House of PainT

I messed up. A bit.

Yesterday, I posted the third clue of my Where In Ottawa? photo challenge, not realizing that about 18 hours earlier, the challenge had been solved.

I did make the photo a bit difficult by adding a separate event at the site. Last Friday, some members of my Ottawa Photography Meetup club and I showed up under the Bronson Street bridge at the House of PainT, to capture images of burning steel wool. It was my first time capturing these sorts of long-exposure shots but something I've wanted to do for years.

And under a concrete overpass, in a spot known for arts and cultural events, I thought it was the perfect setting for my photo challenge.

Call it a two-for-one event.

Here are the clues for my challenge, explained:

1. Where creativity thrives: this section of concrete, under the George Dunbar Bridge, near Brewer Park, is the central location of an annual HipHop Jam that showcases graffiti, breakdancing, DJs, poets, and more, from across Canada.
2. Not a home but a house, of sorts: there are only two sides to this House, and they are the concrete pillars that support the bridge.
3. Come for the paint, stay for the entertainment: the concrete pillars and ceiling in this part of the overpass are covered in graffiti.

Congratulations to the winner of the challenge, Ben Wood. Ben was the winner of the very first Where In Ottawa? challenge, and has won several times since then. He really does know Ottawa and isn't afraid to prove it.

I brought the photo challenge back to see if there would be enough of an interest to make it a recurring post again, but sadly, there wasn't enough of an interest. I had three guesses and one other person mention an interest in the challenge, and many others visited the post, but I don't think it's enough to continue the challenge.

All things must pass, they say, and this challenge is no exception.

So that was my 75th installment of my Where In Ottawa? challenge, and I say goodbye to it. When I posted the last challenge, in 2019, I didn't expect it to end, but when The Brown Knowser went on hiatus, I didn't feel inclined to bring it back.

With the lack of participation in this installment, I can give it a proper goodbye. At least I got a few good shots of the steel wool event.

Happy Friday!

Where In Ottawa LXXV

It's been so long that I've all but forgotten about it.

The last time I ran a Where In Ottawa? photo challenge was in May, 2019. The number of viewers to those posts was dwindling and fewer people participated, so after about eight years of running it, I stopped.

But lately, I've noticed that people are looking at the old Where In Ottawa? posts, almost as though someone was playing the game on their own. In fact, one of my old posts has had so much attention that it's become one of the most popular posts of this past month.

For those of you who haven't played it, I would post a photo that I shot from somewhere in the Ottawa area; sometimes, even crossing the border into Gatineau, Québec. The challenge was to leave a comment on the post with a guess to the location.

The first person to leave the correct guess would be awarded a copy of my novel, Songsaengnim: A Korea Diary. On a couple of occasions, some businesses got in on the deal: Mill Street Brew Pub offered a dinner for two; loveOttawa donated a t-shirt; and even the Ottawa Marriott provided a one-night stay in their downtown hotel.

I've run out of extra copies of my book (I only have one, for myself) and I doubt I have the kind of pull anymore to get others to provide a giveaway, but I was wondering if there was enough interest to bring the contest back, despite the lack of a giveaway.

Thoughts?

I'm going to see whether there's enough interest to bring my photo challenge back, so here's a one-off.

I've got a photo that was taken somewhere in Ottawa. If you recognize the spot, or even if you only think you know where it might be, leave your guess in the Comments section, below. You can guess as often as you like.

Each day, I'll leave a clue about where this place is. If, by 6 pm, on Thursday, the correct location has not been located, I'll let you know, on Friday, where it is. If the correct location is found, I'll still share on Friday but I'll name the winner of the challenge.

Sound good? I'm a bit rusty, but here goes:

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

And good luck. Happy Monday!

Piazza Dante

I first saw it several months ago while stopped for a red light. And I had no idea what it was.

My family and I were on Booth Street, on our way to Gatineau and, ultimately, Lac Bernard, but we wanted to stop along the way for some much-needed caffeine. In a unanimous decision, we pulled off the Queensway and headed to the nearest Bridgehead.

So there I was, stopped for a red light, when my eyes saw what I thought was a vacant lot, and just over the south wall, a statue of an eagle. And just as I wondered about this bird, the light was green and I was compelled to move forward.

