Caroline Leal, a mother of two, is championing a 'multigenerational' approach to life in Ottawa through her popular Instagram account, Ottawa But With Kids. The account, launched in March, has already amassed over 7,000 followers by providing reviews and itineraries for family-friendly spots across the capital.
From travel insights to local advocacy
Leal's inspiration came during her second maternity leave, drawing on experiences from visits to more than 45 countries. 'It's when I started travelling with my eldest that I started really noticing infrastructure in other cities for families … but also noticing the culture of including families and children in everything,' she said. This led her to seek out and highlight Ottawa's offerings for parents and young children.
Creating inclusive public spaces
Ottawa But With Kids features nursing room reviews, walkable itineraries including coffee shops and playgrounds, and other spaces welcoming to families. Leal emphasizes the need for quiet, clean spaces for mothers, noting that nursing in public isn't feasible for everyone due to comfort, cultural, or practical reasons. 'Having that quiet, clean space when you have a baby that's just losing it can be quite hard,' she explained.
Leal advocates for a shift beyond simply encouraging public nursing. 'It's not about yes or no, whether one can nurse everywhere. It's about acknowledging that parents, especially moms, have unique needs to be able to be present and active in public spaces,' she said. 'And one of those things is just a little break room, if you will, because it's a big job.'
Calling for better amenities
Recently, Leal highlighted a follower's experience at the Canadian Tire Centre during an Ottawa Charge hockey game on Mother's Day. The mother was offered a 'storage-style utility space with bar-height chairs and equipment piled inside' instead of a proper quiet room. Leal uses such examples to push venues to improve family inclusion.
Leal's platform has become a catalyst for change, encouraging businesses and event spaces to think more broadly about inclusion. 'It's been really motivating to be able to seek these places, but also to push places to think a little further in their inclusion,' she said.
