Visiting Ottawa

The Ottawa Bluesfest is one of the best music festivals in all of Canada. It is also the largest blues festival. We love going downtown Ottawa each year to enjoy some of the bands that they have lined up.

This year’s RBC Bluesfest will be held from July 6 – 16, 2017 at the LeBreton Flats.

This amazing event has been running since 1994 and has offered some amazing entertainment over the years. We have seen bands and musicians such as the Black Eyed Peas, Tragically Hip, Melissa Ethridge, George Thorogood, Blue Rodeo, Sting and many more. As you can see the music isn’t always “blues” but it does bring in some of the greatest entertainers in the music industry.

The event this year will be held at LeBreton Flats (across from the Canadian War Museum) and will take place on a few different stages:

• Bell Stage
• Claridge Stage
• River Stage
• Black Sheep Stage
• Barney Danson Theatre
• Offsite at Casino du Lac Leamy

You can purchase different ticket packages:

• Single Day Tickets
• Full Festival Passports
• Gold Circle Pass

To make it easy for you, you can purchase your tickets at a few locations around the city:

• online through the Bluesfest website
• Ottawa Festivals at 450 Churchill Ave. N. 1st Floor reception
• both Compact Music Inc. locations: 206 Bank St and 785 1/2 Bank St.
• Bayshore Shopping Centre (1st Floor beside Geox)
• Rideau Centre Ticket Kiosk (2nd Floor beside Aritzia)

The list of artists is always spectacular and offers a great variety.  Here are some artists that have entertained us in the past:

• Ray Charles
• John Prine
• Tom Petty
• Van Morrison
• White Stripes
• George Thorogood
• Buddy Guy
• Blondie
• Cypress Hill
• Foreigner
• Joel Plaskett (fellow Haligonian!)
• Journey
• Lady Antebellum
• Lady Gaga
• Queen of the Stone Age
• Sam Roberts Band
• Styx
• and many, many more.

Parking is very limited around the festival grounds so it is strongly encouraged to take public transportation.  Most express routes of OC Transpo pass by LeBreton Flats making it much easier.

If you want more information then you can check out the RBC Royal Bank Bluesfest website

Hope you will be able to make it to some of the shows (if not all of them). See you there!

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You can rent a car at the Ottawa International Airport or downtown Ottawa or at various other areas in the city. Some companies will even offer free customer pick-up and return. They come and pick you up at your hotel or at your home.

The prices vary depending on what size vehicle you want and for how long you want it for. Some of the Ottawa car rental companies offer special discounts so when you call to make your reservation you may want to ask if they have a discount at the time you are reserving it for.

We strongly advise that you book your Ottawa car rental in advance (if you can) because rental cars are quite popular for residents and tourists. Also make sure to reserve any special features in advance like a car seat for a child or a bike rack or a non-smoking vehicle etc. This will ensure that you get the type of car you want on the day that you rent it.

Ottawa is a fairly easy city to drive around. If you are coming from another country you may want to familiarize yourself with some of the rules before arriving (i.e. you can turn right on a red light). We have had many friends from out of town rent cars in Ottawa and they all agree that it is easy to get around but they do comment that there are a lot of one way streets. So beware! Get a good map and ask for directions.

Here is a listing of some of the car rental companies in Ottawa:

Avis
Locations in Kanata, Nepean, Orleans, St. Laurent, the Ottawa International Airport and more.

Alamo
1-800-462-5266
They have 3 locations to choose from (downtown Ottawa, the Ottawa International Airport and St. Laurent).

Budget
613-729-6666
Over 10 locations to choose from including the Ottawa International Airport, downtown Ottawa, Orleans, Kanata and more.

Discount
613-747-2277
Locations in Bells Corners, Orleans, downtown Ottawa, the Ottawa International Airport and more.

Enterprise
1-800-736-8222
They have 14 locations including the Ottawa International Airport, downtown Ottawa, Orleans, Gloucester, Nepean and many more locations.

Hertz
1-800-263-0600
They have 10 locations including Orleans, Kanata, Gatineau, Hull, downtown Ottawa, and the Ottawa International Airport.

National
Locations in downtown Ottawa, the Ottawa International Airport and more.

Thrifty
1-800-847-4389
Locations in downtown Ottawa, Bells Corners, downtown Ottawa and more.

Good luck finding an Ottawa rental car company and we wish you a safe journey.