I told myself that I had to return to this spot to figure out what the statue was doing in that lot, and that this bird would make an excellent subject for Where In Ottawa.

Months later, on the first truly warm spring day, I found myself near the neighbourhood and told myself that this was the time to check it out. But because I hadn't paid attention to where I was when I first saw the eagle, I turned onto Rochester Street, rather than Booth, and I couldn't find the spot right away. It took nearly 10 minutes of driving circles around the neighbouring streets, but I found the statue at Booth and Gladstone.

The statue, a memorial to those who gave their lives to fight in all wars, is situated in Piazza Dante Park.

Here are the clues, explained:

1. Cornered by a saint—this park, largely a vacant lot with a couple of benches, is at the intersection of Gladstone Avenue and Booth Street. On each of the other corners stands a church, a Catholic school, and a children's centre, all named after St. Anthony, the patron saint of lost things. Fitting, that I would have you try to find this park.
2.  Storia. Respetto. Diversità. Futuro—carved into one of the mini obelisks in the park, the Italian words for history, respect, diversity, and future. It's also a nod to Little Italy, in which this park is located.

Congratulations to my dear friend, Becky Garceau, who came up with the correct location. She also told me that she already has a copy of Songsaengnim: A Korea Diary (such a good friend), so a copy of Gyeosunim will be in her hands just as soon as it's out.

Chances are that most of you who are reading this post are doing so while I'm either in the air, on my way to Seoul, South Korea, or I'm already in Korea, getting inspired to finish writing.

Where In Ottawa LXXIV

The last Where In Ottawa photo challenge was in November, last year, just before I underwent surgery to rebuild my left foot. I realized that my mobility was going to be greatly impaired, especially with the pending snows and cold temperatures.

Even after I was more mobile, I lost the desire to go out in the winter. It was still too cold but, more importantly, I was tired of the snow.

I meant to capture an image before I went on my Mexican vacation and post a Where In Ottawa contest last month, but I ran out of time. Even though I had a spot in mind, I just couldn't get out to it, take my photos, and prepare a post before I had to pack for my trip.

And so, as I promised last month, Where In Ottawa has returned. Except, it's an abbreviated edition.

This Friday, in the early hours of the morning, I'll be boarding a plane and heading to Seoul, South Korea. This Friday, I will reveal the location of today's challenge; hopefully, with a winner. That means that you have only four days to identify where the following photo was shot.

But there's an incentive.

Because I'm going to Korea to write the sequel to my novel, Songsaengnim: A Korea Diary, I've decided to give away a signed copy of this book to the winner of this challenge. And... because I'm feeling extra generous (and because I need an incentive to work as quickly as possible on the sequel, Gyeosunim), the winner of this challenge will also receive one of the first copies of Gyeosunim, as soon as it's published.

With any luck, the winner won't have long to wait to read the sequel after reading the first book.

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Where In Ottawa, the rules are simple: below, you will see a photo. If you know where this photo was taken, leave your answer in the Comments section of this post. If you follow me on Twitter, are a Facebook friend, or have my e-mail address, please don't contact me with the answer through these means of communication.

Not only will you not win through these channels, but I won't even acknowledge that you guessed through them.

On Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, I will leave a new clue as to the location's whereabouts in the right-hand column of The Brown Knowser, under the photo of me.

You can guess as many times as you want, as long as you use the Comments section, and only for this post.

The first person to correctly identify the location wins.

You have until 8:00 pm, EST, on Thursday, May 9, 2019, to participate in this photo challenge before it closes. Any guesses after 7:00 pm but before 8:01 pm will still qualify to win the giveaway books but I will not mention you in Friday's post, where the location will be revealed.

By 8:01, I'll be in full-panic mode, ensuring I've packed everything, that all my documents are in order, and the last thing I'll be thinking about is my blog or Where In Ottawa.

So, are you ready? Here's the photo...

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

Still Gone

I had meant to prepare a Where In Ottawa blog post for today, even though I'm still in Mexico and wouldn't be able to monitor the progress of my photo challenge. Unfortunately, in preparing for my trip, I ran out of time.

April Fools!

Just call me the April fool.

Where In Ottawa will return in May.

