Looking Ahead

Five Ottawa Tourism members have been added to the Canadian Tourism Commission’s Signature Experiences® Collection – a select list of unique Canadian travel experiences that individually and collectively represent the best the country has to offer.

The National Gallery of Canada joined the list with its Stimulating the Senses, an innovative program that encourages visitors to experience art through senses other than sight – including touching sculptures in a tactile tour, hearing a description of a painting, or listening to contemporary audio-based artworks.

Aboriginal Experiences, a native Canadian village located on Victoria Island in the middle of the Ottawa River just west of Parliament Hill, was added to the Signature Experiences Collection for its Aboriginal Voyageur program, which takes visitors on a one-hour canoe voyage along the river.

Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa – a prestigious culinary arts institute and Le Cordon Bleu Bistro @ Signatures – has also been added to the list for its Exploring Canada’s Flavours experience, which can include dining and learning gourmet cooking techniques from master chefs.

Ottawa Tourism member Gananoque Boat Lines’ Lost Ships of the 1000 Islands Cruise has also made the list. This fascinating two-and-a-half-hour cruise combines historical photos, side-scan sonar imaging, video and commentary to reveal treasures lost beneath the waves for centuries.

The Canadian Museum of Civilization’s Grand Hall Tour has also been singled out as a Signature Experience. Little wonder: the tour introduces visitors to the wonders of Canada’s First Peoples, surrounding them with the world’s largest indoor collection of totem poles.

It’s a European invasion this winter as the Théâtre du Casino at the fabulous Casino du Lac-Leamy presents an outstanding lineup of entertainment featuring the memorable music of ABBA, Phil Collins, The Beatles and Pink Floyd. First up is ABBA Memories, February 10 and 11, a show that has won acclaim and attracted sellout audiences everywhere it’s played. Next up, it’s Martin Levac with Dance Into the Light, February 17 and 18, an amazing tribute to the music of Phil Collins. Following Phil, it’s the British Invasion Beatles Story, February 24 and 25. Close your eyes and you’ll swear it’s the original Fab Four! Finally, March 1 and 2, Eclipse, The Pink Floyd Story takes the stage with an amazing sound and light extravaganza. All shows will be a sure bet for a great time!

February 3-20, Canada’s Capital comes alive with the excitement of Winterlude – a giant outdoor celebration of the season featuring skating on the Rideau Canal, dazzling ice sculptures, a huge snow playground, sports, cultural activities and fun for everyone. One of the most popular winter festivals anywhere, Winterlude kicks off February 3 with a giant frozen fireworks display and opening ceremonies outside at the Canadian Museum of Civilization, and continues with three weekends celebrating this oh-so-Canadian of seasons. The ice sculptures at Rogers Crystal Gardens are a definite must-see, especially when these amazing works of art are lit at night by colourful lights. For kids – and the kid in everyone – there’s no better place than the Snowflake Kingdom in Gatineau, featuring giant snow and ice slides and family activities galore. Of course, no visit to Winterlude is complete without a skate on the Rideau Canal. The world’s largest skating rink winds over almost eight kilometres (almost 5 miles) through the heart of the Capital, and is animated all along the way during Winterlude weekends. All in all, it’s a great time to come chill in Ottawa!

This winter, Ottawa solidifies its position as the leading destination for skaters with the opening of the Rink of Dreams. This permanent artificial surface in front of City Hall will complement the Rideau Canal, the world’s largest rink, and extend the outdoor skating season. Built by the Ottawa Senators, the Sens Foundation, the City of Ottawa, and partners, the 12,500 square foot artificial rink promises to become a popular attraction and gathering place. Not unlike Toronto’s Nathan Phillips Square and New York’s Rockefeller Plaza, the Rink of Dreams will open for skating as temperatures dip in mid-November, and continue to welcome skaters well into March.

