When I left the apartment mid-afternoon to begin my routine – though astonishingly never humdrum – drive to the car wash and back I succumbed to my burgeoning curiosity about the Sailing Club in Ottawa West. The investigative theme today was propelled by an equally flourishing admission that barring the purchase of a snowmobile I’d best devote my attention to alternate winter outing. I knew from a previous visit last summer to nearby Andrew Haydon Park that if there were winter access it might afford not only a desirable view of the Ottawa River but also an opportunity for moderate exercise. Nor was I disappointed in my ambition. To my delight both the Club and the Park were open for public access in strategic places along Carling Avenue. Though the white canvass isosceles no longer adorned the horizon there remained ample fodder for distraction and marvel.

The winning features of the Sailing Club are for me its riparian vantage and its convenience of accessibility. The picturesque environment further lends an indisputable dignity to what I suspect will prove to be a less than athletic ceremony when obliged to wear my raccoon hat and winter boots!