It’s easy to overstuff yourself at the buffet of Ottawa’s museum offerings
Miles Willing, the writer’s son, climbs on a giant beetle at the Canadian Museum of Nature. Photo Credit Jon Willing
Never forget we live in the capital of the country.
What a ridiculous statement, right? How can we possibly forget?
Federal buildings are plastered with the government’s official symbols. The National Capital Commission’s greenbelt slices through the city. The majority of our local friends work for a federal department or agency.
A time comes for parents when we’re focused on parks, schools and restaurants in our immediate community. Rinks, gymnasiums and recreation centres become the most important assets in our lives outside of school.
Ottawa’s capital hallmarks — particularly, national museums — are dropped from the conversation. It’s easy to forget about the capital realm that dominates much of the city’s landscape.
It’s also easy to take Ottawa’s capital stature for granted when you become a longtime resident of the city. Cultural attractions like Parliament Hill, Rideau Hall and the Rideau Canal might draw a shrug from locals when considering the best parts of the city. But aren’t they what make the city so special?
Ottawa’s national museums are just one part of the capital picture, but an important one. Our family visited the national museums so many times in our son’s preschool years that we probably should have more often invested in annual memberships. During the height of COVID-19, many kids’ activities didn’t open for several months. The national museums were a saviour when they opened under temporary health procedures.
Miles Willing, the writer’s son, takes a break in a tractor tire at the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum. Photo Credit Jon Willing
Our frequent visits to the museums came with a pitfall. We eventually couldn’t bear the thought of returning to the Canadian Museum of Nature to meander through the geology exhibits, or heading back to the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum to see Hercules (the massive bull) eat hay, or hitting up the Canada Aviation and Space Museum to stare at parked airplanes. We had seen it all, many times. We might have overdone it.
When an activity becomes boring, it’s easy to quickly forget about it or underplay its value. For people who were born and raised in Ottawa, field trips to the national museums might have been part of their school experiences. There might be years that pass until they visit one of the museums again, maybe with their children, and realize how lucky they are to have quick access to nationally historic resources.
Or, maybe it just takes a little break from the museums to cherish their contribution to our city and lives. That’s where I am now.
Ottawa has lately become obsessed with brainstorming ideas to jazz up its nightlife and entertainment, trying to force a new identity on a city whose primary selling point is its status as the political and historic epicentre of the country.
It’s easy to lose appreciation for the capital-ness of Ottawa and the gifts it provides to people who call the city home.
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