bike path, cycling in Ottawa4 Comments

Cyclist doored by a toilet

Westsideaction

She-who-must-be-obeyed once won the ‘door prize’ whilst cycling on Bank Street some years ago. (She is fully recovered now, and back in control, thank you for your condolences.) Macabre* humour is one of the ways we deal with difficult situations. Our teen son and his school chums referred to her as being “hit by a parked car”, along the lines of those “your mom is so dumb…” jokes. The memories of those times, or at least memories of the joke, came to us while cycling through Moonies Bay yesterday. We discovered all the port-a-potties lined up along the bike path. … Continue reading Cyclist doored by a toilet

parking, Scott street2 Comments

Parking trouble

Westsideaction

Motorists are endlessly optimistic they will find free parking right at the front door of where they want to go. Who do they think they are, Hollywood actors in a movie? Consider these optimists at Tunney’s Pasture: Those cars are parked on the bridge that goes over the transitway. They probably feel themselves pretty lucky and clever, having found on-street parking, sans meters, sans time restrictions, right close to the office. Of course, once someone finds the space, copy cat parkers arrive. Alas, the reason there aren’t any “no parking” signs is because the city doesn’t need to post them, because … Continue reading Parking trouble

Carleton U, DOTT, LRT, O-Train, oc Transpo, OLRT15 Comments

O-Train fast track

Westsideaction

After years of ignoring the O-Train (as Chiarelli’s baby it was “thrown out” with the Mayor who drew the bath water); it is finally back on Council’s agenda. Council is looking at some significant service improvements: 8 minute frequency (starting in 2014) rather than 15-minute headway now. This comes with a significant cost: buying six new train sets and selling off the existing Talent train sets in 2014 that would be nearly half-way through their lifespan. The City can make a business case for doing the upgrade, based on several factors: the  current O-train is at- or over-capacity and apparently cannot be made to run faster; … Continue reading O-Train fast track

Uncategorized

Know where you are

Westsideaction

The Preston BIA has installed these cast metal signs on many of the decorative lampposts along Preston. Presumably they remind you that the Italian restaurants, card clubs, and delis are in Little Italy. I expect they will appear around the corner on Somerset running west from Preston, which is also being done over in the Preston Street style; and up the hill on Gladstone to St Anthony Church and soon-to-be-redone Piazza Dante in front of it.  I also think they would make a great top half of a wall plaque with street address numbers on them, and maybe the name of the business too. … Continue reading Know where you are

Albert St, bike path, bikewest, cycling in Ottawa, Scott street, Uncategorized6 Comments

BikeWest

Westsideaction

Last Saturday, readers who also listen to the CBC awoke to a real nightmare. My dulcet tones were on the morning news, talking to Laurie Fagin about the lack of markings on the multi-user path (MUP) that runs along the north side of Scott Street and Albert Street.” Is it a bike path?” was the theme of the story. (It’s OK, you can listen to the radio today, it is Eric-free). Long time readers may recall that last May or June I reported that the City decided to paint a yellow line down the path to clearly indicate that it is … Continue reading BikeWest

Bayview, DOTT, LRT

Staircase to heaven

Westsideaction

For the last two weeks, users of the O-Train or those accessing the Bayview bus-stations-in-a-field have had to circumvent the drill rigs that seem to populate so many corners of downtown Ottawa. They are drilling to determine sub-surface soil conditions for the construction of the LRT stations of the future. In this case, they are drilling at the locations of the stairways that will go from the upper platform to the O-Train platform and also access the N/S bike path and BikeWest paths. The outer edges of the OLRT station platforms at this location are quite tricky, as the station will be initially opened as a … Continue reading Staircase to heaven

Claridge, condos, LeBreton Flats3 Comments

Birth of a street

Westsideaction

In neighbourhoods such as ours, in established urban areas, new streets seldom spring up. In Orleans, Kanata, or Barrhaven they sprout up like dandelions. Every time I go out to those suburbs… everything has changed, new streets, new big box plazas… I live on the edge of the LeBreton Flats, and have seen several new streets appear. First was Walnut Court, in the 1980’s. On LeBreton Flats another new public street is being gestated. It has no name on the stake. It is being surveyed and built to allow access to the next condo Claridge is building on the Flats, a bit south … Continue reading Birth of a street

