[Mama2Lennon]

I am always on the lookout for new places to live. I recently picked up TONE, an alternative "health" magazine that comes out of Ottawa and I wondered ...
It seems that there is some community there but what is it like for single AP mamas? Is there a community for us? Are resources/restaurants/health food stores scattered all over the city or could we live in one area and walk where we need to go? How is the transit system? What are some good areas of the city? Does anyone have any idea of what the average rent for a one bedroom is? Or what the vacancy rate is? Is it difficult to get housing as a single mom (on Welfare)? I also wondered if there is a Raw restaurant or Raw community? We went raw about two months ago and found others here very quickly. The local farmer's market even has a womyn selling raw food, but only once a week.

I hope this isn't too many questions!!!!
Would anyone know of any websites I could check out to find out more about Ottawa?
Whatever anyone could tell me would be great!

 

[MamaDaednu]

I really miss Ottawa. When we move back to Canada it will likely be back to Ottawa or Montreal.
My information is dated as I haven't lived back home for over 5 years. And things change in that time. However I do visit a couple times a year.
I found the public transportation to be good. I find the closer you live to downtown, the better it is. Then you have access to good shops (like the Herb 'n Spice) and in the summer the Byward Market.
There is social assistance housing but the housing market is tight right now. Despite all the high tech jobs disappearing in Ottawa, the housing market has not taken a hit. So apartments and houses are tough to get hold of and rent is pretty high.
My dream would be to live in the Glebe but I don't know if we could ever afford to. Even renting.
Being the capital it's a great place for various festivals of various sizes.

Some links:
http://www.ottawastart.com/
http://www.canada.com/ottawa/ottawacitizen/index.html
http://www.ottawaalternativehealthcare.com/

~Daednu

 

[Mama2Lennon]

Thank you for the links!
I checked out the ottawastart.com and it has lots of useful information for all kinds of things going on around Ottawa.
The link to the Citizen gave me an idea of the market for rents. I would need to get a good map of Ottawa to really know where things are.
It was great to get links to the non-profit/geared to income sites. That would be so helpful to apply in advance of moving.

Anyone out there living in Ottawa now? Any comments are welcome ...

 

[Mama2Lennon]

is there really no one else with any info for me?

 

[tricia80]

no info for ya... but i have thought about moving to ottawa.. and in the same predicament... but alberta seems to be a good move too.. im in hamilton..

pm me sometime if u wanna chat

 

[Katie's Momma]

I have an aunt there - she says that the public transportation is the best. They are in Orleans, which is outside of the city but she works right in Ottawa.

I just know that they have a rival hockey team of my beloved Leafs!

 

[NorthernLight]

I have friends there, but with no kids though, so I cannot report on child-friendliness. You have to love winter to live there. People there really seem to embrace it. Lots of joggers, walkers, hikers in the summer months too. It is beautiful.

 

[ScotiaSky]

I am not in Ottawa but from what I gather it seems to to way more AP then where I live(Montreal)
I ordered my Maya Wrap and some cloth diapers and supplies and nursing clothes from online stores in Ottawa.
There is just starting to be some AP movement here in Montreal amd until it gets bigger I have to look else where for the things we need and Ottawa seems to have most of it as well as a real friendly feel to it.
I was just there a couple of weeks ago shopping and really enjoyed it(they have Taco Bell and Old Navy which are not in Montreal yet

) There seemed to be so many women with young children and everyone was really friendly.

Terri
Hunter 03/24/04

 

[Mama2Lennon]

ScotiaSky: I had been looking for online natural mama/baby stores in Canada (to buy toys more recently) and I couldn't find any. With a new one on the way, I may want to buy some things. Could you give me the links to some online stuff in Ottawa, or any other Canadian ones you know of? I'm not that interested in mostly diapers stores though. I was glad to see your reply!