Defense of Hong Kong Memorial

I was hoping that you regular contest players would jump right on this one. And while I thought you would resolve this challenge right away, you didn't disappoint by doing so by Wednesday night.

On the first day of last week's Where In Ottawa, I wrote that the photo challenge was related to Remembrance Day celebrations and honoured those who gave the ultimate sacrifice to maintain our freedom.

And while there are a fair number of monuments that are dedicated to our fallen, I had hoped that my clues would have honed in on the Defense of Hong Kong Memorial Wall, at the corner of Sussex Drive and King Edward Avenue.

Congratulations to one of my beer buddies and regular player, John MacNab, this month's winner.

Unveiled in 2009 to commemorate the 1,975 Canadians who sailed to Hong Kong in 1941 to assist the British in defending the colony against the Japanese invasion. In a 17-day battle, some 291 Canadians were killed, another 500 were wounded.

There is one error in a clue that I provided. I said that the battle began the same day as the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. In fact, the Battle for Hong Kong began the following day, on December 8, and ended with a full surrender on December 25.

No need to go over the clues at this point, right?

You can read more about the battle here.

Where In Ottawa returns as soon as I am mobile enough to get out there and explore the city.

 

Where In Ottawa LXXIII

This may be a really quick Where In Ottawa. But this month, that's the point.

I'm hoping that somebody solves my photo challenge by Wednesday, at the latest, because for the next couple of days after then, I may not be able to check on how my contest is going.

In three days, I'll be undergoing my long-awaited reconstructive surgery on my left foot, which has been giving me more than its fair share of trouble for the past two-and-a-half years. With any luck, by the end of Thursday, I'll either be on the road to recovery or one foot short.

But enough about that. Let's get back to my photo challenge.

For those of you who haven't played Where In Ottawa before, here's how it works: below, you'll see a photo that has been shot somewhere in Ottawa. Your job is to identify the spot and let me know by leaving your answer in the Comments section to this post. The first person to correctly identify the location of the photo wins (bragging rights only).

Please do not send me your answer through any other means: no Twitter, no Facebook, no e-mail, no smoke signals. You can guess as many times as you like.

For every day in which no correct answer is provided, I will leave a clue in the right-hand margin of this blog, below my goofy face. If the challenge isn't won by noon on Friday, November 16, the contest ends and I'll reveal the location on Monday, November 19.

Now, I'm not likely to be in any shape nor have the means to leave a clue on Friday, so in addition to the photo itself, I'm going to provide one clue right now.

Because yesterday marked 100 years since the end of World War One and was the day on which we all take a moment to honour those brave men and woman who have served and sacrificed for our great country, November's photo challenge is a salute to those who lost their lives so far from home.

That's the clue.

Ready for this month's challenge?

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

Claudette Cain Park

I feel kind of stupid to be writing about my silly photo challenge while many people in our city are still without power, or worse, without homes.

Friday's tornadoes in the Ottawa-Gatineau region were pretty scary, no matter where in the area you were. The tornado that struck the Arlington Woods area and passed through Craig Henry and Tanglewood, where the Merivale power station was completely destroyed, and continued all the way through the Colonnade Road business park, were wooden poles were snapped like match sticks, was only about four kilometres to the north of my neighbourhood. DW and I were driving on Fallowfield Road when the tornado warning came over our smartphones and radio, and we could see the dark clouds along Hunt Club Road.

The other tornado, which devastated Dunrobin before it crossed the Ottawa River, into Gatineau, and wreaked more havoc on Mont Bleu, was only a couple of kilometres away from my office building. As I write this post, I don't even know if I will be met with electricity at work.

But I'll still go in and see.

Still, I have this insignificant photo challenge, and yet I hope it will divert people's attention from the stressful weekend, and give us a look at one of the many lovely spots in Ottawa.

Last week, I provided a photo for Where In Ottawa but only gave three-and-a-half days in which to solve it. At most, only three clues would be offered in addition to the photograph. But James Peltzer, who I think holds the record for solving my photo challenges, didn't even need the two clues I had provided.

James just happened to be in Claudette Cain Park, in Riverside South, near the Vimy Memorial Bridge, when he walked along the same path that led to the gazebo in my photo.

Way to go, James.

For those of you who were following the clues, here they are, explained.

