Why I chose this life: 6 commuters share their stories

What compels someone to drive more than 100 kilometres to work every day? Ride four different city buses? Or trek from western Quebec to downtown Ottawa on a pair of skis? 

As part of Nowhere Fast, our ongoing series on commuting in the nation's capital, we asked six people to explain in their own words why they commute the way they do.

• Feeling the pinch of Ottawa's precarious commute
• Yes, your morning drive is getting longer

Here are their stories. Their replies have been edited for length and clarity.

Rhonda Harper

I work in Ottawa but I commute from Cornwall, Ont., where I was born and raised.

On a good and smooth day, with minimal traffic incidents, you're looking at about an hour to an hour and ten. On nightmare days — where there are accidents, pileups, anything that could be in your way — we're looking at almost two hours.

I've been doing this drive for quite some time. For years, actually. I actually lived in Carleton Place before, [but] I moved back to Cornwall because that's where my family is from. And I have aging parents.

I've actually met up with a couple of [coworkers] that I'm friends with. And we all decided, why don't we carpool together and make the commute a little easier? 

At first we weren't thrilled about it, but having at least the opportunity to share the driving, it's a little better — knowing you're not the one behind the wheel every single day.

When I tell people that I commute, their jaws drop — "Oh my God, I can't believe you do that!" But it becomes so second nature after awhile.

Stephan Moresoli​

I live in Chelsea, [Que.,] and usually in the winter I commute two to three times a week on skis, one way.

Basically, I take my car and go to the NCC visitor centre [in Gatineau Park]. I park there, take my skis, and go down the ski trails and then I use the bike path and ski all the way to Dow's Lake, where I work.

The first reason is I love skiing, for sure. Second reason, it was a good way to ski when there was some daylight, instead of always skiing at night. And at the same time, I'm not so good at driving a car in the city in traffic.

I love it. There's a real nice feeling about being able to be outdoors and doing some exercise and commuting to work all together.

It's a feeling that I'm not in my car, I'm not stressed out, I'm not concerned about parking and I'm not concerned about traffic. There's a different rhythm to it that I really enjoy. And in the summertime, I do the same thing, on my bike.

​

Carol Manson

I drive from Finch, Ont., to the south end of Ottawa, five days a week.

I was looking for a job and the best opportunities in my career path are in Ottawa. Unfortunately, there's not much work out in Finch for my line of work. 

I was working in Cornwall, but then that job ended. So I chose to come to Ottawa.

I spend almost three hours in the car, driving every day, five days a week. So that's 15 hours. It does get pretty tiring, day after day. 

​My husband runs a sawmill business [in Finch]. He only has a five-minute drive, so he's lucky. My son works there, too, so it's a family business — three generations, actually. So [we] can't pull up stakes. 

I like my job, so I'm willing to do the commute. I'm also hoping that it'll get better in the summer, that the summer commute will be easier than the winter commute.

David Lea

I commute from the Alta Vista area to the old Nortel complex, which is the other side of Ottawa. I do it by bus.

I've been doing it for maybe a year, but I've been commuting by bus overall since forever. Twenty years, I suppose.

It was a 15-minute bus ride from my bus stop to work, when work used to be on Mackenzie King Bridge by the Rideau Centre. Then it moved to be about 45 minutes to Tunney's Pasture.

Then national defence moved out to Carling campus, and that turned into an hour-and-a-half commute. But it was still only two buses for me to get there — one very short trip from my house, 15 minutes, to Hurdman station, and then one bus from Hurdman station to work.

What worries me is once the train gets put into place, it turns into four pieces of public transit I need to take. There's three transfers there, and each transfer, of course, is an opportunity for error. 

I would be lying if I said the only reason I was doing this is because I don't want to ruin our planet. It's also a financial thing. 

I already own a car — that's not the problem. I don't see using the car for this commute. I shouldn't have to. I paid lots of land taxes on my house, and part of that is to pay for public transportation. And I pay for my bus pass.

So I'm going to take advantage of [public transit]. But it's certainly not delivering.

​Geoff Treen

I commute to Kanata from the Westgate Shopping Centre area by car. 

I was working downtown and taking the bus, but I took a new job out in Kanata. I wanted to keep doing the same thing, but after three days of misery, we decided it wasn't worth it. So I've been driving in every day.

I'd get to Bayshore station, and the buses into Kanata were these milk routes that, on some days, they would take 45 minutes. By the time I got into my office, it'd be an hour and 20 minutes after getting on the first bus.

I was getting home so late that I'd have enough time to put my kids to bed, and that's it. Wasn't getting a chance to see my family. Misery all around, I guess.

I got home [one night] and my wife and kids had already decorated the Christmas tree, pretty much. I kind of missed out on that. That was when I started, back in November.

It's little things like that. I want to be there for dinner, I want to read the bedtime stories, all of that stuff. 

There really isn't an option to take the bus from my end of town and be back in a reasonable amount of time, if you have a family, to see your kids. It's unfortunate.

​

Anna Stratton

I live near LeBreton Flats, and work in Hull near the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge. There is a bus that stops at the end of my street, and theoretically it should only take about 20 minutes to get to work. But that has happened all of one time.

Typically it takes more like half an hour, and I realized that was only 10 minutes faster than if I were to walk. So I figured I'd walk to save money and get more exercise. 

Then it was actually my roommate who started running. And I thought, well if she can do it, and she's going a bit farther, then I can probably run as well.

The only issue is I am not, by nature, a big runner. In fact, running is not at all my favourite way to get around.

When you add [carrying] my lunch and clothes for the day, and – 30 wind chill, it can be quite a slog. And, my cubicle mate probably doesn't appreciate that I have a towel hanging up to dry in my cubicle.

I'm just out of school so I'm trying to keep costs low. But I also think you don't realize how beneficial that sort of exercise is, that you can work into your day like that. So for that 3-kilometre commute, if it's been really snowy and the sidewalks aren't clear, I'll walk. Otherwise, I'll jog.

The best part is you do feel pretty good at work. So, you know, I start the run feeling pretty terrible and tired and not awake but by the time I actually make it to my office I've got some blood flowing and I know I'll feel better when I'm about to sit down in my chair for the day.

Do you have an unusual way of getting around? Send us an email.