Your blogger was interviewed on CBC radio this morning about the Bronson issues. He was also a news story in the local news lineup. You may be able to hear the interview by going to http://www.cbc.ca/ottawamorning/ and selecting the “fake trees” item. The story must have gotten some feedback, since they followed up looking for additional people to interview in the coming days on the subject of road diets. Continue reading Bronson road diet
Over the last while, workers have been busy on scaffolding painting the exterior of Place de Ville. The plain square glass box dates back to the late 1960’s. It lacks any sort of top or lid, and was bronze and black. Workers are painting various parts of it with primer, then the final coat of … bronze and black. In its current condition, it reminds me of the new building complex in New York, called the Domino. The building exterior is a box that has been articulated with various coloured squares. The building lots like a colourful domino, and is … Continue reading Place de Dominos
St Anthony school on Booth Street is getting some new windows. The new pattern, shown in the photo below, looks more in keeping with the architecture of the school than the old windows coming out. Continue reading Light shining on St Anthony
St Anthony school on Booth Street is getting some new windows. The new pattern, shown in the photo below, looks more in keeping with the architecture of the school than the old windows coming out. Continue reading Light shining on St Anthony
It was raining the other day, and there was this curious milky substance running down the curbside gutter. I followed it back to the source: the road construction sign. The back of the sign is painted white, and in the rain the paint just washes off. I wondered if maybe the sign had anti-graffiti treatment on the back, so the paint would not stick. In the meantime, what does all this while paint do to our sewers? Continue reading Milky rain, milky rain
It was raining the other day, and there was this curious milky substance running down the curbside gutter. I followed it back to the source: the road construction sign. The back of the sign is painted white, and in the rain the paint just washes off. I wondered if maybe the sign had anti-graffiti treatment on the back, so the paint would not stick. In the meantime, what does all this while paint do to our sewers? Continue reading Milky rain, milky rain
No, this is not a story from The Friendly Giant. Charlesfort is an Ottawa builder of deluxe condos. His exteriors have character, drawn from past architectural styles. He built The Gardens at Bronson/Albert and one at Bronson near Carling in the MacIntosh style (not Apple, nor Steve Jobs, but in the style of a Scottish architect). Their latest projects are in the art deco style. Shown above is the roof line of the Hudson in downtown Ottawa on Kent Street. The style attracts the eye upwards, only to be distracted by a large silver chiller unit mounted on the roof. … Continue reading Look up, way way up…
No, this is not a story from The Friendly Giant. Charlesfort is an Ottawa builder of deluxe condos. His exteriors have character, drawn from past architectural styles. He built The Gardens at Bronson/Albert and one at Bronson near Carling in the MacIntosh style (not Apple, nor Steve Jobs, but in the style of a Scottish architect). Their latest projects are in the art deco style. Shown above is the roof line of the Hudson in downtown Ottawa on Kent Street. The style attracts the eye upwards, only to be distracted by a large silver chiller unit mounted on the roof. … Continue reading Look up, way way up…
Preston reconstruction is almost complete. Final details are going in … like the traffic loops. The loop shown above is going to be installed right outside May’s Chinese Restaurant at the corner of Somerset and Preston. Except … on August 3rd Somerset is going to be dug up big time for the same treatment as Preston got for the last few years: new pipes, utilities, and protected parking bays. Guess what — the spot shown above will be getting a six foot or so wider sidewalk. And four trees. Will the city get the wiring installed in enough time to … Continue reading The race is on …
Preston reconstruction is almost complete. Final details are going in … like the traffic loops. The loop shown above is going to be installed right outside May’s Chinese Restaurant at the corner of Somerset and Preston. Except … on August 3rd Somerset is going to be dug up big time for the same treatment as Preston got for the last few years: new pipes, utilities, and protected parking bays. Guess what — the spot shown above will be getting a six foot or so wider sidewalk. And four trees. Will the city get the wiring installed in enough time to … Continue reading The race is on …
My bike panniers will each hold a six pack very nicely. It’s a bit too precarious to fit in a 12 pack. If you go to the LCBO, two six packs will cost you the six pack price times two. If you go the Beer Store, their policy is two six packs will cost you a twelve pack (and two twelve packs costs same as a 24). I think the Somerset Beer store is a fabulous place. Except … expect some long lines if you show up at 10am Monday (recycling day). Continue reading Economical thirst quenching
My bike panniers will each hold a six pack very nicely. It’s a bit too precarious to fit in a 12 pack. If you go to the LCBO, two six packs will cost you the six pack price times two. If you go the Beer Store, their policy is two six packs will cost you a twelve pack (and two twelve packs costs same as a 24). I think the Somerset Beer store is a fabulous place. Except … expect some long lines if you show up at 10am Monday (recycling day). Continue reading Economical thirst quenching
At the south (Ottawa) end of the Prince of Wales railway bridge over the Ottawa River, the City has installed large gates & fences to keep peds and cyclists from using the bridge as a shortcut to Gatineau. Thwarted peds have kicked down the fence, whose posts were bolted into concrete, etc etc. There is a security guard on the Gatineau side, 24/7. If someone crosses the bridge, he points out the fence is there to keep people off because it is dangerous to use the bridge. So he sends the ped or cyclist back to the Ottawa side. There is … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (iv)
At the south (Ottawa) end of the Prince of Wales railway bridge over the Ottawa River, the City has installed large gates & fences to keep peds and cyclists from using the bridge as a shortcut to Gatineau. Thwarted peds have kicked down the fence, whose posts were bolted into concrete, etc etc. There is a security guard on the Gatineau side, 24/7. If someone crosses the bridge, he points out the fence is there to keep people off because it is dangerous to use the bridge. So he sends the ped or cyclist back to the Ottawa side. There is … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (iv)
For years chip wagons parked outside the (now demolished) Canadian Tire store on Richmond Road. The store may be gone, but the chip wagon remains. All winter, the snow bank between the chip wagon and the line of trees abutting the school yard is sodden and discoloured with greasy water that somehow gets discarded on the public boulevard. The patrons lined up don’t seem to notice or mind. Now, one of the 30′ high trees along this stretch has died. If grease clogged the tree arteries and killed it, what is it doing to our human arteries?? And will the … Continue reading Is street cuisine killing our trees?
