While driving back from Camp Fortune this past weekend, I came across an interesting sculpture as I was getting off the Champlain Bridge. I must have driven past this very spot hundreds of times in the past, but this was the first time that I took some time to study the sculpture in detail. Located […]

The Hidden Gems feature is back after a rejuvenating holiday break and some well-deserved winter hibernation!  For the first post of the new year, I’ve decided to go with a true Ottawa gem. A building that is one of the best examples of turn-of the-century architecture in the city. You can find it on the corner of Elgin and […]

I spotted this week’s gem as I was walking along Queen Street a few weeks back. It is an early 20th century 5-story building, that’s easy enough to miss, since it’s flanked by two larger office towers. The building features a stone façade, arched windows, and three distinct elevations in its facade. The placement of this […]

This week’s Gem is located in the heart of downtown, on the corner of Queen Street and Metcalfe. This may not be the typical place where you would expect to find a hunter armed with a bow-and-arrow taking aim at a deer, but that’s exactly the scene that’s depicted in this sculptural arrangement. The sculptural […]

Over the past ten years the stretch of Richmond Road around Churchill Avenue has developed into one of the trendiest spots in Westboro and in all of Ottawa. One of the many great features that make this area so attractive and pedestrian-friendly are the wall murals that decorate the side facades of many of the […]

This week’s piece is for all the Presto-wielding commuters out there that hop on the back of a 95 every morning to get to school or work. If you’re going anywhere in morning rush hour, odds are you will be standing when you get on that bus. And as you chug along the Transitway heading […]

Ask any local resident what’s the one place in Ottawa that you absolutely have to visit when you’re in town. Nine times out of ten, the answer you’ll get is the Byward Market. While there are a ton of other great spots in Ottawa, there’s no denying that the busiest and most well-known area of […]

I stumbled across this sculpture entirely by accident as I was walking towards the Market to check out some of the great art exhibits during this year’s Nuit Blanche. Located right off Elgin Street and steps away from the Rideau Centre, this little Gem is tucked into a small open space outside the National Art […]

This week’s gem is not exactly a hidden one, but it’s definitely one of the most impressive buildings in the City. Designed by architect David Eward, drawing inspiration from similar Scottish Baronial style estates in Europe, the building is affectionately referred to as “the castle”. When you look closely you can notice many similarities between […]

To switch things up this week, I’ve decided to explore one of my favorite outdoor spaces in central Ottawa: Strathcona Park. Situated on the eastern edge of Sandy Hill, the park is centrally-located yet far enough from the buzz of Rideau Street and the Market.  The park stretches out along the Rideau River, with the river on one side, […]

As much as it hurts to admit it, Ottawa is not world-renowned for being the focal point of art and architecture.  Though we may not rival the likes of Chicago, Paris or Florence in building design or art, we have plenty of unique local gems all over our city that often go unnoticed and unappreciated. […]