Read the latest issue of The Echo! (15-4, Autumn 2024)
Download the full PDF at the link here.
Beating summer heat in 1920s Lowertown
By Nancy Miller Chenier On July 13, 1921, the temperature in Ottawa reached 38° C (100 Fahrenheit). The heat had been building for weeks and residents of Lowertown were sweltering. Men, women, and children were seeking every method possible to get relief from the weeks of hot weather. So, what were some of the options…
ByWard buzzes with happy hour options
By Juliet O’Neill It’s Tuesday, it must be Starling Restaurant. Wednesday? Clarendon Tavern, Fairouz Cafe, Saigon, or Social. Happy hour in the ByWard Market is good way for friends to dodge rising restaurant dinner bills. There are so many options and we’ve done the research for you. A group of us tried nearly a dozen…
Thoughts on a climate-resilient Lowertown
By Kate Laing Call it solastalgia or eco-anxiety, the feelings are the same – worry, concern, and grief about the future of our planet. Like many others, I am thinking daily about the climate crisis and how to manage its impacts, both globally and right here in our own community of Lowertown. We have dedicated…
Self-guided Lowertown public art walk
By Scott Lemoine A towering, leggy spider, named Maman, surveils the western border of Lowertown from the forecourt of the National Gallery. She is both portal and defender — beyond her, in climate-controlled solitude, many beautiful things hang on pristine walls. But if Maman took a stroll through our neighbourhood, she would find art woven into the fabric…
A message from our Member of Provincial Parliament, Lucille Collard
Dear residents of Lowertown, Great to see the Lowertown Echo’s new rebranding, which symbolizes a fresh chapter in our community’s story. With this revitalized identity, the Lowertown Echo stands to amplify voices and foster more connections. Congratulations to the entire team for their dedication and hard work! As the warmth of the sun graces our days, I extend my…
City approves Irish Famine monument for Macdonald Gardens Park
By Allen Brown On May 14, the City of Ottawa’s Built Heritage Committee approved a motion to erect a monument to commemorate the Irish Famine of 1847-52 at a former cemetery where Irish Famine victims were buried, in what is now Macdonald Gardens Park. The monument is one of several being erected in Canada this…
Studying creative arts at De La Salle
By Nadia Stuewer Did you know that the Centre d’excellence artistique de l’Ontario (CEAO) is a centre of excellence for the arts housed within the École secondaire publique De La Salle, a public French high school on Old St. Patrick Street? The CEAO celebrated its fortieth anniversary last year, after De La Salle school celebrated…
Our urban trees: beneficial in so many ways!
By Isabelle Leclerc-Morin Besides being incredibly important to animals and the ecosystem, trees provide a number of services to humans in ways we often take for granted. The joint City of Ottawa / National Capital Commission (2020) climate projections estimate that very hot days in the summer (> 30°C) four times more common by 2050….
Fantastic views for Lowertown
By Maria Gomez Umana This summer, there will be some exciting views for ByWard Market neighbours. Major construction and renovations undertaken by National Capital Commission (NCC) surrounding the National Gallery of Canada (NGC) are nearing completion, promising fantastic results for both neighbours and visitors. Kìwekì Point Formerly known as Nepean Point, Kìwekì Point means “returning…