 

[ScotiaSky]

Hello and Congratulations it will be a year ago tomorrow(July 8th)that we found out we were expecting a March baby.
Off the top of my head I know of Twinkle Little Star
Quebec Based-Pregnancy, Breastfeeding, Diapers and Toys
http://www.twinklelittlestar.com/main.html

and Peek A Boo Baby
Alberta Based-Luxuries for Mom and Baby.
http://www.peekaboobaby.ca/default.htm

and Forever Family
Ontario Based-Cloth Diapers, Arms Reach Co-Sleeper,Toys, Pregnancy and Breastfeeding Items
http://www.forever-family.com/index2.html

as well as Behind Baby
Ontario Based-Cloth Diapers,Books, Toys and Baby Gear
http://www.behindbaby.com/index.htm

also BareWare
BC Based-Baby Care,Diapering,Breastfeeding,Maternity,Keepsakes and Toys
http://www.bareware.ca/home.htm

Kidalog
Alberta Based-this one is a little more retail but has over 3000 items including toys
http://www.kidalog.com/shopfactory/e...et=dept_2.html

HTH and good luck with the new baby

Terri
Hunter 03/24/04

 

[Maple Leaf Mama]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mama2Lennon I am always on the lookout for new places to live. I recently picked up TONE, an alternative "health" magazine that comes out of Ottawa and I wondered ... It seems that there is some community there but what is it like for single AP mamas? Is there a community for us? Are resources/restaurants/health food stores scattered all over the city or could we live in one area and walk where we need to go? How is the transit system? What are some good areas of the city? Does anyone have any idea of what the average rent for a one bedroom is? Or what the vacancy rate is? Is it difficult to get housing as a single mom (on Welfare)? I also wondered if there is a Raw restaurant or Raw community? We went raw about two months ago and found others here very quickly. The local farmer's market even has a womyn selling raw food, but only once a week. I hope this isn't too many questions!!!! Would anyone know of any websites I could check out to find out more about Ottawa? Whatever anyone could tell me would be great!

I live in Ottawa.
I am also an AP mama.
There are many health food stores, but they seem to be either located in the market (DT), or scattered. Same with restaurants.
If you were to live DT, you would have access to almost everything you could want.
There is a new organic store in the market that I have been wanting to check out too.

I know not a lot about the transit system b/c I live in the suberbs and drive everywhere, but from what i hear, it's pretty good. Though, no subway.
There is a raw community, though I am not a member.
Not too sure about rents, but a friend who has an apt pays about 800.00 per month.
I'm sorry if I'm not much of a help.
If you have any other questions, let me know
Sandy

 

[bluenail]

I moved from Ottawa to Hamilton about 3 years ago, so my information's a little out of date...but, of the 4 Ontario cities that I've lived in, Ottawa was by far the most child-friendly and crunchy

of them all.

Tonnes of parks (NorthernLight was totally right when she mentioned that the outdoors figures LARGE in people's lives there), and the transit system is *very* good. Bus based, but I believe that they're adding a Light Rail system soon.

I lived in the Glebe and was able to walk to everything I needed (and I skated to work on the Rideau Canal, in winter!). Nice areas to live in are New Edinburgh, the Glebe, Sandy Hill, Dows Lake, Civic Hospital, and near the Experimental Farm. (Don't worry, it sounds worse than it is.)

Hope that helps,

deb

 

[proudmamanow]

Just bumping this up 'cause I just noticed it.
I've lived in Ottawa for 3 years, 2.5 as a renter. We don't have any kids yet (though one on the way!) but I have to say overall it seems like a really family friendly place to me (more so than TO which I love)
lots of free stuff to do, pretty good alternative community, AP community.
Mama2lennon: I have good friends who live w/o a car & lived for quite a while in the Canal East area. There is a wonderful cohousing community there which you would need to buy a house to live in, but they welcome participation from people who live in the area too...and it is right near the Canal (great paths & park on the other side), the Green Door, a fabulous vegan/veggie restaurant and a good Health food store. There is some transit from there to downtown.
I live in Sandy Hill a 20 min. walk from the byward market and it is also a great family friendly area with lots of kids and parks and AP parents.

About rents...actually very good news! There is a bit of a tenant shortage here right now! Really...there was an article in the Citizen about it last week, and so rents are coming down, and landlords are getting much more open and flexible about who they will rent to. Also...we lived in a housing co-op and my partner worked for another one (there are 4 in Sandy Hill and many many in Ottawa) and these are GREAT low-income housing options...and great communities for raising kids. I think the website for coops is www.chaseo.org (coop housing of eastern ontario or something like that).

Anyway, good luck to you

and feel free to PM me if you want!