1. Started as a farm: James Moodie, who immigrated from Scotland to the Ottawa area in 1840, bought land for a farm and a cemetery. Only the cemetery remains.
2. From the cradle to the grave: Claudette Cain Park, named after Gloucester's final mayor before the amalgamation with Ottawa, has a water and play area, as well as a small, gated cemetery. It's the only park in the City of Ottawa, in fact, that has a playground and a cemetery. So you can, in essence, spend time here from when you're very young until you're ready to shuffle off.

I also like this park for its views of the Rideau River and Vimy Bridge. This park is worth a visit.

Where In Ottawa returns in October. 

 

Where In Ottawa LXXII

Last month, I thought that the Where In Ottawa photo challenge would look like it's a piece of cake, but I didn't think it actually was.

Apparently, it was because it was solved in only a couple of hours.

I'm trying my luck again. But, this time, the challenge runs for one day fewer than usual.

For those of you who haven't played my photo challenge before, here's what I do: below, you'll see a photo that has been shot somewhere in Ottawa. Your job is to identify the spot and let me know by leaving your answer in the Comments section to this post. The first person to correctly identify the location of the photo wins (bragging rights only).

Please do not send me your answer through any other means: no Twitter, no Facebook, no e-mail, no smoke signals. You can guess as many times as you like.

For every day in which no correct answer is provided, I will leave a clue in the right-hand margin of this blog, below my goofy face. If the challenge isn't won by noon on Friday, September 21, the contest ends and I'll reveal the location on Monday, September 24.

Coincidentally, my next photo walk is this Friday, September 21, starting at 6 pm. I'd be happy to reveal the Where In Ottawa location to anyone who joins me. Details for the event and registration are at my Eventbrite site.

Now, back to Where In Ottawa. Ready for this month's challenge?

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

Jock River Train Bridge

On a stretch of road in Goulbourn Township, where McKenna Casey Drive comes to an end, the Jock River meanders, peacefully, on its way toward the Rideau River. A narrow stretch of Moodie Drive, in Ottawa's southwest end, passes McKenna Casey, but before it crosses the Jock River, it crosses over a railway line.

That line, to the west of Moodie, also crosses the Jock by way of yesterday's Where In Ottawa challenge. Though the Jock River winds back and forth from just southwest of the village of Richmond to just south of Barrhaven, the rail line crosses the river only once.

This truss bridge is barely visible from Moodie Drive but if you know the area, you know this bridge. Which is why I wasn't surprised when Mike Alexander recognized it. As a previous winner of my photo challenge, Mike has also solved a location not far, in Stittsville, where he lives.

Congratulations, Mike!

I thought this would be a challenging photo. I guess I was wrong. Let's see what I come up with next time.

Where In Ottawa LXXI

This month's Where In Ottawa photo challenge may look like it's a piece of cake, but it isn't.

Mmm... cake.

Unless you truly know where this spot is, I suspect you'll be scouring Google Maps for some time.

For those of you who haven't played my photo challenge before, here's what I do: below, you'll see a photo that has been shot somewhere in Ottawa. Your job is to identify the spot and let me know by leaving your answer in the Comments section to this post. The first person to correctly identify the location of the photo wins (bragging rights only).

Please do not send me your answer through any other means: no Twitter, no Facebook, no e-mail, no smoke signals. You can guess as many times as you like.

For every day in which no correct answer is provided, I will leave a clue in the right-hand margin of this blog, below my goofy face. If the challenge isn't won by noon on Friday, August 10, the contest ends and I'll reveal the location on Monday, August 13.

Ready for this month's challenge?

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

Champagne Bath

Inevitably, there's James Peltzer.

James knows Ottawa. For anyone who has seen his photographs on Twitter, on Instagram, on Flickr, you already know that he is one amazing photographer. He seems to be constantly on the move, exploring Ottawa and capturing it with his camera.

James and I have occasionally run into one another in our quests to capture this city. And, on other occasions, if we haven't been at the same place, at the same time, we are close by or we are at the same place, a day or so apart.

So it was no surprise to me, only a few hours after I launched the photo challenge, that James would figure out the location.

Congratulations, buddy, on successfully identifying the Champagne Bath, on King Edward Avenue, just north of Rideau Street.

