What to do along the river

I meant to write this blogpost sooner; my post of yesterday reminded me.

Towards the end of January, Kelly Egan of the Ottawa Citizen wrote an opinion column about what could be "done" with a river (the Ottawa River in this case) to make it "less sleepy"––more animated. The white water rafting wasn't on his list of ideas, but he had some good suggestions nonetheless. He mentioned water taxis, which have already come into operation through my favourite boat company, Au Feel de l'Eau. Other possibilities, he thought, were

• gondolas, crossing the river from the bottom of the Rideau Canal locks to the Gatineau bank
• floating bonfires with music in the background
• giant chess boards on the banks
• wi-fi spots at regular intervals along the shore
• playgrounds and skateboard ramps
• places for practising yoga
• places for indulging in chalk art
• ice cream sales points and a beverage service
• kayak rentals from Bate Island

He also mentioned the possibility of flea markets and farmers markets close to the river bank. Perhaps this will happen more readily when the Chaudière Falls area is developed.

Musician on the South Bank of the Thames, in London

I thought of this article when walking along the South Bank of the Thames the following weekend, where a huge amount of activity was drawing the London crowds. Admittedly that's a far bigger city, but the principle is the same.