NCC

New pathways Along Hospital Link in Altavista-Riverview

July 11, 2018 Hansonthebike 8

Reading Time: 6 minutes Although the Hospital Link is not completely finished yet, I decided to go out and take a look recently. The weather was finally a pleasant 20 degrees again, unlike the sweltering 34-36 Celsius (nearly 100F) last week. I had been doing some 20 km and 30 km bike tours with tourists in the heat, and although it is bearable when you are moving, the sun really hits you when you stop cycling. I cycled there first on my own; later in the weekend I went back with Heather Shearer after a meeting at city hall. We approached the link from [Read more…]

Open: Ottawa River Pathway Behind Parliament Hill

November 21, 2017 Hansonthebike 0

Reading Time: 5 minutes 2019 update: during the spring flooding of 2019, a number of pathways are closed. Check the NCC website for updates here: http://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/news/impact-of-rising-water-levels-on-capital-pathways Just before the first snow came down in the weekend of November 18-19 I thought I’d go for a bike ride to check out the repaired Ottawa River multi use pathway behind Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court. Shoreline and pathway washed out As you remember, the path was closed since the heavy rain in spring and had to be repaired over the course of another year as the Ottawa river had washed out parts of the pathway. [Read more…]

The National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa

Canadian National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa Open to Public

October 1, 2017 Hansonthebike 1

Reading Time: 5 minutes Last Thursday, September 28, 2017, was the first day that the public had access to the National Holocaust Monument in Ottawa. The monument was opened the day before. I cycled out to check it out and took photos for those who can’t make it to the monument. Special Act of Parliament I learned that the project was started by 18 year old Laura Grossman who thought it was a disgrace that there was no Holocaust monument in Canada. Originally scheduled to open two years ago, it was delayed by some construction issues but finally, on September 27, 2017 it was [Read more…]

Dream start of 45th NCC Sunday Bike Day Season

May 18, 2015 Hansonthebike 4

Reading Time: 5 minutes It seemed like everyone was out cycling yesterday. Sunday May 17 was the first day of the Alcatel Lucent NCC Sunday Bike Days. The weather couldn’t have been better. Sunday, sunny, low humidity (under 40%) and 24 C/75F by 5 pm. And the numbers showed it: over 5000 bike rides were counted near Canal Ritz on the Sunday before Victoria Day Monday by the underground bike counters, and many more were cycling on the road as the paths were overcrowded. It was one of those perfect days in Ottawa. The NCC (a federal agency) closes 25 km of roads in [Read more…]

Ciclovia, Ottawa Style Since 1970

August 13, 2013 Hansonthebike 0

Reading Time: 4 minutes Since 1970 Ottawa (or more precise, the National Capital Region) organises Ciclovias. The name Ciclovia was invented later, and originates in South America. Ottawa simply calls it Sunday Bikedays. A number of Canadian cities followed around 2011, so Ottawa really set the standard for Canada a long time ago. The NCC organises about 13 Ciclovias a year, between Victoria Day (late May) until Labour Day (early September). The principle is the same: close a bunch of roads for motorised traffic and allow people to cycle for a few hours. While ideally people cycle every day, many people prefer to cycle [Read more…]

Canada Day: Checking Out the Capital by Bike

July 2, 2013 Hansonthebike 5

Reading Time: 7 minutes We’re not big crowd fans. We’d rather be on our own on days like Canada Day, than be with 500,000 others in down town Ottawa. There is not much attraction in seeing people with flags wrapped around their shoulders and belting out “O Canada’ at any given moment, in pubs, in buses, walking along the road or sitting in parks. But it is a day off, the weather was nice and that makes for a good bike ride. To stick to the Canada Day theme, we thought we should cycle past about 20 national treasures in the Nation’s capital. We [Read more…]

Entering Ottawa

Bixi Bikes are a Great Asset for Canada’s National Capital Region

April 8, 2013 Hansonthebike 2

Reading Time: 4 minutes Two years ago, I suggested to a manager at the Westin in Ottawa that they should embrace cycling tourism more, being located right on the canal with its pathways, a World Heritage Site no less. He paused and then asked “But Hans, who arrives on a bike with three suitcases?‘” I had to explain to him that his guests might want to go for a bike ride after a dull day in a congress or perhaps stay longer if they knew about the many local bike routes. Meanwhile, the Minto on Laurier and Lyon has dozens of bikes out for [Read more…]

Eight, Make that Nine, Bike Counters in Ottawa

February 14, 2013 Hansonthebike 7

Reading Time: 6 minutes One of the most underestimated tools for bike advocacy is the bike counter. They come in all kinds of sizes and shapes. Here in Ottawa, we currently have eight bike counters. Few people know about them but it has helped tremendously in proving that there are much more cycling movements than people think. As the old adagio goes in Dutch: “Meten = Weten”. (measuring = knowledge). The counters are all underground in little water tight containers, hidden in the pavement or the bushes along bike paths. Former Citizens for Safe Cycling president Krstulich has really pushed for those hidden counters. [Read more…]

Cycling Towards Hot Air

September 4, 2012 Hansonthebike 1

Reading Time: 5 minutes Gatineau is closer than you think. Mentally, Gatineau and Nepean are far apart for me. They aren’t really though. Mind you, Nepean is large, but we live just South of the Experimental Farm so although it is technically old Nepean, it is the closest area of Nepean to down town. Yesterday, we decided to cycle to the Balloon Festival in Gatineau along some scenic routes, but still fairly direct. The Experimental Farm is closed for car traffic in the weekend, and hence a great connector for people from Nepean cycling to Hintonburg, Little Italy and down town and further North. [Read more…]