Part 4: Lessons from Terry...

Some Pub quiz trivia for you... What have Australia, Brazil and Canada got in common? Well, it is definitely not the weather! No, all three of these massive countries have surprising capital cities. Canberra and Brasilia are the two you might have known but not many people from outside Canada (and even a few from inside Canada!) know that Ottawa is the capital, not Toronto.

After almost 2 weeks of unparalleled fun in Toronto it was time to drag myself away from a city with which I fell in love in favour of Canada's capital city: Ottawa. Ottawa is on the border of Ontario and Quebec so I knew I was going to have my first encounter with that mysterious and unknown creature: The French Canadian. I grabbed a five hour train from Toronto to Ottawa. This was my first experience of a train in Canada and I must admit it is pretty different to what I am used to at home in London. The gent sitting in front of me was approached at the beginning of the journey by the train driver and asked if he would volunteer to learn how to use the emergency safety equipment should the worst happen because the train was so old it takes 3 men to open the train door. Needless to say I kept an eye on our volunteer superman to ensure he didn't over-do it on the gin & tonic. I arrived (safely) in Ottawa and proceeded into town to find the hostel where I was booked in.

It is at this point in this entry that I must put a note to my Mum to say that if she doesn't want to have a total conniption then she should look away now and rejoin the blog at the asterisk*.

Right, now that Mum is gone I can divulge the gory details about my abode in Ottawa. The only youth (read: cheap) hostel in Ottawa is an excellently located, clean, tidy, friendly, well-lit... prison. Yes. You did read that correctly. The hostel is located in an old prison. However, the prison is not that old. It only ceased to be a den of thieves and murderers in 1967. In keeping with the theme of the past occupiers, the hostel provides not rooms, but cells. Actual cells. I was treated to a one bed cell on the 7th floor. The room consisted of a cot, a chair, a mirror and a floor to ceiling iron-bar prison cell door. All I can say is that the novelty of sleeping in a room that does not have a proper, sealed door wore off quite quickly. So in between fits of sleeping and fighting off the ghosts of bunk-mates past I got the chance to have a wander around Ottawa.

*Welcome Back Mum*

I visited the Parliament, Supreme Court, War Memorial and a statue of Terry Fox. Terry Fox is a modern Canadian hero. He ran across Canada with one prosthetic leg in support of cancer research, taking not the fastest route but the most populated one in order to spread awareness. He did not complete the run due to health problems and he died aged 22. Terry Fox inspired Canadians and people all over the world to take to the streets each September and run against cancer. I strongly urge you to type Terry's name into Google and read his Wikipedia entry and visit this foundation set up in his memory.

My time in Ottawa was short and I did not get a chance to do any habitat-ing but in my defence I think Habitat Ontario probably had all the Jason they could handle! I did however eat, drink and laugh well in Ottawa. Whilst it is not a capital city in the same vein as London or New York the people of Ottawa are outgoing and good-natured. Some are so outgoing that they will approach you in the middle of the street and kindly ask you for a quarter!

I'm going to leave the final word to a man who gave his all and made the ultimate sacrifice for something he believed in:

"I was lucky to do what I did. How many people ever get a chance to do something that they really believe in?"
Terry Fox

Coming soon... Montreal. Can't wait for the next post? Add me on Facebook quoting Habitat for Humanity Canada and you can keep abreast of where I am in this fine country.