Editor’s note: At press time, most public places and even National Parks were closed so be sure to check on these events before heading out.
Sorry, but April is not the cruellest month. In fact, it’s a dandy one, when skies are bright, temperatures generally congenial and the highways and byways beckon to the winter-weary. With that in mind, here are some suggestions for your travel itinerary now and over the coming months.
Paris, New York, murals and a canal: Separated by more than half a century, esthetic sensibilities and the Atlantic Ocean, French post-Impressionist painter Paul Signac and transgressive American photographer Diane Arbus would make an intriguing afternoon pairing at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. Signac’s 100 paintings are part of a larger, 500-piece exhibit, Paris in the Days of Post-Impressionism: Signac and the Indépendants, that includes works by Monet, Gaugin and many others. It runs March 28 to Sept. 27. Arbus’ 150 black-and-white photos, taken from 1956 to 1971, capture her fascination with the marginalized and other singular people in New York City and surrounds. The Arbus exhibit runs from June 6 to Sept. 20. 514-285-2000, mbam.qc.ca
Want to make your Montreal trip a weekend jaunt? Take in the brilliantly hued murals along heritage- and culture-rich Saint Laurent Boulevard and check out its annual MURAL festival (muralfestival.com), an early-June event that closes the road to traffic for several blocks. If bicycling or boating is your thing, you can rent either one, including electric versions, and explore the trendy Quartiers du Canal district along the leafy, historic Lachine Canal (mtl.org/en/explore/neighbourhoods/les-quartiers-du-canal).
Saddle up in the Gatineau: Novice or veteran rider, Captiva Farms just east of Wakefield in the Gatineau Hills has a horse and trail for you. The 450-acre ranch offers Western-style riding over its hilly, forested terrain and wisely insists on a 30-minute introductory session for anyone unfamiliar with either the ranch or Western-style riding. When you’ve finished riding, swing by Wakefield for a bite to eat (The Village House and Kaffe 1870 both offer reliably good meals) and an evening of live music at the Blacksheep Inn (Canadian singer/songwriter Stephen Fearing is among this spring’s performers). Captiva Farms: captivafarms.com or 819-459–2769.
Sandy Hill: Does it sound like a lame travel idea? It’s not. Sandy Hill, that stretch roughly south of Rideau Street and east of the Rideau Canal, rewards the stroller with tree-lined streets, fine old homes and a scattering of clever new infills, some lovely front gardens and the expanse of family-friendly Strathcona Park bordering the Rideau River. It almost doesn’t matter where you walk in Sandy Hill, you’ll discover urban delights. Wind up your ramble at the Ottawa Art Gallery, 50 Mackenzie King Bridge, to view Canadian art and grab a bite or a drink at Jackson.
Art, wine and the beach: Prince Edward County, about two and a half hours southwest of Ottawa, is a tourist treat, offering museums, art studios, wineries and gorgeous scenery in profusion. If you stay in pretty, small-town Picton with its historic buildings and abundant accommodation, you’ll be in close proximity to everything, including the sandy beaches of Sandbanks Provincial Park on Lake Ontario. Contact thecounty.ca or 613-476-2148, ext. 1023 for more information. And here’s a tip — the county’s arts scene is renowned: Painters, potters, photographers, glassblowers and others call Prince Edward County home. If you love art, keep your eyes and wallet open for some fine pieces.
Forest bathing: Ottawa teems with urban forests, some big, some tiny, and all revitalizing when stress takes its toll. Pine Grove Forest, close to South Keys, is one of the finest. It boasts more than 18 kilometres of hiking and cross-country ski trails, plenty of horseback riding trails, a forestry interpretation trail and a tree identification arboretum. It’s also home to Conroy Pit, a large off-leash dog park. A picnic area, an outhouse and free parking round out the appeal. Like some other Eastern Ontario forests, the land had been cleared by early European settlers for farming, but the lack of trees and erosion eventually turned it into a desert. The City of Ottawa bought and began reforesting the land in the 1950s. Keep in mind that the forest is quieter on weekdays and gets buggy in the late spring and early summer. See ncc-ccn.gc.ca for more information.
