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!!

It was really beautiful the river side was nice you should try bringing a grill to the parks do not…read morelite up fire on the ground the area is wildfire prone. Enjoy the view of yachts and people kayaking collect nice looking rocks and shells from shore, i climbed the tree. Explore the trails they really take you to a beautiful end. Its better if you are able to take bicycle with you. Perfect for weekend, bring your pet for a nice fetch session and a walk no poop bags for dogs so bring your own bring a blanket to sit on it is really important bring water to drink a as well bring picnic stuff enjoy your trip!

The park opened May 13 and is open Wednesdays to Sundays until September. Looks like the Ontario…read moreGovernment is doing a lot of work to open more parts of the house for show, and they offered more information, generally. The guided tour is very informative. I love seeing more of this Heritage Home, and learning about the Pinheys in general. The site is a great place for a picnic, or as a rest stop on a boat journey - there's showers!!! Bring your camera - there are plenty of photo ops here! And it will be wonderful to see in its fall colours. We will be back! They have special events all summer long, including concerts, I do know that in the Civic Holiday weekend, they offer a 1 day event for craftspeople, including a knitting display. If you've always wanted to know how to knit, perhaps this will be the time and place to learn how? For more information about the park, visit their website at http://www.pinheyspoint.ca/. Edited June 17 2013 to add that Pinhey's Point is now running an event in Mid-August, called Riverfest - another wonderful and well run event. This year it is August 11, 2013. Riverfest 2015 will be happening on Sunday August 9th. They've added an aboriginal storey teller (he's really good!), and canoe rides (for which there is a small fee). There are other demonstrators too. It's a great family event, and so worth the outing!

The Glebe Community Centre is a unique structure in the heart of the Glebe. It offers a multitude…read moreof programs for every age group and interest, including painting, theatre, yoga, pottery, sports, dance, baking and cooking classes, dog obedience classes and even random classes like soap and bath-bomb making. Their prices are usually reasonable, but the classes fill up very quickly, so make sure to register well before the first class begins. If you live in the area, you'll receive a calendar for the upcoming season with a grace period to plan your next class. The centre also has many day or weekend long events, such as plays, craft fairs, jewelry shows and food shows. If you're in the area on weekdays between 11:30am-3pm, stop by The Pantry Vegetarian Tea Room for some food. The prices are a bit high and there's not much selection, but the food is fairly wholesome and usually organic. They don't accept debit or credit card, so bring cash!

This is an amazing community feature right in the heart of one of the loveliest spots in the city…read more I've recently had the opportunity to drop by with two little ones to bring them to playgroup and their toddler music class, and I was blown away. I would never have suspected from the relatively boring outside of this building that the inside is alive with great programming. You're greeted by a lovely staircase that leads up to Scotton Hall - the "gym" that Reviewer R mentioned. This is a stunning room with huge vaulted ceilings, stained glass, a kitchen and tons of room for the little ones to run around during playgroup (which is what I was there for!). It would also be amazing for an event. The playgroup was amazing. The facilitator Andrew, was great with the kids and there's even snacktime for kids and parents. The music class is similarly well-run and all the staff I have interacted with her are sweet and friendly. There' a whiteboard in the front lobby that details all the happenings going on that day and it's always packed! They have tons of classes (I even say mention of a "mother-daughter glee group" - unreal!) for all ages and the prices aren't bad at all. There's a great play structure outside for the little ones, as well as a sweet Thomas the Tank Engine table under the stairs. Be sure to ask the lovely lady at the front desk for the trains - clearly these have gone missing in the past, haha! If you're in the area, this is a great option for activities for kids and adults alike. Pop in and see the space - you won't be disappointed!

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.

