A friend was hosting a weekend long retreat in a huge lodge in Temagami, Ontario. It's about a 5 hour drive from Ottawa but instead of rushing down the highway and arriving stressed and tired, my travel companion and I decided to make the drive a road trip. I'm a big fan of curios, and the Canadian back country usually delivers with delightful sights.
Our first stop was Pembroke, about 90 minutes away from Ottawa. I have a friend who grew up there and she had a few recommendations. Due to the pandemic, we decided not to stop at Ullrich's fine deli and I walked past The Courtyard Bistro wistfully. Pembroke may not stick out as a gastronomic hot spot but those are two addresses that I would go back to, including Blendz, where I did order a homemade smoothie, resisted their Buddha bowl, and eyed their great selection of gourmet products. Instead, my friend and I took our packed picnic and ate at the Waterfront Park facing the vast expanse of the Ottawa River. It's a gorgeous walk along the shore with a long pier, a gazebo, and a children's play park. I can imagine that on a normal summer day, it is bustling with joggers, families and dreamers.
Pembroke's real attraction, however, is its heritage murals. There are over 30 painted all around the downtown core, telling the story of the region: Pembroke's importance in the logging industry, its innovation as Canada's first city to have streetlights, its prominent men and culture... all sorts of unexpected tidbits! I even learned that Montrealer Marguerite d'Youville, founder of the Order of the Grey Nuns, who has a convent in Pembroke, is the first Canadian-born Saint! My friend and I went mural hunting, read the descriptions from the QR Codes, and discovered all sorts of lovely shops in the process, including the Prince Street Books and Coffee store which would inevitably had lured me in, had it not been closed.
Peeing in the Time of the Pandemic
It's true that any kind of travelling is not encouraged during the pandemic. For me, however, it's been instrumental in keeping my sanity. I've taken the measures I can to ensure safety and health protocols. This includes seeing as few people as possible and finding outdoor activities or ones that limit contact. But even during a hike, one might hear the call of nature, and as we pulled into Pembroke, we went looking for a public washroom. We were abruptly turned out at Algonquin College even though the restroom was right at the entrance, but were directed to one at the Giant Tiger where a kind salesperson immediately let us in. For us, it was a small thing which made it less awkward than finding a bush in the outskirts of town, but a few days later I read about a woman truck driver for whom this had become a real problem. It made me appreciate, once more, the many ways in which I am privileged. I am fascinated by how this pandemic has highlighted inequalities and inequities, big and small, and hopefully provides us the opportunities to change them.
CHAMPLAIN TRAIL painted by Pierre Hardy 1991
Samuel de Champlain was the first European traveller to this area circa 1613. This mural is painted as four pictures hanging on Victorian wallpaper in a parlour or living room. The Artist recreated old style wallpaper directly onto the wall. Top left is Champlain and his Voyageurs as they travel down rapids. Top right is a formal portrait of the explorer taken from written descriptions. Bottom left picture is a selection of items that Champlain brought from Europe to Canada, including the astrolabe. Bottom right shows Champlain using his astrolabe, that he lost near Cobden, and his Huron Guides. Champlain only made it to this area [Pembroke] because the Algonquin First Nation operated a toll at Morrison Island: he refused to pay so was turned back and came up this side of the Ottawa River.