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There is a great selection of Ottawa colleges and universities (and even speciality schools) and they offer a wide range of courses for you to choose from. A few of them are even bilingual so you can take your courses in French.

If you are new to Ottawa and you are going to be coming here for school from another city please browse through our website because there is a lot of useful information for you on Ottawa and all that it has to offer.

Welcome and good luck with your studies.

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Here is a list of Ottawa Colleges:

Algonquin College – Woodroffe Campus
1385 Woodroffe Avenue
613-727-4723
www.algonquincollege.com
Offering courses in Applied Arts & Technology.

Algonquin College – Pembroke Campus
315 Pembroke Street East
613-735-4700
www.algonqincollege.com

Algonquin College – Perth Campus
7 Craig Street
613-267-2859
www.algonquincollege.com

CDI College
1-800-965-7055
www.cdicollege.com
Offering courses in business, technology and health care.

Herzing College
1200 St. Laurent Boulevard
613-742-8099
www.herzing.edu
Offering programs in Business, Health and Public Safety.

Willis College
85 O’Connor Street
613-233-1128
www.williscollege.com
Offering courses in Business and Technology.

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Here is a listing of Ottawa Universities:

Carleton University
1125 Colonel By Drive
613-520-7400
www.carleton.ca
Located in one of the most scenic parts of the city. There is a good selection of courses to choose from in these faculties: Arts & Social Sciences, Engineering, Public Affairs and Science.

University of Ottawa
75 Laurier Avenue
613-562-5700
www.uottawa.ca
Located in the heart of downtown this bilingual university offers a wide range of courses in the following faculties: Arts, Education, Engineering, Law, Medicine etc.

Saint Paul University
223 Main Street
613-236-1393
Offering religious studies in French and English.

Universite du Quebec en Outaouais
819-595-3900

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Here is a list of Ottawa’s Speciality Schools:

Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute
453 Laurier Avenue West
613-236-2433

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Good luck choosing between one of the Ottawa Colleges and Universities. Whether you are going to school full time to earn a degree or a diploma or you are going to be going part time for general interest courses, we want to wish you all the best of luck in your studies. Enjoy your courses and happy studying!

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There are a lot of Ottawa concerts, performances and sporting events throughout the year to keep us all entertained.

You can enjoy all types of music and at various venues around the city. There are also musicals, theatre and plays too as well as special productions during special holidays (i.e. Christmas).

A lot of the performances and concerts in Ottawa are held at the various festivals such as:

• the Ottawa Blues Festival
• the Ottawa Jazz Festival and
• WestFest.

Ottawa concerts are generally held at the following locations:

• Canadian Tire Centre;
• the National Arts Centre;
• the Theatre du Casino at the Casino du Lac Leamy;
• Capital Music Hall;
• Centrepointe Theatre;
• Shenkman Arts Centre;
• Bronson Centre;
• TD Place (at Lansdowne Park)
• and even some smaller venues around the city.

There are so many concerts and performances coming to Ottawa so we can’t list them all but here are some of the big name shows, performances, concerts and sporting events coming soon:

Blue Rodeo
February 14, 2016
Canadian Tire Centre

Johnny Reid
March 26, 2016
TD Place

Garth Brooks
April 1 – 3, 2016
Canadian Tire Centre

Twenty-One Pilots
April 1, 2016
TD Place

Hedley
April 23, 2016
Canadian Tire Centre

Pearl Jam
May 8, 2016
Canadian Tire Centre

Justin Bieber
May 13, 2016
Canadian Tire Centre

The Piano Guys
May 14, 2016
TD Place

Selena Gomez
May 25, 2016
Canadian Tire Centre

Carrie Underwood
May 27, 2016
Canadian Tire Centre

Depending on the location, most tickets can be purchased through:

• Ticketmaster.ca
• CapitalTickets.ca or
• Casino du Lac Leamy box office (1-800-361-4595)

Don’t forget that there are many other places to see some great shows. There are bars and nightclubs such as Barrymore’s, Capital City Music Hall and Babylon. Some Ottawa residents even drive to Montreal to see concerts there too.

PLAYS & THEATRES

If you are looking for a play, then check out a show at the Ottawa Little Theatre.

If you want to keep up to date on upcoming concerts and performances in Ottawa then make sure to add Ottawa-Information-Guide to your favourites and check back regularly!

Enjoy the concert, performance or sporting event in Ottawa!

