This Issue
After a three-year absence, my family returned to Ottawa recently and bought a rural house within the city’s boundaries. We are far from a convenience store or restaurant. And yet the City of Ottawa flag flies at a community centre just a stone’s throw away — a reminder that we may be rural, but we are still very much a part of the capital. But the question we have been asked most often is why we have chosen to live in the country.
The answer is not simple. We and our rural neighbours forgo the conveniences of city life for different reasons. In this issue, Patrick Langston delves into the pros and cons of rural living, examining what makes us yearn for our own patch of land and talking to some of the people who have chosen to leave urban life for the back roads of our countryside.
And if you’ve ever wondered what rural communities are like, take a tour with Laura Byrne Paquet as she explores four rural towns and four neighbourhoods that have a rural feel without being quite so far removed from the city.
While we were out in the country, we also stopped to sample some of its delicacies — Anne DesBrisay focuses on rural restaurants this issue, and Joanna Tymkiw ventures beyond the city limits to taste the best pies, cakes, burgers, and more.
Back in the city, Tony Atherton continues his in-depth series on the fate of 24 Sussex. For many, the answer to the dilemma of the crumbling house is simply to tear it down, so we asked three of Ottawa’s top architects and designers to imagine what a new residence might look like. But for others, the idea of tearing down 24 Sussex is preposterous. Historian Arthur Milnes argues the house is really a reflection of who we are — and who we have been. And architect Allan Teramura, president of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada, makes the case for leaving 24 Sussex alone but creating a new prime ministerial home at a different address — one that would be safer, that would offer greater opportunities for media coverage and diplomacy, and that could turn a stately house into a home. Don’t miss the next instalment in this exciting series in our summer edition, when we’ll give the city’s best designers free rein with the house’s interior.
Finally, this issue marks the debut of five new columns and some new reviews too. We have changed the structure of our listings, giving them a voice and a sharper focus with full columns by Paul Gessell (arts), Matthew Harrison (music), Hattie Klotz (books), and Jessica Ruano (theatre) — all experts in their fields. We have also expanded our food coverage, welcoming a new column, “Kate’s Plate,” and more restaurant reviews focusing on value meals at smaller, out-ofthe-way gems. Coming Up: Dive into our next issue as we explore the best way to make a splash this summer. Eyepopping pool designs, decks and hot tubs, plus food and drink to savour at your own personal swim-up bar. Plus, we’ll provide some poolside reading material with the announcement of the winners of our annual short fiction contest.