Winter isWonderful - Travel Marketing Experts

in
WHAT’SUP
WINTER 2011
Official Publication of Ottawa Tourism’s Communications Team
Rideau Canal Skateway—the world’s largest naturally
frozen skating rink.
Winterlude
Gatineau Park
Winter is Wonderful
Winters in Ottawa can be quite
cold, it’s true, but Ottawans
embrace the season with
enthusiasm!
This winter marks the 41st season of
organized ice skating on the frozen Rideau
Canal Skateway. The Canal snakes
7.8 km (4.8 miles) through downtown
Ottawa— kids skate to school, people
skate to work! It’s the equivalent in size to
90 Olympic-sized ice rinks, giving it the
Guinness World Record for the world’s
largest naturally frozen skating rink.
www.canadascapital.gc.ca/
skateway
(The full Rideau Canal extends
202 km — 126 miles—to
Kingston and Lake Ontario,
and is Ontario’s only UNESCO
World Heritage Site.)
It takes several
consecutive days
of -15° Celsius (-5°
Fahrenheit) or colder
temperatures to ensure that the
ice is at least a foot thick. That’s
when the National Capital
Commission deems it safe
enough to open to the public.
Skating on the Rideau Canal
is the centrepiece activity of Winterlude,
the capital region’s annual celebration of
all things winter. The event takes place
February 4 to 21, 2011.
Most activities are held on the weekends—
learn-to-skate clinics, a hockey
tournament, a winter triathlon, children’s
entertainment—but the ice sculptures,
skating on the Rideau Canal and the
Snowflake Kingdom children’s snow
playground are offered during the week as
well (except Tuesday and Wednesday for
Snowflake Kingdom).
www.winterlude.gc.ca
Foodies will love Taste of Winterlude,
which runs from January 27 through
February 21. More than 30 special culinary
events—wine and food pairings, chef
demonstrations, walkabout winter feasts—
take place in Ottawa and Gatineau.
www.winterlude.gc.ca/
taste-of-winterlude
If you’re still looking for outdoor winter
adventure, look no further than Gatineau
Park. This natural wonderland is just
15 minutes’ drive from downtown but
offers unparalleled cross-country skiing,
snowshoeing, hiking and downhill skiing.
www.canadascapital.gc.ca/gatineau
Only in Ottawa: Skater’s Crossing signs!
A favourite activity is to cross-country ski or
snowshoe on well-marked trails, perhaps
stopping in at a warm-up hut along the way
and sharing hot chocolate and energy bars
with others. Hardier souls may choose to
stay overnight in one of the several shared
accommodation cabins and yurts located
throughout the park.
Even closer to downtown, you can enjoy
the historic ambiance of the skating rink
at Rideau Hall, home and workplace to
every Governor General of Canada since
Confederation. On weekends, free skating
on the rink, complete with lights and music,
harken back to gala 19th century skating
parties. www.gg.ca
Ottawa Tourism’s Hockey Night in the
Capital package is the best way to catch
an Ottawa Senators game—it includes
accommodation, dinner before the game,
and game tickets. www.ottawatourism.ca
So dress warmly and get out and enjoy all
that winter has to offer!
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!
Follow @OttawaJantine on Twitter to
learn what’s hot, what’s new and what’s
happening in Canada’s Capital Region.
Subscribe to our blog at letsgoottawa.ca
For even more information on intriguing Ottawa activities, please contact Jantine Van Kregten, Director of Communications, Ottawa Tourism
613-237-5150, ext. 116 • 800-363-4465 • media@ottawatourism.ca • www.ottawatourism.ca
HOTEL AND RESTAURANT UPDATES
The 411-room Crowne Plaza hotel at the
corner of Albert Street and Lyon Street in
downtown Ottawa has become the
Delta Ottawa City Centre. The existing
Delta Ottawa hotel (329 rooms) is a block
away on Queen Street. The new Delta will
see $25 million in renovations in 2011—the
most visible of which will be reconfiguring the
entranceway by removing a steep ramp that
currently connects guests with the secondfloor lobby. After the renovations, guests will
enter on the ground level, then take an interior
escalator to the second floor check-in area.
www.deltahotels.ca
Foodies anxiously awaited the opening of
The Shore Club in late September 2010
at the Westin
Ottawa hotel.
