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Ottawa Attractions
Walking Tours
The National Capital Commission has a visitor information center at 90 Wellington St. that is open daily 8:30 a.m.-9 p.m., May 7-Labour Day; 9-5, rest of year. The center is closed Jan. 1 and Dec. 25-26. Information about local sightseeing tours and self-guiding walking tours is available; phone (613) 239-5000 or (800) 465-1867.
Sports and Recreation
Ottawa has the distinct advantage of being a large city in the middle of lush farmlands, forests and river country. As a result, tennis courts, pools and golf courses are not far away from ski slopes, canoe routes, hiking trails, lakes and beaches.
One of the most popular recreational facilities in Ottawa is the Rideau Canal. Originally built for military purposes, this attractive waterway is now available to the public all year. Canoeing, inline skating and bicycling are the dominant sports in and along the canal during the summer. With the arrival of winter, the frozen water becomes a haven for ice skating, and the bicycle paths are transformed into trails for hiking and cross-country skiing. Boats can be rented at many establishments along the canal.
Dow's Lake in the southern section of the city is part of the Rideau Canal. Arrangements for pedal boats, canoes, rowboats and kayaks or bicycle and skate rental can be made; contact Dow's Lake Pavilion, (613) 232-1001, or Hogs Back Marina, (613) 731-6583.
Gatineau Park, a 35,600-hectare (87,965-acre) wilderness across the Ottawa River in Chelsea, Québec, is just 15 minutes from the Parliament Buildings. The entrance to the park from Ottawa is via the Gatineau Parkway, a 35-kilometre (22-mi.) scenic drive. The park has some 40 lakes for fishing, swimming and boating.
The most popular recreational lakes are Lac Phillipe, Meech Lake and Lac la Pêche. Anglers must obtain a Québec fishing license, available at sporting goods and hardware stores in Gatineau. There also are camping and picnicking facilities throughout the park. For those not interested in sports, the beautiful scenery makes a visit worthwhile; phone (819) 827-2020 for park information or reservations.
Skiing, both cross-country and downhill, is best in the heart of the Outaouais Region. The downhill ski clubs include Camp Fortune, Edelweiss, Mont Cascades and Vorlage. On the Ontario side is Mount Pakenham, 90 kilometres (56 mi.) west of Ottawa, and Mont Ste.-Marie, 85 kilometres (53 mi.) north of Ottawa in the Province of Québec.
Nearly 200 kilometres (124 mi.) of cross-country ski trails wind through Gatineau Park, and most of the public parks and pathways in Ottawa become available for the sport as well.
Canoeing is readily available on numerous lakes and rivers within and around Ottawa. Dow's Lake, Mooney's Bay and the Rideau Canal are popular spots. Rentals range from $7 per half-hour to $16 per hour, while charges for complete outfitting average $23 to $45 per day. In addition to canoes, options include pedal boats, kayaks and rowboats. Canoe rentals are available at Trailhead, 1960 Scott St., (613) 722-4229, and Dow's Lake Pavilion, 1001 Queen Elizabeth Dr., (613) 232-1001.
White-water rafting trips along the Ottawa River are conducted by experienced guides; river equipment, lunches, dinners and camping facilities are provided. Wilderness Tours Whitewater Rafting operates excursions out of Beachburg. Madawaska River Float Trips in Barry's Bay and Owl Rafting Inc. and RiverRun Paddling Centre in Foresters Falls offer 1- and 2-day tours with a broad range of difficulty. White-water season generally runs from May through September.
Swimming can be enjoyed at the many lakes in Gatineau Park in Ottawa; at Mooney's Bay Beach, Riverside Drive and Ridgewood Avenue; at Westboro Beach off the Ottawa River Parkway; and at Britannia Beach off Britannia Road. A number of public swimming pools also are available.
Golf season runs from April through October. Public golf courses include the 18-hole Capital Golf Course, (613) 521-2612; Manderley Golf and Country Club, (613) 489-2066; and the nine-hole Richmond Centennial Golf Course, (613) 838-4791. Many other popular courses are within a short driving distance from the city.
With 130 kilometres (81 mi.) of bicycle paths stretching from downtown Ottawa to the suburbs, bicycling is both a practical and enjoyable sport. Pedaling along the Rideau Canal and the Rideau River are two popular routes. Some other pleasant sections for bicycling are the Colonel By and Rockliffe parkways, which are closed to motorized traffic on Sunday 9-1, Victoria Day through Labour Day; the westbound lane of Ottawa River Parkway also is closed Sunday 9-1. The National Capital Commission provides maps of the various trails at the visitors center at 90 Wellington St. Bicycle rentals are available from Rent-a-Bike, (613) 241-4140.