For years chip wagons parked outside the (now demolished) Canadian Tire store on Richmond Road. The store may be gone, but the chip wagon remains. All winter, the snow bank between the chip wagon and the line of trees abutting the school yard is sodden and discoloured with greasy water that somehow gets discarded on the public boulevard. The patrons lined up don’t seem to notice or mind. Now, one of the 30′ high trees along this stretch has died. If grease clogged the tree arteries and killed it, what is it doing to our human arteries?? And will the … Continue reading Is street cuisine killing our trees?
Lemieux Island has a pleasant park on west and south sides of the Island. Most of the Island is fenced off to guard the water filtration buildings. This vehicle-proof gate and lengthy stone barricade prevents vehicles from accessing a service road around the south side of the Island. The narrow road/path beyond has nice pedestrian-scale lighting and is a popular dog running / dog swimming / occasional-human swimming area. The barrier to prevent unauthorized vehicle access, which is fine. But why does have have to block 100% of the paved surface, forcing peds to walk on the freshly seeded sides? Doesn’t anyone plan … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (iii)
Lemieux Island has a pleasant park on west and south sides of the Island. Most of the Island is fenced off to guard the water filtration buildings. This vehicle-proof gate and lengthy stone barricade prevents vehicles from accessing a service road around the south side of the Island. The narrow road/path beyond has nice pedestrian-scale lighting and is a popular dog running / dog swimming / occasional-human swimming area. The barrier to prevent unauthorized vehicle access, which is fine. But why does have have to block 100% of the paved surface, forcing peds to walk on the freshly seeded sides? Doesn’t anyone plan … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (iii)
A few years ago the City ran one of its high pressure water mains along the north side of the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway (said expressway being at the top of this slope) from Lemieux Island towards the downtown. The city contractors re-landscaped the dug up areas. Surprise, surprise, the shrub beds withered away, the trees languished … and for the last few weeks the NCC has be re-doing the city work. Shown above are new shrubs on the slope between the expressway and the river edge bike path near the Prince of Wales bridge. The shrubs are planted, mulched, … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (ii)
A few years ago the City ran one of its high pressure water mains along the north side of the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway (said expressway being at the top of this slope) from Lemieux Island towards the downtown. The city contractors re-landscaped the dug up areas. Surprise, surprise, the shrub beds withered away, the trees languished … and for the last few weeks the NCC has be re-doing the city work. Shown above are new shrubs on the slope between the expressway and the river edge bike path near the Prince of Wales bridge. The shrubs are planted, mulched, … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (ii)
Earlier this week, the NCC held a public open house on proposals for improving interprovincial transit. I blogged on my general preferences (a LRT link using the Prince of Wales bridge) a few days ago, http://westsideaction.blogspot.com/2010/07/interprovincial-transit-opportunity-to.html. At the meeting, a number of matters came up that caused me to ponder. Bridge repairs… the cost of the LRT on the loop was much much higher than that of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). I inquired as to why the order of magnitude numbers for LRT were so much higher since both were surface crossings. Well, to use the Chaudiere, Alexandra, or Prince … Continue reading Interprovincial Transit Link
The area of Ottawa near Lemieux Island is full of little mysteries. Shown above is River Street (no road signs…) which connects the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway to Lemieux Island. The road was recently rebuilt and seed sprayed on both sides after years of digging it up for the high pressure watermains. The sides are fenced to keep cars from using them for Bluesfest parking. South of the parkway/expressway, the little street is now named Sliddel, it runs past the city parking branch offices to the new traffic roundabout that makes a three point meeting of Sliddel with Bayview and Burnside Road. This is … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (i)
Earlier this week, the NCC held a public open house on proposals for improving interprovincial transit. I blogged on my general preferences (a LRT link using the Prince of Wales bridge) a few days ago, http://westsideaction.blogspot.com/2010/07/interprovincial-transit-opportunity-to.html. At the meeting, a number of matters came up that caused me to ponder. Bridge repairs… the cost of the LRT on the loop was much much higher than that of Bus Rapid Transit (BRT). I inquired as to why the order of magnitude numbers for LRT were so much higher since both were surface crossings. Well, to use the Chaudiere, Alexandra, or Prince … Continue reading Interprovincial Transit Link
The area of Ottawa near Lemieux Island is full of little mysteries. Shown above is River Street (no road signs…) which connects the Ottawa River Commuter Expressway to Lemieux Island. The road was recently rebuilt and seed sprayed on both sides after years of digging it up for the high pressure watermains. The sides are fenced to keep cars from using them for Bluesfest parking. South of the parkway/expressway, the little street is now named Sliddel, it runs past the city parking branch offices to the new traffic roundabout that makes a three point meeting of Sliddel with Bayview and Burnside Road. This is … Continue reading Lemieux Island area (i)
Picture taken yesterday from the bike path on the west side of the War Museum, looking upriver. A service vehicle is on the Prince of Wales bridge near the Quebec side. Closer view, shows the vehicle has two sets of wheels, rubber ones for the road and steel wheels for driving on rails. What it is doing? Men in cherry picker extendable arm are working on the side of the bridge. Arm continues to extend, now right under the whole bridge, the men are beyond the far side of their vehicle. It is rather like using your left hand to … Continue reading Prince of Wales maintenance
