Some places feel like small cities within a city.
For a few hours on a Saturday, the Aberdeen Pavilion at Lansdowne Park becomes one of them. Every few weeks the historic building fills with local makers, vintage collectors, food vendors and curious wanderers moving from table to table.
I stopped by the 613 Flea Market in Ottawa this past weekend with my Lumix LX100, partly to explore and partly to start documenting places around the city for a new Studio Voyageur series called Cool Places in Ottawa.
The pavilion itself is already worth the visit. Built in the late 1800s, the structure is one of Ottawa’s most recognizable landmarks, with its iron frame, high wooden ceiling and huge open space that fills with natural light during the day.
But what makes the 613 Flea Market interesting is the mix of people and objects inside it.
Ceramics made by hand.
Vinyl crates waiting to be explored.
Vintage boots and hats.
Small design pieces you didn’t know you needed until you saw them.
One of my favorite discoveries that day were the beautifully crafted ceramics from Fika Ceramics Studio, the kind of pieces that make you immediately imagine them on your kitchen shelves at home.
And somewhere in the middle of it all, the smell of street food drifts through the market.
We stopped for warm arepas from Arepas Place Ottawa, cooked fresh on the griddle. Naturally gluten free, filling, and perfect for a late brunch while wandering through the aisles of the market.
It’s the kind of place you stop by for a quick visit and somehow stay for hours.
Markets like this remind me that Ottawa has far more personality than it often gets credit for. You just have to take the time to wander through the places where small businesses and creative communities gather.
This is the first entry in Cool Places in Ottawa, a Studio Voyageur series documenting cafés, markets, design stores, wellness spaces and small businesses that make the city interesting.
More discoveries coming soon.
— Dalal
Studio Voyageur
Cool Places in Ottawa
If you know a café, market, shop or space in Ottawa that deserves to be explored, feel free to reach out. I’m always looking for the next place to document.
Studio Voyageur is a visual storytelling studio documenting spaces, people and businesses through photography and film. Currently accepting photography commissions and creative collaborations with cafés, restaurants, boutique hotels and lifestyle businesses in Ottawa and beyond.
