Category: Dows Lake

Dows Lake, Rideau Canal2 Comments

The Unfinished Deck

Westsideaction

I first noticed this steel girder structure in early Spring. There is a similar one on the other side of the concrete pier that extends out to the Dow’s Lake Pavillion (surely one of the better NCC projects, it adds needed life to the Lake). It looks like the steel should be topped with thick wood planks or concrete pavers, to widen the pier and improve the alignment to the new entrance to Mexicali Rosa’s and Malone’s Restuarant. Anyone know why the project has not yet been finished? Continue reading The Unfinished Deck

Dows Lake, Rideau Canal

Naval Flotilla on the Rideau

Westsideaction

I got rather excited to see Navy uniforms on Saturday cruising up the Canal. Mind you its not as fast as the Bras d’Or (hydrofoil)* or big as the Magnificent or Bonaventure (aircraft carriers), all now noticeably absent from our navy fleet. My dad was in the Navy forever, and being a navy brat, moved every year or two. I attended 9 schools before I graduated from high school. Maybe that’s why I haven’t moved from my Dalhousie neighborhood in the last 30 years. *I recall this story, I don’t know if it is true. Trudeau was PM. To make … Continue reading Naval Flotilla on the Rideau

Dows Lake, Nature, NCC

What Blight is This?

Westsideaction

I had occasion to cycle along the canal several times this weekend, from Dows Lake to the NAC end, using the NCC bike paths. I was really struck by how many trees have dried up, brown, crunchy leaves. First noticed on the south side of the canal, from Bronson to east of Bank, whole swaths of tree branches, entire sides of trees, exhibit dried branches. I presume it is not from lack of water. Then some became apparent on the north side of the canal too, along the Golden Triangle area. Once looking, they were frequent. Usually on mature trees. … Continue reading What Blight is This?

855 Carling, Bayview-Carling CDP, Dows Lake, little Italy, LRT, O-Train

855 Carling Avenue

Westsideaction

855 Carling is a parking lot bounded by the OTrain Carling Station, Champagne Avenue S, and Carling Avenue. Immediately west of the site is the CMPA office buildings and beyond that is the Merion Square townhouse and two apartment towers being built by Domicile. The site is currently used as a park and ride lot for the Civic Hospital. The lot is owned by Arnon Developments, which tore down Campbell Steel and related industrial works on the site a number of years ago. The photo above is taken from Carling Ave near the Otrain Station, looking northwest. – The planning … Continue reading 855 Carling Avenue

Albert St, Bayview, Bluesfest, Booth St, City Hall, Dalhousie, Dows Lake, LeBreton Flats, little Italy, Preston street5 Comments

Festival Externalities

Westsideaction

Every festival has impacts external to the site it operates on. These get managed in different ways. Winterlude and the Tulip Festival have numerous events along the canal, abutting neighborhoods like the Golden Triangle and The Glebe. For both these festivals, shuttle buses run along the canal to get crowds to and from the event sites. This distributes parking impacts over a larger area. It also means the City Hall garage and Lansdowne Park parking lots get used. For Bluesfest, there are no shuttle services, leaving adjacent neighborhoods to suffer from a huge influx of parkers. This is most noticeable … Continue reading Festival Externalities

Dows Lake, Experimental Farm, Walnut Court

Magnolia Blossoms on Walnut Court

Westsideaction

The magnolia we always went to see on Spruce St seems to have died. But there is this one in Walnut Court just moving into full bloom now. The Experimental farm has a nice collection of trees just above the OTrain tracks near Prince of Wales Drive. Over the years we have identified many magnolia locations and cycle around to see them all. A favorite large tree is on Cambridge a few doors north of Gladstone. Continue reading Magnolia Blossoms on Walnut Court

Bayview Otrain, Bayview-Carling CDP, bike path, Carling Ave, CDP, City Centre, cycling in Ottawa, DOTT, Dows Lake, LRT, O-Train, Preston street, somerset street, streetscaping2 Comments

Somerset Viaduct (Bridge) over the OTrain Line

Westsideaction

Somerset west of Preston rises up and over the OTrain Tracks, near the City Centre Building. At the height of the crest, the bridge itself is only about 20′ long; the rest of the road is simply a fill between retaining walls. The road was designed long ago and the angle of the slope means that motorists cannot see what’s on the road (for eg, a parked car) over the crest. This creates a stopping-in-time problem. The solution selected by the City is to narrow the road to two lanes for vehicle traffic. The road is wide enough for a … Continue reading Somerset Viaduct (Bridge) over the OTrain Line

bike path, Carling Ave, cycling in Ottawa, Dows Lake, Eric Darwin, NCC, Ottawa, pedestrians

Landscaping Goes In, Dow’s Lake pathway

Westsideaction

Recall that in late fall, 2008, the NCC reconstructed the pedestrian and cycling path along the south side of Dow’s Lake (along Commissioner’s Park). The new path is wider and in many places a foot higher, which should reduce puddling. There are more bench sitting areas too, set back from the path. Workers are busy this week cleaning up the unfinished details, including laying cobblestones between the path and the Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Continue reading Landscaping Goes In, Dow’s Lake pathway

Bayview-Carling CDP, Carling Ave, Dows Lake, LRT, Ottawa1 Comment

Sir John Carling Bldg – demolish vs conversion

Westsideaction

The Sir John Carling building is a large gray office slab rising out of the eastern edge of the Experimental Farm between Dows Lake / Prince of Wales Drive and Carling Avenue. Built in 1967, it is certainly a more-attractive building than many government cubicle farms. The distinctive brise soleil screens on the exterior (only on the west and south sides, the picture shows the east side without sun screens) were inspired by the trendy architecture of Brasilia, and promoted by the then minister of agriculture (Hees??), if my ageing memory serves me right. The Feds plan to demolish the … Continue reading Sir John Carling Bldg – demolish vs conversion