With the COVID-19 pandemic rocking the world, our meetups up until last year had been entirely online over Zoom. Zoom proved and continues to be a useful resource for many people in the group, as it eliminates commuting from the various parts of Ottawa. Additionally, it has enabled the group to connect with other makers and robotics enthusiasts outside of Ottawa. For a time in 2020, we (consensually) Zoom-bombed a robotics club in Sheffield, England and had several laughs and interesting conversations. We’ve also had ongoing connections and virtual meetups with the Vancouver Robotics Club.
However, despite the benefits, we’ve had far fewer opportunities to capture fun memories and share them. Our website has been very quiet over the years as a result. In 2023, with the coming of summer, we began holding in-person meetups once a month at Britannia Park or Remic Rapids. They have been well attended and have helped to reinvigorate the spirit of our group. We did park meetups again this summer and in the colder months hope to continue meeting at least once a month in an indoor location.
Both online and in-person meetups have their advantages and disadvantages, so we aim to maintain this hybrid model into the future to accommodate the preferences of all in this unique maker community.
