Tim Hunt
Tim Hunt explores his community outfitted with a small sketchbook, pen, and watercolour kit. In our regular feature, he shares the pages from his sketchbook and tells the stories behind his work.
Tim Hunt: I recently read in the Old Ottawa East archives that in the early
1900s folks would pay a nickel to take a rowboat ferry from Herridge Street to cross the canal over to the Ottawa Exhibition. Living on an island nestled between the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal, we are accustomed to crossing bridges daily without giving it second thought. Most of these bridges have been in use for as long as I can remember, so the opening of a new bridge right on our doorstep was a once-in-a-lifetime event!
The Flora Macdonald Footbridge opened in 2019 just in time for my youngest’s final year at Glebe Collegiate, eliminating the need to go north to cross Pretoria Bridge and double back on the other side. The bridge has made a world of difference to pedestrians and bike commuters on both sides of the canal. A trip to the Lansdowne Farmer’s Market is now a comfortable walk on a Sunday morning. At sunset, the bridge is a popular spot for taking photos and viewing spectacular scenes of the cityscape and the night sky.
I couldn’t resist including a cameo of The Mainstreeter news box in this sketch, the commission I painted myself and lovingly restored after it was thrown from the bridge by revelers last winter. You can just make out the Flora bridge tattooed on its left side…like a souvenir battle scar from a wild night on the town. Sharing the space in this drawing is another piece of functional public art—a bench entitled “Alone,” created by artist Sally Lee Sheeks—at the foot of the stairs. Incorporating iron, wood and natural stone, the bench echoes both natural and architectural elements of our community.
How fortunate we are to live here in a time when a dream of generations
To view Tim’s video of his restoration of The Mainstreeter newsbox, see https://youtube.com/@timothyhunt2019. To read The Mainstreeter’s article on the Flora Footbridge newsbox affair, scan the QR Code below.
