Ottawa!

It's almost official: I'm moving to my nation's capital! Somehow my on-campusing was successful enough that they offered me the job and I've signed on the dotted line. Was it like a victory on Chopped? Who cares!!! I'm gonna be bona fide. Exactly when, where, and how is still up in the air but come AY 2010-11 I will be gainfully employed in a country where I am not a single non-resident alien. Being free of paperwork relating to my visa status and not having to file two tax returns are prospects that bring tears of joy to my eyes, though perhaps the Ontario government will come up with a new labyrinth of paperwork for me? I pose that like it's a question.



Things I've learned from the interwebs:

- Ottawa is the fourth largest city in Canada. Toronto, Montreal & Calgary have a higher population. The city is located on the banks of the Ottawa, Rideau, and Gatineau rivers.

- Originally called Bytown after Colonel John By of the Royal Engineers who supervised the building of the Rideau Canal, the name was changed to Ottawa in 1855 with its incorporation as a city. The name Ottawa comes from the Algonquin tribe Odawa, meaning "traders." At Canadian Confederation in 1867, Ottawa became the capital city of the Dominion of Canada.

- In the 2006 census, the city-proper had a population of 812,129 and when you count the various outlying town-agglomerates the population was 1,130,761. People identifying English as their first language made up 62.6% of the population, French was 14.9%, and both 0.85%. In the 2001 census, 80% of respondents described themselves as Christian (54% of those as Catholic, 22% Protestant), 13.29% said they adhered to no religion, 4% were Muslim, and Judaism and Buddhism each were at 1%. The 2006 census classified 20% of Ottawa's population as non-white: Black Canadians made up 5% of the total Ottawa population, Chinese Canadian 3.8%, South Asian 3.3%, and Arab 3.0%. The average age of the Ottawa resident is 36.

- Ottawa temperatures can range from 33°C (91°F) in summer to -40°C (-40°F) in winter, with average summer temperatures around 20°C (68°F) and average winter temperatures around -10°C (14°F).

- Ottawa hosts more than 35 major festivals per year – including the Tulip Festival, Bluesfest and Winterlude.

- Almost 50 per cent of Ottawa residents hold a post-secondary degree, certificate, or diploma, making the city among the highest educated in Canada. In addition, Ottawa has the highest per capita concentration of engineers, scientists, and residents with PhDs in the country. [Sarah Palin would be appalled]

- As of June 29, 2007, the Rideau Canal, which stretches 202 kilometres from Ottawa to Kingston, was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

- While the majority of jobs in the area are in the government or high-tech sector, Ottawa has deep agricultural roots, and the region is blessed with more farmland than any other city in Canada. With as many as 10,000 jobs associated with agriculture, Ottawa is the agricultural centre of Eastern Ontario.

In the interests of gathering a diversity of opinion, I decided to go beyond the "fun facts" tourist websites and googled "I hate Ottawa" to see what sprang up. Here are the highlights:

- "The Rideau Canal in Ottawa. The longest skating rink in the world. Yup. Believe it. It's loooooooong. Especially when you butt-sweep its entire length."

- "last time i was there, i got shit trown at me 3 times in one day.
First time , my homie glencoe Tries to skate a rail in front of a pretty tall appartment building and some ice cubes fell right next to me and on my other friend Terry's car..It actually dent the car a bit..what if that was my head...so here's the alert in my head telling me maing watch yo self this town is full of shit!"

- "The biggest problem I have with Ottawa is that it is a boring city. Even with two casinos, the most liberal gentleman's clubs in North America and a thriving bar scene the city just screams BORING. I envy people who live in cities like Montreal, Vancouver, Toronto and Calgary where it seems excitement occurs everyday."

- an ardent Toronto Maple Leafs fan: "And when I say I hate the Ottawa Senators, let me be perfectly frank; I'm painting all of you with that brush. My hate is so marrow deep that it goes beyond the product on the ice and transgresses into the city and fans as well. My dislike, as black and uninviting as the devil's anus goes for Rick Dudley and the canal too; the Corel Centre, 240 Sparks, The Rideau Center, Max Keeping, The 87, CFRA, beaver tails, Bagel Bagel, Deluxe, the fucking Glebe, the Chateau Laurier, Hull and the OC goddamn Transpo...no, you know what... basically everything from the Ottawa valley in."

- and this selection from youtube:



No website included this major downside to Ottawa: it is an 8.5 hour drive from Baltimore, not including time spent at the border-crossing, and there are no direct flights from YOW to BWI. :( This is going to be tough. No! They won't do a partner hire for me (turns out I'm not that important).

BUT - it's a great job and we knew something like this (ie massive separation) was going to have to happen before both of us could end up with two great jobs in the same place. I can't pretend it's not a major downside, though. :( What will become of Monty? Will he be looking into getting a doggy passport? Stay tuned.