By Luke Barry
Within a lifetime of coming and going in and around the city of Ottawa, the ByWard Market maintains its unique hold on Katherine Solomon.
“I just have a deep appreciation for what it is,” said the marketing and communications lead with the ByWard Market Business Improvement Area. “I’ve been with the BIA since 2011, so I’ve seen some businesses change and some things grow and flourish and it’s been a privilege to be here and to watch this journey that is the ByWard Market.”
This “cradle of Ottawa” features a diversity of people and languages, countless art, heritage and cultural experiences and food and drink options galore.
Got a hankering for a burger or some bubble tea?
Maybe you and some friends are game for an escape room or want to take in a comedy show?
“Depending what your interests are and what stage in life you’re at, you’re always going to find something here,” she said. “It’s an interesting history that we have here and it’s still a very multicultural place.”
Some of the BIA’s ambassadors — a team of students hired by the BIA — will be keeping a tally this summer and report back on the number of languages represented in the area’s shops.
“We do get tourists that come to town and they don’t speak English,” Solomon said. “We would like to help them find somewhere where they can go to maybe ask [about] whatever information they may need.”
Though small in geographic size, the ByWard Market is anything but lacking. The BIA advocates on behalf of some 600 members making a strong case for the ‘something for everyone’ motto.
Walking tours of the district will launch on the hour every weekend throughout the summer. To partake, find an ambassador dressed in bright yellow near the Ottawa sign along York Street.
“We’d go out into the market and depending who is giving the tour, they might tailor it to the audience that they currently have,” Solomon explained. “So if you’ve got a small family of four, maybe they’re very interested in food, and so they’ll try and tailor the route to be a little bit more food-centred; if someone’s more interested in the history, we’ve got it.”
An innovative event fund known as the ByWard Bundle has been devised by the BIA to help its members spearhead their own events.
“It’s designed for when multiple businesses want to get together and create something like the ByWard Barket, the dog day that we recently had,” she said. “We worked with an outside source to get things coordinated, but it’s more membership-driven.”
For more event listings, check out the BIA website and click on the Events tab. The BIA also has events listed on Facebook.
Katherine Solomon can be contacted via email at events@byward-market.com.