“Kingston writer Alec Ross brings his family to Ottawa on a three-day fall getaway. The resulting 10-page feature in Canadian Geographic Travel is a master class in writing a destination round-up. It’s engaging, entertaining and evocative. The reader almost forgets that only a gifted writer in control of his language can keep this sort of lyricism from sinking into a sea of cliché and purple prose. Ross’s senses are alert: sights, sounds, emotions are abundant and rich. But what’s best here is the freshness of the piece. Its author writes about places that don’t usually feature in travel stories about the capital – Saunders Farm, Nepean Point, Scotiabank Place – and he brings fresh perspective to the staples of the genre, such as Parliament Hill. Decked out with equally fresh photos by David Trattles, this is a must-read feature in a must-read national publication.”
– Peter Johansen,
Carleton School of Journalism professor
and 2009 judge of the
Ottawa Tourism Travel Writing Awards.
The judge's assessment of "A Capital Idea":