Tag Archives: Byward Market BIA

Tis the Season to Support #Local & give Global @planetcoffeeott

Posted on November 20, 2014 | Leave a comment

Tomorrow evening Ottawa’s top coffee-shop Planet Coffee hosts a “Pearls for Girls” evening from 6-8PM in the Byward Market. Planet Coffee teaming up with a charitable opportunity means your on to a buzzing time and the opportunity to pair holiday shopping with fundraising aimed specifically at building the confidence and leadership skills of young women in Lesotho. The Pearls 4 Girls program has both fundraising and education components. Funds are raised through the sale of beautiful pearl jewellery in support of transformative leadership programs for girls in Lesotho. Each purchase is an important contribution towards something bigger than a piece of jewellery – it is a commitment to gender equity and the belief that girls can make a difference. All proceeds raised through the sale of Pearls 4 Girls jewellery goes directly to Help Lesotho. Pearls for Girls Thursday Nov 20 6-8PM Planet Coffee – 24a York St in the Byward Market

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Wknd Round Up: A-May-Zing Fun

Posted on May 29, 2014 | Leave a comment

Wolves B&WEvent of the week is outdoor production Wolves>Boys the award winning play (Outstanding Creation of the Year 2012 Rideau Prix) at MacDonald Cartier Park in Lowertown.  The coming-of-age play from May Can Theatre (i.e. Cory Thibert & Tony Adams) is Saturday night and already in my calendar. See more below.

Free admission as always tonight from 5-8PM at the National Gallery, then hit the Byward Night Market and head over to St Alban’s for a bellyful of creative soup!

Thursday May 29th, is Spring Soup – the latest instalment of the quick-fire dragon-den competition in which community entrepreneurs make a 5min presentation and you vote who wins the door money!  The latest session is at St Albans’ and the theme is Building Block. Prize depends on attendance but is generally around $1000. Presenters were chosen based on benefit to community, creativity, achievability and other factors. 5 min presentation & 5min Q&A. 6:30PM 10$ + free soup!

Friday music by the canal anyone? 8 Locks Flat (the beach) has Tara H0ll0way on the patio from 7PM FREE.  Continuing the musical theme of the evening – head over to The Mercury Lounge…

Ark Analogue mercury LoungeFriday’s musical event of the night is surely DJ Lance Baptiste hosts Ark Analog at Mercury Lounge 10PM. It’s Amanda Putz recommended folks – enjoy.

Appropriately, given that the Fringe Festival had it’s 2014 launch the day before, critically-acclaimed Fringe hit Roller Derby Saved My Soul rolls back in to Arts Court Theatre for one night only on Friday. Nancy Kenny‘s revamped one-woman play in it’s national tour to nine is equally the subject of an upcoming documentary “On the Fringe” that Kenny is currently filming. Roller Derby Saved my Soul, 2 Daly Ave 7:30PM $15-25

Saturday bike over to City Hall for the 4th annual edition of Capital Velo Fest. The bike rodeo kicks off at 4pm and the beautiful night bike ride is scheduled to start at 8PM. FREE 4-11PM

WolvesSaturday night grab a blanked at head to McDonald Gardens!! May Can Theatre performs Wolves>Boys outside at MacDonald Gardens Park (the dog park just off Rideau St & Cobourg) in Lowertown.  It’s a play about friendship, its outdoors, it’s local, it’s Pay-What-You-Can and it’s from May Can Theatre. If you don’t know this local talent – well you should especially as one half of this two-man team, Tony Adams, has probably served you many a latte at TAN Coffee. Play starts at 20:45 & it’s gonna be awesome – so go!

Saturday music? James Leclaire with The Cable 22’s, Still Winter Hill & Shawn Donnelly for some Ottawa Folk at The Lunenburg. While back at St Alban’s it’s Kelp20: Kelp Records 20th anniversary bash with Hilotrons, Jim Bryson and more.