More than $5
million was spent
fitting up the
space for the
The Shore Club
high-end steak
and seafood restaurant. Chef Duane
Keats, formerly of Luxe Bistro, is the
Executive Chef. www.theshoreclub.ca
The Ottawa
Marriott opened
its brand new
Spin Kitchen &
Spin Kitchen & Bar
Bar in its lobby
in late November 2010, replacing Café
Toulouse. Every week a couple of their
“spin doctors”—local bloggers and media
personalities—write about issues of the
day. They include polls in the menus and
iPads in the dining room.
www.spinkitchenbar.com
And the Lord Elgin hotel also has a new
restaurant (opened in October 2010)
called Grill 41 (after the year the hotel was
opened). Canadian celebrity chef Michael
Smith consulted on the menu.
www.lordelginhotel.ca/grill41
The Château Cartier Hotel in Gatineau
celebrates its 20th anniversary in 2011.
This unique property features a golf
course (a snow playground in winter), spa,
fitness facilities and new Brazilian-themed
restaurant called Ekko de Brasil—all just
10km (6 miles) from Parliament Hill.
www.chateaucartier.com
More Foodie News
Popular charcuterie bar Murray Street plans to open a retail operation just around the
corner on Dalhousie Street in the ByWard Market neighbourhood in spring 2011. Chef
Steve Mitton and front-of-house partner Paddy Whelan will offer charcuterie, of course,
but also cheeses and other artisan products, with an emphasis on local. As proud members
of Savour Ottawa, a local food initiative, they definitely have the contacts to do so. The plan
is for Murray’s Market to open in May 2011. www.murraystreet.ca
CANADIAN CELEBRITY CHEFS
CONVERGE ON OTTAWA IN JANUARY
The affable executive
complete with questionchef of the National Arts
and-answer period. That
Centre’s Rideau Canalevening, the visiting chefs
side restaurant Le Café,
will be paired up with local
Michael Blackie, has
Ottawa-area chefs and a food
big dreams. He wants
and wine event like no other
the Canadian Celebrity
will take place in the cultural
Chefs event he’s planning
institution’s lobby area.
for January 24, 2011 to
Michael Blackie
Savour Ottawa—an initiative
become a pillar of the
to support and promote local
Canadian culinary community.
foods—will be involved with the event,
He’s bringing the likes of Anthony
ensuring that each chef team has at least
Walsh, Brad Long, Michael Lyon,
one locally sourced ingredient.
David Rocco and Mathieu Cloutier
It’s quite an opportunity to see some
(among others) together. Over the
of Canada’s best chefs in one intimate
course of the day, the chefs will have
location. Watch for it to grow in 2011.
one-hour demo periods in the Studio,
www.nac-cna.ca/celebritychefs
Fulton’s Pancake House and Sugar Bush
MAPLE SYRUP FUN
While it’s often seen as a harbinger of spring,
the maple syrup season usually starts in late
February. Ideal temperatures of +5 degrees
Celsius (41 degrees Fahrenheit) during the
day and -5 degrees Celsius (23 degrees
Fahrenheit) during the night start the sap
running through the trees.
It takes 40 litres of sap to reduce down
(by boiling) to one litre of maple syrup. It’s
definitely worth the wait!
Family-run businesses such as Fulton’s
Pancake House and Sugar Bush have
branched out beyond simple maple breakfasts
and horse-drawn sleigh rides through the
woods. Check out their new maple-themed
spa products (from scrubs to lotions—even
a men’s line) and gourmet maple products
that include traditional sweet candies but also
include mustards, salsas, spices and rubs.
