ottawa trip report
 

thanks to all who helped me plan my trip. i was in ottawa for a week (may26-june2) the last 4 days i was representing the board i co chair @ the Canadian Aids Society (CAS) forum and agm, but i had flown in to be a tourist 3 days and 4 nights early.


flights on aircanada surprisingly on time; comfortable and w/ good service as always. i took the # 97 bus from the airport ($3.25) which runs mainly on a dedicated bus only highway to within 2 blocks of my hotel, the delta.

the delta hotel was very comfortable. nice size studio room w/ balcony ($138, conference rate). met up w/ an on line pal who drove me around town for an overview and ended at a nice dinner in the market

did my tour of parliament the next day and saw over the weekend the museum of canadian civilization, the national gallery and the war museum. all contributed to my education as a recent permanent resident/landed immigrant about our country's history and formation.

took advantage of the new bixi bike system for short hauls around the centre and across to gatineau hull.

almost had a chance through a friend to watch some gay sogftball (rained out) but repaired to a pub on bank street afterwards. said friend drove me out to gatineau park and meech lake the next day and we ended at the spa nordique in (old) chelsea for 4 hours of soaking and eating. day pass was about 45$

the weather cooperated and i enjoyed temps that reached 30 w/o much humidity.

the conference was well organized w/ one of the highlights being an award presentation @ the gov't conference centre across from the chateau laurier including an array of across the political spectrum, about to be sworn in mp's. i got a chance to speak w/ elizabeth may whose riding abuts the one i live in and heard the awardee, David Hoe (sp?), t he inspirational aids activist and community volunteer address the crowd.

although i had always wanted to be in ottawa to skate on the canal, this underwritten trip gave me a great first visit and i'll keep my blades sharpened for a winters' return.

i appreciate it's a long expensive haul for many of us, but it's quite the rush to be there and to see the physical expression of our gov't and an overview of canadian culture and history.

to a westerner (albeit one who speaks a bit of french) it also felt a bit like a trip to a foreign country as well given the amount of french one encounters to say nothing of the amount of poutine!

cheers
AndrewDavid

" ... it's quite the rush to be there and to see the physical expression of our gov't and an overview of canadian culture and history."
I agree, I was quite overwhelmed the first time I went there.
I enjoy Ottawa - travelled there quite often when I lived back in Atlantic Canada (on business and for pleasure).
Thanks for sharing your trip!

Enjoyed reading your trip report because we will be in Ottawa in July. How long did you spend at each museum? We are planning on visiting the 3 you mention & perhaps a few smaller ones, if we have time.

Mathieu who posts on this board recommended Spa Nordique, too. We'll try to fit that in, too. Sounds peaceful & relaxiing.

Do you remember what restaurant you ate at in the market? Mathieu recommended some good ones.

hi kwoo, we ate @ cafe spiga, an italian trattoria which was very good.

i think i spent about 2.5 hrs @ war museum ( partially because i walked through the special exhibit on medicine and war reading all the french info which is not native for me. i probably spent about the same in the national gallery and had a break for lunch in the cafeteria. i think i was longest at the museum of canadian civilization as it combines the children's museum which as an adult i still enjoy (kid @ heart i guess)

the spa nordique is a real treat; if u want to add a massage book ahead. the small cafe is quite good and reasonable considering we were a captive audience!
cheers
AndrewDavid

Thanks for sharing; I enjoyed reading about your trip to Ontario.

Nice report, thanks for sharing.

Yes, I very much recommend the Spa Nordic. Great place to spend a couple of restful hours. I especially liked all the 'Shhhhh !' signs and graphics scattered around the grounds, lol ! (Kwoo, you're supposed to speak very softly or in whispers if at all, to maintain the ambience, even when its quite crowded).
Standing under the ice cold waterfall is also a daring experience.

2 right mathieu, that cold waterfall is awesome
AD

AndrewDavid,

Glad you had an enjoyable trip. I was educated too as I didn't know Bixi had hit Ottawa (we also have it here in Montreal)!

