Ottawa
Feb 5th 2007 | 10:37 pm
#32
I'm a girl, dagnabbit! :)
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,120
From: Ottawa, ON.
The Norwegian community in Ottawa consists more or less of myself and a woman at IKEA. 
Feb 11th 2007 | 2:29 am
#35
I'm a girl, dagnabbit! :)
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 1,120
From: Ottawa, ON.
Feb 14th 2007 | 1:13 am
#36
Forum Regular
Joined: Sep 2005
Posts: 99
Re: Ottawa
We have been in Kanata, just outside of Ottawa, for 6 months now and I can honestly say we are having the time of our lives. The kids are both in French Immersion schools and doing well. They are enjoying skiing and skating with the school too! There is so much to do here and the Winterlude is amazing. I have made loads of friends in my neighbourhood and found everyone to be really welcoming. Gatineau is fantastic for a day out with beautiful scenery. Can't wait for the Summer when we can take picnics up to the lakes. I simply can't imagine ever getting bored here. We are hoping to buy a couple of kayaks soon for the Summer months. We went to our first Hockey match on Sunday afternoon and it was hilarious - who said the canadians don't have a sense of humour! They have lots of music and a woman on a Hammond Organ and a man with a trumpet, mascots, cheerleaders. It was really entertaining, and I even enjoyed the match. I would recommend Kanata as being a great place to live and very family orientated. We also have lots of shops in Kanata Centrum. We also have some very good schools around here and it takes about 15 mins to get into Ottawa on a good day and about an hour on a really bad day.
The only thing I miss about the UK is a good curry!
Life is great!
The only thing I miss about the UK is a good curry!
Life is great!
Feb 14th 2007 | 1:26 am
#37
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: Ottawa
Please, please tell me you are referring only to Gatineau Park. The city of Gatineau has a face only a mother could love. A blind mother, at that.
The name "Ottawa" is a first-nations word and means "trade".
The name "Gatineau" is a first-nations word and means "fugly".
The name "Ottawa" is a first-nations word and means "trade".
The name "Gatineau" is a first-nations word and means "fugly".
Feb 14th 2007 | 1:46 am
#38
Assimilated Pauper
Joined: Mar 2005
Posts: 40,070
From: Ontario
Re: Ottawa
I don't understand why people say this, good curry is everywhere. When I drove across America with a vegetarian we fell back on curry in places like Kansas City and Houston where the standard meal is half a cow. Nearly all motels are owned by Indians so one can always ask there where to find a curry. Otherwise one can google and find places like:
Sitar Indian Restaurant
Cuisine: Indian
417 Rideau Street
Ottawa, ON K1N 5Y9
Mukut Indian Restaurant
610 Rideau Street
Ottawa, ON K1N 6A2
Haveli Indian Restaurant
194 Robertson Road
Nepean, ON K2H 9J5
Nagina
217 Rideau Street
Ottawa, Ontario,
http://www.shafali.com/
Buffet Motimahal, 164 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa
http://www.ceylonta.com/
http://www.coconutlagoon.ca/mainh.html
Host India 622 Montreal Road, Ottawa
I reckon one of these curry houses would have decent curry. Failing that, Thai and Jamaican restaurants also sell curry.
Sitar Indian Restaurant
Cuisine: Indian
417 Rideau Street
Ottawa, ON K1N 5Y9
Mukut Indian Restaurant
610 Rideau Street
Ottawa, ON K1N 6A2
Haveli Indian Restaurant
194 Robertson Road
Nepean, ON K2H 9J5
Nagina
217 Rideau Street
Ottawa, Ontario,
http://www.shafali.com/
Buffet Motimahal, 164 Laurier Avenue West, Ottawa
http://www.ceylonta.com/
http://www.coconutlagoon.ca/mainh.html
Host India 622 Montreal Road, Ottawa
I reckon one of these curry houses would have decent curry. Failing that, Thai and Jamaican restaurants also sell curry.
Feb 14th 2007 | 2:09 am
#40
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: Ottawa
Who's complaining? We're in Cote d'Azure, one of the few bits of Gatineau that isn't fugly. We're closer to downtown Ottawa than most people who live in residential Ottawa and paid a lot less for our house.
Apr 1st 2007 | 9:30 am
#41
Banned
Joined: Jul 2006
Posts: 237
Re: Ottawa
Like Sean, I also live across the Ottawa river on the Dark Side. However, I effectively live in the greater Ott.