This year’s season runs February 19 to
April 25, 2011. www.fultons.ca
Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm also
offers a fun maple experience on the eastern
edge of the city, weekends between February
26 and April 24. www.stanleysfarm.com
And North America’s only urban sugarbush
is wedged into 14 acres of land in Ottawa’s
Vanier neighbourhood, just 10 minutes from
Parliament Hill. Their 25th annual Maple
Sugar Fest runs March 21 – 27, 2011.
KICHESIPPI
BUYS HERITAGE
A new locally brewed beer called Kichesippi
(kitsch-uh-sip-ee) burst onto the Ottawa
scene in spring 2010—and now, less than a
year later, they’ve announced their purchase
of Heritage Brewing Company, an Ottawa
mainstay. The brewery—in Ottawa’s west
end—will continue to offer tours and delicious
tastings. And the name? It’s an Aboriginal
word meaning “Great River,”referring to the
Ottawa River. www.kbeer.ca
DIANA VISHNEVA Photo: Valentin Baranovsky
MUSEUMS OPEN ON MONDAY
Both the Canadian Museum of
Civilization and the Canadian War
Museum are open on Mondays
year-round! Previously, the two
Canadian Museum
institutions closed on Mondays in the
of Civilization
off-season. So now there are more
chances to see the Canada Hall, First People’s Hall, Canadian
Children’s Museum and IMAX Theatre—not to mention the exhibit
on Canada’s fur trade Profit & Ambition (on till February 6, 2011)
at the Museum of Civilization, or the popular exhibits A Brush
With War: Military Art from Korea to Afghanistan and The Navy: A
Century in Art at the War Museum (both on until March 20, 2011).
www.civilization.ca / www.warmuseum.ca
Meanwhile, the Canada Aviation and Space Museum has
decided to stay open Mondays but close on Tuesdays until
April 30. www.aviation.technomuses.ca
KIROV BALLET COMES TO THE NAC
OTTAWA TOURISM TRAVEL WRITING AWARD
The National Arts Centre in Ottawa is ecstatic to welcome
back the famous Kirov Ballet (technically known as the
Mariinsky Ballet) to perform La Bayadère February 24 – 27,
2011. The Kirov was last in Ottawa with a North American
exclusive performance of Swan Lake in 2006.
Ottawa Tourism offers a $500 CDN prize for
outstanding travel writing featuring Canada’s Capital
Region. Eligible entries include items in English
or in French that have appeared in magazines,
newspapers, or online media in 2010 that highlight
Ottawa as a travel destination. The deadline to
submit is Friday, February 4, 2011.
Now, in an exclusive Canadian engagement, they will present
this thrilling story, set in India, about a doomed temple dancer
and the noble warrior she loves. Expect unparalleled technical
expertise, breathtaking elegance, and unrivalled spectacle.
Full details are at www.ottawatourism.ca/en/
media/ottawa-tourism-travel-writing-award
TWO NEW OTTAWA TOURISM HOTEL PACKAGES
GET TO KNOW
YOUR CANADA…
Statues of historical figures in Ottawa.
In December 2010, Ottawa Tourism
launched two new getaway packages
that make discovering (or re-discovering)
your Canadian identity an affordable
and fun experience.
Both Get to Know Your Canada and
Taste of Canada are two-night getaway
packages, which offer a Third Night Free
at participating hotels for visitors wanting
to extend their stay. The Third Night
Free promotion is valid at participating
hotels for bookings made until
March 31, 2011—but the actual travel
can take place anytime. Each package
starts at $116 per night based on a
2-night stay for 2 adults.
If you’re new to Canada or simply in need
of a pleasant refresher course, this is
the perfect choice. Immerse yourself in
Canadian history, culture and achievement
at national museums and galleries. Tour
the capital’s famous national sites and
landmark attractions. And join in the
celebration at seasonal festivals and
national events all year round. It’s all about
getting to know Canada—and doing it all
in one quintessentially Canadian place!
TASTE OF CANADA…
If you’re into the great Canadian outdoors,
just step outside your Ottawa hotel and
go skating and skiing this winter and
enjoy great golfing, cycling, running,
hiking and water sports next summer.