Toronto the unexpected: You could do the usual Toronto things, such as clambering around the CN Tower or visiting Canada’s Wonderland. However, you might choose instead to get unsettled by Hito Steyerl: This is the Future at the Ontario Art Gallery. Berlin-based Steyerl uses pop cultural images, documentary footage and computer-animated sequences to explore technology and power structures, a timely topic. See ago.ca for more information.
To soothe your rattled sensibilities, you can then head to Toronto’s Music Garden. In the 1990s, cellist Yo-Yo Ma and landscape architect Julie Moir Messervy interpreted Bach’s Suite No. 1 in G Major, BWV 1007 to design a garden for Boston, Mass. When that city turned down the project, Toronto scooped it up and plunked it on the waterfront. Plants represent each of the suite’s six dances. Kids, dogs and pretty much everyone else love the greenery. See harbourfrontcentre.com to learn about the free concerts in the summer.
Sci-Fi fans should set aside some time to visit the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy at the historic Lillian H. Smith branch of the Toronto Public Library on College Street. The non-circulating collection features more than 80,000 items of science fiction, fantasy and speculative fiction along with materials about UFOs, Atlantean legends and the like. torontopubliclibrary.ca
Theatre in spades: No summer is complete without a little live theatre. The annual Ottawa Fringe Festival, running June 18-28 in multiple venues around Arts Court near the Rideau Centre, offers it in spades. More than 50 theatre companies from Ottawa and beyond bring their 60- to 90-minute shows — a beguiling mix of comedy, drama, sci-fi, musicals and more — to the festival. Some of it’s terrific, some of it’s not, but at $12 a ticket, who’s complaining about the occasional misfire? 613-232-6162, ottawafringe.com
A Wabano welcome: Every Monday evening, the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health — the wavy building at 299 Montreal Rd. designed by famed First Nations architect Douglas Cardinal — opens its doors to the public for a free culture night. Drumming, storytelling and other events are spotlighted in the soaring central area, a welcoming space that rewards repeated visits. Leave yourself time to enjoy the art and, if you’re lucky enough to be a woman, revel in the strawberry-themed washroom (known as heart berries in many North American Indigenous communities, the strawberry is often considered a woman’s medicine and represents, among other things, reconciliation). The men’s washroom celebrates the wampum belt. Visit wabano.com or call 613-748-0657 for more. And, for a terrific smoked-meat sandwich and more, drop in to Bobby’s Table, 255 Montreal Rd., before your Wabano Centre visit.
Follow that trail: Quebec’s Eastern Townships, about four hours from Ottawa, enjoy a complicated history thanks to the Abenaki First Nations people, French and British settlers, United Empire Loyalists and others who have inhabited the region’s rolling countryside over the centuries. A good way to see the area is to follow the 430-kilometre Townships Trail, with stops at historic churches, covered bridges, Victorian homes (some of which are now bed and breakfasts) and other spots. Later in the season, the mountain village of Sutton hosts a jazz festival and the Tour des Arts takes you to an bunch of lovely towns. easterntownships.org
Very cool caves: If you feel the world is too much “with you” these days, your best escape — outside of a rocket ship — might be a little cave time. In the caves, it’s cool, quiet and dim and the fossils dating back millions of years remind you that your personal worries are a flash in the pan. The Bonnechere Caves in Eganville, a little more than an hour west of Ottawa, offer sanity-restoring one-hour subterranean tours along with special events such as underground dining and cave concerts. Remember to bring a sweater because it’s considerably cooler down under. Want to make a day or more of your spelunking trip? You can paddle on the Bonnechere River or spend time at Bonnechere Provincial Park, about 30 minutes from the caves. Visit bonnecherecaves.com or call 1-613-628-2283 for more information.
Patrick Langston is an Ottawa writer whose favourite things include the end of winter, a tank full of gas and e.e. cummings’ springtime poem in Just-.
