Discovering Ottawa’s Hidden Lowertown

If anyone has seen 2019, tell her I want her back! 

There were many moments I wanted to savour longer this year. I wanted to spend more time in Halifax with my MFA community, more time hiking in the Gatineau Hills with my husband and sons, and more time with our dog Jessie who died just before we sold our Toronto home and moved to Ottawa (a symbolic end to a quarter-century in the house we bought when I was pregnant with our eldest).

Time does march on. 

I have spent lots of time getting to know Ottawa. Lowertown is my current favourite neighbourhood. The most important reason is that our sons live in the ByWard market (coincidentally right across the street from my fabulous colorist, ensuring I see them at least once a month). There are terrific restaurants like Play (upscale) and Chez Lucien (neighbourhood-y) and fabulous food vendors (Miriam, the owner of the ByWard Fruit Market reminds me of Joni Mitchell and I often hold up the line at the cash register because I could talk to her for hours). 

I did a bit of digging this winter to see what’s hidden behind the obvious touristy stuff in this neighbourhood. Below is the link to the story I wrote for VIA Rail about what I found. 

Sending you very best wishes for 2020. Let’s hope time slows down a notch so we can enjoy every moment.

Read my story for VIA Rail

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