A Hazy Walk Up to the Ottawa Dominion Observatory

Fellow leading member, Maya and I went for a walk to explore the old Dominion Observatory, stepping into our roles as leading members of this work, observing, documenting, and seeing the land from a new angle. The wildfire smoke had drifted into Ottawa that day, casting the entire hill in a surreal, orange haze.

Climbing toward the Observatory through the thick air felt symbolic. The further we walked, the more there was to reflect on, not just the view, but the atmosphere we’re now forced to live in. The sky wasn’t clear, but the message was: the climate crisis isn’t coming. It’s already in the air around us.

Still, that day held something quiet and powerful. We were present. We looked out from the top and kept going.