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Getting out to one of the local Ottawa Fairs can be a fun activity for the entire family.

We try to go to a few fairs a year and all of the ones we have been to, we have had a great time. We enjoyed going before we had kids and we enjoy them even more now that we can go as a family.

Whether you are going with friends or bringing the entire gang, there will be something at the fair for everyone.

The fairs in Ottawa and surrounding area offer a variety of activities for everyone:

• kids shows
• petting zoos
• amusement rides
• concerts
• car/truck shows
• exhibits
• agricultural shows
• contests
• and much more!

Here is a listing of the upcoming fairs for 2015:

Almonte Fair
613-257-1467
July 17, 18 and 19, 2015
www.almontefair.ca

Arnprior
613-623-9688
Dates for 2016 to be announced
www.arnpriorfair.ca

Avonmore
613-346-2252
Dates for 2016 to be announced

Beachburg
Dates for 2016 to be announced

Blackburn Funfair
Dates for 2016 to be announced

Carp
613-839-2172
September 24 – 27, 2015
www.carpfair.ca

Chesterville
Dates for 2016 to be announced

Gloucester – now referred to as the Capital Fair
613-744-2671
August 21 – 30, 2015
www.gloucesterfair.ca

Lombardy
Dates for 2016 to be announced

Lyndhurst Turkey Fair
613-331-2063
September 19, 2015
www.turkeyfair.ca

Merrickville
613-269-3171
August 7 – 9, 2015

Metcalfe
613-821-0591
October 1 – 4, 2015
www.metcalfefair.com

Middleville
September 29, 2015
www.middlevillefair.ca

Navan
613-835-2766
Dates for 2016 to be announced

Perth
613-267-4104
September 4 – 7, 2015
www.perthfair.com

Renfrew
613-432-5331
Sepetmber 9 – 13, 2015
www.renfrewfair.com

Richmond
613-838-3420
September 17 – 20, 2015
www.richmondfair.ca

Russell
613-445-2155
September 10 – 13, 2015
www.russellfair.com

Shawville
819-647-3213
September 3 – 7, 2015
www.shawvillefair.ca

South Mountain
August 13 – 16, 2015
www.southmountainfair.ca

Spencerville
613-658-3333
September 10 – 13, 2015
www.spencervillefair.ca

Vankleek Hill
613-678-2439
Dates for 2016 to be announced
www.vankleekhillfair.ca

Here are a few tips that we want to share with you to make the best out of your day at the fair:

• wear comfortable shoes and clothes (there may be a lot of walking or walking on uneven ground and don’t forget, it may be pretty dirty too if you check out some of the animals);
• food and drink can get pretty costly at the concessions so you may want to bring some bottled water and a few smaller snacks for the young ones;
• check the fair’s website in advance to see if they have any specials (i.e. opening evening with free entrance);
• bring a camera – capturing some of the special moments with the kiddies on a ride or meeting some four legged friends can be priceless
• have fun!

We hope you have a great time out at one of the local Fairs!

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The various Ottawa hospitals offer a vast selection of services to the community. As residents of Ottawa we are very pleased knowing that they offer state of the art facilities.

We have had to use a few of the different hospitals for various reasons. Whether it be for the birth of our babies or for sick family members, whatever the reason, we have always been very happy with the service we have received.

Here is a list of some of the hospitals in the Ottawa area:

Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO)
401 Smyth Road
613-737-7600
Apart from offering a large number of services to children, youth and their families, CHEO is also a teaching hospital that is affiliated with the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ottawa.

Montfort Hospital
713 Montreal Road
613-746-4621

Queensway Carleton Hospital
3045 Baseline Road
613-721-2000
The Queensway Carleton Hospital (QCH) is the only hospital in the west end of Ottawa and serves to a population of over 400,000 (this includes residents in the Ottawa Valley as well). The QCH is presently expanding their facilities.

Ottawa Hospital
613-722-7000
It has three main campuses: the Civic, the General and Riverside. They have specialty centres in cancer, heart, kidney, vision care and rehabilitation services. It is also one of the largest teaching hospitals in Canada.
We have had to use all three campuses in the past and have been impressed with all the staff at each one.

Civic Campus
1053 Carling Avenue

General Campus
501 Smyth Road

Riverside Campus
1967 Riverside Drive

Royal Ottawa
1145 Carling Avenue
613-722-6521
A rehabilitation centre and mental health facility.

