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Patrick Mikhail Editions

Looking for affordable original works of art? Priced from $125 to $1000, a new project and exhibition at the Patrick Mikhail Gallery features exclusive limited-edition artworks! From today on till March 4, 2012, the gallery provides the opportunity to acquire artworks by some of Canada’s leading emerging and mid-career contemporary artists (some of them local), like:

Jessica Auer
Stephen Brookbank
Andrea Campbell
Olga Chagaoutdinova
Josée Dubeau
Scott Everingham
Adrian Göllner
Jonathan Hobin
Kristopher Karklin
Thomas Kneubühler
Jennifer Lefort
Deborah Margo
Andrew Morrow
James Olley
Cheryl Pagurek
Josée Pedneault
Michèle Provost
Andreas Rutkauskas
Amy Schissel
Cindy Stelmackowich
Andrew Wright
Jinny Yu
Ewa Monika Zebrowski

The exhibition and online catalogue includes photographic prints, photo-based works, digital prints and paintings, video paintings, artist books, original drawings, and sculptures. They are all offered in editions of 30 or less. Each original artwork has been specially conceived and created for the editions project.
 
Facts:
Patrick Mikhail Editions
February 15 - March 4, 2012
Artist Reception:
February 17, 2012
5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
http://www.patrickmikhailgallery.com/artists/

Transforming Ottawa’s pedestrian landscape

Today is Wednesday, and tonight Ottawa's nascent pedestrian advocacy group will have its second meeting. Notes from the previous meeting are posted on the Ottawa Walking Problems website. The group has recycled the name "Ottawalk" with the blessing of the members of the group of the same name that expired in 2001.

I figured a pedestrian-themed photo would be fitting for Peds on Weds. Here is a pedestrian desire line at the Ottawa Police headquarters at 474 Elgin Street:

Near the corner of Elgin and Argyle, pedestrians cut through the courtyard (next to the "Transformer Site" public art installation), hop the planter bed, and continue along the much quieter street. I wouldn't be surprised if many of them continue diagonally across the Museum of Nature's parking lot as well.

As with the item I highlighted in the post announcing the previous meeting, this is more of a nuisance than an real problem. Not all pedestrian problems can be so easily dismissed, and many nuisances in a single trip can discourage people from walking. The Ottawa Walking Problems is a good place to track the longer term problems, and the City's recently released ServiceOttawa.ca website allows you to directly report more acute issues, like icy sidewalks or malfunctioning traffic signals.

If you're interested in the walking group, contact Councillor Diane Holmes at diane.holmes@ottawa.ca, or feel free to come to the meeting tonight at 7pm in the Colonel By room at City Hall. (I should note that, while this is my personal blog, I also work on pedestrian issues--including the group--for Councillor Holmes)

[Look for more one-photo posts under the label Singles]

Spatiality.

An unusually romantic Valentines Day

We don’t usually make a big deal out of Valentine’s Day, but this year we got swept up in it for some reason. Maybe it’s because you can’t ignore Valentine’s Day when you’re surrounded by symbols of romance, like lovebirds and a dog named Rose.

Speaking of which, every time we tried to share a Valentine’s kiss, we had a lovebird or a dog named Rose joining in. Rosie would stand up and lick our faces, and Oboe would sit on my head, cling to my hair, and stretch down between our faces. So romantic.

GC gave me a dozen red roses and he made the most incredible meal ever, and I’m not even exaggerating. Honey Pepper Cedar Planked Salmon on the barbecue, with balsamic roasted asparagus, herbed brown rice, salad, wine and zaatar pitas. And we had a little bit of Ben & Jerry’s Caramel ice cream for dessert, served with a tiny spoon because we didn’t want to overindulge on account of our cholesterol and all.

I did my Valentines Day shopping at Venus Envy.

Signs of the times

 

The City ascribes geographic omniscience as a characteristic of cyclists. How else could one explain the total lack of street signs or directional signs along the City’s multi-user paths (usually called “bike paths”).

In contrast, vehicular motorists are considered by the City to be geographical ignoramuses. How else could one explain the provision of street signs on every corner of every street, no matter how minor the street or how few places (if any) there are on the street?

Sarcasm aside, there should be street signs along pedestrian and cycling paths. They should be installed using similar criteria to regular street signs, ie at every corner.

Some destination signs would be useful too. These California format signs are pretty nifty:

As is usual in Ottawa, we are “considering” the issue of pedestrian and cyclist wayfinding. This requires some serious study. Should routes be numbered or named? How many signs, how big, and where to install them. Will they obstruct motorist sight lines? Who will pay for them as bike paths are not city roads?

I fear this will take us into the land of the parking-meter-to-bike-posts fiasco, where thousands of parking meter posts were removed instead of being converted to bike posts because we set up criteria so detailed that it is difficult to find spots to put bike posts.

