Every weekday at 1:24 p.m., the No. 14 bus to St. Laurent pulls to a stop at the corner of Bank Street and Gladstone Avenue.
Perhaps on a crisp fall afternoon while taking a stroll, you can hear the low rumble of the bus before it speeds away down one of Ottawa’s historic streets.
Originally a neighbourhood of humble folk and respectable tradesmen in the 1800s, Gladstone Avenue has flourished commercially since its days as a part of a residential area in old Ottawa. The street went through several names in earlier times, including Bay and Anne streets, before it was designated permanently for William Ewart Gladstone, an 18th-century prime minister of Britain.
Nowadays, when riding along the bus route, you would see a variety of different sights.
At the east end of the street, where Gladstone forms a “T” with Cartier Street in the Golden Triangle neighbourhood, there are several private homes as well as Bethell Fieldhouse, which offers a playground and tennis courts for locals.
You might hear the clanging of tools where the street intersects with Kent, which is home to a few garages and gas stations. Maybe you’ll stop for a few minutes and take in a public art show where murals of childhood life are portrayed on the side of the McNabb Community Centre.