Kìwekì Point (formerly Nepean Point) Redevelopment [NCC]

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by kwoldtimer

I would call this street art rather than graffiti. Here's hoping the vandals respect it.

Oh certainly. I was just wondering in my head where would be a suitable spot for graffiti wall 2.0 would be. This is certainly a fine substitute.

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by Uhuniau

The NCC and the cities absolutely need to step up the wayfinding game, and quickly. It checks both the "low-cost" and "low-hanging fruit" boxes that public authorities love.

I can only think a small handful of displayed maps. I know there is one outside the station on William st.

Despite living in the age of mobile internet, looking at a big displayed map with points of interest clearly marked seems very helpful. For the people who aren't really sure what they want to see and are happy just to let the day play out based on feel.

Not that I have really looked around for them in Ottawa, but how easy is it to get simplified printed maps? I was just in Portugal and you did not have to put much effort to find a simplified non-scale map with all points of interest and major transit marked. Freely available just about anywhere.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

I can only think a small handful of displayed maps. I know there is one outside the station on William st.

It was a prototype that didn't go anywhere unfortunately: https://dfm.steergroup.com/ottawa-na...tal-wayfinding

[Kitchissippi]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

It was a prototype that didn't go anywhere unfortunately: https://dfm.steergroup.com/ottawa-na...tal-wayfinding

I spotted a similar pylon on Dalhousie at Rideau. I checked Google street view it didn't seem to be there in 2021 so it must have been installed last year or so.
https://www.google.ca/maps/@45.42716...5409&entry=ttu

[ponyboycurtis]

Originally Posted by zzptichka

It was a prototype that didn't go anywhere unfortunately: https://dfm.steergroup.com/ottawa-na...tal-wayfinding

Ahhh... man. I was sitting there earlier when I typed that out and I was actually doubting myself that it was still there. Strange they would remove it.

So in my travels earlier I exited Lyon station and saw this.



It could potentially be easy to miss though if you came up the stairs and exited to your right onto Queen st.

Does every LRT station have one of these? I've honestly never noticed. I will keep my eyes open in the future out of curiosity. I bet every LRT station has one. ONE, as in, if you walk a certain path you can miss it. Regardless, this style of map is perfect for easily placing yourself.

Since I now had maps on my mind... Walking through Hintonburg/Westboro I saw a pair of these.



Not quite as aesthetically pleasing.

Anyhow.. The entrance to Majors Hill park at the top of the staircase if not entrances should have some wayfinding signage for casual travelers to discover the Point/tavern and public washroom.

They have those concrete barrel things with the inset brass map of the Parliament district and its a cool piece of street furniture but it isn't particularly helpful.

[Uhuniau]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

I can only think a small handful of displayed maps. I know there is one outside the station on William st.

Despite living in the age of mobile internet, looking at a big displayed map with points of interest clearly marked seems very helpful. For the people who aren't really sure what they want to see and are happy just to let the day play out based on feel.

Maybe it's age-related, being very much of the paper map era, but yes, using a physical map, and using phone maps, both have their place and their use cases.

Even apart from public maps - which can get expensive if you want to keep on top of things, being subject to vandalism, general wear, and rapidly falling out of date - public wayfinding signage is sorely lacking. It's particularly acute where NCC pathways meet Ottawa or Gatineau streets and other infrastructure, but once you start noticing its absence, that absence is everywhere. Never knew how nothingness could be so ubiquitous.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

I can only think a small handful of displayed maps. I know there is one outside the station on William st.

Despite living in the age of mobile internet, looking at a big displayed map with points of interest clearly marked seems very helpful. For the people who aren't really sure what they want to see and are happy just to let the day play out based on feel.

Not that I have really looked around for them in Ottawa, but how easy is it to get simplified printed maps? I was just in Portugal and you did not have to put much effort to find a simplified non-scale map with all points of interest and major transit marked. Freely available just about anywhere.

I'd guess that any hotel reception would have one-pager paper maps of downtown, as would the main tourist office at the corner Metcalfe and Wellington.

Other than that? Probably not that easy to find one.

Though in my experience travelling the world a good source for a basic city map if you're in a bind are people who sell city tours (like the hop on hop off). Their brochures usually have a map that shows the main streets and attractions in the city core - and of course where their tours stop. You don't need to take the tour to get the map.

[Kitchissippi]

The problem with wayfinding in this region is that there are too many organizations involved, each one trying to assert its own branding. It's actually gotten worse with the mandate of managing the "Capital Experience" having been transferred from the NCC to the Department of Canadian Heritage.

That prototype was part of an initiative to get all the stakeholders to agree on a system. The bigger problem is the buy-in and management, who is going to pay for it and maintain it in the end. Nobody wants to be left holding the bag at the end.

[zzptichka]

A couple more pictures from yesterday:

[Kitchissippi]

This is supposed to open “by Summer 2024”. Well, the summer solstice is in a couple of days I hope it’s open by Canada Day at least.

[OTSkyline]

The nearby Tavern on the hill keeps advertising the same "Opening Summer 2024" and I've seen a few posts about job fairs and stuff, but time is ticking...

[urbanforest]

What’s left to do? Has anyone seen the state of the Point itself recently? I might take my drone out this weekend to get a status update.

[zzptichka]

Originally Posted by urbanforest

What’s left to do? Has anyone seen the state of the Point itself recently? I might take my drone out this weekend to get a status update.

Looks close

[ponyboycurtis]

I hope the Tavern opens up at some point this summer as well.

And take those padlocks off the washrooms please!

If anyone gets a line on an official opening day please post it ASAP. I would love to be there day 1.

[kwoldtimer]

Originally Posted by ponyboycurtis

I hope the Tavern opens up at some point this summer as well.

And take those padlocks off the washrooms please!

If anyone gets a line on an official opening day please post it ASAP. I would love to be there day 1.

It's going to be a world-class spot to enjoy and expensive cocktail.

[ponyboycurtis]

I got another fat dump for ya'll.

First off... LITERALLY... zero work has been done here since my video I posted a month ago. They did a little sum sum on the bridge but that's IT. The UFO thingy has all the material racks and everything in the exact same spot. I'm telling you. All the wooden material racks and the pieces within haven't budged an inch.

This dumpster fire could have been open for Canada Day without a doubt.

I dipped the fence and watched the fireworks from here and lamented the fact that I only had one other soul there. I would have done the backside of Supreme Court but I figured that would have been pinched off with a pile of TFWs in a guiney suit.

Not that I wasn't up to the challenge mind you.

This entire patio was built since my last venture.



Clearly, I, We, Us all need to get on that public works titty if this is what Tavern could do in a couple weeks. I bet the Point opens on the last day of summer.

[SL123]

They did a good job with the new patio. I hope people go back and its a success this summer.

[OTownandDown]

I noticed there are about 50 feet of railings required at the bridge landing on the park side. Looks like the same fancy sloping galvanized railing as the bridge. Perhaps these were all wrong and needed to be re-fabricated? Maybe they were forgotten in a shipping container and lost forever? All's I know is that galvanizing takes forever as the fabrication is in one place, galvanizing is in Montreal or Toronto, and the whole thing takes a lifetime.

I can't explain the belvedere issue. And why can't the fences be backed up to specifically that small area?

Is there an occupancy permit for a park and bridge?

The patio is mint.

Edit: also love the intergovernmental work to add warm portapotties next to perfectly good, closed bathrooms. THAT should teach the homeless to not seek shelter! Win! (sarcasm)