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.

I didn't even know this library was here until I moved into the community. I love it because it is…read moreso quaint and almost hidden among the trees. Though this small library obviously doesn't have the ample selection that other branches in Ottawa do, you can easily order in books. But the vibe of this library more than makes up for that fact. Here you feel like you are in a small town library, where you can get individual attention and bring your kids to stay for a while. There is a meeting room here too and there are often activities or meetings going on. Because of it's size, there are often stacks of books on the front desk or a line up to check out books, but that is all part of this library's charm. The hours vary to allow those who work, or those who stay at home to have time to stop by. I'm proud to call this my home branch!

2024: winter time. Tour by appointment only…read more 2022: The young summer guides where energetic and knows their country's history well. Symbolizing that patriotism is strong. It feels like you are at bridgerton(netflix series) when you are inside. It is free entrance but one has to go under security before going in. Not as strict as the senate security.

I can't believe that I am the first to review this place. What a hidden gem. If you are in Ottawa…read moreand you want some history, please check this out. It is the first house of the Governor General. It is beautiful, both the art work and the furniture. Occasionally the current Governor General is in the house and on the grounds. You need to go on a guided tour, you are not allowed to wander at your leisure. However, our guide was amazing. He was informative fun and interesting. We also have a daughter with special needs, and he went above and beyond to make sure she was included in the guided tour. We really appreciated this, and it is not often that this happens on guided tours. The grounds them selves are gorgeous (unfortunately it was pouring raid when we were there, so we were a little hindered in our exploration). Please go, it was one of the things we loved about Ottawa.

I was in need to replace a health card. Service Ontario…read morewhich is here now is working in a super smart way. You need to come in person before lunch, stay in line and get a ticket and pay for parking. You need to return the same day at your appointment time, again stay in line, pay for parking and be lucky enough to get your appointment done. I was not lucky and did not get a ticket cause they were done at 1pm. System works brilliant: if you are working full time, you need to take the whole day off to be able to get the service here or just to spent lots of time. Government was not able to create the simple online booking system and provide an announcement but was able to close all the doors in the building and provide security who comes out once in 30 minutes to tell you that there is no point to stay in line. Smaaaart

I came here with my boyfriend's family during the summer. His mom and now stepdad were getting…read moremarried. We were a party of 9. Once we all arrived, we were able to take a few pictures in the beautiful scenery before being shown to a waiting area with seats. Everything was extremely organized, but not rushed in any way. The Justice of the Peace came to meet us and led the way into the room for the civil ceremony. The fairly room was small, but it had flowers and was nicely dim lit, so it was quite quaint. The ceremony was short and sweet, and not too serious. Afterward, we exited the doors and walked out to the hallway where we were greeted with the bride's work friends blowing bubbles. It was very sweet of them to let this small group of 4 women 'sneak in' to greet the bride. It was such a great day for the family!