Photo: Wikipedia (because mine isn't as sharp as I'd like)

This one's mine.

Built in 1922, this swimming pool was built as part of a North American trend for social reform among the impoverished community. And, in the 20s, Ottawa's Lowertown certainly had its share of the downtrodden. Sadly, much like it has today, with the Shepherds of Good Hope just a few blocks away.

And so, my first Where In Ottawa in nine months was solved in only a couple of hours, which shows me that you good folks are still interested in this photo challenge. The next one will be... soon.

Where In Ottawa LXX

It's been nine months since I ran a Where In Ottawa photo challenge, and it's high time I did another.

A few months ago, when DW and I were wandering the Golden Triangle, DW suggested a number of buildings that I could photograph for my contest.

"I don't do that, anymore," I said.

"What? Since when?"

It was good to see that she was paying attention to my blog. It had been about six months since I ran Where In Ottawa, and she had been with me when I photographed the Carp Library. I hadn't mentioned the contest, or a need to find a spot to shoot, since then.

When she and I reached Lisgar Collegiate, she started pointing at the intricate masonry work. "See? That would be a good thing to use for Where In Ottawa." I took a snapshot and we wandered the old building, capturing more images, though, in my heart, I just wasn't into it.

I only had my Canon compact digital camera and my friend's Ricoh 35mm manual rangefinder cameras on me. When we returned home, I downloaded some of the photos off the digital camera, and stored them for potential use for my Black and White project. The rest of the images, including the snapshots of Lisgar, were deleted.

Eventually, I'll see the images I captured with the 35mm camera. But, of course, I'll never use them for my photo challenge, as I have just revealed Lisgar Collegiate as a potential site.

A few weeks ago, DW and I were once again out on the town, my D-SLR casually slung over my shoulder. I saw a building that captured my interest, and so I started taking a few snaps. Before I knew it, I was capturing closeups, much as I did when I was running my photo challenge.

It was a random encounter that made me feel it was time to bring my challenge back.

For those of you who may have never seen Where In Ottawa, this is the gist:

• Below, you will see a photo that I shot somewhere in Ottawa. The challenge is to identify the building and/or the location. The first person to correctly identify the location wins the challenge.
• For the correct response to be eligible, it must be left in the Comments area of this post. A lot of people who follow me on Twitter and Facebook tend to give me their answer on these forms of social media. Whether you're right or wrong, I won't respond to guesses left there. I will simply direct you to these rules.
• Starting tomorrow (Tuesday), I will add a clue to the sidebar on my blog, just below my photograph. For every day that the challenge goes unsolved, I'll add another clue.
• You can guess as many times as you like. The contest ends as soon as the location is correctly identified. If it hasn't been solved by noon on Friday, June 29, the contest will end. The location will be revealed on Monday, July 2.
• Whoever correctly identifies the location will be named on Monday, July 2, and will win the bragging rights of expertly knowing Ottawa.

That's it.

Here's the photo. Good luck.

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it! 

Carp Library

This is the first Thanksgiving, since we lived in Korea, that DW and I aren't celebrating the holiday. Of course, I'm thankful for my family and friends, the fact that we're all healthy and happy, and that we have food in our bellies and a warm roof over our heads.

Instead, we've rented a camper van and have hit the highway, exploring along the St. Lawrence Seaway.

I'm also taking the rest of this week off from blogging. The Brown Knowser will return next Monday.

But I thought I would take the time to announce that Where In Ottawa was solved, last week, by one of my writer colleagues, Tina Klein Walsh. Tina correctly guessed that last week's photo was shot at the Carp Library.

Congratulations, Tina!

Here are the clues, explained:

1. There's more where that came from: I was referring to the photo of a book. There are plenty more books in a library.
2. Maybe the Guardian knows: in the late 80s, one of Canada's greatest observed UFOs landed in West Carleton, just outside Carp. During an episode of an American TV show, Unsolved Mysteries, an envelope had been delivered to the authorities with a video recording of the UFO event, plus documents and illustrations. The envelope had been delivered by an unknown person, known only as Guardian.
3. The Chief never visited here, either: during the cold war, the federal government build a large fallout shelter in Carp, which would house the prime minister, plus officials and scientists, in the event of a nuclear attack. Prime Minister John Diefenbaker came close to having to go to this shelter at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Though his government had built the shelter, which is now the Diefenbunker Museum, Diefenbaker himself never visited the site. He wouldn't have visited the library, either.
4. Carpe Diem: okay, I wanted the contest to be over by the time I left for vacation so I played on the name of the town, Carp, where the library is.

