Jane’s Walk: Saturday & Sunday, May 4 & 5

Jane’s Walk Ottawa will be back in May for a sixth year. Jane’s Walk Ottawa is our local celebration of the work of Jane Jacobs that begins with Jane’s Talk on Thursday, May 2, and continues with our walking tour festival on Saturday & Sunday, May 4 & 5.

Everyone is invited to participate. You can come out as a walker, or lead a tour yourself. There are lots of volunteer roles from walk marshal to organizer.

The imagination is our most valuable renewable resource. So, twice a year we convene an international celebration of ideas to recharge our imaginations. From politics to poetry, science to music, history to thrillers, we celebrate the full diversity of the word and the gifted writers who guide us in our exploration of the world. Our year-round special events keep the ideas coming between Festivals.

We believe that a love of reading and learning should be nurtured throughout our lives and that literacy is a birthright. Whether offering writing workshops to the homeless, hosting a Nobel Laureate, organizing our biannual literary celebrations or bringing authors into area schools, our goal is the same: to create an environment that activates creativity and encourages the love of reading, learning and self-expression.

We reached an audience of 22,893 during the 2011 season.  That’s roughly 800% audience growth since our first season in 1997.  As noted in Ottawa’s Metro newspaper: “Participation in the festival has exploded.”

List of the free events: http://www.writersfestival.org/events?price=free

Cities best reveal themselves on foot, and Montréal is one of North America’s most pedestrian-friendly locales. There’s much to see in the concentrated districts — cobblestoned Vieux-Montréal, downtown and its luxurious “Golden Square Mile,” bustling Plateau Mont-Royal, and Mont Royal itself.

Also listed is a destination walk that gets you to Marché Atwater, a large year-round market. The walk takes you past some of the best antiquing in the city and is a way to take in an interesting area the way locals do.

The city’s layout is mostly straightforward and simple to navigate, and the extensive Métro system gets you to and from neighborhoods with ease. These strolls will give you a taste of what’s best about old and new Montréal, and send you off to discover highlights of your own.

Parade

The Parade will leave the intersection of Laurier Avenue West and Elgin St at 11:00 AM, and proceed west on Laurier Avenue West, turn right on Bank St., then left on Wellington St., and continue west on Wellington St. to an area near the Library and Archives Canada building, arriving there at approximately 12:00 – 12:30.

(If you are familiar with this year’s “Help Santa Toy Parade”, you’ll note that we are using the same route – but in reverse.)

At this point, the Parade will turn left, at the Garden of the Provinces, and proceed southwest onto (old) Wellington St, to an area bounded by Albert, Brickhill, and Commissioner Sts, to disassemble.

NOT FREE (thanks to Jace!): Grand Irish Party: The venue for our 2013 Parade Party will be St. Brigid’s Centre (at the intersection of Cumberland & St. Patrick’s Sts), home of the National Irish Canadian Cultural Centre – a likely place to hold a St. Patrick’s Parade Party.
The Party will run from 12 noon until 4:00 PM, with food and beverage service provided by St. Brigid’s. $10 for adults and $5 for Children 12 and under.

There is on street parking in the area and an Ottawa City parking garage on Murray Street and lots behind Notre Dame Basilica and Centre Élisabeth-Bruyère all within a short walking distance to St. Brigid’s.

More information here: http://www.irishsocietyncr.com/eventsIrishFestival.html

Come to the event to try the game, meet the men behind the stories, and challenge your perception of homelessness.

A joint effort between local video game developers, the City of Ottawa’s Community Arts & Social Engagement program and The Ottawa Mission, has resulted in a unique videogame that will be launched at HUB Ottawa on Feb 28th.

The game’s character designs, item art, narration, and even sound effects were all created by the four men whose journeys you experience.

Grab your free ticket here: http://ottawamission.eventbrite.com/?src=FA

This March Break, we’ve brought the Trans-Canada Highway to the Currency Museum. Launch your road trip from our front door and travel Canada’s fabled highway without ever leaving the National Capital Region. Make crafts, play games and check out the cool scrapbook we’ll give each child so that they can document their mini road trip with photos of the striking landmarks along Canada’s legendary highway.

FREE

More information here: currencymuseum.ca

Looking to be inspired this February? Carleton University Art Gallery will be playing host to the solo exhibit Live Through This – a photo narrative by Ottawa Tony Fouhse depicting the story of heroin addict Stephanie MacDonald’s journey to get clean.

Carleton will be hosting the free show until March 17 on the Mezzanine level of the gallery. We caught up with Fouhse and took a look back on his journey with Stephanie and how 30 meters of sidewalk led to his life-changing project on Ottawa’s Lowertown addicts.

To read the full article, visit Apt613.ca.

• skating on the outdoor rink
• dog sledding
• biathlon
• kick sledding excursions
• bandy (a form of field hockey on ice)
• horse-drawn sleigh ride
• tours of the Residence

and much more
All activities are free of charge and will take place rain or shine at 1 Sussex Drive.
Winter Celebration is presented in partnership with the Embassy of Finland, the Embassy of the Royal Kingdom of the Netherlands, the Royal Norwegian Embassy, the Embassy of Sweden and the National Capital Commission.
Free off-site parking is available at the National Research Council (100 Sussex Drive, within walking distance of the residence) and on the streets in the surrounding neighbourhood.

 Map of the Event.

Frosty Fortunes – Weekends from 2 February to 17 February 2013

What’s more awesome than a breathtaking Canadian winter? Come to the Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada during Winterlude and see how our country’s chilliest season has influenced the art and design of Canadian currency throughout history. Each weekend during Ottawa’s annual celebration of everything that’s great about winter, you and your family can come and enjoy cool crafts, games and presentations, all inspired by this frosty time of year. We’ll even have some nice hot cocoa and coffee to warm you up from the chill outside. Admission is free for the whole family.Saturdays: 10:30 to 17:00
Sundays: 13:00 to 17:00

More information here: http://www.currencymuseum.ca

Winterlude

The Winterlude festivities are focused in four main locations:

• The Crystal Garden, in Confederation Park, is home to amazing ice sculptures.
• The Snowflake Kingdom, in Jacques-Cartier Park, is a kid’s paradise with snow slides and no shortage of outdoor fun.
• The Rideau Canal Skateway, which winds its way through downtown Ottawa, is the world’s largest skating rink.
• The Marion Dewar Plaza at Ottawa City Hall is where you’ll find the American Express^® Winterlude Opening. On weekends, it’s also the place for musical performances and outdoor dance parties.

Throughout Winterlude there are hundreds of activities taking place at these and other locations in Canada’s Capital.

Winterlude 2013 runs from February 1 to 18, 2013, and is open on Family Day. The three Winterlude weekends are filled with activities and many venues are open daily.

More information: http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/celebrate/winterlude