Heavy security and sparse crowds gathered in downtown Ottawa for day two of U.S. President Joe Biden's whirlwind visit to the capital.
Biden travelled from the Fairmont Chateau Laurier to Parliament Hill on Friday morning, where he attended a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and delivered an address to Parliament. Biden and first lady Jill Biden attended a "gala dinner" at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum before departing Ottawa late Friday evening.
A small crowd gathered along Wellington Street to watch the president's motorcade drive to Parliament Hill. One person was carrying a giant Canadian flag.
Josh Arless was in downtown Ottawa to try to see Biden.
"It has been a really long time since a president has come to Ottawa and I am hoping to get a glimpse through the ‘beast’ window before he gets to Parliament Hill," Arless said.
The 45-minute delay for the motorcade didn't discourage onlookers from wanting to catch a glimpse of the president and the massive security detail.
"It is just one of those things you never know when you are going to see again," Emily Dewolf said.
Dual citizen Jessica Matwick told CTV News Ottawa it was "exciting" to see President Biden travel through the streets of Ottawa.
"Even though I lived in D.C. for 12 years and have seen all of this myself, to see the beast going by and earlier when FLOTUS went by and the motorcade, you know you're not in the States, you know you're here, it was just exciting to see," Matwick said while standing on Wellington Street.
David, who did not provide his last name, said they will spend time in downtown Ottawa hoping to see Biden on a walkabout.
"We're going to stay close by and see if we can meet him."
Matthew Anardi is a student at the University of Ottawa. He says as a dual citizen, it was an important moment to see.
"It is pretty cool to see the two leaders of the two countries and to see all the decorations... and the security is like, wow!" Anardi said.
Charley Kopla is also a student and says, "I have some American family, so it was cool that I got to see the president before them, and it is so cool that in Ottawa we get these kind of things.”
There were also some tourists visiting the capital who did not know the U.S. president was in town and were surprised to see the security. The Scribas are visiting from Germany and said this would be a moment their young son will appreciate when he is older.
"We took lots of photos; he was waving at the police cars, and he had a bit of fun!"
There is a heightened security presence around the Parliamentary Precinct during Biden's visit, with several roads closed and Ottawa police, the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and other police forces in place.
The U.S. President did not take a side-trip to any destinations during his 27-hour visit to the capital.
A police officer uses sighting equipment to observe a perimeter as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and U.S. President Joe Biden take part in a meeting on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Friday, March 24, 2023. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Here's a look at what you need to know about President Biden's second day in Ottawa.
11:15 a.m. – Biden was scheduled to arrive on Parliament Hill for a welcoming ceremony inside West Block. However, he arrived late and the welcome ceremony began about 30 minutes behind schedule.
He was then scheduled to attend a bilateral meeting with Trudeau, then the two will have a larger meeting with officials from both the U.S. and Canadian governments.
1:50 p.m. – Biden addresses Parliament
3:45 p.m. – Biden and Trudeau will hold a joint media availability at the Sir John A. Macdonald building
6:30 p.m. – Biden, the first lady and the American delegation will attend a "gala dinner" hosted by Trudeau and his wife Sophie Gregoire Trudeau.
A senior U.S. official told reporters Biden will have a pull-aside meeting with Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre today.
Jill Biden and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau are scheduled to attend several events today.
Biden and Gregoire Trudeau visited youth taking part in a curling program at the Rideau Curling Club and hosted a "conversation to discuss youth wellness and mental health."
First lady Jill Biden, and Sophie Gregoire Trudeau watch as youth playing curling at the Rideau Curling Club during U.S. President Joe Biden's official trip in Ottawa, on Friday, March 24, 2023. (Spencer Colby/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
The two also visited the National Gallery of Canada, where they'll take in an exhibit by Canadian women artists.
There will be several road closures and traffic disruptions in Ottawa today due to the president's visit.
