Luciano Pradal: 1942–2022
We heard this weekend that long-time Jane's Walk guide Luciano Pradal passed away late last week. He was 79. Luciano was an active member of the Italian community in Ottawa ever since he arrived in Ottawa from Italy in 1966. He was an enthusiastic advocate of both Little Italy and Ottawa overall. He was well-known as a walking-tour guide for Little Italy. He was a long-time editor of Il Postino, the newspaper of the local Italian community. Luciano is proud of the contribution that the Italian community has made to the quality of life in Ottawa.
During the winter months, Luciano is the one and only, well-appreciated “Chestnut Roaster Guy” in Ottawa's Byward Market. He wrote a book about his experiences manning the chestnut cart, Chronicles of an Ottawa Chestnut Lover, which was published in 2013.
Luciano was an enthusiastic supporter of Jane's Walk and a passionate advocate of the ideas and advice of Jane Jacobs. He had been a walk leader for Jane's Walk Ottawa-Gatineau since it began in 2008. We will miss his energy, his positive attitude, and his volunteer spirit. Condolences to his family and friends.
More information and photos can be found at these links:
La Bottega Nicastro Facebook page
Ottawa Markets blog
Description of Luciano's Little Italy walk for Jane's Walk 2019