Rideau Hall is an incredibly large 19th century building that is the official residence of the…read moreGovernor General of Canada. It's a National Historic Site of Canada. The building is a home, but it's primarily used as offices and meeting places for government officials. The building is also open to the public for tours, but many enjoy the landscaping of the grounds. It's quite scenic, with a greenhouse, park and picnic areas, many trees, gardens, and wooded areas. In the summer, the Changing of the Guard happens here, as well as on Parliament Hill. I'm not a big on anything government or politics related, so I'm not too into the historical tours and what not, but the grounds are pretty gorgeous. You can go there during the winter, too, but the summer is the best for walking around and enjoying the scenery.

"A tour worth taking"…read more In this rain-filled Spring, we were fortunate to have a sunny and warm late morning in May to visit Rideau Hall. The grounds are magnificent with a wide variety of flowers and trees. Memorial plaques and various gardens enrich the experience. The highlight for me was the formal tour of Rideau Hall itself. As the grounds and several other buildings comprise some 79 acres. Our guide was enthusiastic, knowledgeable and able to intelligently address visitor's questions. Perhaps it's not on most people's top ten attractions in our capital region but it should be.

Since I live right pretty well on the border of Rockcliffe Park, I often go walking there. It is…read morereally nice to walk by all the different residences of ambassadors. Not only are the houses huge, but they seem to have lots of character of the countries that they represent. People in the neighbourhood are always friendly and greet eachother when passing. There are always plenty of people out walking their dogs, cycling and jogging. The neighbourhood is really safe and I have gone walking at night on several occasions without any problems.

I am writing this review in regards to the cycling available along the rockcliffe parkway, which…read moreruns through the park. This is a wonderful route to follow, especially if you can find a time when it is not busy with cars. I went out on March 7th around 1pm, and it was lovely. The air was crisp, and there were no cars. The view along the river is breathtaking, and offers several opportunities to venture off the road and shore. The whole parkway is about 22km one-way, and there seemed to be a gentle slope. The actual parkway road is decent, however the surround streets you use to access it are ridden with potholes. I would suggest bringing your bike to one of the parking lots in the park and setting out from there. I am sure it can only get lovelier as the weather gets warmer, and the festivals and tourists dots the landscape. From my understanding the parkway is heavily used by cyclists in the summer, this is comforting. Also, I found drivers passing me on the road gave me a lot of room. I will definitely keep riding this route, and return once the snow clears to explore the park! The only downside to cycling, is the actual parkway is not very long. You could do the stretch multiple times but your passing the same scenery which is boring. Once the parkway ends the roads get considerably more busy.

The current location is the old Ottawa train station across the street from the Chateau Laurier…read moreuntil the nearly decade long renovations of parliament are complete. Me, my wife, and our friend who was a Canadian government employee living in Ottawa but has yet to tour this temporary location went on the tour and really enjoyed it. They did an amazing job accommodating my disabilities and even provided a wheelchair and opened doors for me as I spent a great deal walking and standing around the art museum earlier in the day.

Because the Canadian Centre Block Parliament is under rehabilitation, the senate was moved not to…read morethe East Block, but to the former Ottawa Union Station on Rideau Street, right on the canal. Whereas the parliament buildings are in the new gothic design, the Senate building is in the Beaux-Arts design I associate more with industrial and commercial buildings built in the 19th to early 20th century. The pillars at the entrance with the narrow windows imbue a fortified sense to the building, with marble floors inside the building. The high ceilings makes for a large open space, with plaster cieling patterns. New renovations within the building have allowed the senate the space needed to work, with the main senate floor, committee rooms, and offices. The main hall of the former terminal has adjacent committee rooms which provide additional 2nd floor space, with plenty of open space to spare. Since the welcome center is on Parliament hill underneath the West Block, you need to go there first for tickets. Tickets are free, but they are to limit and organize tours. The security checkpoint is not a terrible hastle, however you should arrive 15 minutes early. The staff were very knowledgeable and polite, providing a fascinating lesson on the structure on this branch of government in Canada. I was intrigued by the three chairs taking center stage. The first seat is for the speaker of the senate, whereas the two rear seats are thrones (yes thrones) for the Governor General, and for the monarch (at the time of this writing, Queen Elizabeth whom herself hadn't addressed the senate since 1977). There are little things peppered throughout the building to symbolize everything, well, Canadian.

Very small, but busy library. This Rosemount branch is the oldest Ottawa Public Library branch…read morestill operating in its original building (which was built in 1918!) It did undergo renovations in 2021 though. It has a modern-looking entrance, but most of the library is still classic-looking. It has big glass windows and let's in lots of natural light. This library accepts used batteries for recycling. The recycling container is a long cylinder and it's located to the right when you enter the building. I almost missed it the first time I was looking for it. I was expecting a big box like at places like Lowe's or Home Depot, but it's a small-ish cylinder. Great neighbourhood library! (39)

This is my local OPL branch and even though it's small, it's still one if my favourite spots in the…read moreneighbourhood. The area immediately surrounding the library is currently under renovation which makes it a tad noisy, but that will be done in the coming months. There's a decent collection at this branch and I can almost always get a recent DVD or museum pass from the Express section. Jennifer, the librarian is great, as are all the staff that I've interacted with. They offer lots of programs, including baby, toddler and family storytime programs for kids that I have been bringing my son to for years. It's a great activity for the kids and a nice way to meet some other parents in the neighbourhood.

