Getting to know Ottawa's Village
- Ottawa Travel Guide
- |
- Monday, 01 October 2012 16:18
People who identify themselves as lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgendered (LGBT), are more than welcome to travel to Ontario and visit Ottawa's Village, which boasts numerous businesses that directly serve this blossoming community. This strip of the capital city, which is primarily located right along Bank Street, is the home of Canada's first public demonstration for civil rights for the LGBT community, and has celebratory events throughout the year.
Curious about which bars, restaurants and shops are all the rage right now? Here's a quick rundown of where travellers should visit:
The We Demand Mural
It might not be a cocktail lounge or chic store, but the We Demand Mural is perhaps the most profound piece of artwork in the entire city. Unveiled in 2011 during the 40th anniversary of the human rights protest, this mural was painted by the nearby Falldown Gallery.
During the unveiling ceremony, Charlie Hill, a prominent speaker at the protest 40 years ago, spoke about his experience during the pivotal movement.
Gay-friendly bars and restaurants
After taking photos at the We Demand Mural, visitors can check out a number of bars and restaurants that cater to the LGBT scene of Ottawa. Centretown Pub is nearby (Somerset Street West near Bank Street), while The Lookout is a second-floor bar in the ByWard Market neighbourhood with special events for specific demographics, from "Thirsty Boy Thursdays" for men to "Friday Night Fixxx" for women. For more of a club feel, visitors should head to The Edge, which has a rooftop patio for dancing as well as a cabaret drag show on Sunday evenings. The weekends can get crowded, so either get there early or be prepared to wait in line.
Fabulous stores
The friendly staff at Mags and Fags is more than happy to show first-time visitors around the extensive collection of international magazines and newspapers, some of which bears the LGBT stamp of approval. With more than 4,000 different publications to choose from, visitors can easily stock up on reading material for their plane and road trip before heading back to their Ottawa accommodations.