You can drive or take an OC Transpo bus to all of the hospitals. Of course, in an emergency, an ambulance will be sent for you.

If you need information or are interested in volunteering, please contact one of the Ottawa hospitals nearest you.

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If you are visiting Ottawa with your family then you probably want to find a hotel that is suitable for children and that offers activities for them as well.

If you have never been to Ottawa then how would you know which hotel would be best for you and your family? It would take a long time to contact every hotel in Ottawa to find out about their programs for children.

To make it easier for you, we have done some research to find the best hotels in Ottawa for kids. Some have indoor play areas, some have kids clubs, one even has an indoor slide! Travelling with children is always easier when they are entertained and enjoying themselves!

For some of the hotels we have even included a link which features unbiased reviews of that specific hotel. It is much easier to make a decision after reading or hearing opinions from people that have stayed at that hotel.

Top 5 Hotels in Ottawa for Children

Delta
361 Queen Street
613-238-6000
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about Delta Ottawa Hotel and Suites

Cartier Place
180 Cooper Street
613-236-5000
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about Cartier Place & Towers Suite Hotel

Best Western Plus — Ottawa Downtown Sweets
377 O’Connor Street
613-567-1161
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about Best Western Victoria Park Suites

Albert at Bay Suite Hotel
435 Albert Street
613-238-1433
Find the best deal, compare prices and read what other travelers have to say about Albert at Bay Suite Hotel

To see more hotels in Ottawa then visit our Ottawa Hotels page.

To see a list of motels in Ottawa then visit our Ottawa Motels page.

To see a list of bed and breakfasts in Ottawa then visit our Ottawa Bed and Breakfasts page.

We hope you and your family enjoy their stay in Ottawa at one of the best Ottawa hotels for children. Have fun!

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There are literally hundreds of Ottawa Hotels to choose from. Whatever your budget and whatever style you are looking for, you will find it here in Ottawa.

Here are some specific categories you might check out:

Best Cheap Hotels in Ottawa

Best 3-Star Hotels in Ottawa

Best 4 and 5 Star Hotels in Ottawa

Motels in Ottawa

Ottawa Bed and Breakfasts

Well-known Hotels in Ottawa

Don’t know what you’re looking for?  Here is a list of some of the more well known Ottawa hotels:

Les Suites Hotel, Ottawa
130 Besserer Street
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 9M9
613-232-2000 or 866-682-0879
www.les-suites.com
Stay at Les Suites Hotel, Ottawa, and you’ll have the best of everything – the luxury of a great location and the comfort of spacious elegance in our condominium sized suites. Situated in the heart of downtown Ottawa next to great shopping at the Rideau Centre and surrounded by fine dining and entertainment in the historic Byward Market.

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Arc The.Hotel
140 Slater St.
Ottawa, Ontario, K1P 5H6
1-800-699-2516 or 613-238-2888
www.arcthehotel.com
ARC The.Hotel, Ottawa’s premiere luxury boutique hotel, offers discerning travelers an oasis of urban luxury and design. Whether you are traveling for business or pleasure, ARC The.Hotel provides a unique experience and unmatched sophistication.

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Aristocrat Suite
131 Cooper Street
613-236-7500

Best Western Barons
3700 Richmond Road
613-828-2741

Best Western Jacques Cartier
131 Laurier, Gatineau
819-770-8550

Best Western Victoria Park Suites
377 O’Connor Street
613-567-7275

Brookstreet
555 Legget Drive
613-271-1800

Business Inn, The
180 MacLaren Street
613-232-1121

Cardinal Suites
33 Sullivan Avenue
613-792-4949

Cartier Place Suite Hotel
180 Cooper Street
613-236-5000

Chateau Cartier
1170 D’Aylmer, Gatineau
819-778-0000

Chateau Laurier
1 Rideau Street
613-241-1414

Comfort Inn
1252 Michael Street
613-744-2900

Comfort Inn
112 Montreal Road
613-746-4641

Courtyard by Marriott
350 Dalhousie Street
613-241-1000

Days Inn
319 Rideau Street
613-789-5555

Days Inn
366 Hunt Club
613-739-7555

Days Inn
350 Moodie Drive
613-726-1717

Embassy Hotel & Suites
25 Cartier Street
613-237-2111

Embassy West
1400 Carling Avenue
613-725-1513

Hilton Lac Leamy
3 Bd du Casino, Gatineau
819-790-6444

Holiday Inn Hotel & Suites
111 Cooper Street
613-238-1331

Holiday Inn & Suites Ottawa Kanata
101 Kanata Avenue, Kanata, ON, K2T 1E6
613-271-3057