Today is Canada's 150th birthday, thus younger than the state of California. Canada occupies North…read moreAmerica's northern swath and shares a somewhat continuous border with the United States. While I wouldn't call Canada temperate, most of its population lives closer to the border, where the climate is relatively more reasonable compared to its Great White North. It could be larger than the U.S., but holds 5 million less inhabitants than California. For those who have traversed California, they know how much of it is open land, especially in its deserts, in its Central Valley, and in its protected recreational areas. As for Canada's expansive unpopulated areas, these lands are rich in natural resources. Canada is, by its very nature, cultured and sophisticated. Its western side it is a portal to the Pacific Rim. Its eastern side is closer to Europe, from which it has received many immigrants, than is the U.S. With that infusion comes multicultural thinking and, in my opinion, Canada goes about it the right way. While the U.S. advocates a "melting pot" which implies a brand of assimilation that would involve the dilution of cultural roots, Canada prides itself on its "cultural mosaic." Whether native or naturalized, its citizens recognize being Canadian as well as of another ethnicity or culture. I applaud that being considered normative. Canada also has an interesting wrench of sorts thrown into the equation. It's called Quebec. Bounded on both sides by Anglophone provinces, Quebec is officially Francophone. It enjoys a sort of autonomy that allows for this in conducting affairs. The U.S. has similar wrenches, where Pacific territories and Puerto Rico can preserve their native cultures. In reality, these are not wrenches at all as much as they are interesting. I can't picture a Canada without Quebec. At one point in time, the Quebec Referendum was a contentious event in which the province wanted to secede, largely surrounding cultural and linguistic issues. It didn't happen. With cultural cross fertilization, that looks to be further and further in the rear view mirror. Our selective memories allow us to remember some things more than others. In the late 90s, a higher-up in Quebec's government was queried about the language issue. His response was something like, 'We do not need to speak French ... we need French in order to speak.' I nearly bust a gut. While it sounded pompous, I also understood what he meant. The manner in which someone from an Anglophone culture and someone from a culture imbued by Latin European sensibilities processes and communicates is not the same. Whether fact or fiction, it is said that we have French-Canadian explorers to thank for the name of the Grand Tetons. It was probably random association. I'm sure these men didn't decide this by committee while around the campfire. To many in the U.S. and around the world, Canada is synonymous with its big cities and its natural wonders. Some 15% of its population lives in the GTA, the Greater Toronto Area, Canada's economic engine. At one time, the United Nations declared the Toronto area to be the most culturally diverse in the world. Historic Montreal is on the up and up, after languishing some decades ago, and it is the largest French speaking city outside of France. Like Toronto, it has industry and commerce but, in North America, it is considered second only to New York for gastronomy. Scenic Vancouver is Western Canada's port to the Pacific and a city that has boomed, along with its prices. Only slightly more than 2 hours north of Seattle, it's the stuff that postcards are made of. Calgary, Alberta is Canada's western town, with its own lore and close to their Rockies. It's "Canada's Denver," being Canada's energy hub city, while sprawling Edmonton is the province's capital. With regard to capitals, Ottawa is the national capital, with its metro area straddling Ontario and Quebec. It's an interesting city to visit, although Quebec City is clearly in first place among Canadian capitals for being a tourist destination, given its being a UNESCO World Heritage site. Natural wonders include Vancouver Island, the Okanagan, the Canadian Rockies, Niagara Falls, the Laurentians, and the rugged Atlantic coast. Canada is not perfect. However, it is consistently ranked among the top nations in the world for quality of life. It's both progressive and economically diversified. It's a large, beautiful country with much variety. On the other hand, its success has made its more bustling cities expensive and crowded. Canada has no real banana belt; Vancouver is its Miami. Canada, too, has problems with crime, homelessness, unrest, and strains in its social fabric. Regardless, we have more in common with Canada than not. The inscriptions at the Peace Arch crossing in the West read "Children of a Common Mother" and "Brethren Dwelling Together in Unity." That said, happy birthday, northern neighbors!

Commenting as a tourist, I was able to go there even though it's being renovated (will be complete…read moreby 2032, apparently). You can even go into a legislative session (need to bring a governmental ID and pass a security check) to see parliamentary procedures and democracy in action. Definitely worth checking out!

The place that runs Canada. The parliament building, modeled after the Big Ben in London, has an…read moreamazing site. Currently it's going through some renovations, so two gigantic cranes are towering over the building. Very popular site with tourists. There are huge boards that provide details of the building and the government. Visitors can the building too but we saw a long line. Lots of law enforcement officers in the area to keep everything safe and in order.

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.

Beautiful architectural design for a supreme court. No known tours for this place.few mins. Walk…read morefrom house of commons

The tour took us to the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada courtrooms. All the…read morematerial in areas accessible to the public are foreign and expensive building material while the washrooms and non-publicly accessible areas used Canadian building material. The ceilings of the court are high to express the stature and importance of the Supreme Court of Canada. I have to say, the washrooms were nice too. Security staff were courteous, unlike the Supreme Court of the United States - think that says much about Canada. :) Interestingly, the chairs of the judges of the SCC are all custom made so that all the judges sit all around at the same level. As a lawyer, you only get an hour to make a concise argument for your case so the importance of written factums (written submissions) are very important. Typically cases are heard in 1 day, but there are cases that take 2 days to be heard due to the high number of intervenors. The library, which is not accessible to the public, takes up most of the third floor of the building. For the general public, the library isn't probably somewhere you'd want to see or check out. It's has the legislation of all provinces/territories, secondary sources, and also European/British sources too. You can only borrow books for typically 24 hours.