Jesse Burcsik

I've lived in Ottawa my whole life. The city has been really good to me, and I want to be good back to it. This whole thing started small with a single bird house I painted in my front yard. That little guy brings me joy happy every single day. That small bit of colour and life in the branches. I wanted more of that feeling.

My first instinct was to get friends to paint birdhouses for my tree. Then I thought: what if I shared this with the neighbourhood? I've been on this street long enough to have real friendships here. I jokingly call it my urban intentional community. Some folks I already knew from living in this city all my life, and other neighbours I've gotten to know over time. This neighbourhood gets a rough reputation sometimes, and there are real challenges here. But it's also one of the most beautiful and dynamic places in the city. Painted Perches is one small way to bring people together, and local involvement comes first because of that.

If you're curious, come take a stroll along LeBreton and see the birdhouses and the community they're situated in. The short corridor of LeBreton has Killer Buns, Pho 99, and Coqueto Ottawa, all spots with food that's genuinely worth going out of your way for. There's also an art gallery, a garage, plenty of homes, and people just living their lives. It's a little corner of Ottawa I think is worth seeing. Come check out the birdhouses of Painted Perches, come see the neighbourhood. I think you might like it.