Hotel Indigo
123 Metcalfe Street
613-231-6555

Inn on Somerset
282 Somerset St. West
613-236-9309

Lafontaine
314 Victoria
819-985-2211

Yves La Fontaine
428 Av De Buckingham, Gatineau
819-986-9183

Lord Elgin
100 Elgin Street
613-235-3333

Macies
1274 Carling Avenue
613-728-1951

Marriott Residence Inn
161 Laurier Avenue West
613-231-2020

McKellar Park Apartment
1983 Carling Avenue
613-722-4273

Monterey Inn Resort
2259 Prince of Wales Drive
613-288-3500

National Hotel and Suites
361 Queen Street
613-238-6000

Novotel
33 Nicholas Street
613-230-3033

Ottawa Marriott
100 Kent Street
613-783-4200

Prestige Inn
215 Montreal Road
613-747-1011

Quality
290 Rideau Street
613-789-7511

Ramada
111 Cooper Street
613-238-1331

Radisson Hotel Ottawa Parliament Hill
402 Queen Street
1-800-395-7046 or 613-236-1133

Travelodge
1486 Innes Road
613-745-1133

Wakefield Mill Inn
60 Mill Road, Wakefield
819-459-1838

Westin Ottawa
11 Colonel By Drive
613-560-7000

We have also created a list of some our favourite hotels in Ottawa. We know what it is like to travel and not know where to stay. We find staying at hotels that are recommended to us gives us peace of mind!

Find the best deal, compare prices, and read what other travelers have to say about hotels in Ottawa


Booking.com

Hope you enjoy your stay!

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We had to create a page on MORE events in Ottawa because there is just so much happening here. As you are probably aware, we have another Events & Festivals in Ottawa section but that features the larger events that take place every year and attract a larger audience.

Having said that though, there are hundreds of other smaller events at various venues across the city to go to. Some of them don’t happen every year which is why we made this section.

We even enjoy some of these smaller events more then the larger events. Sometimes they are more intimate, sometimes they are raising money or awareness for a great cause and some are just in our neighbourhood so we don’t have to drive too far.

We have asked organizers and our readers to submit the information for their upcoming event. These are the events that we are going to feature in this section.

So, without further ado, here is a list of some additional events in Ottawa:

More Events coming soon (as we hear about them)

We will continue to add more events in Ottawa on this page. Check back often.

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Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute is for anyone who loves the culinary arts or has a desire to build a career in the hospitality business. If this is you, you’re in luck!

Ottawa is home to the culinary professionals from the world renowned Parisian cooking school known as Le Cordon Blue. The original Cordon Bleu was founded in 1895 by Marthe Distel, and is now one of the world’s most hands-on culinary teaching schools, taught by Master Chefs in 29 schools across 5 continents.

Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute offers its students a superior education, specializing in cuisine, pastry, management and gastronomy. The school invites its students to learn from the Master Chefs while enjoying life in Canada’s beautiful Capital City. The curriculum at Le Cordon Bleu includes diploma and certificate programs in cuisine and patisserie, as well as culinary programs and short courses. The short courses are hands-on workshops taught step-by-step by one of the school’s Master Chefs.

Not only is Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa a culinary art school, it also boasts a luxurious fine-dining restaurant perfectly melded with a pub atmosphere to provide patrons with a wonderful dining experience and exquisite food. In an inspired twist, the menu is switched every week to feature new creations!

I recently attended a small wedding at Le Cordon Blue, and was amazed by the quality of the food, the professionalism of the staff and the very unique setting where the ceremony was performed. A beautiful staircase leads you up to a balcony, with a raised platform for guests to view the exchange of vows. The lush décor ads a sense of elegance, and the pub bar is perfect for socializing during that picture-taking period. The dinner we were served was amazing and then we danced the night away in the reception area. What a treat to have the such great options all rolled into one! They can accommodate all different types of special events and meetings with a selection of private salons. I would highly recommend Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa for a unique experience!

Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute
453 Laurier Avenue East
Ottawa, Ontario, K1N 6R4, Canada
Telephone: 613-236-CHEF(2433)
Toll free 1-888-289-6302
Fax: 613-236-2460

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