Tulips, fireworks headline May long weekend in Ottawa
Gas prices as high as they are might keep people closer to home this long weekend.
Ottawa has plenty of events for Victoria Day which not only could be popular with the hometown crowd, but for tourists as well.
Carol Zulman and Eric Taub just flew in from Los Angeles. They’re in Ottawa to see the tulips and visit family, but getting here wasn’t cheap.
"When we started looking for prices it was out of sight," says Zulman. "Close to $1,000 U.S. per person to fly to Ottawa."
The price of flights might have gone up, but getting here by car is also a small fortune.
Kristy Brown and her family is visiting from Nova Scotia.
"We drove from Nova Scotia and it was like $300 in gas."
And Rachael Guidry drove to Ottawa from New Brunswick.
"Normally we probably could have gotten here with about a $70 fill up. Now its $120, $130.”
According to IPSOS, about 53 per cent of Canadians are reconsidering their road trip plans. However, CAA Business Manager Jeff Woznow says there are ways to do it for less.
"They’re taking into account the price of gas," says Woznow. "It could be something as simple as changing from a 400-series highway to get where you’re going to taking an 80 kilometre highway. That makes a huge difference."
The Canadian Tulip Festival is a great place to spend the long weekend.
If you’re a little more adventurous you can visit Dows Lake Pavilion, rent a canoe, paddle boat, or kayak, and spend the weekend on the water.
"Very popular. Weekends are crazy," says Dows Lake boat rental employee Evan Wakeman.
"We wanted to have a fun activity with the family,” says a Toronto resident renting a paddle boat. “We’re visiting from Toronto and it seemed like a fun way to celebrate together.”
For locals, and those who opted to spend the money to get here, a fireworks celebration is on the schedule this May long weekend for the first time since the start of the pandemic.
“Because it’s Victoria Day, there are fireworks on Sunday night at the Canadian Tulip Festival at Dows Lake, free,” says Jantine Van Kregten of Ottawa Tourism. "And also free on Monday night at the Rideau Carleton Casino."
Carol and Eric cancelled a trip to Europe to come to Ottawa, now hoping it was the right choice.
"We are renting a car and going to Québec as well, so it’s going to cost us as much as Portugal." Zulman says laughing.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.