SITE-SPECIFIC • canadianart.ca 49
Explore
SHOP TREASURE HUNTING
Goods Shop (201 Dalhousie St.) stocks local wares
that make for perfect souvenirs, such as live-edge
wooden chopping blocks laser-engraved with maps
of Ottawa neighbourhoods. Carved from reclaimed
wood, each piece is one of a kind. Curator
Michelle Gewurtz frequents Workshop Studio
and Boutique (242 Dalhousie St.), which “supports
crafty Canadian women by stocking designers
from across the country.” For art-opening worthy
jewellery, visit Viens Avec Moi (1338 Wellington
S t. W.) or art-history professor Ming Tiampo’s
favourite, L.A. Pai Gallery (13 Murray St.). Curator
Adam Welch is a fan of Found Design (164 Elm
St.) for midcentury modern pieces, goes to Black
Squirrel (1073 Bank St.) to stock up on books,
and is a regular at Possible Worlds (708G Somerset
St.) in Chinatown, which he describes as “a
project space that manifests Melanie Yugo and
Jason Pelletier’s roving practice: for over a decade
they’ve been civil servants by day and printmakers,
gallerists, DJs and all-round cultural impresarios
by night.” Pick up some limited-edition vinyl
and carry it out in an artist-designed tote bag.
DINE TASTEMAKERS
Got a sweet tooth? SuzyQ Doughnuts ( 969
Wellington St. W.) is a cult favourite among locals
for their deep-fried delicacies, whose flavours range
from traditional (try the Finnish sugar doughnut
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3
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1 North and Navy
2 Goods Shop
3 Possible Worlds
known as a Sugar Munkki) to avant-garde (Blue
Vanilla Fruit Loop, London Fog and Mango Lassi).
For a healthier option, artist Leslie Reid recommends
the Green Door Restaurant (198 Main St.), which
she says is “the very best for vegetarian food, and
not far from the Rideau Canal.” Hang out at Origin
Tr a d e (111 York St.), a new coffee house/lounge,
cozy pub The Manx (370 Elgin St.) or try the
ricotta-stuffed meatballs at To w n (296 Elgin St.),
which Gewurtz describes as “an intimate spot
serving delicious artisanal food as sharing plates.
They also support local artists through commissions
and exhibitions.” Welch favours Pressed ( 750
Gladstone Ave.), known for its gourmet sandwiches,
and hits El Camino (380 Elgin St.) when he’s got
a hankering for tacos and tequila. When Tiampo
has Venice Biennale nostalgia, she pays a visit
to “DiVino (225 Preston St.) for perfect and
delicious pasta, Soif (88, rue Montcalm, Gatineau)
for challenging, interesting wines, and North
and Navy (226 Nepean St.) for ciccheti.”
MOVE A BREATH OF FRESH AIR
It’s easy to stay active in Ottawa, which is famous
for its glorious green spaces. “I love that (for
half the year) I have the choice of biking to work
through the Arboretum or the Central
Experimental Farm (Prince of Wales Dr.)—two
of my favourite spaces —and in winter there’s
plenty of opportunity to get outdoors with skating,
skiing and snowboarding,” says curator Heather
Anderson. Welch takes advantage of all that
Gatineau Park, which is 105 times the size
of Central Park in Manhattan, has to offer: 250
kilometres of trails to hike or walk, as well as rock
climbing, boating, swimming and more. Reid
recommends renting a bike (available at locations
around the city) and “going along the scenic
Rideau Canal bike path, ending at the Carleton
University Art Gallery (1125 Colonel By Dr.) .”
Heather Anderson
Curator, Carleton
University Art Gallery
“Check out the Record
Centre (1099 Wellington St. W.) for
new and used vinyl—and occasional
intimate in-store concerts.”
Adam Welch
Associate Curator,
Canadian Art, National
Gallery of Canada
”Ottawa is a city that lives and
works in two languages, with
theatre, dance, literary, film
and visual-art scenes that draw
on the many global cultures that
use French and English.”
MEET THE LOCALS
THE BEST OF OTTAWA
FROM THE CITY’S
ART SCENE INSIDERS
SITE-SPECIFIC: OTTAWA
PHOTO JUSTIN WONNACOTT
PHOTO KAYLA MEYER
site-specific_OTTAWA_33TS_LR.indd 49 02/05/16 6:14 PM