Sunday why not check out the neighbourhoods latest happening venue The Loft Board Game Lounge -with hundreds of games great food and drink this is a place to chill letting the good times roll alongside the dice.

Sun is shining and need to get out? Head back to the beach, aka 8 Locks Flat for more sweet tunes by the canal with Sunday music – a tremendous destination for walkers and cyclists that is welcoming to all ages.

 

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Eye Spy: Rideau St CDP Open House TODAY – Make your voice heard

Posted on March 26, 2014 | Leave a comment

Rideau St CollageToday from 3-8PM at the Rideau St Library (377 Rideau) is the Open House for the Rideau St re-design.  Cllr Fleury’s office explains this is a pop-in Open House to inform the public of  aspects of the 2005 Community Design Plan (CDP) that are to be reviewed and revised in the next edition “to provide clear direction for future development.” Read more on the reasons for reopening the CDP and the items  affected (e.g., Building height, traffic management, etc) here.

pedestrianproject reading paperToday is the first opportunity for the community to get their vision across for this stretch of Rideau St that runs from King Edward to the Cummings Bridge.  The whole Ward is affected by this section of Rideau. A “destination” visionary design rather than one that simply supports short-term developer gains could bolster the desirability of the whole area from Montreal Road by creating a shopping corridor to the Market generating a diversity of clients allowing businesses to flourish.

The 2005 CDP limited height to 6 stories so an important aspect to review will be if this height limitation is preserved as sunlight is an important aspect to any shopping district- witness the demise of  Spark Street’s dark corridor or the lack of patios and foot fall on Queen & Slater at the weekend.

Equally it would be nice to see if there is any room for mini-parks to encourage residents to gather or street furniture to take a break.

Jermyn st street gardenRideau st  affects the entire Ward – if it becomes a dark speedy wind tunnel of high-rises it will forever cut off Vanier from Lowertown/SandyHill and the Byward Market bringing down the tone of each and every neighbourhood in Ward 12. If however Rideau is designed with a strong vision in mind- and I for one see it as a strolling, shopping, low-rise patio-friendly destination that draws visitors and residents alike – it has the location and bordering neighbourhoods to become a true destination with shopping, a cinema, great history and restaurants all a joined up in a walkable distance. Upper Rideau is without a doubt the vital link between Ward 12 neighbours from Vanier through the shops on Cumberland, Dalhousie and the Market.

Hopefully  today’s open house is a step in ensuring a traditional low-rise strolling- and-shopping,district that reinforces our Ward as a desirable, liveable destination that all of Ottawa deserves.

 

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Eye Spy: Open House on Rideau Street Re-Design

Posted on March 19, 2014 | Leave a comment

The 1st Open House for the Rideau St re-design will be March 26th, 3-8PM at the Rideau Library. Pop-in to see the plans.

In December 2013 the City of Ottawa deemed it important to re-open the Community Design Plan (CDP) created in 2005 “to provide clear direction for future development.” Read more on the reasons for reopening the CDP and the items  affected (e.g., Building height, traffic management, etc) here.

This open house will be the first opportunity for the community to see and comment on proposed changes. The Uptown Rideau area covers Rideau street from King Edward to the Cummings Bridge which leads to our neighbours in Vanier and the Montreal Road.

We are hopeful  this is the first step in ensuring a traditional low-rise strolling- and-shopping, patio-friendly commercial street that locals and visitors can enjoy. Rideau is a key corridor linking the Byward Market to Sandy Hill, Lowertown & Vanier. Rather than belonging to no-one it belongs to every neighbourhood in our Ward. At the very heart of Ward 12 Rideau must be fully transformed from a conduit to other places to a desirable liveable destination.

Wednesday March 26, 2014
Rideau Library – 377 Rideau Street
Drop in anytime between 3:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m.

