Arts + culture corner
Cultural happenings for you to enjoy By Robin Etherington GALLERIES – GALERIES Barbara Ann Scott Gallery 110 Laurier Avenue West Ottawa Rocks! – Reunion Tour Until September 3 City Hall Art Gallery …
A message from our Member of Parliament, the Honourable Mona Fortier
As summer unfolds, I want to take a moment to share some positive news and highlight a few important programs that are supporting our community here in Ottawa-Vanier-Gloucester. While the House of Commons is on summer recess, the work continues on the ground – to support families, create opportunities for youth, and make our cultural…
I am hearing LOTS about this AI thing – will it help me, or should I be worried?
By Malcolm and John Harding of Compu-Home We can answer these questions in two words: “yes and probably.” For a bit more detail read on, in this and in our November column. To begin, we have a bit of a quarrel with the name, “artificial intelligence,” as we think that “accumulated intelligence” is a better…
The Ottawa Mission art program – making the healing power of art available to all
An interview with Aileen Leo, Director of Communications By Robin Etherington The Ottawa Mission’s art program supports individual artists and community engagement through exhibitions, fundraising, and partnerships with local artists and organizations. It empowers individuals, showcases their work, and raises funds for the Mission’s programs, while fostering a sense of community and belonging. What has…
Books by or about Lowertowners
Gwen Tuinman, Unrest, Random House Canada, 2024. By Nancy Miller-Chenier This historical fiction is focused on the unrest created by the Shiners, gangs of Irish immigrants that terrorized Bytown with extreme acts of violence between 1835 and 1845. Led by Peter Aylen, who later emerged as a successful lumberman, this period, known as the Shiners’…
It’s back: Bordeleau Park’s beloved dock on the Rideau
By Sandra Milton and Nancy Miller Chenier, Adopters of Bordeleau Park After a brief disappearance earlier this summer, the much-loved dock at Bordeleau Park has made a welcome return to the Rideau River, thanks to the persistent efforts of city park staff and the local community. Installed originally around 2012, the floating wooden dock –…
Lowertown fire stations, then and now
By Michel Rossignol In 1864, Ottawa’s municipal government decided to improve the city’s firefighting capabilities by buying two hook and ladder wagons for two fire brigades, one in Lowertown and one in Uppertown. There were no funds to buy horses, so the wagons had to be pulled by twenty volunteer firefighters. There was another problem….
Brigid’s Well – Lowertown’s own neighbourhood Irish pub
By Dave Bowen There’s no neon sign out front telling you you’ve arrived, no menu on the door with a list of offerings, nor even any big windows to peep in and see what’s inside. The only sign you’re at your destination is the small blue light over the door, lit when they’re open. But…
Read the latest issue of The Echo! (16-3, August 2025)
Download the full PDF version here.
Having the courage to change
By Josiah Frith, Lowertown Community Association There was a time when horses ruled Ottawa’s streets, pulling carts, carriages, and wagons through Lowertown and beyond. But the charm wore thin. Horses were unpredictable, left the roads filthy with manure, and limited the city’s ability to grow. So came the trains. By the mid-1800s, rail lines were…