This is a familiar problem when dealing with traffic issues. Existing conditions, even if rebuilt, are grandfathered and don’t have to be changed. Any changes wanted by the community have to pass the most stringent new standards designed for unconstrained suburban environments. That’s why the engineers always win.

But in Ottawa we are blessed with the NCC. They installed cyclist wayfinding signs on their paths several years ago, and have been improving them. And now they have installed them on the canal, for ice skaters. Yup, motorists can know where they are, skaters can know where they are, but cyclists on city streets …

Events for Wednesday, February 15

Wednesday, February 15

Thursday, February 16

Friday, February 17

Saturday, February 18

It’s always the big black pickups.

So I needed to get across the road this morning, just near Saint Margaret's on Montreal Road. I'd been working on the south side of the street, and needed to get to the north side to ride downtown. I walked the bike down to the corner and pushed the button for the crosswalk. Waiting for my light to change, I spotted a big pickup, across the street, apparently waiting for the light to turn left. I think I noticed him because he was edging up, anticipating the light. While waiting, I got on the bike: why not?

When the walk sign came on, I started across the crosswalk, and the truck started his left turn, at speed, as though I wasn't even there. I looked up and saw its huge grill coming for me. "Jesus, buddy!" I yelled, as I swerved to try and stay clear of him. He gunned it through the intersection - I got enough of a look to see his dog looking out the open window at me, so this time, just this once, I can assume the driver heard me yell.

I got across the crosswalk and pulled up so I was parallel with the curb, ready to head west, waiting for the light to turn green. "It's one way," I heard someone saying behind me. Not sure what he was talking about, I didn't answer. So he walked up to me, and repeated himself. "It's one way, there."

"What is?" I asked, totally confused.

"That street's one way," he said, and pointed at the street whose corner I'd been standing on waiting for the light. Now, partly I was annoyed that he felt like it was his place to justify the truck driver's assholish behaviour, but also that he had only looked up when I shouted, had no idea what had actually happened, and still thought he'd scold me for something I hadn't done.

"I didn't come from there. I was at the crosswalk." The guy didn't seem to understand, so I gestured at the clearly painted crosswalk. "He saw me waiting. I was never on that street." The guy shrugged, in a what-the-hell, I-don't-care kind of way, and the light was green anyway, and I pedaled off.

I guess it bugged me because the guy assumed he knew what had happened ('stupid crazy cyclist ignoring the rules and just riding wherever she wants.') And also, sure, legally I shouldn't have ridden across the crosswalk, although I'm pretty sure the truck driver would have pulled the same shit had I been on foot. But it really rankled that this other guy thought that, even if I was in the wrong, it was okay for someone to 'teach me a lesson' with an F-150. That someone in a truck that size is allowed to think, "Well, I'm supposed to be driving here, and if you get in my way it's your fault."

I really wish I had the courage, one of these times, to just stop in the middle of the intersection when someone is driving like a bully in that way. Just stop. In front of them. But of course I don't: I scurry out of the way of their great big powermobile. And I bet they love it.

Soho Italia, 500 Preston, again

DALHOUSIE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

755 Somerset Street West, Ottawa, Ontario, K1R 6R1
Eric Darwin, President

9 February 2012

Alain Miguelez,
Planning & Growth Mgmt. Dept.
City of Ottawa

Dear Sir,

Re: Re-Zoning of 500 Preston St. (Soho Italia)

On 25 January 2012, the Planning and Development Committee of the Dalhousie Community Association were given a presentation of perspectives and elevation drawings of a 30 storey apartment tower. This was the third proposal we have seen from the current developer. No shadow, traffic, wind studies or other impact material was presented.

You may recall that the OMB imposed a previous re-zoning from 6 storeys to a tower of 19 storeys with a high-calibre of design and a much smaller footprint.

The present proposal is much bulkier, much higher and of an unremarkable character.

We do not consider this location appropriate for such a significantly larger, higher, bulkier building. It is not on Carling Avenue where the highest buildings ought to be (such as directly flanking the O-Train or at the NRCAN site to the east). Instead it is a block further north. This will set a precedent for towers marching north on Preston, destroying its traditional main street form. If anything, this site should mark a transition downwards from Carling, and therefore no further increase to allowed height should occur here.

The previous needle blocked the open and sun-drenched view southwards from Preston Street towards Dows Lake in a minor way, whereas the present proposal’s bulk and height will have an enormous negative impact on the ambiance of Preston Street and for a greater distance.

It will also have an enormous negative impact on the low-rise residential areas east and west of Preston. There are no transitional components in this design.

