Portraits of the pandemic: Ottawa, then and now
Use our interactive sliders to see how COVID-19 Ottawa compares to just last year
Through the prism of COVID-19, last year's memories can feel like they took place a decade ago.
The pandemic has brought sweeping changes to the nation's capital, and even with things gradually returning to a degree of normality, the city looks much different than it did this time in 2019.
We've tried to capture the jarring difference in the images below. Use the sliders to toggle back and forth between the Ottawa of last year — and the one we now find ourselves living in.
The ByWard Market
The ByWard Market has been much quieter than usual this year, with the normally hopping streetside patios replaced with boarded-up bars adorned with colourful COVID-19 murals — although that could soon change.
Tavern on the Hill
One of Ottawa's most popular patio spots — in fact, CBC readers and listeners deemed it to be the city's best in 2019 — the outdoor bar just steps away from the National Gallery of Canada, was still covered by a tarp earlier this month.
Confederation Park
The fountain at Confederation Park is a construction site these days, rather than a place to congregate and catch up.
Westboro
On a normal summer weekend, the Byron Linear Park would play host to the Westboro location of the Ottawa Farmers' Market. And while the plan is still to get the city's farmers markets up and running this year, for now, things are a bit more tranquil.
Rush hour
Also more tranquil: rush hour. Compare this shot of Bank Street from May 2019, before COVID-19 arrived (and, to be fair, before the city's light rail network came online) with one taken earlier this month.
Mass transit
As for light rail, ridership has plummeted during the pandemic, as these shots from October 2019 and June 2020 at the bus terminal at the Tunney's Pasture LRT station attest.
The airport
Finally, with international flights now verboten and interprovincial travel facing a number of restrictions, things are also a lot less hectic at the Ottawa International Airport. Compare the difference between last May and this May.
