Discovering Canadian Patriotism and Obama Cookies at Ottawa's ByWard Market

The perennial garden at the front of our house 

Years ago, we visited the By Ward Market in Ottawa and bought a little perennial plant with us back to Toronto.

We planted it in the front yard of our house and it has been growing ever since.






Every spring this plant blossoms giving us a burst of brilliant fresh yellow flowers in early spring. We have so many compliments about this low mainteance plant.

I love this plant and  always want to go back to the By Ward Market and see if I could find this precious plant again.

We had brunch at Benny's , Ottawa 

After our conference at the Algonquin College, we had a good rest for our last night at the residence and decided to stay a few extra days in Ottawa.

We  made arrangement to have brunch with Mar.and D. around the ByWard Market district.

Great tasting French Toasts at Benny's Bistro

The wait at this trendy eatery was long. Good thing we got there a little after 11am and were able to get a table after about a 20 minute wait.

The wait was worth it as the food was really good! We always enjoy French food. Being in Ottawa, we have to try some french cooking.












The bistro was only a stone throw away from the ByWard Market. After brunch we went to the Market for a visit.

The ByWard Market in downtown Ottawa goes back to a long history.

The market has always been a major social and cultural hub for the people of Ottawa.

ByWard Market area 

"From its earlier days, the By Ward Market has been an area where Ottawa's diverse cultures mixed and occasionally clashed.

By Ward Market, Ottawa

French Canadians have lived here since the days timber was rafted on the Ottawa River,

Throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries, numerous immigrants of Irish, Jewish and other immigrant families settled in the Market area.















These people were drawn by the promise of employment and opportunities."
















Today the Market becomes a fun place for residents and visitors to the city.

We always enjoy the social and cultural aspect of the place and never get tired of visiting it when we are in Ottawa.

In the days past, ByWard Market merchants sold produces, cattle, and livestock of all kinds.

Today it is a vibrant place with interesting cafes, stores and booths selling all kinds of plants, flowers, baked goods and crafts.

They sell cookies of all kinds and designs.
There were cookies with designs of our proud Canadian symbols - Our  Maple Leaf flag!

Our beloved RCMP also was part of the designs of the cookies

Our beloved RCMP - Royal Canadian Mounted Police, cookies with red and white colours etc.
Canadian patriotism was evident in the cookies being sold  in this cafe.























Our love for our Prime Minister - Justin Trudeau was proudly displayed in these Canada cookies.
















The Canadian love affair with our southern neighbor and its previous president was obvious too.

The Obama Cookies at the ByWard Market

Not only did President Obama visit Ottawa, the capital of Canada, while he was in office, he paid a special visit to the ByWard Market and stopped at this bistro and bought some cookies.

In honour of his visit, here the Obama Cookies were born!

Enjoying the ambiance of the Market at an outdoor restaurant

Obama, former president of United States, could not afford the luxury of time to enjoy the ambiance of the ByWard Market during his visit.




















We did. As ordinary folks, we ordered our chocolate crescent, lattie, herbal tea and enjoyed the hot drinks on the patio during a rainy afternoon.

A faithful dog waiting for his master outside the Market

Sipping our drinks and nibbling on some fine French pastry while watching the world go by at the ByWard Market was an enjoyment by itself.

Enjoying life does not have to be expensive and travelling around the world. For me, being in Ottawa and with my loved ones was a world class holiday and a great pleasure indeed!

R.T.
By Ward Market
Downtown Ottawa

Posing as a Rock Star at Ottawa's Inspiration Village

Inspiration Village  was recently set up in downtown Ottawa

Inspiration Village, Ottawa is now open!

The Inspiration Village in Ottawa has opened its doors a couple of weekends ago!

It is located in the downtown area of Ottawa by the By Ward Market.

There are many display booths promoting different parts of Canada

With Canada celebrating its 150th year anniversary in 2017, there are many celebratory activities and special programs held across Canada throughout the whole year.

Canada Day is fast approaching, the government has set up the Inspiration Village for its citizens to enjoy.

Visitors will find a number of display booths in this pedestrian friendly car free area.


Almost each of the provinces in Canada occupies a booth to promote its uniqueness to visitors.

A photo op for visitors in the Canadian cottage country

To promote the beauty of Canada's many national parks and heritage sites and to encourage all Canadians to get out there to experience Canada's wilderness, the National Parks of  Canada has been offering free park passes to Canadians.

We got a free pass for the whole year right there at the Inspiration Village .

Visitors share their favourite places to visit on this tree

Visitors to the National Park booth are encouraged to write down their favourite places where they have visited and hang them on the tree.

A lego station to build things

There are many activities set up for visitors of all ages to enjoy.


For those who love to construct and play, there is a free lego station where kids, teens and adults alike can play to their hearts' content.

A  rock star dressed up photo station

The one booth that was the most fun for us was the rock star photo booth where it provided props such as  wacky wigs, huge glasses and for dressing up and a cutout of an adoring crowd with outstretched hands/.

Before we realized it, we saw D. all dressed up and ready to rock on stage as a rock star. He looked so cute!

It was fun dressing up and posing for a picture as a rock star!

Emboldened by D.'s courage and active participation, I followed his footsteps and dressed up for a picture too.   When the flashing lights came on and the steam blowing in, I screamed my lungs out in a Beatles' song.

Everyone laughed and I had so much fun acting silly and having my picture taken at the rock star booth!

A supersize Connection Four game 

There is also a huge Connection 4 game set up for kids and whoever is interested in trying their hands at this game.

The Tale of a Town booth collecting stories from Canadians  about their towns

A very meaningful booth is
 a booth called: The Tale of a Town. It is collecting stories from visitors to the Inspiration Village willing to share their stories about their hometown in a taped audio interview.

