The street names Mount Pleasant Avenue and Echo Drive have a distinct storybook ring. If you were to close your eyes and imagine the type of home that might rest on the corner of such an idyllic-sounding intersection, you might visualize an image akin to this drawing of the house that stands at 1 Mount Pleasant Avenue.

On frequent sunset walks with my significant other, we have noted the flowers, the gorgeous pine tree, and the charming screened-in-porch from a bygone era. Rounding the corner onto Echo, at times to roars of approval from the crowd at TD Place Stadium, the view never fails to please…the expansive skyline, the shiny dome of the Aberdeen Pavilion, and the reflections on the Canal are always a thrill.

Recently, the desirable lot has become overgrown. Bushes have been uprooted, and a telltale city development proposal sign has appeared on the front yard indicating that something new will take its place. This house and those who lived here will become another part of the rich archives of Old Ottawa East.