Best wishes, Daniel

hi daniel, it opened a few weeks before i arrived. it is somewhat limited to the downtown core on both sides of the river. how extensive is the system in montreal?
cheers
andrew (AndrewDavid)

I read that there are 10 Bixi stations in Ottawa; there are over 400 Bixi stations in Montreal, so I'd describe the system as quite extensive here(downtown, Old Montreal, Plateau Mont-Royal, Westmount, Mile-End, Rosemont/Petite Patrie, Olympic Stadium, Parc Jean Drapeau, I've seen them all over)! I see a lot of people taking Bixi to work; I have my own bike, so I tend to only use it if my bike is in the shop or if it were raining when I went in to work, but the late afternoon looked so gorgeous that I decided to bike rather than take public transport.

Cheers Daniel

I was in both Ottawa and Montreal 3 weeks ago and while I didn't notice any in Ottawa, I saw the stations seeming everywhere in Montreal. Also pleased to see so many people using the bikes.
Now Toronto has them effective May 3rd - 80 stations apparently. Its getting off to a slow start here but I think it will pick up. Toronto is a great biking city and many people living in the city use their own bikes (prior to Bixi) to get to work and around town.

M

Please, someone tell me about Bixi. I'll be visiting Toronto this autumn for a month or so. Thanks very much.

annetti, bixi in ottawa is a by subscription rental bicycle program. ther r short time subscriptions available for visitors: $5 / day or $12 for 3 days. if u use the bicycle for under a half hour it is free. rates go up the longer one uses it. google bixi and u should see the concept and maps of rental stations in ea city. in ottawa they r bright red!

happy pedalling

cheers
AndrewDavid

Annetti - here's a link to Bixi in Toronto https://toronto.bixi.com/

AndrewDavid and Morningglory47: Thanks you both very much. I'll check out the website.

annetti, is this another house exchange for u? u seem to b trading ur way across canada. why not just immigrate as i did?
cheers
AndrewDavid

AndrewDavid: Yes, another house exchange. We are looking forward to seeing Toronto. Five weeks. I have to start reading a bit, so I can decide how to spend our time. I follow Fodor's, but not a lot of people on the Canada Board talking about Toronto. I guess eventually, I'll post some questions. How's Victoria? A wonderful place to retire to. :)

hi annetti, i am enjoying my new life in victoria. it's hard to believe i'm here over 6 years. i became a permanent resident in september and can apply for citizenship in about18 months. it's an easy town to live. not quite retired i chair a large harm reduction agency and consult on occasion for health funding agencies and serve on a provincial harm reduction board.

i do find time to kayak, bicycle and play w/ my dog. u should head over to ottawa for a few days while in toronto. 4 hrs by train i beleve

cheers
AndrewDavid

Hi AndrewDavid. Life in Canada sounds good, but I suspect you could find a niche anywhere where you would be contented. Have not been to Ottawa in yrs, the suggestion sounds good. Thanks. Annetti

dear annetti, i take that as a compliment? you too seem to enjoy life here in canada as u seem to be house trading ur way across the country eh

cheers
andrew

Yes, definitely a compliment. :-D We absolutely love visiting Canada, always looking for another trade there that sounds interesting.

I am off to Ottawa for a week on a home exchange in a couple of days and really appreciated the trip report. I have been to Canada many times even before getting involved in house trades. I have been to all the lower provinces if you include a plane stop in the Winnipeg airport when I was 16. LOL.

well then thank u annetti. enjoy ur time in toronto. in what district is ur exchange?
cheers
andrew

yentakvetch, i think u will enjoy ur time there. it's a great city. i'm looking forward to seeing some of the canada day festivities on the cbc before heading out for our own here

cheers

I'll be in Ottawa the last week of July, and am interested in the bixi bike rental. Any good, scenic routes you'd recommend? Somewhere away from road traffics? I'll be staying at the Fairmont Chateau.

