Exploring the Capital

Over 30 years ago, a small guide called Exploring Ottawa was published. Unfortunately, the book had a limited print and was in black and white.

Fast-forward to 2017, Canada’s sesquicentennial (Canada 150), and a revived, renamed and updated book offers new tours and insight into new places This time, it is called Exploring the Capital – an architectural guidebook to the Ottawa-Gatineau Region.

Featuring 11 tours and over 250 buildings, this publication will be a definitive and accessible guide for anyone interested in the national capital’s architecture. If only buildings could talk! Now they can through the writing of Mr. Waldron, with contributions by the original author, Harold Kalman. The book’s superb photographer, Peter Coffman gives each of the buildings its own dignity. His photography can be viewed here.

Figure 1 has emerged as an active Canadian-owned press, featuring quality publications on a wide-range of topics, including cookbooks, art catalogs and, of course, architectural guidebooks.

Heritage Conservation Plans in Ottawa

Reviews of the draft Heritage Conservation Plans for three districts in Ottawa: Lowertown-West and Byward Market HCDs, and Macdonald Gardens Park HCD are being com. Two are urban heritage districts the later is a designed cultural landscape.

National Historic Sites Alliance

The NHSA brings together like-minded owners of non-federally owned National Historic Sites of Canada for mutual and cooperative support. The federal government in Canada does not support these sites, though it has the authority to designate sites of national significance. The Alliance has been around for several years. My role is as an executive member to build the NHSA into a national organization that connects sites with each other.