Photo: Dundonald Park in 1916, from Wikipedia.
When my partner and I returned to Ottawa after a decade’s hiatus, we had a shortlist of acceptable neighbourhoods in which to live – all downtown, because why in the world would I flee a narrow-minded place like Prince Edward County only to end up in Kanata?
I wasn’t surprised that we ended up in Centretown. Living so close to Dundonald Park was a bonus – great place to walk the dog and take the kids to play.
There’s much to like about Dundonald – the tai chi practitioners, summer movie nights, university throwing around a Frisbee, dedicated playground, and the fact that the park is literally one minute from our front door.
But – and I have a healthy amount of white urban liberal guilt about this – I’m really tired of the unsavoury characters. I don’t know how else to put this, but at any given time there’s usually a bunch of people who’ve taken over a few benches who are clearly drunk or on something or another. I have powers of observation.
The local community uses the park, of course, and there are regular events like movies in the summer. It’s certainly less threatening when there are parents with kids using the playground. But I walk Fletcher early morning and late night and a bunch of loud drunk people aren’t exactly welcoming.
Some months ago, I remember Jim Watson’s mentioning a revitalization of Dundonald to come, I hope sooner rather than later.
I keep trying to tell myself that some people have nowhere else to go, but I just don’t believe that the only place to go is a park with a playground that just happens to be across the street from a Beer Store. I never thought I’d be someone who complained about undesirables, but it freaks the kids out and I’m tired of avoiding loud drunks. I imagine that the people living on that stretch of MacLaren agree with me.