The following city of Ottawa roads will be closed until 11 p.m.:
There will be temporary disruptions on the following roads throughout the day:
While President Biden's motorcade is moving, the Macdonald-Cartier and Alexandra bridges will have "intermittent and temporary closures in both directions" for all vehicular, cyclist and pedestrian traffic.
Neither the White House nor the Prime Minister's Office has said whether there will be any impromptu stops for the U.S.president while in Ottawa.
People will be able to see the president as the motorcade travels through the Parliamentary Precinct and to the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum.
In 2009, former President Barack Obama visited the ByWard Market during his first visit to the capital.
OC Transpo says bus service will be detoured from Rideau Street to the Mackenzie King Bridge due to the president's visit. The following routes will be detoured until 10 p.m. Friday - 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 14, 15, 16, 18, 19, 97, 99, 111, 299.
Some OC Transpo bus routes and Para Transpo service will experience travel delays due to road closures and various routes will experience detours during select time periods.
The O-Train will be operating as regularly scheduled, with stops at Rideau Station.
Transport Canada announced Thursday morning it has issued a NOTAM (notice to air missions) restricting the operation of all aircraft, including drones, within a five nautical mile radius of Parliament Hill (about 9 kilometres). They have also issued the same restriction within a 24 nautical mile radius of the Ottawa airport (about 44 kilometres).
The notices will be in effect until 10 p.m. Friday, about the length of the president's planned stay. Regularly scheduled commercial and cargo flights, along with police, military and medevac flights, are excluded from those restrictions.
NORAD warns Ottawa residents may see military aircraft in the sky during President Biden's visit to the capital.
CF-18 Hornet fighter jets and CH-146 Griffon helicopters may be in the skies over Ottawa.
A RCMP helicopter circles over Parliament Hill in Ottawa Friday, March 24, 2023, in advance of the arrival of U.S. President Joe Biden. (Adrian Wyld/THE CANADIAN PRESS)
Live coverage of the visit continues today on CTV News Channel. For the latest updates on the trip, including Biden’s address to Parliament, follow our live blog launching Friday on CTVNews.ca and the CTV News app.
With files from CTV News senior digital parliamentary reporter Rachel Aiello
One of the architects of the law that governs Canada's prison system says it's understandable people want revenge on killer and serial rapist Paul Bernardo, but that's not what the prison system is designed for.
Prince Harry was back in the witness box at the High Court in London on Wednesday for a second day of grilling over his allegations that British tabloids targeted him with phone-hacking and other unlawful behaviour.
The Bank of Canada is set to announce its interest rate decision this morning as speculation about another rate hike heats up.
Canada's special rapporteur on foreign interference David Johnston calls the allegations swirling around his objectivity 'quite simply false,' and said Tuesday he plans to push ahead with his work, launching public hearings next month
During a record-setting wildfire season, experts say prevention of more disasters is important, citing a Canada-wide fire service could help mitigate blazes.
Pope Francis went to the hospital Wednesday to undergo abdominal surgery to treat an intestinal blockage, two years after he had 33 centimeters (13 inches) of his colon removed because of an inflammation and narrowing of the large intestine.
Tim Hortons is launching a credit card that can be used through its mobile app, the latest move into an increasingly competitive rewards space.
Special Rapporteur David Johnston will launch foreign interference hearings in July, travellers from 13 more countries are now eligible to visit Canada without a visa, and rent across Canada climbs.
Two lucky lottery ticket holders in British Columbia and Ontario will split the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot.
A record-size wildfire in Shelburne County, N.S., isn’t likely to move if conditions don't change, officials say.
Officials gave the outside world its first look inside the destruction from the Halifax-area wildfires Tuesday.
As many as 100,000 Nova Scotians may have had sensitive personal information stolen in a global privacy breach affecting a file transfer system used by the provincial government, officials confirmed Tuesday.
Ontario Provincial Police are investigating a fatal crash on Highway 404 this morning.
A dog has been shot dead by police after three people were attacked in Burlington Tuesday afternoon, police say.
More fire bans have been put into effect as wildfires continue to burn in Quebec and northern Ontario.