Thanks

Also, do I need to wear a helmet or bring one from home?

if u want a helmet , u need to bring it from home. there r routes @ the bike station. on weekends street traffic was not particularly busy. there is a bike/ walking pathway along the river and a bike/ walking lane on the bridge near the chateau laurier over to the museum of civilization in hull/ gatineau.

enjoy
AndrewDavid

In Ontario, helmets are compulsory only for persons under 18 years.

»»The Ontario helmet law came into effect from 1st October 1995. Although originally intended to apply to all ages, it was amended by regulation before enactment to exempt adults (18 years of age and over). The penalty for failing to wear a helmet is CAD 105 and applied directly to 16/17 year-olds and to the parents of those under 16.««

ron, i don't understand why anyone would risk head injury by riding w/o a helmet. i've been in 3 accidents and while my helmet didn't protect my broken elbows, i'm still glad i had ir on!

AD

AndrewDavid: If people saw the traumatic brain injuries that can occur from injuries on skateboards and bikes, they would be more willing to use a helmet. It is serious stuff. People become brain dead, limited mental function and lots of other unpleasant stuff.

BTW, AndrewDavid, to answer your question we will be staying in North Toronto. I need to start reading, so I can start asking questions about what to do off the beaten track in TO.

<<I'll be in Ottawa the last week of July, and am interested in the bixi bike rental. Any good, scenic routes you'd recommend? Somewhere away from road traffics? I'll be staying at the Fairmont Chateau.>>

There are many great scenic routes in Ottawa which don't involve road traffic and a number that are easily accessible from the Chateau Laurier.

You can cycle up one side of the Rideau Canal to the Hog`s Back Falls and either come back the other side or follow a path along the Rideau River to Rideau Falls where it empties into the Ottawa.

There are also paths along both sides of the Ottawa River--head west from the Rideau Canal as far as the Champlain Bridge and cross over to Gatineau, returning along the river and returning by the Alexandra Bridge.

Here`s a couple of great sources on cycling in the Ottawa area:

http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins...99-9970&lang=1

http://cycle.ottawacitizen.com/

Thanks, all, for the helpful responses.

Where can I rent a bike, somewhere near the Fairmont hotel? How much does it cost per day, and any quick explanation on how the system works?

I also hear that some Fairmont hotels (not sure this one)give guests free mountain bikes. Let me check with them.

Thanks again!

I just returned from my trip to Ottawa and enjoyed the Museum of Civilization, War Museum, Art Gallery (especially the "Caravaggio and Friends" exhibit) and Rideau Hall. We also ate a beaver tail pastry outside the Byward Market and saw where Obama ate his maple leaf sugar cookie. One day we took a tour of Parliament after watching the Changing of the Guard. Out of Ottawa, we visited the Diefenbunker and went whitewater rafting on the Ottawa River with River Rafters (there are lots of outfitters and I did not comparison shop, so don't ask me about the others).

We liked everything we saw. The museums were really terrific. It was easy to drive everywhere and there is plenty of parking in the evening. During the day, we just put the car in a lot.

And, yes, we did take a 2 hour boat cruise with Paul's on the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa and had a look at the staircase locks on the Ottawa canal.

Could have used a few more days. We had 6 days and did not let grass go under our feet.

There are bike rentals available very close to the Chateau Laurier--just ask at the desk. An all day bike rental will be cheaper from one of these places than using the Bixi bike for other than a few hours.

I did notice the bikes. They are all over now and I hope the programs succeed and do not end in the trashing and stealing of the bikes. It is a good idea, but it does depend on people's honesty.

i don't believe u can get a bixi bike w/o using a credit card. so, unless thieves already have a stolen credit card i don't see the opportunity for much theft. i don't know what the theft stats, if any, r for montreal which has had the system longer.

they r bright red, quite attractive and would make nice decoration :-).....

cheers
AndrewDavid

glad u had a good visit yentakvetch!