8 unspoken Ottawa truths that everyone who lives in the city just accepts

People will be in shorts in the middle of winter

We all know Canada gets cold. Like, really cold.

I love winter when I'm cozy and warm inside, and I'll happily do a few fun winter activities too. If it's freezing, though, I'm bundled from head to toe. Others? Not so much.

Every single winter, no matter the year, there's always someone out in shorts by choice — running errands, walking around, or just doing their thing — even in the snow.

Do I respect the commitment? Absolutely. Do I get it? Absolutely not.

It always gives me a little laugh whenever I see it, though, so if you're one of those people, please never stop.

Road trips to Montreal and Toronto for most concerts are a must

I'm not saying Ottawa's boring, but hear me out: seeing the artists I actually want to see live usually means a trip to Montreal or Toronto.

Whether it was Gorillaz a few years ago, A$AP Rocky and Ariana Grande this year, or SZA and Kendrick Lamar last year (which I sadly didn't make it to), there's almost always a road trip involved.

To be fair, it could just be how tour routes work or the size of Ottawa venues, and trust me, I'm all for a weekend getaway. That said, it would be nice if Ottawa got to host more of these shows too… and, you know, save me a little travel money.

OC Transpo trauma is real 

I'm sure anyone who's taken public transit in Ottawa can relate.

Either the bus is 30+ minutes late, it just doesn't show up, it drives past you while you're standing right there, or the LRT decides to stop working in the winter — because why would we need it to be functional year-round?

There have been so many times when I leave extra early and still end up late. Or where walking genuinely took less time than the bus.

When I eventually spend time in Ottawa again, here's hoping the buses and LRT actually work. And that they treat all the locals well in the meantime, too.

Winter will last half the year

Maybe I'm exaggerating, but it really does feel like half the year is spent in winter.

I never love when it starts getting dark early or when the cold, freezing rain, snowstorms, and parking bans all hit at once.

Sure, there are fun days skating on the Rideau Canal, grabbing a BeaverTail, and doing other winter activities, but I'm just not a big winter person.

That's part of why I left Ottawa to begin with. I didn't want to go through a snowy winter for the millionth time, so I skipped it this year by moving to Japan, and I have absolutely no regrets.

Truthfully, I probably won't come back until winter is really over. Not "it's technically spring" over, but when it's actually over — call me in the summertime.

You'll run into people you know everywhere

Ottawa definitely isn't a small city. To me, it feels pretty big. If you want to get from one end to the other, you probably need a car — and even then, it's going to take a while (traffic not included).

But somehow, some way, no matter where I am, in Barrhaven, Orleans, or downtown, I almost always run into someone I know. Not every time, but often enough that it's noticeable.

It's like Ottawa has its own little web: people from your past, friends of friends, and random acquaintances all somehow appear in the same cafés, streets, and grocery stores.

And honestly, that's not a bad thing. It can actually be really nice to see familiar faces around.

But when I've just rolled out of bed, wearing sweats, tired, and only want a steeped tea and a bagel from Timmy's… It's probably not my favourite time to run into an old coworker or classmate.

Your car is never safe in the snow

Piggybacking on Ottawa's seemingly endless winter, car owners will definitely understand this one.

Luckily, I didn't drive for most of the time I lived in Ottawa, but when I did, I easily spent hours digging my car out of the snow throughout the winter.

And just when you've finally cleared a path out of your parking spot, battled through the ice, and are ready to call it a day… a snowplow comes by and erases all your hard work.

Even better if the snowstorm refuses to stop, or you're racing the clock before a spontaneous parking ban.

There are endless shawarma options

Ottawa has tons of food options, and I'm a pretty big foodie, so naturally, there are lots of restaurants I miss since moving away.

But if there's one type of food you'll find everywhere in the city, it's shawarma.

And like any local, I can't resist grabbing one from time to time, especially when it's nice and crispy.

No matter where you are or what time it is, shawarma is always there. We're not called Canada's shawarma capital for no reason — last I checked, there were around 200 spots in the city.

In some areas, there are even multiple spots right across the street or a block away from each other. How does one decide where to go? Well, you don't. You just eat more shawarma.

Summer plans are easy, winter plans… not so much

As you can probably tell by now, I'm more of a warm-weather, sunshine kind of person.

If it's summertime, I'm suggesting a picnic in the park, a day at a local festival, a hike in Gatineau Park, or grabbing lunch on a patio — basically anything that doesn't require lots of driving and feels easy to enjoy.

Summer in Ottawa just seems effortless. Winter? Don't even ask.

Yes, Ottawa has plenty of winter activities, and I know lots of people fill their time with fun things to do. But for me, after a few rounds of tobogganing, a visit to Winterlude, and the weather hitting -20°C, it's basically the same conversation over and over.

Whenever winter plans come up, it's usually: "What do we even do? It's so cold out. Come to my place? Go to yours? Go to a restaurant?"

There's nothing wrong with those options, but I personally feel a bit trapped indoors. It feels like there are fewer free, walkable things to do — or activities that don't require a car — which just makes winter feel a bit more slow-paced.