Your tastes tend more toward arts and
culture? Ottawa’s got you covered with
the country’s biggest lineup of national
museums, galleries and performing
arts. Want a taste of Canadian culinary
excellence? Ottawa’s community of
renowned chefs is happy to oblige.
Come experience a taste of Canada,
whatever your pleasure!
Both packages are available—along with
others—at www.ottawatourism.ca
or by calling 1-888-OTTAWA-8
(1-888-688-2928).
Skating on the Rideau Canal.
Do You Speak Ottawan?
If you’re a visitor to Ottawa, you might
not recognize everything that comes
out of a local’s mouth. Here’s a guide
to some unique-to-Ottawa expressions
that you might find useful!
“the Market” is home to a 363-daya-year outdoor market; shops and
boutiques; 120+ bars, restaurants and
other places to eat and drink; and a
thriving residential district.
(An excerpt from Ottawa Tourism’s LetsGoOttawa.ca blog.
Read the whole entry at:
http://letsgoottawa.ca/2010/11/02/do-you-speak-ottawan)
“LeBreton Flats” is the area just
outside the Canadian War Museum
that is also hosts the fabulous
Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest each July.
GEOGRAPHY
Some of the expressions are
geographical in nature. You should
know, for instance, that “The Hill”
refers to Parliament Hill, home of the
House of Commons and Senate and
the core of Canadian democracy.
Parliament Hill
“The Market” refers to the ByWard
Market – not just a building, or a oneor two-day-a-week farmers’ market,
but a whole neighbourhood. Bounded
roughly by Sussex Drive, Murray Street,
Dalhousie Street and George Street,
LeBreton Flats
ByWard Market
If you listen to a traffic report, you’ll hear
mention of “The Queensway” but
they’re really referring to the main eastwest thoroughfare–Highway 417. “The
Split” refers to the segment in the east
end where Highway 174 splits off to
head to the neighbourhood of Orléans
while the 417 continues through eastern
Ontario and the Québec border.
“The Château” (often pronounced
more like “shadow”) refers to the
Fairmont Château Laurier. “The Canal”
can only refer to the UNESCO World
Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal. And
LOOKING AHEAD TO SUMMERTIME!
Before 2003, the downtown area
across the Ottawa River from
downtown Ottawa was the City of
“Hull”. But following an amalgamation
of several Québec municipalities, the
correct name is now Gatineau, though
many still refer to Hull (or at least the
“Hull sector” of Gatineau).
Ottawa went through a similar
amalgamation of 11 municipalities to
create a new, larger City of Ottawa in
2001. You’ll still hear people refer to
“Kanata,” “Nepean,” “Vanier,” and
“Rockcliffe Park,” among others, that
used to be separate municipalities.
OTTAWA TOURISM
WINS BIG AT ONTARIO
TOURISM AWARDS
Ottawa Tourism and local food initiative
Savour Ottawa were each named
winners at the Ontario Tourism Awards
in November 2010, capturing the gold
award for Best Tourism Advertising
and the Culinary Tourism
Leadership Award respectively.
Calypso Theme Waterpark opened just east of Ottawa last June as a seasonal
attraction and what a season it had! The hot sticky summer was ideal for waterpark
visits and the park attracted thousands!
The awards were presented at the
annual Ontario Tourism Summit,
hosted by the Ontario Tourism
Marketing Partnership Corporation
(OTMPC) and the Tourism Industry
Association of Ontario (TIAO).
Now they’re building 10 new waterslides for the 2011 season, including North
America’s tallest free-standing waterslide tower (total height: 90 feet or 27m). One—
the AquaLoop—starts in a small compartment with a drop floor, launching the visitor
into a vertical drop that also includes a 2.5G loop! www.calypsopark.com
For even more information on intriguing Ottawa activities, please contact Jantine Van Kregten, Director of Communications, Ottawa Tourism
613-237-5150, ext. 116 • 800-363-4465 • media@ottawatourism.ca • www.ottawatourism.ca