Ottawa’s hidden treasures

After more than 900 posts, I’m always looking for new stuff to write about. Now that I’m in vacation mode (can I get a ‘hallelujah’?) we’ve been doing what I love to do… touring around the city, doing all of our favourite summertime things. And in doing so, I realized that there are a lot of wonderful things to do in this city with families, some better publicized than others. And that writing about all of Ottawa’s “hidden treasures” would give me lots of inspiration through all four seasons AND encourage me to get out with the boys more. Granted, none of the stuff I’ve been thinking of blogging about is truly “hidden”, but how often have you heard about something in or near your neighbourhood for years and never actually gotten around to checking it out yourself?

And thus, an idea is born!

The outing that inspired this brainwave was a trip to the Ottawa Farmers’ Market at Lansdowne Park. I’ve been inspired to try to buy locally, but it hasn’t been easy. In the height of strawberry season, my local Loblaws offers only berries trucked in from the US. The open-air market in the Byward Market, a mere half a block from where I work, doesn’t restrict vendors from outside our geographical area. I’ve been to the North Gower farmers market and was disappointed by the selection, and the Carp market is more than an hour round-trip.

And then I finally got around to checking out the Ottawa Farmers’ Market last week. Granted, it’s practically downtown, not exactly conveniently located for a suburbanite like me. And the day we decided to go, the neighbourhood was packed to capacity for the FIFA Under 20 World Cup semi-finals (bad timing on my part.)

But the selection! Not just cukes and tomatoes, but potatoes and onions and lettucey-type greens. Beans and snow peas and zucchini. For the first time, I could buy an entire week’s worth of vegetables from a farmers’ market. I saw after the fact they also have horse-drawn wagon rides through the Glebe… next time, for sure.

One day, I’ll get brave and actually buy some of my meat from the farmers’ market, but for now I’m happy to savour locally grown and freshly picked produce… cuz nothing tastes better than a toasted tomato and salt sandwich (bacon optional) with a tall cold glass of lemonade.

So, it probably cost me an eigth of a tank round trip, and the price is quite a bit higher than in the grocery store, and the selection is excellent now but not so great early in the season. This “buying locally” thing isn’t cheap or easy… but it’s a start, right?

Author: DaniGirl

Canadian. storyteller, photographer, mom to 3. Professional dilettante.

12 thoughts on “Ottawa’s hidden treasures”

  1. I am lucky enough to live in walking distance of the Carp Farmers’ Market. Did you know that a lot of the vendors that are in Carp on Saturday go to Lansdowne market on Sunday? And they are all local. In order to get a stall at the Carp market, your products have to be grown/baked/manufactured within 100 km of Carp.
    The girls and I walk over every Saturday morning and have breakfast there (Mmmm, bacon on a bun or pad thai and eggrolls from Mali’s stall) before shopping for fruit, veggies and the gooiest, sweetest, most heavenly butter tarts you could imagine. Damn. Now I’m hungry.

  2. I am lucky enough to live in walking distance of the Carp Farmers’ Market. Did you know that a lot of the vendors that are in Carp on Saturday go to Lansdowne market on Sunday? And they are all local. In order to get a stall at the Carp market, your products have to be grown/baked/manufactured within 100 km of Carp.
    The girls and I walk over every Saturday morning and have breakfast there (Mmmm, bacon on a bun or pad thai and eggrolls from Mali’s stall) before shopping for fruit, veggies and the gooiest, sweetest, most heavenly butter tarts you could imagine. Damn. Now I’m hungry.

  3. Thanks for the tip! I’m new to Ottawa, love your blog, and will be sure to check out this market in the next couple weeks.

  4. Thanks for the tip! I’m new to Ottawa, love your blog, and will be sure to check out this market in the next couple weeks.

  5. Sounds lovely! I’m always willing to spend a little bit more to buy the stuff from the farmer’s market – it just looks sooooo good, and at least I know where my $$ going ๐Ÿ™‚

  6. Sounds lovely! I’m always willing to spend a little bit more to buy the stuff from the farmer’s market – it just looks sooooo good, and at least I know where my $$ going ๐Ÿ™‚

  7. Hi Dani! Just wanted to pop in and say… I’m having another BOY!!!!!!!! I’m only 16 weeks but the u/s lady said it was a boy. ๐Ÿ™‚

  8. Hi Dani! Just wanted to pop in and say… I’m having another BOY!!!!!!!! I’m only 16 weeks but the u/s lady said it was a boy. ๐Ÿ™‚

  9. I love fresh produce in the summer. Thanfully I have it in our own garden. SO I walk out pick and cook…Nothing better than that. I wish you lived closer I have an over load of beans to get rid of before I leave for The Rock.

  10. I love fresh produce in the summer. Thanfully I have it in our own garden. SO I walk out pick and cook…Nothing better than that. I wish you lived closer I have an over load of beans to get rid of before I leave for The Rock.

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