That's it for this month. The next Where In Ottawa is Monday, November 6. 

Where In Ottawa LXIX

It's autumn, my favourite time of year, and while we started this season with the summer weather that we deserved in July, it's finally started to feel like fall.

It's also the first Monday of the month, and for this blog that usually means the beginning of my Where In Ottawa photo challenge, though, like many things this year, it hasn't always come as expected.

For those of you who don't know how this game is played, or for those of you who have played but need a reminder of the rules, here's how you do it:

Below, you'll see a photo that I shot somewhere in Ottawa. Your task is to locate where I shot it, as precisely as you can.

When you think you know this Ottawa location, leave your guess in the Comments section of this post. DO NOT TRY TO GUESS THROUGH E-MAIL, TWITTER, FACEBOOK, OR ANY OTHER SOCIAL-MEDIA FORUM. The Comments section for this post is the only place where I'll acknowledge your guess, whether you're right or wrong. 

You can guess as many times as you like.

Starting tomorrow, if the challenge hasn't been solved, I'll post a clue on the main page of The Brown Knowser, just above my profile photo. The first person to correctly identify the location in the photo wins the challenge, bragging rights, and will be mentioned in an upcoming blog post, where the location will be revealed to all.

But this month, there's more. Read on to find out.

Ready for this month's challenge? Here you go:

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

As you can see, the photo is of a sculpture that includes a book. Count that as a bonus, an early clue. And, because I've tied a book into this contest, whoever solves this challenge will receive an autographed copy of my novel, Songsaengnim: A Korea Diary. 

Good luck.

Macdonald Gardens Park

I stumbled upon this park quite unintentionally, last Thursday, while I was delivering some photographic equipment that I had sold through Kijiji. The buyer had no way of picking up the gear, and when we established that he lived not too far off my route to and from work, I decided to drop off the equipment on my way home.

The park is nestled in the easternmost part of Lowertown, tucked south of St.Patrick Street, north of Rideau Street, and just west of the Rideau River. Macdonald Gardens Park, one of Ottawa's oldest parks^*, was built in 1914 but was originally a cemetery that was closed in the 1870s. Some of the cemetery's residents are still located under the earth—a 1936 newspaper story reported of a skull^* rolling down the street during some landscaping work.

The so-called "summer house", also known as the "Hill of Bones^*," is a stone hexagonal gazebo that rests atop a small hill on the western half of the park and allows you to look toward downtown, where you can see the Byward Market and the library behind Parliament.

The gazebo is also the location of yesterday's Where In Ottawa photo challenge. (I would have accepted any naming of the structure or the name of the park.)

Congratulations to Tina Klein Walsh, who solved the challenge in about seven minutes.

Macdonald Gardens Park has only recently been designated as a heritage site. It is surrounded by beautiful old homes, tall apartment buildings, and the Turkish Embassy. It's a pleasant quiet neighbourhood.

As quiet as the grave^*.
 

The next Where In Ottawa is Monday, October 2. I'll have a giveaway for that contest.


^* These were going to be used as clues. Oh well...

Where In Ottawa LXVIII

One of the down sides of running my Where In Ottawa photo challenge on the first Monday of the month is that I often coincide with holidays. I hope that you are enjoying your Labour Day break from... you know... work.

I'm going to get you to do a little work, however, in solving this challenge. For those of you who don't know how this game is played, or for those of you who have played but need a reminder of the rules, here's how you do it:

Below, you'll see a photo that I shot somewhere in Ottawa. Your task is to locate where I shot it, as precisely as you can.

When you think you know this Ottawa location, leave your guess in the Comments section of this post. DO NOT TRY TO GUESS THROUGH TWITTER, FACEBOOK, OR ANY OTHER PLACE. The Comments section for this post is the only place where I'll acknowledge your guess, whether you're right or wrong. 

You can guess as many times as you like.

