On June 9, 2023, I had the pleasure of meeting with my friend Natasha Doyon at a café near Concordia. The purpose of our rendezvous was to delve into Natasha's memories of her time living on Ottawa Street, particularly in the vicinity of the John Moore House at 1200-1204 Ottawa Street. Our conversation was a nostalgic exploration of her past, brought to life by her vivid and fragmented recollections.
Natasha shared that her connection to Ottawa Street was profoundly significant. Having immigrated from Israel, Ottawa, the city's very name, held a special place in her heart. It symbolized a word that resonated deeply with her, a place of promise and opportunity:
"Okay, so the Horse Place on Ottawa Street was significant. Because I had when I emigrated from Israel, we lived in Ottawa. The city of Ottawa, so Ottawa, I thought it was already a place in my mind."
So, her journey took her to Montreal, where she pursued her studies and embarked on a period of travel and personal exploration. During this time, she had the serendipitous chance to live on Ottawa Street, which she described as a place with low, brown brick buildings: "I was young, I must have been in my twenties, and I was kind of living out of a bag. And, like, maybe looking for a school; I was studying dance at the time. I arrived in Montreal, and people said, go check out this place on Ottawa Street; they need a roommate. And I was like, okay, so I had walked or had a bike, and I made my way down. It's not like it is now, with all condominiums. It was shaded everywhere; there were very low, brown brick, brick buildings, like old Ottawa where I grew up, and it was all in the street."
The architecture and layout of the area mirrored what she remembered from her time in Ottawa, with streets bearing familiar names like Williams Street, King Street, etc. This architectural and urban continuity spoke to the legacy of English influence in the area.
During her time on Ottawa Street, Natasha found herself in need of employment. Chance struck again when she connected with a construction guy on the site looking for a secretary. Her job involved typing up various documents. This opportunity allowed her to maintain her commitment to dance classes while also thinking about her future: "This was funny because I kind of needed a job. So, there were two things: There was, like, an area where they put a bed, and it kind of made a wall. It was like a thin wall. And downstairs was this man with his construction company. And I was like, I needed a job. So, I went downstairs and said: I need a job, or whatever. And he was like, I need a secretary. And I was fine. So, he said, you have to type this up. …All day long…"
As we reminisced about Natasha's experiences on Ottawa Street, it was clear that her journey was a blend of personal growth and unexpected encounters, immersed in the layers of history of this unique neighborhood.