Sleepless nights, sturdy strollers, and community support

A pedestrian, older, first-time parent’s guide to having a baby in Old Ottawa East

 

 

MELISSA EBERLY

I was still pregnant with our daughter when The Mainstreeter’s editor suggested that I write an article about parenting in Old Ottawa East.  I initially brushed off the idea but soon began idly gathering thoughts and observations that would eventually make there way onto the page.  Now that our daughter is nearly 15-months-old and I am back at work, I have finally found the time to write. 

Our daughter was born on the last Thursday of January 2025.  What followed was a haze of sleepless nights punctuated by trips to the doctor’s office.  Eventually, she started sleeping for longer stretches, the snow melted and we ventured outside – exploring Old Ottawa East by foot, stroller, and by bus. 

By the time our daughter arrived, I was already over the age of 40.  Although no one ever used the “G” word in my presence, the nurses at The Ottawa Hospital kept referring to me as “AMA” for “Advanced Maternal Age”.  Having lived a childless life so long left me with blinders when it came to child-centric activities and services available in our community.  If you are like me and have ever wondered what’s available on our doorstep, I am here to tell you that there is, in fact, quite a lot.

 

Mountain of hand-me-downs

First and foremost, the mere announcement of a new life on the horizon has a way of resulting in a veritable mountain of hand-me-downs, for which we are very grateful.  Between that and the baby shower that my bestie planned, my partner and I were well-prepared for our daughter’s arrival – at least in terms of onesies, burp clothes, swaddles and the like.  However, it honestly came as a surprise how quickly she grew out of just about everything and I had to start looking for bigger sizes and replacements.  As it turns out, much of what you need can be found second-hand, if not free. 

The often-mentioned Buy Nothing Old Ottawa East Facebook group frequently features baby and toddler items, and if you’re looking for something more specific, then Facebook Marketplace is a great place for larger second-hand items. Thrift stores always have a decent selection of clothes and toys, but not all thrift stores are created equal.  Value Village always has a great selection, but they are an American for-profit, publicly traded company, and I find their prices to be high.  Chez Vincent, Mission Thrift and The Salvation Army Thrift Store are my favourites, and I would be remiss if I did not mention Fabrick Collective, a second-hand kids’ clothing store in Old Ottawa South and online.

I used to think that all of the cool parents hung out at the wading pool at Sylvia Holden Park adjacent to Lansdowne.  That may well be true, but the wading pool at Brantwood Park is just as nice.  The real gem of Brantwood Park, however, is the Fieldhouse.  The Community Activities Group of Old Ottawa East (CAG) has a Toddler playgroup there on Tuesday mornings for $5 drop-in free or $25 per session.  I relied on this group to get me out of the house, give our daughter a change of scenery and new toys to play with.  While I was not blessed with the gift of gab – at least amid people I do not yet know – I nevertheless got to know a few more neighbours, as well as the playgroup’s outstanding facilitator.  I truly cannot say enough about this playgroup. 

 

CAG really shines…

Mothercraft also hosts a free sensory playtime in the Fieldhouse once a month on Mondays.  This program is criminally underutilized and could use your support.  That said, I personally benefitted from one-on-one time with the facilitators, who helped me navigate the childcare system in Ottawa and gently put my mind at ease as I grew alongside an ever-changing baby. 

If you’re up for a bit of a walk, Mothercraft also hosts another free playgroup – the Glebe Parent (Adult) & Baby Social Club – at the Glebe Community Centre.  Similarly, the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group offers a range of programs and activities aimed at young children and their caregivers.

CAG really shines in this article, because the next must-attend event is their summer community barbeques.  Before becoming a parent, I used to read about these in The Mainstreeter and held a deep misconception about what they were like.  If I once thought that the wading pool in Sylvia Holden Park was the place to be, I had clearly never attended one of these barbeques.  Folks, if you have ever attended Blue Skies music festival near Clarendon, Ontario, and witnessed the roving packs of children running free across the great lawn, you will have a pretty good sense of the atmosphere.  The field to the south of the Fieldhouse fills with families on picnic blankets, and the hamburgers, hotdogs, chips and drinks are cheap and cheery.

The Sunnyside Library hosts a free, drop-in Morning Babytime program for babies aged 0-18 months, as well as a drop-in Storytime intended for toddlers.  I tried both, but it turned out that I, too, am a fan of stories, so we ultimately became regulars at Storytime.

 

Daycare was a real trip

I returned to work as a family and immigration lawyer at the beginning of February 2026.  One year of parental leave moved slowly at first and then passed in a flash. I do not have an answer to the ever-present question of childcare.  Our daughter has been registered with the Ottawa Child Care Registry and Waitlist since before she was born, and now, at 15- months-old, we are still waiting.  Another parent mentioned a couple of Facebook groups, and we eventually found a daycare provider through the Home Daycare in Old Ottawa South, Glebe and Alta Vista group. 

The first week of taking our daughter to daycare was, to put it mildly, a real trip. It was the last week in January 2026, the city was veritably laden down with snow, temperatures hovered around –20°C, and service on O-Train Line 1 was disrupted after the interminable spalling issue was first discovered.  As someone who does not drive, I take our daughter to daycare by bus each morning. That week was fraught with bus cancellations and delays. I took a different bus, which landed us far from our destination. The toddler backpack that I was using was clunky and heavy and we never made it to daycare when we said we would. 

Thankfully, the daycare drop-offs got much easier after that. The snow melted, the backpack is relegated to the basement, and the busses stopped being cancelled.  I am made of tough stuff, so we made it through – and we still take the bus.  Perhaps next winter, our daughter will have made it off the waitlist and we will be able to walk to daycare.  Here’s hoping!

Our daughter is not yet walking, so school still feels a long way off.  I hear that, beyond childcare, there’s equally stiff competition for swimming lessons and summer camps and the like, so I assume I’ll be on another waitlist any day now.  For the time being, we’ll take things as they come, but I am grateful to have begun this journey in Old Ottawa East, and I look forward to discovering what the neighbourhood has in store as she gets older.