Hiking trails are found along the Rideau Canal and in Gatineau Park. Special paths for the elderly and physically impaired also are available. Bird-watching trails originate at the Stony Swamp Interpretation Centre on Moodie Drive. Contact the National Capital Commission for maps and information.
Public tennis courts are in the many parks and school grounds throughout the city, including the Elmdale Tennis Club at Holland and Byron avenues, (613) 729-3644, and the West Ottawa Tennis Club in Britannia Park, 300 Greenview Ave., (613) 828-7622. Courts are available for a fee for 45-minute sets on a first-come-first-served basis.
Ice skating becomes a popular mode of transportation when an 8-kilometre (5-mi.) stretch of the Rideau Canal freezes, forming one of the world's longest skating rinks. Extending from the Parliament Buildings to Carleton University, the canal is used by many of the city's residents to skate to work.
Ottawa also plays host to a variety of spectator sports. As in many Canadian cities, residents are avid hockey fans. Two junior A teams are based in the metropolitan area: The Ottawa 67's play at the Civic Centre at 1015 Bank St. at Queen Elizabeth Driveway, (613) 232-6767, and the Gatineau Olympiques play at Robert Guertin Arena in Gatineau, Québec, (819) 595-7700. Ottawa also has an NHL franchise team, the Ottawa Senators, who play at the Corel Centre, 1000 Paladium Dr. in Kanata, (613) 755-1166 or (800) 444-7367.
Baseball fans can see the Ottawa Lynx, the AAA farm team of the Montréal Expos, play April to mid-September at their stadium, Lynx Stadium, 300 Coventry Rd.; phone (613) 747-5969, or (800) 663-0985 in Canada.
Harness racing is offered March through December at the Rideau-Carleton Raceway at 4837 Albion Rd. in Gloucester, (613) 822-2211.
Note: Policies concerning admittance of children to pari-mutuel betting facilities vary. Phone for information.
Shopping
Shopping in Ottawa runs the gamut from bustling markets to sleek department stores. Byward Market, a colorful shopping district established in the 1830s, has been preserved as a reminder of Ottawa's urban past. Farmers, fishermen, artisans and cooks congregate at the market, 1 block north of Rideau Street between York and George streets, to sell a variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, fish, meat, cheese, pastries, hand-made crafts and Canadian artwork.
Interesting boutiques specializing in china, furs, antiques, second-hand books, clothing and crafts are along the Bank Street Promenade which runs for several blocks downtown. McIntosh and Watts, Ltd. specializes in china and glassware; five branch stores are within the Ottawa area. And don't miss the boutique at the Royal Canadian Mounted Police Stables at the north end of St. Laurent Boulevard.
Place de Ville, 320 Queen St., is an underground arcade connecting the Crowne Plaza and Radisson hotels. Another downtown shopping center is L'Esplanade Laurier, 171 Bank St., with boutiques, restaurants and craft shops in the lower level of an office complex. Elyseé at World Exchange Plaza, two blocks from the Parliament buildings, offers a variety of shops and boutiques, movie theaters and restaurants.
The Bayshore Shopping Centre, on Bayshore Drive at the Queensway/Richmond Road interchange; Place d'Orleans, on Place d'Orleans Drive just off Hwy. 17 in Orleans; and St. Laurent Shopping Centre, on the Queensway at St. Laurent Boulevard, are three large shopping malls.
The 5.6-hectare (14-acre) Rideau Centre, a convention complex in downtown Ottawa, has a hotel, several movie theaters and many shops, including The Bay and Sears.
Performing Arts
Just steps from Parliament Hill, the National Arts Centre (NAC) celebrates the achievements of Canadian performing artists and plays a dynamic role in the development and presentation of the performing arts. The NAC presents plays from across Canada and abroad in English and French, innovative contemporary dance and ballet programs from national and international dance companies, and classical and contemporary orchestral music with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. The NAC co-produces and commissions new works and produces a range of educational and in-school activities. For NAC performances information phone (613) 947-7000; the box office is open Monday through Saturday 10 to 9, and Sundays and holidays from noon to 15 minutes after curtain time.
The visitor center, open July 1 to Labour Day, is a journey through time, with original set and costume displays from NAC productions, poster exhibits and memorabilia. Guided tours offer a behind-the-scenes look at the performing arts.
Various smaller theaters and companies offer fine productions at reasonable prices. Some of these include the Centrepoint Theatre, (613) 727-6650; Great Canadian Theatre Co., (613) 236-5196; Kanata Theatre, (613) 831-4435; Odyssey Theatre, (613) 232-8407; Ottawa Little Theatre, (613) 233-8948; and Théatre de l'Île in Gatineau, Québec, (819) 595-7455.
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