Forgotten Corners of Hintonburg

I'm always intrigued when I come across forgotten symbols of an earlier time. Take the Elmdale Lawn Bowling Club, which is only a couple of blocks away from my house. I'm sure lawn bowling is a fun game but I'm amazed places like this still exist in Canada. Just looking at the club's grounds and building makes me think of the late 19th or early 20th century.

The club house really stands out from its surroundings. On one side are the gentrified upscale houses of the civic hospital neighbourhood. That's not so bad. But just behind the lawn bowling grounds roars Ottawa's Queensway - a multi-lane elevated highway. How the club survived the construction of that behemoth is a mystery to me.

That said, in a sign of how topsy turvy the times are, a lot of old things, like drive-in theatres. are being rediscovered by a new generation. Given that lawn bowling can be played outside in a relatively socially distanced and safe way, perhaps lawn bowling will have a revival. Time to invest in lawn bowling equipment manufacturers, me thinks!