Skating away the Deep Freeze
It looks cold today. I can't say for sure if it feels cold, but from the vantage of my warm bed, I would have to say it looks cold outside. There's a slight snow falling from an overcast sky, and the good people of my neighbourhood have their heads and bodies buried inside cavernous parkas and hoods as they walk by, bodies bent slightly forward, eyes fixed on the slushy sidewalk below.
Ottawa has been under a freeze for a couple of weeks now, and the weather reports tell us there is no end in sight. I suppose weather reports like this one are not warmly received by the countless homeless people living in Ottawa's downtown core. I find the 20-minute walk from home to work pushes me to my limit, so I couldn't begin to imagine staying outside in this weather for any amount of time, and certainly not in clothes insufficient for the season (I'm talking warmth people, not fashionista).
According to the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, 8,853 people were homeless and stayed in a shelter at some point in 2005. That's a staggering number, but I was heartened to hear a radio report on the local CBC network about a group of volunteers in Ottawa (I didn't catch their name) who are handing out survival kits this winter to help people on the streets. The kits include necessities that you might not always think of such as lip balm, hand lotion, tissues, clean wool socks and a coupon to get a hot drink somewhere. It sounds like an excellent program
The good side of all this cold weather is that the city's renowned Rideau Canal has finally frozen over and people by the hundreds have been out skating on what is so often dubbed "the world's longest skating rink." Word on the street is that the ice is best first thing in the morning, so in a little while, I am going to test out this theory with the new-to-me skates I picked up last weekend at Tim's Used Sports Equipment (1280 Wellington St., W.). Judging by the line-up last Saturday, I think it's fairly safe to say Tim's has cornered the used skate market.
I have some family visiting this weekend for Winterlude. My hope is that I've gleaned enough from my stay here so far to be a good host and tour guide. I took them to Colonnade Pizza (280 Metcalfe St.) for dinner last night, which seemed like a good place to start. Colonnade is, hands down, my favourite pizza place in the city, though I admit it's certainly not for the faint of heart when it comes to cheese intake.
Today, we're going to check out the ice sculptures and test out our canal legs before settling down at the Byward Market for Beaver Tails and hot chocolate. I know, could it be a more postcard perfect Ottawa visit? I'll let you know.
Ottawa has been under a freeze for a couple of weeks now, and the weather reports tell us there is no end in sight. I suppose weather reports like this one are not warmly received by the countless homeless people living in Ottawa's downtown core. I find the 20-minute walk from home to work pushes me to my limit, so I couldn't begin to imagine staying outside in this weather for any amount of time, and certainly not in clothes insufficient for the season (I'm talking warmth people, not fashionista).
According to the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, 8,853 people were homeless and stayed in a shelter at some point in 2005. That's a staggering number, but I was heartened to hear a radio report on the local CBC network about a group of volunteers in Ottawa (I didn't catch their name) who are handing out survival kits this winter to help people on the streets. The kits include necessities that you might not always think of such as lip balm, hand lotion, tissues, clean wool socks and a coupon to get a hot drink somewhere. It sounds like an excellent program
The good side of all this cold weather is that the city's renowned Rideau Canal has finally frozen over and people by the hundreds have been out skating on what is so often dubbed "the world's longest skating rink." Word on the street is that the ice is best first thing in the morning, so in a little while, I am going to test out this theory with the new-to-me skates I picked up last weekend at Tim's Used Sports Equipment (1280 Wellington St., W.). Judging by the line-up last Saturday, I think it's fairly safe to say Tim's has cornered the used skate market.
I have some family visiting this weekend for Winterlude. My hope is that I've gleaned enough from my stay here so far to be a good host and tour guide. I took them to Colonnade Pizza (280 Metcalfe St.) for dinner last night, which seemed like a good place to start. Colonnade is, hands down, my favourite pizza place in the city, though I admit it's certainly not for the faint of heart when it comes to cheese intake.
Today, we're going to check out the ice sculptures and test out our canal legs before settling down at the Byward Market for Beaver Tails and hot chocolate. I know, could it be a more postcard perfect Ottawa visit? I'll let you know.
posted by Capital Letters at 7:59 AM
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