Uncategorized5 Comments

Rat Hole

Westsideaction

What is it? This little round opening is in the wall surrounding the doors to City Hall. My first thought was that it was for newspapers… but upon another instant’s reflection, all sorts of ideas came to mind. For the rats to escape … for snakes to enter since they cannot pull the door handle … for when they need to hose down the place because the BS is too deep … for injecting tear gas … for super high tides once in a blue moon … ceremonial entrance for Topo Gigio. Ah, those were fond thoughts for about 30 … Continue reading Rat Hole

Chinatown, Preston street, Uncategorized

Disappearing Corner Stores Captured

Westsideaction

I met Colin White when he  was sketching the Preston Food Market. I put up a blog post with this picture of him at work:  He has  just hung the Confectionaries series at the Raw Sugar Café, where anyone can check it out. The show will be up for the month of June, and includes various stores from around West Centretown (though a few from Glebe as well). In the picture below, you can see what he was sketching, .   The series is also on his website: http://www.colinwhitestudio.com/confectionaries-2011 but you should go to the Raw Sugar and see it in person, as well as enjoy the funky … Continue reading Disappearing Corner Stores Captured

DOTT, LRT9 Comments

How Much is that LRT Really Costing?

Westsideaction

Sometime later this month, the City will publish an update on the projected cost of the LRT system from Tunney’s Pasture to Blair Road. This will be the most expensive segment, as it includes the tunnel, the maintenance yards, and startup rolling stock. Future segments (eg, to Lincoln Fields or College Square) will be much cheaper, if the public isn’t scared off the whole idea of expanding the  LRT by rampant inflating costs for the first segment. How will Watson play it? He can either deliver years of rising costs and carping criticism, or a clean easy-to-grasp (and easy-to-sell) budget. Recall that … Continue reading How Much is that LRT Really Costing?

Uncategorized3 Comments

Gardening — a matter of scale

Westsideaction

  Somewhat earlier this Spring I ended up at the Timmy’s on Merivale Road. We had an excellent view of a lady driving the tractor, planting … something. What other City lets us sit in a coffee shop on a busy arterial and watch tractors out the front windows? It’s a great day for gardening, whether your farm is a flower pot or a thousand acres. Now get out there and get your fingers dirty! Continue reading Gardening — a matter of scale

Claridge, condos, cycling in Ottawa, design, intensificatioin, LeBreton Flats, Uncategorized3 Comments

Pooley’s Bridge quietly re-opened

Westsideaction

  Above: a pic of Polley’s Bridge as seen from Fleet Street, beside the new Claridge condos on leBreton Flats. The City closed the Bridge  for several years as Claridge used Fleet as a construction staging site for the new condos. Then in June last year, it became possible to cross the bridge going west provided you were willing to follow a narrow goat trail along the tailrace, skirting the construction site for the yellow-brick tower, to join the path built two years ago at the base of the first part of the building. Much more promptly this year, Claridge has … Continue reading Pooley’s Bridge quietly re-opened

Preston street, streetscaping

Sculptural maintenance

Westsideaction

  The granite sculptures along Preston by artist c j fleury are both carved and painted. The carved elements– grape leaves and vine on this sculpture — she highlighted with black paint. Over the winter, a lot of this paint faded or even washed-off completely. Most heavily affected was the Marco Polo sculpture by the Plant Recreation Centre, where most of the colour disappeared. This might have something to do with salt, since it is just north of the salt-infested Somerset-Preston intersection. Is it coincidental that most of the hardy plants surrounding the Marco Polo sculpture also seem to have suffered … Continue reading Sculptural maintenance

Uncategorized2 Comments

Recyling stuff …

Westsideaction

First, a note to readers who sent in helpful suggestions to get WordPress working again, or telling me to buck up and learn how to do it right. Thank you. Personally, I think WP felt bad and decided to do better, since it once again is sort of working fine for new posts, but the few posts done on the weekend I’ve had to scrap, they are permanently … confused. So, from the church of the reincarnated deadwood and recycling, I’m back, and here’s a recycling post: ________________________________ I live in an old house. Renovation projects result in left-over wood, … Continue reading Recyling stuff …

sidewalks, somerset street, streetscaping4 Comments

Why this catch-basin makes me happy

Westsideaction

My wife and kids already know I’m weird. No doubt many readers have come to that suspicion as well. The catch basin in the centre of the above picture makes me happy because … it is located on the future curb line. The sidewalk will be much wider. Life will be better for pedestrians. Crossing the street will be safer. The sidewalk will have three trees in it, which will shade the buildings and make eating more pleasant inside May’s Restaurant. Continue reading Why this catch-basin makes me happy

