Chapman Mills Conservation Area in Barrhaven has long been home to a colony of fairies, who make their tiny homes in tree stumps along the trail. Brightly-coloured doors beckon to visitors, although the fairies themselves are rarely seen.
This summer, regulars may have noticed the trail's fairy doors have undergone some renovations, with many new doors sprouting up sporting lucky ladybugs on their thresholds.
But the fairies didn't work alone; they contracted an anonymous human carver for help. This carver lives in Barrhaven and has been making whimsical fairy homes for her tiny clients for more than 20 years. She said it brings her joy to help the fairies and to watch Chapman's youngest visitors delight in finding all the doors.
"It's nice to have that bit of whimsy around," said the anonymous carver, adding that the COVID-19 pandemic really highlighted the need for joyful additions to public spaces. "It's wonderful to see the kids having something fun to discover as they go along the trail."
She said hearing from kids and seeing how it sparks their imagination is better than any payment for her work.
"The stories the little ones come up with are just incredible, and so creative," she said. "It's really important."
The award-winning carver uses locally found cottonwood bark for most of her work, usually from the Britannia area. She lets it dry for about six months before its ready to carve. It takes a full day to make a fairy door from start to finish.
She got permission from the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority to install the fairy doors, with the understanding that she wouldn't put them in live trees. She hopes the public will respect the fairies' homes and leave them where they are.
"This is for everyone to enjoy, and I hope it puts a smile on faces."
About Chapman Mills Conservation Area:
Chapman Mills Conservation Area is located on the west bank of the Rideau River on Prince of Wales Drive between Winding Way and Lodge Road. It consists mainly of natural river shoreline, wetlands and flood plain areas that are unique in the City of Ottawa.
Visitors can enjoy a covered picnic shelter, scenic lookouts, walkways and boardwalks that lead pedestrians on a 1.5 km stroll through some sensitive and beautiful habitats. Interpretive signs along the way tell the site's environmental story. At the trail's north end visitors can also enjoy an accessible dock for launching canoes, kayaks and other paddlecrafts, as well as a viewing platform. The south end has a shoreline entrance for paddlecrafts. Parking is located off Winding Way.
The land for Chapman Mills Conservation Areas was a gift to the people of the Rideau Valley from the South Nepean Development Corporation, along with additional land ceded from Parks Canada. Minto Development Inc. provided the development funds necessary to carry out the improvements for public use of Chapman Mills Conservation Area.
