SUE HOLLOWAY
My dream for Ottawa is that no one figures out what a fantastic place this is to live. We have an undeserved reputation as a boring government town and nothing could be further from the truth. Queen Victoria may not have visited Bytown, but she must have known that the meeting of three rivers would be a brilliant location for the young nation’s capital.
I would rather that the rest of the country not know about the vast network of pathways along these waterways. Very few places in the world have so many multi-season, multi-use, multi-fun spaces. If you are one of the thousands who enjoyed the SJAM trail this winter, keep it to yourself! Out-of-towners already get a sense of how fun winter can be by coming here for Winterlude. If they know you can walk out your door and ski, snowshoe or bike, they might all move here and then, well, who knows.
I admit that it is easier to get active in the summer. The recreational pathways are superb and now we have even more access to the water pathways with three new docks on the downtown section of the canal. You can grab your canoe, kayak or standup board and head to the canal for a float! Skate to work in the winter and paddle to work in the summer — heaven, right?!
Finally, I do not want people to know what an amazing culinary community we have here. Keep telling folks that we are a wasteland filled with boring and bland — even though we know that our chefs are consistently creating dishes that are innovative, daring and delicious! We regularly have Ottawa chefs placing and winning the Canadian Culinary Championships. I don’t get out much, but when I do, I go to a locally owned and operated restaurant and I am never disappointed.
Thank you, Mom and Dad, for bringing us to Ottawa when I was three and creating a warm and wonderfully supportive community to grow for me and now for my children. Thank you to everyone who makes Ottawa the best place to live and thrive — just don’t tell anyone! Sue Holloway is the first Canadian (and the first woman) to compete at both the Winter and Summer Olympic Games — in cross-country skiing and in kayaking. She lives a stone’s throw away from the Rideau Canoe Club, right next to the house where she grew up.