Your City // For Creatives: Ottawa, Canada

Today I’m thrilled to have the first of a new series, Your City // For Creatives. Sue Redekop from Sweetstitch Shop shares some of her favourite creative places to visit in Ottawa. All words and photos are copyright of Sue Redekop.

I am so excited to share the creative side of my city with all of you!  Ottawa, the capital of Canada is an amazing town. Like many capital cities it is a government town but lurking beneath the bureaucracy, the ominous grey and brown office buildings and the dull facade is a burgeoning craft scene, hip boutiques, cool cafes and amazing natural spaces! The local arts community bursts with color and vibrancy! There are many unique pockets of the city with their own culture and flavor. I would love to introduce you to one of my favorite little “pockets” called West Wellington Village and a sweet boutique called Flock which showcases Canadian independent designers.

Wellington Village, near Westboro and Hintonburg has become quite trendy in the past few years with new condos being built and house prices rising quickly.  Many of the red brick homes in the area date back from the 1930′s and have wonderful big wooden porches that encourage conversation between neighbors. A nice sense of community has been established over the years.  There is an old-fashioned charm running down the leafy green streets and it is here on Wellington St. that we find Flock Boutique.

I interviewed Bridget Remai about what she finds inspiring. Bridget co-owns Flock Boutique and Workshop Boutique with her friend, Christina Ballhorn. Describing in her own words what drew her to the handmade life Bridget says:

“I think it’s fair to say that Christina and I were both playing with glue guns and popsicle sticks since we were in diapers! We both had extremely creative, talented moms and were fortunate enough to have an emphasis on crafting from a very early age. For some reason, we both decided to take on very un-creative careers in the late 90s and when that, quite quickly, became unfulfilling, we decided to take a chance and follow our passion.”

{Some goodies on a vintage dresser display at Flock!}

I then wanted to know what does she love about Ottawa…she responded to say:

“I love everything about Ottawa. I love that it’s easy to bike to work, I love wandering around the canal, I love the unusual energy of Chinatown  (where I live), I love that while people are driven, they also know how to relax. I love that my little local grocer is always packed and that craft sales in the city are part of the culture. I plan to live here forever.”

And finally what part of Ottawa does she find inspiring…

“In Ottawa, I spend a lot of time on my bike and I can say with certainty that the absolute most inspiring place for me is the bike ride between Workshop and Flock, down the Ottawa River Parkway. I do this bike a lot during the summer (often with boxes of shop goodies piled high in my basket!) and I just can’t get enough: the water on the right hand side, green grass and a whole bunch of canada geese on the other. It’s the most refreshing 45 minutes of my day.”

I must agree with Bridget…the access to bike paths and closeness to nature is awesome. Having roots in Ottawa (3^rd generation Ottawan!) I want to live here forever too!

{Two of the 18 unique marble statues adorning the streets of Wellington Village: asparagus & teddy bear (the marble statues muse about the neighbourhood with their very own twitter account @MarbleHydrants!)}

I must also mention that just down the road from Flock there is an amazing monthly craft market, Urban Craft, which takes place in the building that houses The Great Canadian Theatre Company. Started by Krista Leben, owner and designer behind Urbanite Jewelry, the market showcases various local artisans on the first of every month. This market has brought more vibrancy to an already thriving Wellington Village. The bright and airy space has become a mecca for unique gift shopping.

{An independent book store on Wellington St. ..with a three dimensional book adorning its sign!}

There are many cafes to rest at such as Thyme & Again (gourmet bakery and coffee/tea), Absinthe Café/Resto Bar and a little further east in Hintonburg the Hintonburger café. At the Hintonburger they serve local handmade burgers and hand cut fries from Canadian potatoes.

A hop, skip and a jump away from all the cafes and restaurants is an independent knitting, weaving and spinning store called Wabi Sabi. Ottawa has it all!

I hope I have inspired you to come visit Wellington Village in Ottawa!  Au Revoir!

Sue Redekop is owner and designer of sweetstitch shop.  She sews cute, affordable and modern zipper pouches with an eco edge. Sue lives in Ottawa, Canada and currently divides her time between her shop and a part-time job with a non-profit organization.

Sue’s items are currently available in some amazing boutiques across Canada and the U.S.  She is a homebody at heart and loves dreaming about new items to sew.

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