Let’s Go Ottawa
Yummy Gooey Goodness!
- Tuesday, 08 February 2011 19:11
- Written by Beverley Carkner
March is maple syrup time in Canada’s Capital area, with local sugar bushes boiling down sap and serving up syrup and fun! The Ottawa region is home to many maple syrup operations welcoming guests and groups to discover how the gooey golden syrup is made. Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush near Carleton Place just west of the city offers a wide range of group, student and family educational programs and tours – plus plenty of syrup sampling! Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm – also close to downtown – presents a syrup season Sunday brunch plus free tours, petting farm, wagon rides all centred around its heritage sugar shack.
Affordable Family Day fun at Ottawa Senators Skills Competition
- Friday, 07 January 2011 03:50
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
The Sens Skills competition won't look like the real game above, but it's still a heck of a lot of fun!Looking for a fun family outing in Ottawa? Check out the annual Ottawa Senators Skills competition, to be held on Family Day, Monday, February 21, 2011 at Scotiabank Place.
“Sens Skills” sees the players compete in the following categories: puck control relay; fastest skater; hardest shot; accuracy shooting; power-play challenge; and breakaway shootout.
Besides the Senators players, there will be 10 minor hockey skaters and two goaltenders from the Ottawa region on the ice. The event has a fun ambiance, with plenty of teasing and ongoing commentary.
And best of all, the tickets are quite affordable, at $15, $12 and $8 (advance sales), available from www.CapitalTickets.ca, by phone at 613-599-FANS (3267) or 1-877-788-FANS (3267); in person at The Sens Store at Rideau Centre and Place d’Orleans; at any Ottawa Sports Experts location; Les Galeries de Hull and at the Scotiabank Place box office.
Even more New Year’s options
- Wednesday, 22 December 2010 03:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
I’ve blogged a couple times — here and here – about Christmas and New Year’s activities in the Ottawa region. More and more area establishments are finally posting their menus or their plans for New Year’s Eve, so here’s an update:
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The Heart & Crown's outdoor patio is great in the summer, but you'll want to be inside listening to the live bands on New Year's Eve!The Heart & Crown (part of a larger collection of establishments known as the Irish Village) is an iconic Irish pub in the ByWard Market neighbourhood, with two stages for live music — one featuring Evolver, the other Monday’s Grace. - Barrymore’s on Bank Street in downtown Ottawa is hosting a New Year’s Eve bash with DJ Perv, starting at $25.
- If you’ve never seen the Duelling Pianos at Fat Tuesday’s in the ByWard Market, you don’t know what you’re missing! Dave Kalil and Tyler Kealey play old and new favourites and everyone sings along! Great Cajun and Creole food just make it that much more interesting!
- Lago Bar/Grill/View, with its beautiful view of Dows Lake, offers dinner and dancing in a fun atmosphere. See-and-be-seen!
- Foodies will love Chef Michael Hay’s five-course tasting menu in the stone-walled Courtyard Restaurant in the ByWard Market. There are both early and late seatings, at $65 per person. A New Year’s Brunch is served on both January 1 and January 2.
- D’Arcy McGee’s Irish Pub has several locations in Ottawa, but the downtown flagship at Sparks Street at Elgin Street, is featuring Dustin Jones & the Rising Tide, who promise “Drinking Music you can dance to!” $25 per person includes champagne at midnight, party favours, late night sweets & sandwich buffet and the live band!
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This dessert sampler came from an earlier meal at ZenKitchen but they've got equally good things on tap for New Year's Eve!More foodie fun awaits at ZenKitchen in Ottawa’s Chinatown, with both a smaller 4-course early seating ($55) and 6-course late seating ($75). Why not start the year off right with a delicious, healthy meal? - Stella Osteria in the ByWard Market also offers early ($65) and late ($80) seatings.
Happy New Year everyone!
Great Canadian Chill raises money Jan. 1 to fight children’s cancer
- Monday, 20 December 2010 03:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
You can help welcome in the New Year by raising money to stop kids’ cancer COLD!
Solicit pledges and friends to cheer you on, then take a running plunge into the icy waters of the Ottawa River. What a way to start the year!
This is a new event, scheduled for Ottawa and Toronto in 2011 and more Canadian cities in the future. It’s sure to become a great annual event so why not check out its inaugural run?
Registration takes place at 12:00 noon on New Year’s Day and the plunge itself is at 1:30pm. Don’t forget the costume contest — have fun with it!
The money raised will benefit the Sears Foundation, which funds 17 oncology centers both provincially and nationally. All donations and pledges of $20 or more are eligible for tax receipts which will be emailed or mailed to you within two weeks of when your donation is made online or in-person, respectively.
Gatineau Park winter season begins today
- Wednesday, 15 December 2010 03:52
- Written by Jantine Van Kregten
Some of Gatineau Park's trails offer tremendous views of the surrounding countryside.The National Capital Commission (NCC) just announced that Gatineau Park’s winter trail network opened today, Wednesday, December 15!
While Gatineau Park is beautiful in any season, it’s especially enticing in winter. Best of all, it’s only 15 minutes’ drive north of Parliament Hill, meaning that enjoying this wilderness setting is an integral part of many Ottawans’ lives.
There are more than 250km (155 miles) of trails available in the park, allowing hiking, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in a variety of settings. Some are gentle, flat trails — including the popular and universally accessible Sugarbush Trail adjacent to the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre in Chelsea, Québec.
The Park boasts 10 daytime shelters where skiers or snowshoers can warm up at wood stoves and enjoy a snack or lunch that they may have brought with them. It’s also possible to spend the night in one of Gatineau Park’s four cabins, three yurts or by winter camping under the stars at Philippe Lake. Reservations are required for these activities.
Gatineau Park snowshoeing offers trails for cross-country skiing, winter hiking and snowshoeingCross-country skiers need to purchase a ski pass — you can purchase a season pass online or at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre. Daily passes are also available at the Visitor Centre or at any of the park’s parking areas that provide direct access to the open trails. Daily rates are $13 for adults, $9 for youths (13-17 years old), $9 for students (18-24) and seniors (60+), and free for children 12 and under. A family pass (2 adults and 3 youths) is $27.
There are no fees to snowshoe on the park’s 45km (28-mile) snowshoe trail network, accessible from parking lots 6, 13, 15, 17, 19 and the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre in Chelsea.
There are no fees to use the 10-kilometre winter walking trail network, accessible from parking lots 3, 6 and the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre. Domestic animals are permitted on leash on winter walking trails only.
You can find up-to-date ski conditions and trail statuses online or by calling the trail conditions hotline at 819-827-2020, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
What are your favourite trails? I’ve snowshoed the Wolf Trail near Meech Lake a few times and while it’s a gruelling uphill hike, the views are definitely worth it!
Get out there and enjoy!
