(Councillor Glen Gower led the annual Jane’s Walk on May 2, 2026 that he has been leading for 10 years. This year approximately 40 residents participated in the themed ‘Walk the Story’ walk. Photos: Stittsville Central)
Councillor Gower led Stittsville’s inaugural Jane’s Walk group on Saturday, May 7, 2016 as a participant in the annual Jane’s Walk Ottawa walking tours. He has continued to hold this annual walk annually for ten years with this year’s Walk taking place on Saturday, May 2nd. The theme for 2026 was ‘Walk the Story’.
“This year’s Walk focused on the history, present state and future of Stittsville Main Street, and how it has transformed from ‘string town’ to suburb,” says Councillor Gower. Leading this walk over ten years, Councillor Gower has “seen a lot of change on the street: several new buildings, a lot of new businesses, new LED streetlamps, a new public square”.
Jane’s Walk Ottawa is a city-wide festival of neighbourhood walking tours led by locals who care passionately about where they live, work and play. The goal is to improve urban literacy by offering insights into local history, planning, design, and civic engagement through the simple act of walking and observing.
Jane’s Walks are named after Jane Jacobs (1916-2006), a writer, urbanist and activist who championed a community-based approach to understanding, organizing, designing, and building cities. In 1958, her essay, “Downtown is for People”, was originally published in “Fortune” magazine and later as a chapter in the book “The Exploding Metropolis”. Her essay challenged mid-century modernist urban renewal, advocating for mixed-use development, pedestrian-friendly streets, and organic, community-led planning over car-centered, top-down design.
Jacobs stated, “No one can find out what will work for our cities by looking at garden suburbs, manipulating scale models, or inventing dream cities. You’ve got to get out and walk.”
