It’s time for an Ottawa report card! Calm down, calm down. I know, it’s very exciting.
I’ve been home for almost two years and I have lived in Ottawa for a total of about 5 years. This report card is more focused on Ottawa but does have some overall thoughts on living in Canada. Did you know that I was Canadian?
Food: B
Ottawa has different restaurants from all over the world. There is a large Middle Eastern community in Ottawa so there are tons of shawarma spots all over the city. If someone had tons of money and could eat anywhere, whenever they wanted, this could be an A. In my experience, I feel like eating out is normally fine but I hardly ever eat somewhere and can’t wait to go back. There are many Instagram accounts that find hidden gems so if I tried harder, I could be eating slightly better food but Ottawa food isn’t exactly world renowned.
Price: D
This is not just an Ottawa, or Canada answer; it feels like it’s a planet Earth answer. Life is expensive and Ottawa is not an affordable place to live.
https://dailyhive.com/vancouver/canada-eighth-least-affordable-housing-market
Location: B
Being close to America has some advantages. Trade, security, and easy access to visiting some world class cities. Not having another country surround us is a huge plus but Canada can get a little chilly. When only focusing on Ottawa, it’s close to Montreal and Toronto while also offering more of a small town vibe to a city that has over a million people. Tremblant isn’t a far drive and Quebec City is within reach. However, it seems like any flight needs to fly to Toronto or Montreal first. Getting any flight direct to where you want to go is rare.
Weather: C
Rumours of Canada/Ottawa weather are true. We had about 7 snow days this school year. Lots of snow and freezing rain. The weather is great from May-October but the wind might affect certain bubble businesses in the city.
Safety: A
Safety is probably a personal feeling but my overall experience has been that Ottawa is a safe place to live. Many people living in more dangerous parts of the city might disagree but I think the majority of people think that Ottawa is safe as long as you stay out of Vanier and downtown super late at night.
Activities: A
There are things to do. If you like being outdoors and in nature, Ottawa is a great place to live. Ottawa has some sports teams, more and more bands and comedians are visiting the city, and it has some solid festivals. Good job Ottawa. Keep it up.
Transportation: D
Transportation in Ottawa is a joke. It took forever for them to make a decision about the LRT. It’s in the process of being built but what is built, breaks down frequently. If someone told you that getting around Ottawa is easy and fast, they are a liar. Having lived in cities where their subways worked, were affordable, and could take me everywhere, made moving to a city where you essentially need a car to get around a little jarring.
https://globalnews.ca/news/9492622/ottawa-insists-lrt-is-safe/#:~:text=Ottawa's%20light%2Drail%20system%2C%20which,inconsistency%20operating%20in%20winter%20weather.
Beauty: B
Apparently I’ve been grading countries on their beauty.
Nightlife: ?
I’m old and all of my friends are married and have kids. It seems like the youths are still getting after it. I can’t imagine that it’s super affordable and the nightlife area is a bit sketchy. Partying in Montreal or Toronto would be the better choice but there is a country bar in Kanata.
People: A
Canadians are real gems.
Government: C
This is also personal but my life isn’t much better than it was in 2008. Everything is more expensive. I don’t have and might never get a family doctor. We have convoys of people that can occupy the country’s capital with almost zero consequences. They are going to try and build a new stadium for the Senators. Take a guess how that is going to go. The government doesn’t have a great relationship with Indigenous people. Poverty is a huge issue. There aren’t affordable houses. Hospitals have huge wait times. Canadians pay way more for flights and their cell phones than most developed countries. Canada seems unlikely to be able to protect the Arctic. It’s not great, Bob.
Environment: C
People seem to recycle and use compost bins but Alberta is essentially on fire.
Overall quality of life: C+
I spend far too much money on gas, food, and bubble supplies. I blame Ottawa for two of those three things. There are sneaky speed cameras littered throughout the city; I get wanting to stop outrageous speeders but getting a fine for driving 45 in a 40 zone seems insane. And once the government gets that money, do they use it effectively? Apparently not.
Overall grade: B
Living here is fine. I knew what I was getting myself into when I moved back. Being closer to my family was a huge reason why I moved back. No place is perfect and all things considered, I could be living in a worse spot. Will things improve? Probably not but that’s just the way things seem to be. I’d be curious how other people all over the world would rate their city. What grade would you give your city?
“Maybe when we face a tragedy, someone, somewhere is preventing a bigger tragedy from happening.”
Kamand Kojouri
