Ottawa is a capital city full of interesting people as well as great things to see and do. From a bustling culinary scene, to world-class attractions, to fantastic outdoor adventure at any time of the year, you’ll never be at a loss for something new to explore and discover. But with so much to do, how do you know where to begin? That’s where these Ottawa Ambassadors come in!
These people are Ottawa locals who are passionate about showcasing the best of what Canada’s Capital has to offer from the best restaurants to the best views. If you’re looking for a recommendation on something to do or on what to see, this is a great place to start. Learn about who they are, what their expertise is and why they believe Ottawa is such a great place to live, work and visit!
Marc Laplante
Marc Laplante is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of December. A resident of Casselman, Ontario, just south of Ottawa, Laplante is the Vice-President of 417 Bus Line Ltd., who is an official 2017 partner. You may have already seen the company’s special 2017-themed buses roaming around town! If you want to explore Ottawa in 2017 – Canada’s big 150th anniversary year – 417 Bus Line can help.
Click here to know more about Laplante, another great Ottawa Ambassador!
Chef Marc Lepine
Marc Lepine, Executive Chef and Owner of modern-style restaurant Atelier, is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of November. Originally from the small fishing town of Kincardine, Ontario, on the banks of Lake Huron, Lepine opened Atelier in Ottawa in 2008 and has become quite a star in the city’s evolving culinary scene. An accomplished chef, Lepine is currently the Canadian Culinary Champion, having won gold at the competition just last February in Kelowna, B.C. This was his second gold medal win in the competition, something never accomplished before.
Click here to learn more about this fantastic Ottawa Ambassador!
Carli Smelko
Carli Smelko is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of October. Originally from Ingleside, Ont. – just an hour south of Ottawa’s downtown core – Smelko is the Product Development and Events Production Coordinator at Upper Canada Village and, one of the key people behind this year’s Pumpkinferno event. Having spent four years as a pumpkin carver and assistant designer herself, Smelko knows all the ins and outs of this fantastic fall event that features about 7,000 beautiful, hand-carved pumpkins.
Click here to learn more about this fantastic Ottawa Ambassador!
Konah Raynes
Local recording artist Konah Raynes is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of September. Raynes is behind a great Ottawa-themed cover of Justin Timberlake’s Can’t Stop the Feeling. If you’ve yet to see this feel-good video, make sure to check it out. The video features the city itself as well as local business owners, emergency services personnel, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and many others.
Click here to learn more about this great Ottawa Ambassador!
Photo: Keshet Productions Inc.
Dr. Andrea McCrady
Dr. Andrea McCrady is Canada’s Dominion Carillonneur and is also our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of August. Originally from Pittsburgh, Pa, this former medical doctor has been the carillonneur on Parliament Hill since 2008. McCrady however, has been playing the instrument of the carillon for more than 40 years, even serving on the board of the Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) and holding the position of president from 1987-1988. If you hear the Peace Tower’s bells singing, chances are that McCrady is the one playing the music.
Click here to learn more about this great Ottawa Ambassador!
Photo: © House of Commons Collection, Ottawa
Zainab N-Muse
Zainab N-Muse, co-founder of online blogging platform Wingd, is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of July. Originally from Nigeria and Toronto, N-Muse moved to Ottawa to attend the University of Ottawa and formed Wingd with friends and fellow students about three years ago. The now popular online platform focuses on all things Ottawa and more, from arts, to culture, to interesting people who live in the city.
Click here to learn more about this fantastic Ottawa Ambassador!
Glen Shackleton
Glen Shackleton, owner of local business Haunted Walks Inc., is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of June. Originally from the small town of Campbellford, Ont., Shackleton has officially called Ottawa home since 1999. Well-known in Ottawa’s tourism community, Shackleton is the master of all things ‘haunted’ in Ottawa. If you want to know about Ottawa’s darker, more disreputable history, the Haunted Walk of Ottawa is a great place to start.
Click here to learn more about this great Ottawa Ambassador and Haunted Walks Inc.!
littlemissottawa
Julia W., the Ottawa local behind the ever-growing littlemissottawa Instagram account, is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of May. A true Ottawa native, littlemissottawa was born in Ottawa and has called the city home for the past 25 years. Becoming more and more well-known in the city through social media, littlemissottawa likes to feature the places and things that make Canada’s Capital great. You’ll find fantastic images of the city in different seasons on her Instagram feed.
Click here to learn more about this great Ottawa Ambassador!
Photo: yowcitystyle
Harry Musson
Owner of local business RentABike, Harry Musson, is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of April. Originally from southern England, Musson moved to Ottawa with his wife when she came to Canada’s Capital to attend law school many years ago. Now calling Ottawa home for many years, Musson is well-known throughout the Ottawa region for his bike rental company as well as for his insider knowledge of the city’s scenic cycling paths. If you want to get outside and see Ottawa by bike, Musson is the person to talk to.
Click here to learn more about cycling in Ottawa and this great Ottawa Ambassador!
John Felicè Ceprano
Local artist John Felicè Ceprano is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of March. Originally from Providence, R.I., Ceprano immigrated to Canada in 1978 and now resides just across the Ottawa River in Aylmer, Que. An established artist, Ceprano is well-known in the Ottawa region and internationally for his beautiful balanced rock sculptures that grace the shoreline of the Ottawa River each summer, from about June through to October.
Ceprano’s unique artwork has been showcased in many publications, as well as on his own website and on Ottawa Tourism’s Facebook and Instagram accounts. Put up each summer, the balanced rock sculptures typically stay in place until they are destroyed by nature’s elements and the arrival of winter.
Click here to learn more about this local artist and great Ottawa Ambassador!
Roland Bastarache
Photographer Roland Bastarache is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of February. Originally from Moncton, N.B., on Canada’s east coast, Bastarache now resides in Ottawa itself. A relatively new photographer, he is passionate about showcasing some of Ottawa’s best assets such as the Rideau Canal, which is Ontario’s only UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bastarache is often featured on Ottawa Tourism’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, but you can also view his work on his own Instagram account @rolandbast.
Click here to learn more about this fantastic Ottawa Ambassador!
James Peltzer
Photographer James Peltzer is our featured Ottawa Ambassador for the month of January. Having grown up in the nearby Ottawa Valley, in Eganville, Ont., Peltzer now resides in Ottawa itself and is passionate about showcasing the city’s beauty in every season. This local is often featured on Ottawa Tourism’s Facebook and Instagram accounts, but you can also view Peltzer’s work on his own Instagram account @james.peltzer.
Click here to learn more about this fantastic Ottawa Ambassador!
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