Travel from Montreal to Ottawa in 12 mins?

by Marcia B. - February 21, 2019

The first phase of Ottawa Light rail's construction is coming close to an end! Plans for stage 2 will be finally underway, this project is a long awaited and coveted addition to Ottawa's public transportation system as it has the agenda to extend the metro line westward to Moodie station, Baseline station, and eastward to Place d'Orleans station. This totals an extension of 11 stations westward and 5 stations eastward. In the meantime, the first phase is to open in April 2019.

In light of the new transport system, I checked out Kontinuum Ottawa, which was an underground light show held at the new Lyon Station of the LRT whilst under construction. This show was produced by Ottawa 2017 and Montreal’s Moment Factory, see my pictures below.

The introduction of a metro line in the Nation's Capital will enhance and facilitate Ottawa's lifestyle. What's even more exciting is that there is a proposal to launch the construction of a hyperloop train in the near future.

The hyperloop train is a futuristic tube that would transport passengers from Toronto to Montreal via Ottawa in 39 minutes. This innovation would travel at a high velocity and would bring passengers from Ottawa to Montreal in 12 minutes. If this system is approved, imagine how revolutionary that would be?! In a nick of time, visiting friends in nearby cities can be done in under 40 mins.

If the system is built, commuters would be able to travel from:

Toronto to Montreal (640 km) in 39 minutes
Toronto to Ottawa (450 km) in 27 minutes
Ottawa to Montreal (190 km) in 12 minutes

If the hyperloop train project is fully approved, by 2030, I can hop the tube at ease for a short ride from Montreal, arriving in Ottawa under 15 mins, just to simply dine at a local fave restaurant and visit my family. That would be amazing!

In light of this news, I thought I'd share random photos of my weekends in Ottawa. Last time I was in town, we decided to check out Café My House for a vegan dining experience, I was curious to try their tomato cheesecake but they didn't have it on the menu that day, although our dish for two was tasty.

For fun, we decided to go visit the newly renovated Museum of Science & Technology with the family. I was hoping that the museum would be more hands on and interactive, however it seemed more like a static exhibition. Entry fees were expensive but the Lego museum definitely made up for it.

I am currently house shopping in Barrhaven and was looking at model homes by Uniform Urban Developments while in town. We really like the Windermere house which is part of the Adirondack series. I am obsessed with home staging, look at these gorgeous interiors.

Large bathroom spaces with white backdrops and neutrals as accents are my absolute favorite. A bathroom should emanate a mood for respite and relaxation, basically a personal oasis where you can seek refuge after a long day.

On another weekend in Ottawa, we decided to do a quick wine tour starting at the Vankleek Hill Vineyard to visit our friend Marty that produces organic wine. Our bottle of choice is the yellow cow, which is a white wine that has a light and crisp taste.

Next stop was Le Vignoble Clos du Vully, which has a wide range of wines, my top choices are the Frontenac and Riesling white wines. Their winery is also working on releasing a bottle of bubbles this year.

Later for dinner, we went to Les Vilains Garçons on the Gatineau side for a flavorful dining experience.

On the following day, we checked out the Winterlude festivities to see the gorgeous ice sculptures in the downtown area and walked along the Rideau canal.

Followed by a nice meal at Play, Food and Wine, try the halloumi cheese plate, so delish.

For some late indulgence, we stopped by Absinthe in Westboro for their shortbread crème brûlée. Seems like all I do in Ottawa is plenty of dining, well the capital is known to boast more than 2100 restaurants, so one can't resist!