I had a chance to converse with Jantine Van Kregten from Ottawa Tourism who was sufficiently caring to give me an extraordinary general diagram of things to see and do in Ottawa.
1. Please give us some broad data about Ottawa. How expansive is the city, where is it found, how is the climate?
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, and its fourth largest city. With the neighboring city of Gatineau in the region of Quebec, the area has around 1.2 million individuals. Ottawa is situated in eastern Ontario, around four hours' drive northeast of Toronto; two hours west of Montreal; and one hour north of the fringe with the state of New York.
Ottawa enjoys four distinct seasons, with warmest temperatures and sometimes high moistness in July and August; a calm fall with gorgeous fall colors; a frosty and snowy winter; and a wet spring.
2. By what means can one get to Ottawa and what is the best method for getting around in Ottawa?
Ottawa is accessible with non-stop flights from real centers in Canada and several U.S. cities including New York, Washington, Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, Atlanta and more. Ottawa is a noteworthy stop along the Windsor-Quebec City hallway of VIA Rail and bus service also links the city with other Canadian cities.
Via auto, real thoroughfares incorporate Highway 416 that links Ottawa with Highway 401. Roadway 417 runs through the city, while Autoroutes 5, 50 and 148 are the major highways on the Quebec side of the stream.
3. Ottawa is Canada's capital and has assumed a significant part in the history of this nation. Please let us know more about that and the Canadian Heritage Experiences offered in Ottawa.
The story of Ottawa begins with the working of the Rideau Canal somewhere around 1826 and 1832 by Lt. Col. John By of the Royal Engineers and thousands of mostly Irish laborers. The Canal stretches 202 km (126 miles) through eastern Ontario to the St. Lawrence River and was worked to ensure a supply line in case of American assault (which never came). The Canal was never used for a military purpose and its 49 locks are still worked in the same path as when they were fabricated. Truth be told, the Rideau Canal is Canada's candidate to be named an UNESCO World Heritage Site, which is normal in 2007, the 175th anniversary of its construction.
Ruler Victoria announced in 1857 that Ottawa would be the capital of the nation that got to be Canada. The majestic Parliament Buildings were constructed shortly from that point and remain a "must-see" fascination in the capital. As the capital, Ottawa is also home to 24 Sussex Drive (the head administrator's residence and not open to people in general); Rideau Hall (home of the Governor General, with guided tours of residence and gardens accessible); and dozens of high commissions and embassies from governments around the globe.
Try not to miss Laurier House, home to both Sir Wilfrid Laurier and WIlliam Lyon Mackenzie King, two previous head administrators, or the Mackenzie King Estate, King's summer home in Gatineau Park.
4. Please let us know about some of the significant attractions, museums and galleries in the Ottawa range.
The latest expansion to the national museum scene is the impressive Canadian War Musuem, which opened in May 2005 in a stunning area by the Ottawa River. Canada's most-visited museum is Gatineau's Canadian Museum of Civilization. The National Gallery of Canada offers the largest gathering of Canadian workmanship, alongside European and American masters. Other social facilities incorporate the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography; the Canada Aviation Museum; the Canada Science and Technology Museum; the Canada Agriculture Museum; the Royal Canadian Mint; the Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada; and the Canadian Museum of Nature, at present in the midst of a massive redesign undertaking, to be finished in 2009.
Different museums incorporate the Bytown Museum, which tells the history of Ottawa's initial days, including the working of the Rideau Canal; the Billings Estate Museum that traces the history of a conspicuous neighborhood family; and the crazy Diefenbunker, Canada's Cold War Museum, a four-story underground fortification that was constructed somewhere around 1959 and 1961 as the area to which the Canadian political and military first class would ride out the effects of an atomic assault.
5. Our readers might want to get some answers concerning the festivals and special events in Ottawa.
The festival scene in Ottawa is a robust, year-round issue. The year kicks off with Winterlude, an immense winter festival held over the first three weekends in February. In March, the Irish group celebrates Irish week, and in March and April, the maple syrup season spawns various delicious festivals and events praising this tasty treat.