The interview booth where visitors are invited to share their stories.

I volunteered and was interviewed in this booth about my experience of downtown Toronto for about fifteen minutes,

The interviewer did a good job and helped me to recall some of my fondest memories in downtown Toronto.

After walking around for a little while, visitors can rest and enjoy some musical performances at the performing stage area.

Lots of musical performances on the Inspiration Village stage

There are entertainment provided by  various musicians of different genre.

Audience participation is encouraged at the performance stage

On the day we visited,  we were introduced to some great French songs and cultural performances.

Audience participation was highly encouraged

The little audience having fun at the Inspiration Village

A variety of music played on the stage

Some children came forward sitting on the stage were each given a wooden board and a wooden figure, while others had the classic wooden spoons to make music while the performers sang and danced.



















There are many scheduled musicians and artists performing at the Inspiration Village throughout the day.

Lots of photo opportunities at the village 

There are many opportunities for picture taking such as this huge
" I Stand for Canada" sign set up in the middle of the Inspiration Village.

The Ottawa sign is definitely a favorite for visitors

The huge red and white Stand For Canada and Ottawa signs prove to be very popular with visitors and tourists alike.

Another photo op by the camp fire

Visiting the Inspiration Village was a lot of fun for me and my loved ones.

Welcome to Canada 150 celebrations!

The Inspiration Village in downtown Ottawa will be welcoming visitors from May to September, 2017!

We would like to invite Canadians and tourists from other countries to come and visit and celebrate with us for Canada 150 this summer!

R.T.
Inspiration Village
Downtown Ottawa
Ontario, Canada

An Affordable Alternative Accommodation in Ottawa

Canadians enjoy their road trips  in the warmer seasons

Canada has a long winter and Canadians prefer not to take long distance driving trips during the heavy snowy winter months.

But as soon the warmer months arrive, we will start our holidays and driving trips across the country.


However, the rising cost of a hotel stay can be prohibitive to some people planning their travels

Algonquin College, Ottawa, Ontario

In our travel for the past few years, we discovered a more affordable alternative to staying in hotels.

We were  in Ottawa for a conference for the past weekend.

We had a two bedroom unit during our stay in Ottawa

Instead of spending between $100 - $250.00 for a night in a traditional hotel, some travellers might have opted for Air B&B.










We tried that too but didn't like losing our privacy or sharing a bathroom with other guests.

However, there were other options. We stayed at some college and university residences a few times and found this alternative accommodation quite affordable and comfortable.
.

A kitchenette with a fridge and a microwave.

From May to August while students have gone home, the students residences become empty. Many colleges/ universities turn their residences into temporary affordable hotels for tourists.

This time we stayed at the Algonquin College Residence in Ottawa and we liked it.

There were only two of us but we had a two bedroom unit with a kitchen.

We enjoyed our privacy with our own bathroom 

We had our own private bathroom as we didn't have to share it with anyone in this two bedroom unit.

The place was spotless. Towels, bedding, shampoo and soaps were all provided with free wifi and cable TV ( a small one)  in each bedroom.

It was not five stars nor did we pay a 5 star price for our 2 bedroom unit. We were happy as it was very clean and comfortable .As I worked late preparing for my presentations, my spouse slept in another room. We both had good restful sleep during our entire stay there.

We would definitely look for this non traditional type of accommodation when we are on the road again in the future.


R.T.
Algonquin College Residences
Ottawa, Ontario

Conducting a Children's Program at the Algonquin College in Ottawa

On our way to Ottawa for the May long weekend.

We were on the road again travelling to Ottawa.

I was very excited for the past couple of months at the thought of conducting a children's ministry program in Ottawa, outside my familiar territory of my home town.

We were at a 2 day conference at this college site in Ottawa

In preparation for the May long weekend conference, we had travelled to Waterloo and Ottawa to train two groups of youth leaders on two different weekends in April.

The conference was attended by many people from various parts of Canada

I researched and prepared a lot of music, videos, and presentation material on power points including the curriculum material, program content, games and safety procedures etc.

The conference site was spacious and comfortable

I started packing our car well in advance arriving at the conference location the evening before to set up the room.

We had a packed schedule for the conference.

The Wifi in the building was not always reliable.

On the first day,  We were at the conference site at 8am to meet with the volunteers going over some of the most important part of the program.

I was involved in the children's program for two full days

I was surprised at how long we had to stay for each session, with the first session starting at 9am -12:45PM, the second session from 2:00-5:45pm, and the third session from 7:30pm- 9:30pm. I was totally exhausted at the end of the day.

I just hope that the conference attendees had time to connect and network with others from other regions of Canada.

Volunteers helped us a lot at the conference

However, the most frustrating part for me was the unreliability of the wifi network in the meeting rooms.

A picture is worth a thousand words. Imagine my excitement after much research on the internet, I found some excellent videos and music to illustrate my topics in my presentations.

Children loved listening to the bible stories

I could hardly wait to see the expressions on the children's faces when I presented this material


Unfortunately, we encountered so many technical and wifi problems that I could not use some of the best prepared material .

Crafts activities - a popular program with the children 

I need to remind myself of this technical problem should I be invited again to this location for future presentations.

Children enjoyed the variety of activities offered at the conference 

One thing I was glad to have accomplished was the good rapport I have established with the children and some of the key youth leaders in the Ottawa region.

The children's light show on the last evening

At the beginning, the older children were hesitant in joining our program, but once they were in, they loved to come back!

A creative craft by one of the children

There were a couple of challenging issues but the dozen or so volunteers rose to the challenge and gave me a hand with the program.

Praise God! My first time in directing a two day, morning to evening children's program in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada and it went well!

R.T.

Algonquin College

Ottawa, Ontario