I recently came full circle with an obsession and have hopefully relieved myself from continuing a thoughtful and quirky hobby. I have been collecting benches residing in public spaces for 24 years.

It started in 2002, from an encounter with The Secret Bench of Knowledge in front of the Library and Archives building in Ottawa in 2002 while attending a writers festival. The whimsy and mystery of the statues appealed to me. That was during a dark time with my foray into writing, attending poetry readings and presentations while working full time, raising three children and surviving an unhappy marriage. I felt trapped. Writing and networking with writers helped me find some escape and offered some therapy.

I wrote a review of the writers festival, posted as web pages which survived as a PDF where I shared my experience about this thing called “the poets’ pathway” and eventually joined like-minded folks in an environmental group and literary project.

Fast forward to 2026 when I reunited with the bench and its occupants during Doors Open Ottawa and a visit to the Library and Archives building on Wellington Street. I felt an obligation to see this building and its dusty collections as a 2022 graduate from an Archives and Records Management college program.

The volunteer guides on the selected floors were knowledgeable about the various collections as well as the virtual display for the new Adisoke building that should open in 2027. There have been delays due to the pandemic, the supply chain, and trade tariffs applied by the orange menace and his money grabbing sycophants.

My first Doors Open Ottawa experience was in 2016 and I have since tried to visit the interesting buildings around the city that offered the public a peek into hidden treasures over the first weekend of June. I was hooked, although with limited energy and patience for crowds.

I highly recommend you attend one of these Doors Open events if they are offered in your own city. It can open your eyes and mind to its rich architecture and culture. I also recommend writing as therapy, in your private journals or in a blog where you can whisper – or shout – into the void.

Thanks for dropping by.

T