Ottawa’s culinary community has come of age over the past few years, with local chefs earning acclaim at home and abroad, the city’s Savour Ottawa program earning a Culinary Tourism Leadership Award, and a host of new group culinary experiences on offer. For adventurous groups, Mambo Restaurant in the historic ByWard Market neighbourhood combines dining with tango and salsa lessons for mixed groups, while its Mystics and Manicures evenings for ladies feature free organic manicures by Harnn & Thann plus fortune tellers and clairvoyants doing personal readings. C’est Bon Cooking turns group food preparation into hands-on team building experiences and provides guided tours of Ottawa’s flourishing culinary scene. Want to learn to cook like a chef? Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute offers a range of short courses that introduce groups to the fine art of traditional French cuisine and pastry. Bon appetit!

In 2012, the Canadian Tulip Festival celebrates its 60th anniversary with a fantastic floral feast for the eyes as over one million tulips bloom in beds across the Capital. A perennial favourite with tour groups, the Festival runs May 4 – 21 in parks and venues in Ottawa and Gatineau. The tulips are a symbol of friendship between Canada and the Netherlands: during the Second World War, the Dutch Royal Family lived in Ottawa in safety (Princess Margriet Francisca of the Netherlands was born here), and Canadian troops were instrumental in liberating Holland at the end of the war. Since then, the Dutch have sent tulip bulbs to the Capital, where they bloom each May by the millions - and marveled at by hundreds of thousands of festival-goers. Music, art and artisans animate the festival and give everyone reason to celebrate the return of warmer weather. Truly a blooming good time for all!

From late May through early September, the National Gallery of Canada presents Van Gogh Up Close, an exhibition featuring some of the renowned Dutch painter’s most intriguing works, accompanied by an IMAX film, Van Gogh: Brush with Genius at the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The exhibition is the first major showing of Van Gogh’s work in Canada for close to a quarter century. It will break new ground in exploring the artist’s representation of nature, in particular his innovative use of the close-up view. Van Gogh depicted nature in very particular ways: he experimented with depth of field and focus, zoomed in on a verdant tuft of grass or a single iris and provided shifting perspectives of a farmer’s field or the corner of a garden. This exhibition will only be seen in Canada at the National Gallery, and will feature approximately 50 paintings including works that have rarely been shown publicly.

The orchestra, theatre and dance seasons at the National Arts Centre, Canada’s showcase of the performing arts, are in full swing this winter, with a three-week run of the popular 2 Pianos 4 Hands, and appearances by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and Winnipeg Ballet. The first three weeks of February, the NAC Studio will feature Creation! – a madcap romp through the story of the Bible. January through March, dance lovers will be treated to an eclectic lineup of ballet, contemporary and mixed repertoire performances by renowned troops from Canada and around the globe. In addition to a full lineup of performances by the acclaimed NAC Orchestra, the Centre will welcome jazz and folk performers. And March is looking to be an exciting month, with a 5-day run of the Broadway classic West Side Story.

Ottawa Tourism has teamed up with Roots Canada for a national winter promotion encouraging Canadians to get outside and enjoy the Capital during this quintessentially Canadian season, with one lucky winner getting a 4 night getaway for two to Ottawa. Ballots are available in all Roots Canada locations across the country. Consumers can also enter online at ottawatourism.ca. The prize package includes: transportation to Ottawa, 4 nights at the Fairmont Chateau Laurier hotel, an overnight whitewater rafting adventure at RiverRun on the Ottawa River, two $500 Roots Canada gift certificates, two sets of Roots hats and scarves, dinner at the Cordon Bleu Bistro @ Signatures, admission to the National Gallery of Canada and to the Canadian Museum of Civilization.

Canada offers an incredible variety of vacation experiences, and there’s no better way to see this rich and diverse country than by train. Serving more than 4.1 million passengers annually, VIA Rail’s vast network ranges from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the Great Lakes to Hudson’s Bay.

www.viarail.ca

Fact Sheet - Discovering Canada By Train.