Story and images by Jennifer Campbell
For three-and-a-half years my husband and I lived on the road in our 5th wheel trailer travelling around North America. Our trailer “home” was a very, very small space for two people, but we moved around a big world – from mountains to desert to prairies.
In 2019, we arrived in Ottawa, bought a condo in Lowertown and sold our trailer. Because Lowertown is a 15-minute community, we also sold our truck to live a walking lifestyle. The moment we passed the vehicle keys to the new owner we went from the freedom of travelling far and wide to travelling to places we could get to only on foot or by bicycle or public transit. A few months later the pandemic hit. With waves of COVID and lockdowns, we were further limited mostly to places we could travel to on foot or by bicycle. As with everyone, our world seemed to become very, very small.
Looking for a ray of sunshine in an otherwise challenging time, Lowertown has been a convenient community to live in during the pandemic. Besides being able to buy what we need within a short walk, our neighbourhood provides access to so many walking routes for fresh air and exercise, which are critical for mental health.
My husband and I walked nearly every day during the lockdowns. With so many directions to go in we didn’t become bored–over the bridge to Gatineau; across the three white Minto bridges (a favourite destination) to Rideau Falls; through Major Hills Park to the Rideau Canal; along one side of the Rideau River and back along the other; behind the Parliament buildings, around downtown, through the University of Ottawa–any combination kept our walks fresh.
What I enjoy just as much, however, is walking with my camera back and forth along the streets of Lowertown, from York to Boteler Street and back, for example.
In the big picture, wandering ten or twelve streets week after week may seem like a small world, but when you look around, really look, that small world of ten streets is actually a really big world. A garden is a hive of activity, garbage day sees lots of interesting throw-aways sitting curbside, from day to day, season to season, there are always new details to see.
I get excited at the start of my walk, asking myself “What will I see today?”
Really looking around me helps take my mind away from the confining world of the pandemic. I don’t have to travel far and wide to see incredible things. I just open my eyes.
