It's really quite unusual (#032) - Ottawa

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Finding the right clue for 13D - TWO SPIRIT - was the hardest part of preparing this puzzle, and my research - starting from my limited French-Canadian knowledge base - was definitely illuminating. I found particularly illustrative the way in which Canadian government sources frame their use of the '2SLGBTQI+' acronym (Two Spirit; Lesbian; Gay; Bisexual; Transgender; Queer; Intersex; +) as a blanket statement of inclusivity, positioning Two Spirit individuals as "the first 2SLGBTQI+ communities", while some Indigenous sources - First Nations Health Authority and the Chiefs of Ontario, particularly in their recent Trans Day of Remembrance statement - will purposefully separate the 2S from the rest of the acronym with a slash to underline the distinct nature of such identities outside and pre-dating Western views on gender and sexuality. Recognizing the sensitivity of the topic, and the way in which other Indigenous voices use the 2SLGBTQI+ acronym without a slash, I opted to use the slash in the clue.

Street Smarts (#028)

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I was so tempted to clue 24-Down (VIDEO) as [It killed the radio star?]... but Google tells me the song came out in 1979, just about twenty years before I was born... and the corner was already heavy on pop references, between 23-Across AVRIL Lavigne and 23-Down mermaid ARIEL, so I refrained... but I will get another chance to use that clue, and when you see it then, you'll immediately know what to put!

The inspiration for this location, and why I'm justifying heading way out into Manotick, is the One World Bazaar, hosted not too far away! (The actual closest intersection is MITCH OWENS Road crossing Manotick Station Road, with 'Manotick Station' being, frankly, longer and less inspiring than STAGECOACH as an answer.) The Bazaar is stocked with artisanal crafts from around the world, with each weekend usually dedicated to a culture - and while I can't quite tell you my favourite creation, there being so many unorthodox choices, I can tell you these have a special place in my heart:

Street Smarts - Ottawa (#024)

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The hockey cup mentionned in 22-Down was actually first conceived of by a Governor-General, who would've lived not too far from the New Edinburgh intersection recreated in this puzzle! That little tidbit was always a big hit with visitors, when I worked at Rideau Hall (workplace and residence of Canada's Governors-General) as a tour guide, as was the Governor-General Grey (football, not tea - that would be his grandfather).

…that’s about the extent of my sports knowledge, sorry.

I’m also quite limited in what I can say about actors. I first watched the Lion King in my last year of high school; and only saw the Lord of the Ring movies earlier this year. I did, yes, grow up under a rock.

The list of movies to watch has grown long, and continues to grow. The other thing keeping it in check is free movie screenings throughout the city, put on by groups like the public library or Pop-Up Cinema. If you’re looking for quality, low-cost entertainment and/or movie education, those are great places to start. That’s how I saw Fantastic Mr. Fox!

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #021)

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As the Centre finds its feet, we're trying something new: the version attached is a more softly Canadian puzzle, with a more clearly Ottawa-clued puzzle linked behind it! The idea is to have the front-page puzzles be accessible to all, while still offering a hyper-local puzzle for those who want to click through. This frees us up to reference an amusingly-named local hedge-trimming company (I've never used their services, so cannot vouch at all for them, but I've seen their signs scattered across towns) in 18-Across - or two events happening this weekend (a hot air balloon at 11-Down, or a car show at 14-Across), for anybody looking for plans!

Otherwise, my fun fact of this puzzle is about the mushroom family - the fact that portobello mushrooms, cremini mushrooms, and button mushrooms are the same species across different stages of maturity blows my mind!

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #019)

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A coworker has described her hobby as being, itself, 'hobbies' - that her hobby is trying out new things, giving different crafts a shot, seeing if she's any good at this or that activity. Honestly, props to her, that seems like a great outlook on things. This summer, then, I tried to follow that approach - and it just so turns out that, a few streets from the Corso Italia LRT station, is the Ottawa Glassblowing Co-op!

My father and I ended up being the only ones there (possibly because, with summers already getting hotter, a 1200-degree glass oven pushes past the reasonable), so we had a super cool experience getting to pepper our 'guide' with questions! (Our actual involvement in the glass 'blowing' (now done through a foot pedal) was pretty minimal, given we had zero safety training, but still, it was fascinating to see.)

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #017)

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Sometime over the last year, something clicked in my brain, and I've become quite enamored with birds. There'd always been something there, some joy sparked whenever I saw a woodpecker or a cardinal land in the tree by my apartment window, but my knowledge of birds was pretty limited to the everyday ones. Now, though, I've gotten hooked onto the Merlin app, and have found so much joy in spotting birds that had been existing just outside my field of awareness: northern flickers (a chubby little woodpecker that eats on the ground) and eastern kingbirds (white-bellied chirpers, who have made a nest right on my path to work!). It makes games of Wingspan that much more exciting!

I fully recognize that Canada geese remain a menace, though.

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #014)

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My now-wife used to live in this part of town, and I had to the traditional IKEA pilgrimmage more than a few times to furnish my first student apartment, so I've been through the IRIS/GREENBANK intersection quite a few times over the years! Even though we now live more in the east, we're back in the area frequently enough, be it for IKEA suppers or for Lee Valley workshops!

On the puzzle itself, the fact that GREENBANK is just such a long word - and not one easily described on its own - meant that I had to break it up into GREEN and BANK. This led to an unusual three-block line at the bottom-left and top-right corners, but I think the lengthy answers at 3-Down and 10-Down make up for it! I especially enjoyed cluing 30-Across FUR baby (not that that's slang I would actually use, even if I weren't hoping to build up an aquarium); and the two [Place for a pupil] clues.

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #012)

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #008)

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #006)

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #004)

Neighbourhood Puzzle - Ottawa (Puzzle #002)