None of the Official Plan, the Preston-Champagne Secondary Plan, or the draft CDP call for high rises at the south end of Preston Street. There is adequate capacity in the current zoning to meet intensification targets. An increase in allowed height at this site is not justified. There is no reason to overthrow the 2005 OMB approval of a needle thin 19 storey building: the major factors of intensification and proximity to the O-train are unchanged.

Conclusion:

This proposal is not ready to proceed to a re-zoning in its present form.

Yours truly,

Eric Darwin, President
DALHOUSIE COMMUNITY ASSOCIATION

What do you need the most today?

Spotted on a signpost. Which one would you choose?

Events for Tuesday, February 14

Tuesday, February 14

Wednesday, February 15

Thursday, February 16

Friday, February 17

Stairway to Centretown

Looking up the stairs to Queen Elizabeth Driveway from the Lisgar entrance to the Rideau Canal Skateway.


There's a new unofficial website for canal enthusiasts on the go. The page includes a colour-coded map of the ice conditions, in a format more suited to mobile phone browsers than the NCC's page: thebluefactor.com/canal. Winterlude wraps up on next week's long weekend, from Friday to Family Day on Monday. The canal is always open, weather permitting. So get out there and have some fun!

[Look for more one-photo posts under the label Singles]

Busy. The Universe. Guest Posts.

Whenever I sit down to try and write a blog post lately, the words come out like the title of this post – choppy, incoherent, and scattered. (More than usual. :) That’s because I’m so…

…busy.

As promised in my To-Don’t post, so far I haven’t taken on any new projects in 2012. But I do have a few rather time consuming projects from 2011 to finish up. One of these projects involves taking courses, including a correspondence course. I keep waffling between wanting to work on it in every waking moment in order to get it done and just doing the bare minimum so that I have time to concentrate on other things. If I take this approach though, it’ll be hanging over my head for months.

The reason that I’m taking courses is that a friend and I will be launching a new venture in a few months. Details will be forthcoming soon, but for now we have prep work to do and decisions to make. I would love to be able to go part-time on my regular job and part-time with our venture. I would love it even more if I could go part-time with my current job and that it somehow morphed into one that’s related to the venture and to the courses I’m taking. Though I usually like to be firmly in control of my destiny and believe that anyone can accomplish pretty much anything they put their mind to, in this matter I’ve appealed to the…

…universe.

Instead of just quietly going about my business and preparing the new venture, I’ve started telling anyone and everyone at work about it. I’ve let it be known that I’m really interested in this area and that I would love to somehow modify/change/adjust my job to include it. And then I said, “There you go universe, it’s up to you now.” (I think I actually said it out loud. :)

We’ll see what transpires. In the meantime, I feel that I’ve been neglecting the frugal fun aspect of this blog, and I just don’t have time right now to research events like I used to. Which is why I’m looking for…

…guest posts!

If you’d like to try your hand at blogging or you’re already a blogger and you have a free, frugal or almost frugal event or activity that you’d like to blog about, please get in touch! I haven’t had guest bloggers before so I have no idea what to expect, but if you’re interested please email me at contactme(at)frugalfunottawa(dot)ca and we can chat about your ideas. Not much fame or fortune involved, but maybe a bit of fun!

Told you I was choppy, incoherent and scattered lately…!

Infill that works

Complain, complain, complain. It’s too bi-i-i-g. It’s too ta-a-a-a-ll.  It’s not the same as now. It’s not compatible. We hear those whines every day when the subject of infill or new development comes up.

It’s not always that way. It’s just that good projects that are welcome in the neighborhood don’t get good press.

So here’s a good news story.

On Booth Street there is a blight that has cursed residents for years, Cousin Eddy’s Garage and Uncle Chado’s body shop. The city trees in front of the garages mysteriously died so we could all admire their ugliness and garbage-strewn grounds.

 

But redevelopment is in the winds. Barry Hobin is carrying the file, and for once there is no worry about gross overdevelopment. No highrise in the middle of a low-rise neighborhood. No walls of windows four feet from the lot lines. Nothing weird at all. Just 20 townhouses, affordably priced, nicely situated on the street and a mews.

Here’s the aerial shot:

St Anthony school and Church are off to the top right, split by Gladstone Avenue. Booth Street runs right-left through the shot, with the new townhouses superimposed mid-block.

Here’s the view from the front:

Immediately noticeable is that is not a bird’s-eye view. Hobin doesn’t assume we are all flying helicopters. It’s a genuine sidewalk-level view. And here’s the view from across the street, although I think the townhouses are drawn a bit too big:

It’s a bit hard to see at first glance, but there’s a portico driveway through the ground floor at the centre, beyond the near side thick wooden pole that protects pedestrians from marauding cars. The row of houses quickly closes up above the discrete driveway. Note once again that the architect is happy to show what his project looks like from the positions we will normally see it, ground level.