The staff here is helpful, and the lines go fairly quickly - it gets quite busy here. Driver…read moreLicense and Health Card renewals can be done here, now that they are linked (and the photos are equally as bad!) You can also get fire permits here; $13.00 to the end of the year. Meant to get it earlier but it wouldn't have mattered with all the rain we've been getting this year. At least we should be able to burn this year as opposed to last year's drought. I'm ready with the marshmallows!!

If you have been following my reviews, you should have noticed by now that I really enjoy history -…read morespecifically visiting historic sites, such as Pinhey's Point, The Keg Manor, Goulbourn Museum, and The Canadian Museum of Nature (that wonderful old castle that has such a rich history!) To that list, we can now add Manotick's Watson's Mill. I have to wonder if the current Mayor of Ottawa is a descendant of the Manotick Watsons? I have been to Manotick several times over the years, but for some odd, bizarre reason, I had never seen the mill before. I had enjoyed 2 or 3 of the local restaurants, and shopping along the main street, but managed to overlook this beautiful historic section. Isn't that typical of history? It so often gets overlooked... until you do a little digging! On this visit, I learned how the population of Manotick has exploded recently! In roughly 100 years, the population grew only a little bit, going from 400 to about 470, but in the last decade it mushroomed to over 5000 people! This particular visit to Manotick was prompted by the Christmas Craft Fair which runs for 3 consecutive weekends until December 3-4. That's really cool! I haven't seen any other fairs run for so long. Another intriguing thing about this fair is that some of the vendors are there for longer or shorter than others, so if you happened to visit on any one weekend, there would be no harm in taking another trip to Manotick to visit the fair again, as it is likely the display will be different. This event was really well run, in my opinion. There were lots of vendors and as a result, a wider variety of items to choose from. Oh, and of course, if you happen to be there early enough, you might be lucky to find fresh bread baked from Watson's Mill flour! Or you could also purchase some flour to take home to use in your own baking. It's all good! Bear in mind what other reviewers have said: the Mill itself is original and although the building does have windows - ie: it is NOT like a parking garage with wind whipping through it! - But it also does NOT have heating or running water inside. Washrooms and heat are across the street. Wearing layers to attend winter events at this venue is a good idea. While there, I took a stroll through the memorial gardens and saw the names pressed into the sidewalks along the river of people whose lives have been lost in the wars. There's a cenotaph there that still had poppies from the local Remebrance Day celebration. Walking back to the Mill, I got a glimpse of the rushing waters behind the mill, and took photos. Manotick really is a lovely village! I highly recommend visiting this site in different seasons. The Mill itself does run in the summer, and you can learn about how flour is made.

My friend, who was my professor during my undergraduate years, recommended visiting Watson's Mill…read more I took his advice and had a good, educational experience. The mill is in Manotick, which is a quaint, picturesque town just shy of Ottawa. This mill played an important part in the grain and seed industry years past. You can learn about the grain process and go up all three floors. It does get cold, so bundle up! Admission is free. However, I made a small donation. I also bought some lollipops at the gift store, because it is who I am. Across the street is Dickinson House, where the co-builder and mayor lived. I'd also recommend seeing the Rideau behind the mill. It's a beautiful site. Additionally, there is a memorial and a pathway honouring those who fought to served and protect Canada. It's done tastefully. I was moved reading the names of veterans as I walked back to the mill.

It's nice to have a community centre in such a small area in Ottawa. This community centre is…read moremerely steps from my door and offers lots of classes, from yoga, to art, to music, to pilates! There are children's programs available too and camps are run in the summer. Classes are held at all different times. There is even an early morning fitness class starting at 630am! The community is knit further by holding frequent meetings and events, both in the community centre and at various places around the Lindenlea community. Events are also organized to help the community by giving to the Food Bank and becoming a more green neighbourhood.

This library is attached to the Greenboro Community Centre. It's extremely convenient for children,…read morestudents, and all members of the community. It has both an automated express check-out and a book-drop outside of the building. The library is two floors, with stairs, elevators, and numerous exits. They have private "quiet" rooms for reading or tutoring, meeting rooms, tables for studying and group work, little desks and chairs for individual reading, and even computer labs on both floors for Internet browsing and looking up book locations. Like other libraries, it has sections for books, videos, CDS and audio, and even a childrens section for group readings. The selection of books is actually quite large, especially considering the size of the library is no where near that of the Ottawa Public Library downtown. It's also very modernly designed, but still carpeted and not cold or stuffy in any way. If you're in the South Keys/Hunt Club area, it would definitely be a great resource for you and your children.

I was looking for a new place to study near me and decided to check out the Greenboro District…read moreLibrary. The library is attached to the Community Centre so there were quite a few people there. Despite the foot traffic, the library was pretty quiet, which I really appreciated. The space is actually pretty big and had nice big desks on the second floor. They also have designated quiet rooms and lots of computers. I will most likely come back here to study!!