little Italy, Preston street, Uncategorized1 Comment

Inside the new Bridgehead

Westsideaction

Bridgehead will be opening their Preston location in the fall. While the building faces Preston, their entrance will be just around the corner, off Anderson, approximately where the Preston&Leif Glass doors are now. Above: view of building along Preston St Above: view along Anderson Street. The boulevard along the sidewalk will be much improved and landscaped, and will include a patio. Bridgehead is proposing some major renovations to the building façade, closing up some doors, opening new ones, extending openings the full height. The mis-matched brick, which apparently is not original to the building, will be reclad in new material. The coffee shop … Continue reading Inside the new Bridgehead

Booth St, intensificatioin5 Comments

Cornerstone Opens

Westsideaction

Cornerstone is a sheltered housing building on Booth Street near Somerset. They had their official opening and tours on Wednesday. If you couldn’t be there, here are some shots of what’s outside and inside the building. I am really pleased with the exterior façade of the building. Streets like Booth are perched on the verge of going downhill (witness Cousin Eddy’s garage empty lots/burned out house,  just down the street) or gentrifying (witness Z6 condos, Cornerstone, and a new condo going up at the corner of Booth/Somerset). A quality exterior, superior landscaping, eyes on the street, diversity of people, make for a better neighborhood. … Continue reading Cornerstone Opens

Uncategorized3 Comments

Trilliums

Westsideaction

While out for an after-dinner stroll, I came across this woody knoll of trilliums. I was fortunate to stumble on them at the height of their blooming glory. The well-worn path indicates many others have been here before me. There were a few little pot holes too, indicating gardeners have been here to try to take some plants home. I have three trillium plants in my garden, one I got from a vendor at the Parkdale Market a few years ago. The other two I bought from Artistic Landscape on Bank Street at Johnstone Road (about $7, I think) which … Continue reading Trilliums

Uncategorized2 Comments

Mobile home in Little Italy

Westsideaction

This mobile home, a real land yacht, might look normal somewhere else, but parked along Preston Street during the tulip festival it looked huge and oddly impressive. In addition to the two side-extending rooms, the luggage bay also expanded. Awning, door mat, what else could be wanted? Ahh, the “little” runabout on a hydraulic lift, that by itself is very large: Is this the marriage of a cottage and car? The modern version of gypsy caravan? Suburbia on wheels? Someone’s houseboat with wheels? And what of our reaction to seeing this … Would we approve or disapprove of this vehicle if … Continue reading Mobile home in Little Italy

Uncategorized1 Comment

Local store goes international

Westsideaction

  The internet is a funny place. I came across this article http://americancity.org/buzz/entry/2989/ , which is reprinted from a Washington DC article, about corner stores in Detroit, Cleveland,  and the American midwest, that features as its illustration the corner store from Elm and Rochester Streets right here on the west side of beautiful downtown Ottawa. School teachers are right: be careful about what you post on the internet, you never know where it might end up. Life is curious. Continue reading Local store goes international

Bayview Otrain, bike path, cycling in Ottawa, cyclopiste de preston, O-Train1 Comment

O-Train Cycle Path makes progress

Westsideaction

A version of this post appeared earlier this week at www.SpacingOttawa.ca. ______________________________________________________ The City has an amazing bureaucratic machine. It spends most of its time and resources promising, planning, and budgeting. All of that mental heavy lifting seems to leave it quite exhausted, but, sometimes, just sometimes, it surprises by making something actually appear “on the ground”. There is a multipurpose path (MUP) (aka a bike path) proposed to run along side the O-Train corridor. Parts of it, south of Young Street, have existed since 1963. This year, Council decided to fund an underpass under Somerset, which is the last big … Continue reading O-Train Cycle Path makes progress

design, DOTT, NCC, OLRT1 Comment

LRT Stations (part v) Rideau Centre

Westsideaction

The Rideau Centre station isn’t really on the west side, but it interesting, so here is a quickie overview: the underground station is outlined in red oval, the route of the underground tracks is in dotted red. The west entry is beside the NAC, facing onto Confederation Square and War Memorial. The west entry may include a weather sheltered or indoor connection to the NAC. The east entry is marked as “future east entry” but as it is the only east entry, presumably it is built at the same time as the station opens. The aerial photo below shows the key entry points … Continue reading LRT Stations (part v) Rideau Centre