Canada Day

Celebrate Canada's birthday in Ottawa on July 1. While the Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings is being renovated, the official spot to gather on Canada Day is Major's Hill Park. As of 2022, the events have been moved to LeBreton Flats Park.

outdoors

Website: ottawatourism.ca (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Ottawa, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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More in Ottawa

Do
GigSpace
A more intimate jazz and blues venue, away from Downtown's beaten path.
Do
Mooney's Bay Ski Centre
The city's trail system serves as an excellent cross-country ski trail system. The city-run ski centre at Mooney's Bay Park is a good starting point if you want classic cross country or skate skiing lessons or need to rent equipment. Trails along the Ottawa River (the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail or Britannia Winter Trail, Rideau River (the Rideau Winter Trail) are other public and scenic routes that are groomed and maintained by volunteers.
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Rideau Skateway
When the temperatures are at their coldest, go skating on the largest outdoor skating rink in the world, the Rideau Canal. Skates, sleighs and ice "tricycles" can be rented, and refreshments purchased from vendors right on the ice. This is also a great place to enjoy a "BeaverTail" (see the listing under "Eat"). Rest areas with heated changerooms, washrooms, firepits, picnic tables, snacks and warm drinks are on the ice at various points. At the end of the boating season, the canal is drained, stairs, chalets, and temporary structures lifed in, and the water level raised just enough to provide.3 m of ice thickness. The ice surface is at the bottom of the canal, so it can only be accessed where stairs or ramps have been installed. Professinonal crews plow snow, fill cracks, and maintain the ice surface around the clock as soon as the ice is thick enough. The "skateway" can stretch for 7.8 km from the locks next to Parliament Hill to Carleton University, though some sections may be closed if ice conditions are too poor. It's possible to walk along the skateway if you want to visit a fire pit or snack bar. The ice surface is open 24 hours every day, but the vendors and amenities close in the evening. The 2023 season was cancelled due to high temperatures.
24 hours daily (when frozen)
Do
The National Arts Centre
Also provides a major venue for dance and orchestral performance.