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Weekend Round Up: Road Trips, Retail Therapy and the Return of Creative Sundays

Posted on October 9, 2013 | Leave a comment

Welcome (almost) to the long weekend! Start off tonight by heading down to Ottawa’s only Jail bar Mugshots 75 Nicholas. It might be a bit cold on the terrace but bundle up cuz it’s fun out there. Tonight presented by CKCU Mugshots has bands Doomsquad, Blue Angel & HSY starting at 9pm 7$. It’s a lock-in!

With the extra day off we thought we’d list some fun and games slightly further afield as well as in our hood – after all time is on your side if your not cooking up a feast to feed the masses!

Fall GatineauSaturday and Sunday Mont Ste-Marie will be holding their annual Festival of Colours / Festival des Couleurs. Take a ride in the chairlift to experience the full grandeur of the fall foliage or get even higher with the helicopter rides on offer. Relax at the BBQ where there’ll be vintage cars, a euro (trampoline) bungee, musicians and family activities throughout both days. Mountain biking and walking tours are also on the program. Adults 11$ kids between 7-17 $7 and under 7 free.

The NCC’s Fall Rhapsody continues for it’s final weekend in Gatineau Park.  Stroll or bike  the over 90km of trails then take a break over at the MacKenzie King Estate Tea Rooms.  The Visitor Centre will be hosting a free 2hour tour and educational program “Follies of the Fall Forest” on Monday at 12:30 (French) and 2:30 (English).

butterfly3Want some wildlife in town?  Flutter over to Carleton University for the concluding weekend of the Annual Butterfly Show.  The free exhibit features more than 1000 butterflies representing 41 species worldwide and is open daily from 9:00-4:00 in the Nesbitt Building. 

David Heath - Untitled

David Heath – Untitled

Get your art fix at the OAG 2 Daly Ave. On-going shows include the intriguing photography of David Heath A Heritage of Meaning, An Introspective and Sook-Yin Lee’s very personal exhibit We are Light Rays.  Lee and her sister explore the immediacy of the present moment through photography following her siblings cancer diagnosis in 2011. The series spans 2 years and is presented atop light boxes creating ephemeral even ghostly images.

Creative SundaysOn Sunday the OAG welcomes back Creative Sundays from 1:00-3:00. An opportunity to visit the gallery with family and friends and even take home your own masterpiece.

Thanksgiving Monday Sandy Hill bucks the trend of store closures with the Metro on Rideau operating 24hrs, Loblaws open from 10:00-6pm and the Rideau Centre meeting your need for retail therapy and as an escape from family “fun”.

As ever our neighbours in the Byward Market will have most shops and restaurants open for business.

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Eye Spy: The Rideau Centre Relaunch

Posted on September 26, 2013 | Leave a comment

Today marked the ground breaking ceremony for the $360 million Rideau Centre refit.

Rideau Col By

In conjunction with a sleek and bright re-design the Rideau Centre is welcoming 30 new shops including Simons, Victoria’s Secret, J Crew & Nordstrom.

Rideau dinningThe dinning hall is being moved to a location with greater natural light and features a contemporary layout with bar seating and enclave-positioned higher-end food offerings making it a destination experience where one can refuel and relax.

Rideau Nicholas

In keeping with the visionary progress made by the Downtown Rideau and the Byward Market BIAs in building local beautification and desirability – think Nuit Blanche, Public Seating – the Olgilvy building facade destroyed last year will be recreated and incorporated in to the modern design of the Centre. 

Further the Centre will have great transit links with LRT stops and buses bringing it in-line with successful urban retail development across the US and Europe.

Rideau Expansion---Interior-1-(1)This ambitious redevelopment and expansion project is wonderful news for the surrounding neighbourhoods who use it as their local shop.  

One small request would be that the Rideau Centre please encourage the City of Ottawa to install bike lanes and beautify pedestrian access to give this project a real boutique edge in the urban & historical heart of Ottawa.  Retail profits stand to increase – The NYC Dept of Transportation 2012 Study found that in Manhattan businesses saw an improvement in retail sales of up to 49 percent if they were near protected bicycle lanes.

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