there check out Bolt Castle on heart island. Oh man, there’s so much else to do if you have a car, Gatineau Park, Mont Tremblant, Algonquin park, Nordik Spa…
There’s still a million things I’m missing in this post. Shout out to my Ottawan pals — share your favourite spots in the comments below!
