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Is there a more beautiful place to call home than the Ottawa Valley? I remember about 65 years ago when I was a young teenager and enjoyed the freedom to enjoy the great outdoors, whether it was fishing or partridge hunting. I could enjoy every day no matter what time of year it was. I remember outdoor activities amidst many massive snowfalls and cold, blustery winds.

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Today, I can hardly believe that I actually enjoyed these activities during the cold winters in the valley. Over the years, as I got older, I enjoyed three seasons and eliminated winter from my schedule. I don’t miss it anymore, but there are many ways for others to enjoy our winter wonderland. Today, I enjoy more comfortable temperatures and my daily round of golf – spring, summer, fall – outdoors in our great Ottawa Valley. And in the winter, I play curling (an indoor activity, as you’ll notice) three days a week.

No matter which direction you travel in our valley and whichever means of transport you prefer, you will always be able to enjoy endless, beautiful landscapes, in the creation of which Vincent van Gogh must have played a major role.

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A valley has two sides, so let’s not forget the other side of the Ottawa Valley from our own, Quebec. A five-minute drive takes you over the interprovincial bridge into La Belle Province, where the highway takes you on a winding and gradual climb to the stunning Laurentian Mountains. The Laurentians aren’t the highest mountains, but they’re just as beautiful to look at as any. A half-hour drive takes you through small, quaint villages like Chapeau and St. Joseph’s before entering more populated areas like Fort Coulonge and Shawville. Along the way, you’ll be rewarded with views of thousands of acres of fertile farmland. Quebec also offers all the amenities for fine dining and accommodations that we enjoy in Ontario. It also boasts countless lakes and rivers to satisfy your desire for boating and fishing.

The mighty Ottawa River offers beautiful scenery from its source at Lake Capimitchigama in the Laurentian Mountains to its mouth at the St. Lawrence River in Montreal.

For my part, I will never leave my beloved home in the valley until the day my mortal remains lie in its soil.

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