Quebec's massive wildfires have forced most of the province's wilderness outfitters to shut down during one of their busiest seasons. While some have been closed due to active fires, dozens of others have been forced to cancel reservations by a government order limiting access to forests in much of the province.
Montreal police (SPVM) are investigating a case of suspected arson after a nail salon in Westmount caught fire early Wednesday morning.
Quebec MNAs are about to get a significant pay raise. The National Assembly adopted Bill 24 on Tuesday afternoon, which will increase the politicians' base salaries by $30,000 per year.
A dog has been shot dead by police after three people were attacked in Burlington Tuesday afternoon, police say.
Canada is expanding the list of countries whose residents are eligible to visit this country without a travel visa.
Two lucky lottery ticket holders in British Columbia and Ontario will split the $70 million Lotto Max jackpot.
Two years after four members of the Afzaal Family were killed in an apparently deliberate attack, words haven’t always translated into action.
As wildfires continue to burn in Northern Ontario and Quebec, a special air quality statement has been issued for London and surrounding areas.
An 18 year old from Kitchener, Ont. is facing stunt driving charges after OPP clocked them allegedly speeding 150 km/h because they were 'trying to get to Grand Bend.'
Some students at an elementary school in the St. James-Assiniboia School Division will be receiving 30 minutes of religious teaching next year after the board of trustees passed a bylaw Tuesday evening.
Manitoba's Crown-owned vehicle insurance corporation offered more details Tuesday on recent turmoil that has seen the departure of senior executives and a big jump in the cost of technology upgrades.
Canada is expanding the list of countries whose residents are eligible to visit this country without a travel visa.
A haze is lingering in the air and there’s a faint smell of smoke in areas across southwestern Ontario as wildfires continue to burn in Quebec and northern Ontario.
A trustee with the Waterloo Region District School Board brought the board to court on Tuesday, arguing that a suspension handed to him in 2022 was unfair and unreasonable.
The search for Amber Ellis, a Hagersville woman reported missing in March 2021, is returning to the community where she was last seen.
Tuesday night, councillors debated a proposal that could have seen their numbers grow by as many as six before the end of the decade.
As the definition of a typical Canadian summer evolves, experts say 'hot' and 'dry' could be the buzzwords of the season.
Calgary's Ukrainian community held an emergency rally on Tuesday night in response to the destruction of a dam in southern Ukraine.
A willingness to hire newcomers to Canada has brought new business to Nestor’s Bakery.
While Saskatoon Tribal Council (STC) publicly mulled moving its downtown emergency shelter to a location on 20th Street near the city's core, city documents reveal the wellness centre's present Fairhaven area location was heavily favoured early in the process.
A farmer near the village of Goodsoil says wind storms that tore through northwestern Saskatchewan on Monday nearly sucked his father out of the house.
An RCMP helicopter is assisting with the search for the 14-year-old boy who went missing in the North Saskatchewan River nearly 48 hours ago.
An Edmonton man convicted of killing his pregnant wife and dumping her body in a ditch has been granted full parole.
Edmontonian and Bayern Munich star Alphonso Davies held a soccer camp for children at Victoria Soccer Club on Tuesday.
The officials tasked with preparing for and responding to natural disasters in the province are bracing for widespread evacuations of B.C. communities amid tinder-dry conditions that are already prompting dire wildfire predictions.
Visitors will be able to legally drink booze in some Burnaby parks starting June 23, as city councillors voted in favour of an alcohol in parks pilot project on Monday.
The chair of the Vancouver Park Board says he has received several complaints since expanded hours at Second Beach Pool went away.
The trial for the man accused of his brother’s death resumed on Tuesday morning, with the accused appearing in court by video.
Regina’s Aaron Higgins will compete at the 2023 Special Olympics World Games in Berlin, Germany at the end of the month in powerlifting.
Regina city council will have a decision on its hands Wednesday, about whether a reprimand is needed for Coun. Andrew Stevens after he disclosed a confidential report.