A good building in a quiet location Has a decent sized main…read moreroom for activities With a raised small stage with storage locking cabinets A small but functional kitchen and washroom complete the main floor There is a basement area that I have not explored An excersize class for elders is scheduled Monday and Thursday around noon It runs from September through May A reasonable workout

We have visited the canal for many years but this was our first time trying the ice bike…read moreexperience, and unfortunately, it will be our last. Renting from Capital Skates turned out to be an incredibly frustrating and frankly unsafe experience. The primary issue is the equipment maintenance: the tires on these "ice bikes" appear to be completely worn down and are clearly not fit for a natural ice surface. With absolutely zero traction, the rear tire just spins in place, leaving you drifting helplessly rather than actually cycling. This lack of grip makes steering nearly impossible; I spent most of the ride fighting a massive lag in responsiveness that nearly sent me veering into the canal edge multiple times. The mechanical failures didn't stop there, as the gear shifter took nearly 15 seconds to actually engage after being moved, making any kind of momentum impossible to maintain. To make matters worse, the business model feels designed to capitalize on their monopoly on the canal. You are forced into a rigid two-hour rental--no more and no less--which is a steep commitment for equipment this poorly maintained at nearly $60 per bike. We attempted to call the business to address these concerns, but the line went to a voicemail that hasn't even been set up. It's a shame that such an iconic Canadian landmark is served by a vendor that seems to have given up on basic maintenance. Save your money and your nerves--stick to traditional skates.

Wow! What a cool and unique experience! I learned how to skate as a child but am not a pro. I'm…read morenot very good at stopping, as an adult I usually stick to near the edge and run into the boards to stop, but after planning a trip to Ottawa during winter and hearing about this place I knew I needed to try it, and I am so excited I did. I was a little nervous not being a good skater, and having read some reviews that the ice is full of holes and not well surfaced, and that during Winterlude (when we were visiting) it gets crazy I was a little nervous, but I was glad to find that I had no problems. True the ice isn't perfect, that should be anticipated when on an outdoor rink, but it was still an enjoyable experience despite not being a confident skater myself. I went slowly and was able to make it through even rocky areas by holding my husbands hand. I went on Saturday during Winterlude and on Family day and both days were very busy, lots and lots of people on the ice, but that didn't take away from the experience. Faster and better skaters were able to go around me and other slower skaters and they were respectful of those of us who weren't as skilled. If you aren't a skater at all, you should still come and enjoy this cool place! My husband is not a skater and he walked in his boots the entire open length of the canal. I walked it one day and skated it the other day we visited. We also watched lots of others enjoy the space in the same way. I was also nervous about the ice conditions after watching them change between good, fair and poor in the week leading up to our visit. The day I walked the canal it was listed as "very good" and it seemed like it was. The day that I skated it was listed as "fair" and I found it not bad at all. There were certainly areas where the ice was bumpy and some holes but overall even as a weaker skater it was good, so don't let the ice conditions scare you, if you are here in winter give it a try! You can even buy beavertails and other food while still on your skates! Getting on the ice is free, and there are different entrances that have benches, bathrooms, food places, fire pits, places to hang out and so much more! Such a cool and unique experience, plan a trip out to Ottawa in winter ASAP!

Finally tired of constantly buying books (thereby needing to store them SOMEwhere!) I've been…read moretrying out different libraries in the west end of Ottawa and close enough to home. Solution to my storage issues: read 'em and return 'em! This location had two very helpful and alert staff on hand to guide me and help me on my visit. This branch has a lot of selection, and is well laid out. I like biographies and seem to be on a big book kick these days. I've borrowed a fat tome on Mary Queen of Scots. I will be busy reading for a while... Did you know that you can borrow a book at any Ottawa Library and return it to any other Ottawa Library outlet? It works! I did this myself for this visit. Very accomodating! I was pleasantly and eerily surprised by this branch, which seems to have more books than the Stittsville branch. I thought the Stittsville branch looked big but relatively empty, and assumed wrongly that it was relatively new. Apparently that location has been there for some 10 years. This one in Carp is older, in what used to be a storage area for Diefenbunker. THAT was the eerie part! The cold war escape hatch gave me the heebie jeebies on this otherwise sunny day, hiding undiscerned under grass the colour of hay, with cows chomping what they could of it. Next stop will be the branch on Campeau Road. I do love to read!

This is a decent facility, in a busy and bustling Ottawa neighbourhood. We attended an interesting…read moretalk that concerned travel to India, from the perspective of 2 different travellers, and the travel agency which books group tours. Lots of interesting information was provided, and some beautiful photos. We were located in a large room to the left of the entrance; it had large windows facing the street. The presenters did have some technical issues (audio/visual) which they resolved. There is lots more to this community centre than we had time to explore! Maybe next time we can take our time.