Here is the site plan:

 

And while celebrating this well-done infill project, it is worth noting his Planning Rationale submission (available at www.ottawa.ca/devapps). Most other rationales are thick documents that parse through relevant planning and zoning documents with a fine tooth comb, selecting out of context quotes to justify whatever new, larger, more wonderful project they are promoting. But this time, a simple two pager, written by the architect, no fancy planning firm required. It’s almost the good ole’ days.

Events for Monday, February 13

Monday, February 13

Tuesday, February 14

Wednesday, February 15

Thursday, February 16

My Childhood, Life, and WRC.

The Canadian War Museum, in 25 photos

The Canadian War Museum, in 25 photos

LIFE Guide to Digital Photography: Everything You Need to Shoot Like the Pros by Joe McNally

[ http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?lt1=_blank
The book is out for over a year, and I was carefully going through it, cherishing every advice from the great master.

I remember when my father let me use his range finder camera with no film, I had a blast from winding up the shutter and making a click. Then he showed me how to place the roll of film into the camera. And the books came later.

I know, some people are not manual readers. They grab the tool and start using it. Nothing wrong about it. I am the "reading" type. I like reading manuals. It has been proving useful so far.

So this book is like a manual not only for the rookie photographers. I suggest the pros will able to find some unexpected advice or two for themselves as well. It covers all the basics of photography, nuts and bolts of the everyday going about taking pictures. And as with my father's books, I am sure I will open this book again and again to find something I was not ready for at the first time.

I highly recommend it to you.

LIFE Guide to Digital Photography: Everything You Need to Shoot Like the Pros by Joe McNally

Abandoned Car at Alamy

Still one of my favourite series - the car abandoned in the woods, now at Alamy. I had remote flash set at the camera top left and stayed there by the car hoping for the golden sunset light to hit through the trees and into the headlights. Not that I was not taking other pictures during that time. I was.

But when the sun set lower and lined itself up the way I was hoping for and cheerfully beamed right into the bumper and the headlights, I have taken quite a few shots. I now hope you may like some of them.

Events for Sunday, February 12

Sunday, February 12

Monday, February 13

Tuesday, February 14

Wednesday, February 15

Feburary 12, 2012

Some cuteness and some happy news

I found all these on Pinterest.com. I hope they’re not too cute!

---

In other news, blog reader Dawn contacted the NCC about my Skateway Robbery post, and the young man who was charged for 13 hours of skate rental received a significant refund. Yay! (See the comments in that post to read the email Dawn received from the NCC.) Thanks, Dawn, for taking it to the next step.

Orange Stucco Texture

Stuccoed wall with fancy but rough finish painted orange makes quaint texture file.

Fairmont Chateau Laurier turning 100 soon

As Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel is about to celebrate it's 100th birthday, I have uploaded some photos to Alamy.


There is another one of the Chateau Laurier's magnificent arches.

Events for Saturday, February 11

Saturday, February 11

Sunday, February 12

Monday, February 13

Tuesday, February 14

I love public outrage

Sometimes I feel bad about how hard it is to change the world. It seems that change for the worse happens so much more quickly and easily than change for the better. It feels like we’re fighting a losing battle, because all the power and money is concentrated on the wrong side. Sometimes I just want a victory for the good guys.

And this week we got one!

The Susan G. Komen Foundation de-funded Planned Parenthood because of their stand on abortion, and got slammed so hard by public outrage that they were forced to backtrack and reverse their decision.

That kind of public outrage absolutely restores my faith in our collective ability to change the world for the better.

We can’t unsee what we’ve seen, and what we’ve seen is that the Susan G. Komen Foundation is run by right-wing, anti-feminist, anti-choice bullies, and that it uses some of the money we donate for breast cancer to further its ugly political agenda.

Even though Komen responded to the public outrage by dismissing their vice-president of public policy, it’s too late. They’ve destroyed themselves. It was an organizational decision to hire a right-wing, anti-choice, anti-feminist for that position in the first place. I’m sure she acted with the full backing of the organization. Just because they fired her when the shit hit the fan doesn’t mean they’re not a bunch of right-wing, anti-choice, anti-feminist bullies. It just means they chickened out in the face of a massive backlash, and let her be the scapegoat.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation had a huge cache of goodwill built up around itself. Even though it exuded sentimentality and gooey-ness at times, we all contributed to the cause, by running or walking or fundraising or donating, because we all love somebody with breasts, and what could possibly be wrong with contributing to The Cure?

Well, now we know.

So screw Komen AND their pink ribbon. The commercialization, commodification and politicization of breast cancer has to stop. Breast cancer is a disease – it’s not a brand or an election issue.

This woman says it better than I can:

And now I’m off to see my oncologist, to make sure my breast cancer is still gone.