Reading · Roberta Hill, Wander After 70 🇨🇦

A few days ago, I left you with the question of whether spending the extra money on Fairmont Gold instead of afternoon tea was the right decision.

But first, two things. One, a week ago I wrote about:

I found that Herbal Essences still makes a grapefruit shampoo; it did not smell the way I remember. Louise could barely tell. PEGGY SIJSWERDA commented that essential oils added might be a solution. So I tried it and . . . drumroll please:

I had trouble mixing the oil with the shampoo, so most of it sat on top. The shower smelt wonderful, but alas it did not last.

Two, thanks to those who played along with the poll and here are your responses:

So it was a tricky decision to make, and everyone has a different set of criteria to bring to the table, but almost half of you “went for it”.

Now another drumroll . . . did I or did I not go for the upgrade:

Now I can answer. Without hesitation, yes. I sat with the decision for an hour before finally choosing the upgrade.

Then, I wrote again to the hotel explaining that this was a surprise trip for Louise’s 70th birthday and asking whether an early check-in might be possible since we’d be arriving by train. They couldn’t promise the room would be ready early, but they did say they would have a bottle of sparkling wine waiting for us to help celebrate.

That small gesture made me smile. In the end, I realized I wasn’t comparing afternoon tea with a hotel upgrade. I was comparing a wonderful two-hour experience with two days of feeling that this wasn’t just another hotel stay. That was the answer I needed.

The first question I had to answer was whether I was really spending an additional $200 or simply prepaying for things I would probably have bought anyway.

With a few hours of checking in, I knew this was worth every penny. From the moment we arrived, it was clear that the Gold team takes genuine pride in making guests feel welcome. The service was consistently warm, attentive, and thoughtful without ever feeling intrusive. Every interaction left us feeling like valued guests rather than just another room number.

The interesting part isn’t that the room was larger or that breakfast was included, although both were certainly appreciated. What made the difference was that the upgrade and the service changed the rhythm of the entire trip. We weren’t rushing from one attraction to another or wondering where to stop for coffee or breakfast. Instead, the hotel itself became part of the celebration rather than simply the place where we slept.

That turned out to matter more than I expected.

Ottawa also reminded me that you don’t always have to travel somewhere new for a trip to feel special. We lived there for many years, so there was no pressure to see everything or tick attractions off a list. We simply enjoyed being visitors in a city we already knew well.

The weather certainly encouraged that approach. The first two days were unbelievably hot, while the last day brought steady rain. Long walks quickly became less appealing, so we adjusted our plans and spent more time indoors than we normally would have. Oddly enough, that probably made for a better trip because we slowed down rather than trying to fit too much into two and a half days.

When the weather cooperated, we wandered along the Ottawa River behind Parliament and eventually took the small ferry across to Gatineau. At only ten dollars, it’s one of the best values in the city and gives you an entirely different perspective of Parliament Hill, the Château Laurier and the river before arriving at the Museum of History. Sometimes the simplest experiences become the most memorable.

One of the highlights was the Canadian Museum of History. I’ve visited before, but this time I found myself lingering in the First Nations and Inuit galleries. They tell Canada’s story from perspectives that weren’t always given the attention they deserved when I was growing up. The carvings, masks and artwork alone would have made the visit worthwhile, but the broader story they tell left an even greater impression on me.

Our second museum stop was the National Gallery. The main reason for going was to see the exhibition of Helen McNicoll’s paintings. The light, the brushstrokes and the atmosphere are simply different when you’re standing a few feet away.

AI Sourced: Helen McNicoll and Dorothea Sharp’s partnership is now regarded as one of the most significant artistic collaborations among early twentieth-century women painters, helping both artists pursue successful international careers at a time when women often faced barriers to professional recognition. Recent exhibitions have even displayed works by McNicoll alongside paintings by Sharp to illustrate how closely their artistic journeys were intertwined.

Being next door to the ByWard Market also meant we wandered through it several times during our stay. I hadn’t spent much time there in years, and I was curious to see how it had changed.

If I’m honest, I found it a little disappointing.

Even before we left Ottawa almost twenty years ago, the market had already begun shifting away from its roots. More restaurants and souvenir shops were appearing, while fewer stalls were actually selling food. There were still traces of the original market back then, with butchers, cheesemongers, produce vendors and other specialty shops that gave the neighbourhood its character.

Today, much of that has disappeared. The ByWard Market is still lively and worth visiting, but it feels much more like an entertainment district than a working public market. That’s not necessarily a criticism; cities evolve, and many markets around the world have followed the same path as tourism has grown. It simply isn’t the kind of market that draws me in anymore.

It also reminded me why I appreciate Montreal’s public markets so much. Jean-Talon, Atwater and Maisonneuve aren’t tucked into the middle of the tourist district. They’re neighbourhood markets first and attractions second. Visitors certainly enjoy them, but local people still shop there for fruit, vegetables, meat, cheese and fish. They continue to serve the purpose they were originally built for, and I think that makes all the difference.

Another surprise came when we left the hotel.

For years, the Terry Fox statue stood across from the Château Laurier, facing Parliament Hill. It wasn’t a perfect location, but somehow it felt right. I expected to see it there again.

Instead, it was gone.

Curious, we eventually found it farther along Sparks Street. I later learned it had been moved to make way for the rehabilitation of the Parliamentary Precinct, and the new location is historically significant because it sits along the route Terry ran during his Marathon of Hope. The move also places the sculpture at street level, making it much more accessible to visitors. I understand the reasoning, and it’s difficult to argue with either of those objectives.

Even so, my first reaction was disappointment.

Sparks Street itself has changed enormously since I lived in Ottawa. Twenty years ago it was already beginning to struggle, but it still had a sense of purpose. Today it feels quieter than I remember, with fewer people and less energy than one might expect from a pedestrian street in the heart of the nation’s capital.

Standing there, Terry Fox almost blended into the streetscape.

Terry Fox is important to Canadians because he became a symbol of courage, determination, and selflessness.

For me, that’s the part that didn’t feel right. Terry Fox isn’t simply another historical figure. He’s one of Canada’s greatest heroes, someone whose courage still inspires generations. I couldn’t help wishing the statue occupied a place that stopped people in their tracks and invited them to pause for a moment rather than simply walk past.

After losing his right leg to bone cancer at age 18, Terry Fox set out in 1980 on the Marathon of Hope, attempting to run across Canada on a prosthetic leg to raise money for cancer research. Although cancer forced him to stop after 5,373 kilometres (3,339 miles), his effort inspired the nation. He passed away in 1981 at the age of 22.

His legacy continues through the Terry Fox Run, held annually in communities across Canada and around the world. The event has raised more than $900 million for cancer research, making it one of the world’s largest charitable fundraising efforts.

It Was Never Really About the Hotel

Comments