Things you can do in Ottawa for free this winter
While the cost of groceries, property taxes and home ownership keeps rising, there are things you can do in Ottawa this winter without breaking the bank.
You can visit Winterlude in Ottawa and Gatineau, go cross-country skiing for free at several trails in Ottawa or tour the Parliament buildings.
CTVNewsOttawa.ca looks at nine things you can do for free in Ottawa this winter.
Winterlude
Experience the best of Canadian winter at Winterlude.
The popular winter festival in Ottawa and Gatineau includes a number of free events on Sparks Street, the Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Park in Gatineau and in the ByWard Market.
Winter Pride is set for the weekend of Feb. 10 to 12.
Winterlude runs until Feb. 20. For information, visit www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude
The Winterlude National Ice-Carving Championship kicked off on Sparks Street Saturday morning. The competition was delayed one day due to the cold temperatures. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa)
Rideau Hall Winter Celebration
The public is invited to Rideau Hall on Feb. 11 for the Winter Celebration.
Activities include:
- Eisstock – a traditional Alpine winter sport similar to curling
- Giant Skis
- Indigenous Activities - activities that reflect the diversity of Indigenous communities through traditional music, dance and various workshops
- Korean traditional games
- Nunavut traditions - Rideau Hall says students from Nunavut Sivuniksavut will share their Inuit culture and language through drumming, dancing, throat singing, Inukshuk building and other winter activities
- Obstacle Course and Winter Camp
- Sjoelen – Dutch shuffleboard
- Skate on the Rideau Hall outdoor skating rink
All activities are free of charge.
For more information, visit gg.ca.
Free Wagon Rides
Celebrate Valentine's Day with a free horse-drawn wagon ride in the ByWard Market.
The ByWard Market BIA is offering complimentary horse-drawn wagon rides on Feb. 14 from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
For more information, visit byward-market.com
Big Bang
Get ready for the ultimate musical adventure on Feb. 18 and 19 at the National Arts Centre.
The Big Bang Festival is back with a burst of colourful activities, including several free events.
For information on the free and ticketed events, visit https://nac-cna.ca/en/bigbang.
Skating
You can skate for free at Ottawa's four refrigerated outdoor skating rinks.
- The Rink of Dreams at Ottawa City Hall is open daily from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. (weather permitting).
- Lansdowne Park skating court is open daily from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. (weather permitting).
- The Jim Tubman Chevrolet Rink (Canterbury) is open Monday to Friday from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. (weather permitting).
- Ben Franklin Place Skating Rink (101 Centrepointe Drive) Open daily (weather permitting).
Cross-country skiing
You can cross-country ski for free at the following areas, but donations are encouraged.
- Britannia Winter Trail offers nearly 17 kilometres of trails around Britannia Park
- Kichi Sibi Winter Trail features 18 kilometres from the Canadian War Museum to Ottawa's west end.
- Rideau Winter Trail loops through parkland beside the Rideau River, just east of downtown Ottawa.
- Ski Heritage East runs 17 kilometres of trails along the Ottawa River east of downtown.
- Ottawa West Winter Trail – Enjoy 21 km of groomed winter trails for cross-country skiing in west Ottawa this winter.
Tour Parliament
You can take a free tour of the Senate of Canada Building and the House of Commons in the newly restored West Block.
Senate Guided Tours last 30 minutes, while tours of the House of Commons take approximately 40 minutes.
For tickets, visit https://rts.parl.ca/
Visit a museum
You can visit the following museums for free during the following periods.
- Canadian Museum of Nature – Free on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.
- Canada Agriculture and Food Museum – Free admission daily from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Museum is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays)
- Canada Science and Technology Museum – Free admission daily from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Museum is closed on Mondays)
- Canada Aviation and Space Museum – Free admission daily from 4 p.m. to 5 p.m. (Museum is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays)
- Canadian War Museum – Admission is free on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., but a timed ticket is required.
- Canadian Museum of History Admission is free on Thursdays from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m., but a timed ticket is required.
- National Gallery of Canada – Free admission every Thursday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. You must book your ticket in advance.
KIDS EAT FREE
Children can eat for free at several restaurants in Ottawa.
Zak's Diner – Kids 10 and under eat free Sunday to Thursday (holidays excluded) from 4 p.m. to close, with the purchase of one adult meal and beverage. Offer available at the Zak's Diner locations in the ByWard Market, on Elgin Street and in Kanata. Visit the restaurant's website for details.
Jonny Canuck's – Kids eat free on Sundays between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. For more information, visit the restaurant's website.
Mandarin Restaurant – Kids aged 4 and under eat free from the buffet (up to two kids per paid adult)
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He's in our hearts': Family and friends still seek answers one year after Nathan Wise’s disappearance
It’s been a year since Nathan Wise went missing and his family is no closer to finding out what happened to him.
'My family doctor just fired me': Ontario patients frustrated with de-rostering
Dozens of Ontarians are expressing frustration in the province’s health-care system after their family doctors either dropped them as patients or threatened to after they sought urgent care elsewhere.
Ottawa pizzeria places among top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world at international competition
An Ottawa pizzeria is being recognized as one of the top 20 deep-dish pizzas in the world.
Canada Post cracks down on Nunavut loophole to get free Amazon Prime shipping
Amazon's paid subscription service provides free delivery for online shopping across Canada except for remote locations, the company said in an email. While customers in Iqaluit qualify for the offer, all other communities in Nunavut are excluded.
Wildfire near Fort McMurray more than triples overnight, several evacuation alerts remain in place
The fire burning near Fort McMurray grew from 25 hectares to 5,500 hectares over the weekend.
Putin replaces Russian defence minister in rare cabinet shakeup
Russia’s President Vladimir Putin began a Cabinet shakeup on Sunday, proposing the replacement of Sergei Shoigu as defence minister as he begins his fifth term in office.
Man fatally 'slashed in the neck' in downtown Toronto, suspect outstanding
Police are searching for a male suspect after a man was “slashed in neck” on Sunday morning in downtown Toronto and died.
WATCH Dashcam video shows terrifying near-miss on two-lane northern Ontario highway
There were some scary moments for several people on a northern Ontario highway caught on video Thursday after a chain reaction following a truck fire.
Edibles, armchairs and adapters: Here are the recalls for this week
Health Canada announced various product recalls this week, including electric adapters, armchairs, cannabis edibles and vehicle components.