It's Canada's 4th largest city, with a population of 1.2M. That population is spread out over a big area (1800 square miles), so it doesn't feel overcrowded. In Ottawa proper, no building can be taller than the parliament clock tower, so it's skyscraper-free. The downtown area contains most of Canada's architecture outside Quebec City. There is lots of greenery.
It does have a reputation for being a bit dull but I think that's a little unfair.
Public transport (bus) is good. It's an easy two-hour drive to Montreal and about five to Toronto. Forget about trains. The airport is very close to town and is user friendly, although direct scheduled flights go only to Canada, a few US hubs and Heathrow. The much more useful Montreal airport is about 90 minutes away.
The terrain on the south bank of the river is flat and uninspiring but cross into Quebec and you are almost immediately into the Gatineau Hills, where you will find lakes with beaches, camping, hiking and cycling trails, and skiing. The pic below is Lake Meech, about 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa, taken in early October. There is lots of that round here.
I'm not sure where the most family-oriented areas are but I'm sure they exist. As a rule, Canada is very family-oriented. In Ottawa proper, the average price for a two-storey detached house is currently about C$400k. In the burbs it's more like C$250-300K. You'd have a job finding much in TO, Calgary or Vancouver for that sort of money.
The climate is fairly extreme. In Summer you're looking at the mid-30s with high humidity. In Winter it can hit -40 (-28 this morning) and it snows a lot most years.
The economy round here is dominated by government, which you can safely forget about. There is also a large high-tech sector. monster.ca and workopolis.com will give you an idea of what's here. You'll need to check if your engineering quals are recognised in Canada. You should also bear in mind that Ottawa is rapidly becoming a bilingual city. French would be a definite asset.
It's Canada's 4th largest city, with a population of 1.2M. That population is spread out over a big area (1800 square miles), so it doesn't feel overcrowded. In Ottawa proper, no building can be taller than the parliament clock tower, so it's skyscraper-free. The downtown area contains most of Canada's architecture outside Quebec City. There is lots of greenery.
It does have a reputation for being a bit dull but I think that's a little unfair.
Public transport (bus) is good. It's an easy two-hour drive to Montreal and about five to Toronto. Forget about trains. The airport is very close to town and is user friendly, although direct scheduled flights go only to Canada, a few US hubs and Heathrow. The much more useful Montreal airport is about 90 minutes away.
The terrain on the south bank of the river is flat and uninspiring but cross into Quebec and you are almost immediately into the Gatineau Hills, where you will find lakes with beaches, camping, hiking and cycling trails, and skiing. The pic below is Lake Meech, about 20 minutes from downtown Ottawa, taken in early October. There is lots of that round here.
I'm not sure where the most family-oriented areas are but I'm sure they exist. As a rule, Canada is very family-oriented. In Ottawa proper, the average price for a two-storey detached house is currently about C$400k. In the burbs it's more like C$250-300K. You'd have a job finding much in TO, Calgary or Vancouver for that sort of money.
The climate is fairly extreme. In Summer you're looking at the mid-30s with high humidity. In Winter it can hit -40 (-28 this morning) and it snows a lot most years.
The economy round here is dominated by government, which you can safely forget about. There is also a large high-tech sector. monster.ca and workopolis.com will give you an idea of what's here. You'll need to check if your engineering quals are recognised in Canada. You should also bear in mind that Ottawa is rapidly becoming a bilingual city. French would be a definite asset.
Apr 2nd 2007 | 12:09 am
#42
Joined: Apr 2005
Posts: 9,606
Re: Ottawa
hello souvenir...we are returning to canada from new zealand this summer...we are keen on the ottawa area....just wondering about issue's re. schooling and the french language..we have 2 kids...6 & 9...so concerned about the 9 year old...would love to live on the quebec side....but school maybe an issue..would love to get some feedback on this issue....cheers.
It is certainly not hard to get English education. There are plenty of Anglophones in Gatineau (mostly in the Aylmer sector, I think) and, in another thread, Sean Boxer mentioned Chelsea and Wakefield. Those two are very nice communities just north of here and are predominantly Anglophone.
The question is whether or not you'd have to pay for sending your kids to an English school. The Quebec Ministry of Education website sets out the eligibility criteria for education in English at either state or subsidised private schools. If either parent is Canadian and did their elementary schooling in Canada in English, I think the chances of being judged eligible are quite good. If not, you're looking at private schooling. Check out the Quebec English School Boards Association.