Might belongs to the Canadian Tulip Festival- - three weeks of festivity of Ottawa's most loved bloom. Amid World War II, the Dutch imperial family took shelter in Ottawa and Princess Margriet was conceived here, in a hospital room designated Dutch soil for the occasion. Canadians assumed an enormous part in freeing the Netherlands and when the regal family returned home after the war, as a gesture of friendship, respect and gratefulness, they sent thousands of tulip bulbs. The bulbs have taken after consistently since and now 3,000,000 tulips blossom in Canada's Capital Region.
Late May brings Canada's largest marathon as a major aspect of the Ottawa Race Weekend. Over the summer months, festivals flourish: Doors Open Ottawa showcase legacy buildings; Italian Week; the Ottawa Fringe Festival; the TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival; the Nortel Ottawa Dragon Boat Race Festival; Cisco Systems Ottawa Bluesfest (Canada's largest); the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival (the world's largest); the Sound of Light fireworks festival; Ottawa Busker Festival; Ottawa GreekFest; CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival; the Central Canada Exhibition; and Pride Week.
On Parliament Hill, two free activities happen day by day in the summer: the 10:00 a.m. Changing the Guard service and the night Sound and Light Show.
In the fall, the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival colors the skies; while the La Vendemmia Harvest Festival tempts visitors' palates. The Ottawa International Animation Festival showcases artists from around the globe while the Ottawa International Writers Festival provides a gathering for authors' enthusiastic debates. Fall Rhapsody celebrates the splendid harvest time colors.
The capital lights up for the holidays with the Christmas Lights Across Canada program.
6. Shouldn't something be said about restaurants and stimulation/nightlife areas in Ottawa?
Several neighborhoods offer diversion options in Ottawa. The ByWard Market is one of Ottawa's oldest neighborhoods and also functions as its stimulation district, with more than 100 sustenance and savor options just a four-piece square range. Whether it's fine eating, a great cafe, a comfortable bistro, or a sentimental bistro, you can discover it in "the Market."
Elgin Street is another famous nightlife range, with a diverse selection of bars, restaurants and cafes in just a couple blocks. Bank Street offers three or four distinct areas along its length, including a mainstream range known as the Glebe. In the close west end, Westboro is also an alluring alternative for supper and drinks.
Of course, one could also choose to investigate the various options at the Casino du Lac-Leamy- - whether it's gaming energy or a show at its mainstream theater or a supper at its five-jewel restaurant Le Baccara. The locale's other five-precious stone establishment (two of just 11 across Canada) is Signatures at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa.
7. Please give us a diagram of the performing arts on offer in Ottawa.
The National Arts Center is Canada's chief performing arts focus, offering English and French theater performances, move, and the National Arts Center Orchestra. Numerous smaller theaters also flourish, in both English and French, including the Great Canadian Theater Company, La Nouvelle Scene, Ottawa Little Theater, Third Wall Theater Company, Odyssey Theater (offering open air performances by the Rideau River), A Company of Fools, and numerous productions at Arts Court, a city office.
From May 18 to June 11, the Cirque du Soleil will convey its creation of Quidam to Ottawa. The Canada Dance Festival takes put like clockwork (June 2-10, 2006) in Ottawa and the Ottawa Fringe Festival (also in June) is one of the best ways to see new productions and new innovations. In
The Centrepointe Theater in the west end offers an assortment of performances, as do the University of Ottawa and Carleton University.
Bigger events are usually held at Scotiabank Place and the Ottawa Civic Center.
8. What are some of the shopping opportunities in Ottawa?
Some incredible shopping centers exist in Ottawa, incorporating Bayshore Shopping Center in the west end, Rideau Center downtown, the St. Laurent Center in the close east end, and Place d'Orleans Shopping Center in the east end. These centers offer the best of the surely understood brands.
For more mixed offerings, the ByWard Market neighborhood offers extraordinary fashion and housewares; as does the Glebe, Westboro, and some small towns on both the Ontario and Quebec side of the Ottawa River- - inclouding Merrickville, Manotick, Perth, Chelsea and Wakefield.
9. What are the outside, recreational and sports opportunities in and around Ottawa?
From a professional perspective, the Ottawa Senators are especially cherished by Ottawans, as they walk to a Stanley Cup triumph! The Ottawa '67s offer a window to the Ontario Hockey League. The Ottawa Renegades give Canadian Football League energy while the Ottawa Lyn
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