WALK THIS WAY Go for a stroll in the capital
Wear your most comfortable shoes because you’re in for a bit of a hike — urban-style — this time out. The city brims with great walks, many of them in neighbourhoods we know but, as residents of Ottawa, seem never to visit. Patrick Langston offers a few i
INDIGENOUS WALKS
Did the powdered bones of Indigenous peoples from a LeBreton Flats burial ground become part of the sand in the mortar holding together the Parliament buildings? It’s one of the thoughtprovoking ideas presented during these guided tours that bring an indigenous perspective to monuments, landscapes, architecture and art in downtown Ottawa. We took the brisk, 75-minute “public tour” — other, private tours run up to two hours — that began at the Canadian Tribute to the Human Rights Monument in front of Ottawa City Hall, included stops at the monument to Canadian aboriginal war veterans in Confederation Park and at art and artifact exhibits in buildings along Elgin Street, and concluded with a sweeping view from a Major’s Hill Park lookout of spaces that have played a key role in the history of the Anishinaabe Peoples. Cost & information: $20 per person; tours run through the fall. 613-290-8597, indigenouswalks.com
VANIER: RICHELIEU FOREST & ENVIRONS
Best known for its tiny perfect maple syrup operation in colder months, Vanier’s Richelieu forest, with its gracious maple trees and winding paths, is balm to the weary urban soul any time of year. The forest is part of historyladen Vanier Museoparc on avenue des Pères Blancs, and there are plenty of spots for a picnic followed by an afternoon outdoor snooze. The park is close to the also walk-worthy Beechwood Cemetery to the north. Montreal Road, still largely immune to gentrification, is a 15-minute hike to the south. The journey through old-time residential Vanier leads to the gorgeous Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health at 299 Montreal Rd. Designed by architect Douglas Cardinal, the centre welcomes the public to its free (and excellent) Culture Night every Monday. Lunch or dinner? Bobby’s Table, 255 Montreal Rd. is a must, especially the smokedmeat sandwiches.
SANDY HILL
Amble almost anywhere in Sandy Hill — that expansive area between the ByWard Market, Queensway, the Canal and the Rideau River — and you’ll find entrancing architecture, front gardens and surprises galore. Sequestered behind a maple tree at 346 Somerset St. E. is the former home of Francis C. Sullivan, a renowned Ottawa architect and disciple of Frank Lloyd Wright (his designs include the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park). Laurier House, a National Historic Site at 335 Laurier Ave. E. where Prime Ministers Sir Wilfrid Laurier and William Lyon Mackenzie King once lived, features guided tours and “state dinners” for the public. Just east of Laurier House, a shady, unexpected alley runs between Laurier Avenue and elegant Wilbrod Street. Head west on Wilbrod, turn left onto dead-end Cornwall Street, and you find yourself in an open circle of leafy backyards — like many urban walks, it makes you feel a tad nosy, but it’s irresistible.
LOVERS’ WALK
You can now barely see its remnants through the trees, but a promenade once circled the rear of the Parliament buildings starting at the East Block and snaking westward. Constructed in the 19th century, closed in the 1930s and sections of it now reinforced but still off-limits to the public, it’s been called the city’s first staycation spot — a place for MPs, government workers and others to stroll, admire the river, and doubtless do more than a bit of bucolic courting. Best viewing of the remains, including crumbling staircases, is from the walkway above it running behind the East Block. Partial compensation for the loss of Lovers’ Walk is found in the lovely section of the Ottawa River Pathway that skirts the bottom of Parliament Hill’s forested cliff. With its recent plantings of trees and grasses, the curving pathway offers views of the river, Gatineau and more.
ROCKCLIFFE PARK & BEECHWOOD AVENUE
Because it’s always there, we too often forget the glories of expansive Rockcliffe Park. Try parking in the next lot after the pavilion; it leads to meandering trails (rough in spots) and a glorious mix of trees, including oak, cedar, maple and spruce. Rockcliffe Park is an idyllic spot for a late-summer picnic. When you’re done in the park, hike 10 minutes south to Beechwood Avenue. Any number of roads with gracious and lovinglycared-for homes lead there. Stores include Books on Beechwood at 35 Beechwood Ave., a quiet haven with a particularly thoughtful selection of fiction, history and biography and some wonderful children’s books. The independent bookstore hosts author signings and book clubs. Next door is the bakeshop/café SconeWitch, where brunch is available until 3 p.m. Take a different route back to your car and grab a quick snooze in the park before heading home.