Peter Croal
Tim Poirier has single-handedly created a veritable oasis of calm at the east end of Springhurst Park by the Rideau River. His creative solution to a problem has resulted in a better living space for all of us in Old Ottawa East. Photo by Peter Croal
There are many delightful aspects about walking, one of which is that you can notice subtle changes on your route should you walk it many times. One example would be my walks at the east end of Springhurst Park, just by the Rideau River. During and after COVID, I walked this route many times and started to notice something very interesting unfolding in a forested space just off the walking trail, close to one of the parking areas of the Lees Avenue apartments. Slowly, the land was being transformed into a welcoming garden complete with sitting areas, two BBQs, views, drainage, and clever outdoor furniture, well made from wooden pallets. Lately, a small bridge was added along with more places to enjoy a rest or to read a book.
Every time I walked by this space, I asked myself, “Who is doing this? I need to meet this person!”
Through contacts at The Mainstreeter, I learned that the secretive but effective agent of change for this garden area is Tim Poirier, a native of Ottawa who has been one of the superintendents of the Lees Avenue apartments for the past seven years. I met with him this summer and came away with all sorts of interesting stories about how he created such a welcoming outdoor space.
Photo by Peter Croal
Poirier has always enjoyed gardening. He felt that by improving this corner of the small forest, he might lower the incidence of drug use and informal camping by the Rideau River. Prior to the creation of his garden, he would find needles and other substance-use paraphernalia that were obviously a hazard for people and animals traversing the area. Inspired, Poirier worked alone when time permitted to transform wooden pallets into very comfortable chairs, benches, lounges and even bridges and boardwalks. Without any help, he has created this space one shovelful at a time, and by getting good ideas from the Internet on how to use pallet wood to create outdoor structures.
Poirier is pleased that the response from the community has been extremely positive, and he has noticed that informal camping as well as drug use in this area has declined markedly. He hopes to perhaps add a swing in the area so children of all ages could have a bit of fun. When asked what his message to the community is about his work, Poirier said, “Just do it. If you see a problem in your community, do something about it.” He is very proud of what he has accomplished over the last couple of years, creating real community space from pre-used materials at almost no cost. Illegal activities of the past have been reduced and a beautiful place to rest and meet friends or family has emerged. Poirier’s actions are an excellent example of “guerilla gardening,” which is doing gardening activities without asking permission.
People like Tim Poirier are the unsung champions of change in Old Ottawa East (OOE). He saw a problem, thought about it and responded with direct action resulting in a better living space for residents of the Lees Avenue apartments and a safer and more welcoming community for all of OOE.
There are many issues that citizens and politicians at all levels confront today. Perhaps through habit, we collectively default to saying, “the government should do something about this.” Poirier has shown residents of OOE that there is another path to problem solving, namely, “just do it.” Of course, while issues pertaining to liability and public safety need to be respected, there are always things residents can do to make our community more liveable, enjoyable and safe for all without waiting for the City to act. We can get involved with our local community groups, volunteer more and even take direct action such as installing wire mesh to protect trees along the river from beavers. It is these small unselfish acts that make OOE a unique community to live in.
Perhaps when you are next walking on the path near the Lees Avenue apartments and you see Tim Poirier doing more creative things in his green oasis, take a moment and say thanks. Who knows how you may become inspired to act by meeting him and enjoying his tranquil space.
Photo by Peter Croal
For more information on volunteering please see: https://www.ottawaeastcag.org/get-involved ; https://ottawaeast.ca/sloe/ and https://ottawa.ca/en/living-ottawa/volunteering . Information on guerilla gardening can be found at: https://naturecanada.ca/news/blog/gardening-across-the-city/ as well at: https://guerrilla-gardening.ca