Starting tomorrow, if the challenge hasn't been solved, I'll post a clue on the main page of The Brown Knowser, just above my profile photo. The first person to correctly identify the location in the photo wins bragging rights and will be mentioned in an upcoming blog post, where the location will be revealed to all.

Ready for this month's challenge? Here you go:

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!

Sally Ann Citadel

It's been vacant for many years. And to be honest, when I decided to capture images of the building for Where In Ottawa, I didn't know what it had been.

It took some digging, but I learned that the building at 391 Gladstone Avenue, near Bank Street, built in 1911, was once the Salvation Army Citadel for Ottawa.

Congratulations to Christopher Ryan, who shares my love of photography and architectural history, as his blog shows.

Because Chris had solved the challenge so quickly, no clues were necessary. Good thing: I only had a few lined up.

According to Shaker Realty, which had listed the vacant building, it is now sold. It will be interesting to see how this structure evolves into its next incarnation.

Because it's across the street from Dave's Drum Shop, where DD14 buys most of her percussion equipment, I hope to capture images as the new tenants move in.

The next Where In Ottawa is Monday, September 4.


 

Where In Ottawa LXVII

It seems like it hasn't been long since the last Where In Ottawa ran: and, of course it hasn't been that long.

Usually, I run my photo challenge on the first Monday of the month, but I have to admit that in July, I forgot. And so, I ran it a week later.

July's challenge took more than a month to solve, and it was only last Monday that I revealed the solution to the contest.

And here we are, the first Monday of August. Ready to play?

I have to start out by saying that every month, I receive guesses to the location of the photo by Twitter or Facebook; sometimes, by e-mail. Please don't do that.

The only way that I can show everybody who plays this game all the guesses and my responses is through the Comments section of this post. It shows the date and time of everybody's guess. Through this method, the game remains transparent to all players.

Sound fair?

If you're new to Where In Ottawa, here are the rules: below, I've posted a photo that I've shot in Canada's capital. Your job is to state exactly where the location is. Be as specific as possible: for example, last month's location was Heritage House, in the Experimental Farm. Because the Experimental Farm covers a large amount of territory and because there are several buildings on the farm, simply guessing the Experimental Farm is too general to win.

(This month's photo was not shot anywhere on the Experimental Farm.)

The first person to correctly identify the location—by leaving your guess in the Comments section to this post—wins. You can guess as many times as you like. There is no physical prize: you just get bragging rights and your name in an upcoming post that reveals the location.

Are you ready for this month's photo? Here it is:

Think you know Ottawa? Prove it!


 

Heritage House

The bust in the window was pointless.

Unless you've been to Heritage House, have walked around the 1889 Queen Anne Revival-style structure, have looked in the windows, you would never have seen it.

Instead, I decided to show you something the next day that, while not clearly visible, was easy to see from the road.

If you were paying attention as you drove by.

Also known as Building Number 60 on the Central Experimental Farm, the location of this month's Where In Ottawa is Heritage House, home to the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal.

Congratulations to Marc Bru, of Square Timber Brewing, for solving the photo challenge. Marc is one of my contest's winningest players, having solved the challenges about a half-dozen times. He has proven that he knows Ottawa time and time again.

Here are the clues, explained:

1. Here since 1889—in 1886, then-Minister of Agriculture Sir John Carling successfully lobbied for a 188-hectare plot of land in which to conduct scientific experiments that were related to botany and horticulture. This land was granted just outside of Ottawa and is now known as the Central Experimental Farm. Heritage House was built three years later by the Department of Public Works and was the residence for cereal grains research staff.
2. There's a roundabout way to find this place—while there are many roads that lead into the Experimental Farm, the closest access point to Heritage House is via the roundabout, on Prince of Wales Drive.
3. Home of arbitration—the Canada Agricultural Review Tribunal reviews violation notices that are issued by federal agencies that regulate food. They act like a court to arbitrate grievances between agricultural agencies.
4. Food fight!—this is my simple way of explaining clue number 3.
5. 60—as I said, Heritage House is also known as Building 60.
6. Do you have a permit for that food?—according to the tribunal's Web site, the tribunal listens to cases dealing with those who have been charged for bringing animal or plant products into the country without permission.

There you have it.

Thanks to everybody who played. The next Where In Ottawa is next Monday, August 7.