The Dominion Arboretum

One of my favourite locations for photo sessions is the Dominion Arboretum, it’s so vast and varied and every pocket has interesting trees and colours.

There’s always a place to tuck away and get some gorgeous photos. From family photo sessions to couples, engagements and headshots, no matter the season, whatever the weather the arboretum is a firm favourite.

The above - and below - is a little blurb I wrote for a reel on instagram, whilst I do stand by everything I said, the part that was missing is why the Arboretum is such a personally special place to me. In early 2021 my husband had a burn out, he had been working over maximum capacity since the beginning of 2020, and we had become first time parents at the end of 2019. He was signed off work on a medical leave for 3 months, our boy was just over a year old, travel in and out of Canada was very difficult due to the covid restrictions, meaning we were unable to see our family.

My husband was able to catch the early signs of burn out and managed to get help before it became too overwhelming, something i’m so incredibly grateful for. We are privileged to live in a country where these things are taken seriously by both medical professionals and work places. His work was very supportive and reassuring.

At this time we lived near the Arboretum, I used to walk there daily with my boy in the stroller. I find being beside water very calming, an expanse of water helps me and my problems feel smaller, I find myself taking deeper fuller breaths as I watch the way the water flows and ripples, and the wildlife it attracts and nourishes.

At the start of my husband’s time off he needed to take time to rest and recover, his body brought him to a place where he needed to stop and that was very humbling for him and hard for me. I was worried about him, I continued my daily walks with my boy and would be thinking about my husband, praying for him, and praying for grace and provision for me to help him, and care for our boy.

Soon my husband was able to begin joining our walks. He needed to listen to his body and stop and rest, my boy and I were regularly walking a 5km route, my husband would walk a way with us and then stop and sit on a bench. My boy and I would continue on our loop and give my husband space to reflect and restore as he stared out across the water. We would come back around and walk home together.

After a short while my husband was able to go a little further, we passed his regular bench and I looked at him expecting him to take a seat while we continued, but one day he said ‘I’ll go to the next bench’. And little by little over the next few walks he moved from bench to bench to bench until he was able to walk the whole route with us.

Our walks together at the Arboretum were a gift during a hard time. My husband, my boy and I have walked every pocket of the Arboretum together, sometimes in conversation, sometimes in quiet, sometimes in giggles, sometimes in tears, sometimes in despair and confusion, and others in encouragement and clarity.

It will forever feel like a very personal and special place to me because of that time. I feel both protective over it and excited to share its beauty with others.

Here’s a few of my highlights from photo sessions here over the years.