Celebrate Canada's 140th birthday in the Nation's Capital

Toronto, May 31, 2007 – Every Canadian should spend at least one Canada Day in the nation's capital and experience the plethora of celebrations and activities taking place. Hundreds of thousands of people congregate downtown and celebrate at a variety of locations–from the official celebrations on Parliament Hill and in Major's Hill Park, to restaurants and bistros in the ByWard Market, to house parties throughout town. From a spectacular fireworks show to top-notch live music, July 1 is always a special day in Ottawa and this year, with added events and celebrations, visitors will need the entire weekend to cover it all!

With so many of the activities offered free of charge, and with affordable accommodation packages available at www.ottawatourism.ca, there's no excuse not to come celebrate!

Official Canada Day Program
The National Capital Commission will release the full details of the official Canada Day line-up later this week. The full schedule will be posted at www.canadascapital.gc.ca/canadaday

150th Anniversary of the Nation's Capital
Come to Ottawa early and celebrate Ottawa's 150th anniversary as the capital of Canada. In 1857, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa–over Toronto, Kingston, Montréal and Québec City–to be the capital of what was then the United Provinces of Canada. To commemorate this special anniversary, two free outdoor opera performances, formally dubbed Opera Under the Stars, will take place on June 29 and 30 starting at 8:30 p.m on the new performance space on LeBreton Flats outside the Canadian War Museum. This event features renowned conductor Richard Bradshaw, The Canadian Opera Company Orchestra and the Ottawa Lyra Ottawa Chorus. For further details, please visit www.1857.gc.ca

175th Anniversary of the Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal is celebrating its 175th anniversary throughout 2007, with events taking place all along the 202-km route from Kingston to Ottawa. The largest celebration in Ottawa, which is also free, will be the ‘Rideau Canal: On the World Stage' ceremony, which takes place from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, June 30, at the Ottawa Locks between Parliament Hill and the Fairmont Château Laurier. Onlookers will gather to hear whether the Canal is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. If awarded this proud distinction, the Rideau Canal will become the first such site within Ontario, and one of only 14 across Canada. The Governor General has been invited to launch this historic ceremony. Musical performances, classic boats and historical characters will also be part of this special day. For more information, please visit www.rideau175.org

TD Canada Trust Ottawa International Jazz Festival
The Ottawa International Jazz Festival runs from from June 21 to July 1 and offers a variety of performances for all visitors. The festival dates back 27 years and is the second-longest continuous-running jazz festival in Canada. Performances on the main stage at Confederation Park feature various artists such as Branford Marsalis (June 21), the Dave Brubeck Quartet (June 23), Bebel Gilberto (June 28), the Neville Brothers (June 29), and Cesaria Evora (June 30). There will also be late-night jam sessions, a lunch-time series and free concerts. For further details, please visit www.ottawajazzfestival.com

National Arts Centre programming
The NAC offers free programming on Canada Day. As part of a larger festival stretching from June 28 to July 2, the Unisong Choir Festival will present a free mass choral concert on July 1 featuring 400 young vocalists from 12 Unisong Choirs from all across Canada at 10:00 a.m. Free outdoor performances from 12:30 to 4:00 p.m. will alternate between The Mighty Popo and BAM and the National Arts Centre Orchestra, conducted by Pinchas Zukerman, performs free concerts at 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. www.nac-cna.ca

Canadian Museum of Civilization
Celebrate Canada Day at Canada's largest museum. The Canadian Museum of Civilization offers visitors a thousand years of Canadian history. Until October 28, 2007, the exhibit Treasures from China will be on display. This exhibit is an eclectic collection of Chinese artefacts on loan from the National Museum of China, illuminating China's rich history and achievements. This is the first time that many of these artifacts have been on display outside of China. Face to Face: The Canadian Personalities Hall is a new exhibit based on the biographies of Canadian men and women who have helped shape Canada over the last four centuries. It opens on June 29, 2007. For further details, please visit www.civilization.ca

Renoir Returns to the National Gallery of Canada
Renoir Landscapes, one of the most anticipated art exhibits to hit Ottawa in years, comes to the National Gallery of Canada this summer. This is a spectacular display of Renoir's unique rendition of magnificent landscapes. It features 60 of Renoir's most beautiful landscape paintings from public and private collections around the world. Ottawa is the only Canadian venue featuring these works. The exhibit runs from June 8 to September 9, 2007. For more information please visit www.national.gallery.ca

A Glimpse of War–and War Brides–at the Canadian War Museum
The museum features an array of exhibits that include the timely and controversial Afghanistan: A Glimpse of War (which runs until January 6, 2008). Another innovative exhibit is War Brides: Portraits of an Era, which traces the impact of some 44,000 European women who came to live in post-war Canada (also running until January 6, 2008). For more information please visit www.warmuseum.ca

RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies
From June 27 to July 1, 2007, visitors can see a variety of intricate figures and cavalry drills choreographed to music by 32 riders and horses of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The RCMP Musical Ride Sunset Ceremonies will be held at their Stables (St. Laurent Boulevard at Sandridge Road) from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. This is an intriguing, free-of-charge spectacle for families, so bring your own chair and blanket and come join the fun. Of course, you can also see the Musical Ride perform on Parliament Hill during the morning of Canada Day. For further details, please visit www.rcmp.ca/musicalride/sunsete.htm

FIFA U20 World Cup Canada 2007 in Ottawa
Football fans unite! Over the course of three weeks, 8 matches will take place in the nation's capital featuring the finest youth soccer players (under 20) from 24 different countries. This is the second-largest event staged by FIFA, following the World Cup, and will be held in six cities across Canada. Ottawa hosts the matches of Argentina, North Korea, Panama and the Czech Republic, as well as one match between Brazil and USA. The first two matches are on June 30, while the entire event wraps up in Toronto on July 22. For more information and schedules please visit www.fifa.com

There's no better time for families and couples, Canadians by birth and those who chose to become Canadians, to come and wave their flags in celebration of Canada. There's no better way to appreciate the wealth and diversity of Canadian culture.

Ottawa Tourism provides industry leadership and destination marketing to service the travel media and attract visitors, tours and conventions to Ottawa and Canada's Capital Region. Visit Ottawa Tourism at www.ottawatourism.ca

May 31, 2007   Posted in: Canada