Sure, it has the most boring name of any Ottawa neighbourhood—topped only, perhaps, by its original moniker, Upper Town—but Centretown in downtown Ottawa is packed with secrets.
I’ve covered a few of them already—including the Sir Galahad statue in front of Parliament Hill and the scenic staircase behind Parliament Hill—in my posts 15 things you didn’t know about Ottawa and 10 more things you didn’t know about Ottawa.
However, I thought it was high time Centretown got a post all of its own. Read on for some of the quirky, fascinating, beautiful and/or enlightening places you can discover within a stone’s throw of the Peace Tower in downtown Ottawa—from a monument to military dogs to a great spot for South American food.
“Love locks” decorate a bridge over the Rideau Canal
The metal railings along the Corktown Bridge, which spans the Rideau Canal between Somerset Street West in Centretown and UOttawa in Sandy Hill, are festooned with hundreds of locks of all sorts. Known as “love locks,” such items have proliferated in scenic locations around the world as a permanent symbol of commitment. Couples clamp them to a railing and then twist the combination or key to seal the deal for all time.
Just in case you were wondering, the weight of the locks won’t break the Corktown Bridge; a UOttawa professor did a study. However, the City of Ottawa does check them periodically and removes any locks that are rusty or damaged. So if you want your relationship to last (metaphorically, at least), invest in a lock that will stand up to an Ottawa winter.
You can take a water taxi to Gatineau
If you don’t have a car, or you don’t want to drive or take the bus to Gatineau, you have another option—at least in warm weather. The Aqua-Taxi ferry shuttles passengers across the Ottawa River between two docks in Centretown and a dock at Jacques Cartier Park in the Hull sector of Gatineau.
The Centretown docks are worth a visit in their own right, even if you’re not hopping aboard the water taxi. Neither dock is accessible by car, but you can reach both of them along the city’s network of multi-use recreational pathways.
On the west side of Centretown, Richmond Landing (see photo above) gives you a sweeping view of buildings such as the Supreme Court of Canada, the Library of Parliament and the National Gallery of Canada. Nearby, you can see the Royal Canadian Navy Monument (see photo below), an abstract piece rich with symbolism. For instance, the irregular white shape is meant to evoke a ship’s sail, an iceberg and other marine items, while the gold spheres symbolize the sun, moon and stars. You’ll find Richmond Landing on a peninsula between the Portage Bridge and Library and Archives Canada.
On Centretown’s eastern edge, another dock at the foot of the Ottawa Locks—between Parliament Hill and the Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel—gives you a wonderful view of the Alexandra Bridge and the Canadian Museum of History.
A Centretown mural commemorates Canada’s first LGBTQ rights demonstration
Here’s an example of hidden-in-plain-sight history: On the southeast corner of Gilmour and Bank streets, fronting on Gilmour, there’s a mural commemorating Canada’s first gay rights demonstration. Created by a group of artists from the Falldown Gallery, it portrays activist Charlie Hill speaking to supporters on Parliament Hill on August 28, 1971. It was unveiled in August 2011 to mark the 40th anniversary of the “We Demand” event, when demonstrators laid out 10 demands to end discrimination—a list that would shape public debate and policy reform for decades.
It’s fun to photograph the Queens’ Lantern from the inside
Centretown is home to not one, but two, architectural “lanterns.” One, the Queens’ Lantern (see photo above), was added to the Canadian Museum of Nature (240 McLeod Street) in 2010. You’ve probably noticed it, but here’s my tip: If you’re photographing it, don’t just shoot it from the outside. Head inside and aim your lens outward for an unusual view of Centretown (it’s particularly nice at dusk) or shoot upward for a unique view of any temporary exhibits dangling from the lantern’s ceiling.
P.S.: Before you fret that I’ve forgotten how to punctuate, I did check and it IS the Queens’ Lantern. It was named in honour of two monarchs: Queen Elizabeth II and Queen Victoria.
You can sip coffee or take a dance class with a view
A somewhat similar structure, the Kipnes Lantern, was added to the National Arts Centre (1 Elgin Street) in 2017. Eye-catching from outside at night, when it’s illuminated with photos and videos, it’s also gorgeous from inside during the day. From indoors, it offers a nice view of Confederation Square. In the adjacent Equator Coffee cafe, you can sip a latte while watching passersby outside. Also in the NAC’s public spaces (meaning you don’t need a show ticket to enjoy them), you’ll also find the Glass Thorsteinson Staircase, where the arts centre often schedules free dance classes, concerts and other events (check the NAC website for details).
A small shop scoops offbeat ice cream flavours
Moo Shu Ice Cream & Kitchen (477 Bank Street) is about as far as you can get from plain vanilla. The store’s small-batch ice creams come in flavours like brandied currant butter tart, Hong Kong milk tea and vegan black sesame. A bonus: The Centretown shop is also a certified living wage employer, meaning that employees make a better wage than many other restaurants pay.
You can shop for a good cause on Kent Street
To my knowledge, there isn’t another store in Ottawa quite like HighJinx (290 Kent Street). This social enterprise is an antiques shop, a food bank, a community hub and a remarkable example of neighbours helping neighbours (profits go to help people at risk). Come for the vintage teacups, stay for the conversation.
There’s a taste of South America on Laurier Avenue
If you’ve never had arepas—the stuffed cornmeal flatbreads popular across Venezuela, Colombia and beyond—I strongly urge you to try the delicious ones at Gooney’s (360 Laurier Avenue West). From the street, Gooney’s looks like one of a dozen other modest downtown sandwich shops, but appearances can be deceiving. When I dropped in one noon hour a couple of months ago, the place was hopping with hungry office workers, queued up for treats such as arepas stuffed with roast pork, tomato, avocado and coriander sauce.
The shop serves breakfast arepas all day, and you can also get Latin bowls, salad bowls, traditional sandwiches and South American desserts. If I hadn’t been so full from my spicy chicken arepa (the photo above doesn’t quite do it justice), I’d definitely have tried the tres leches cake. Next time.
A tiny Centretown cocktail bar may have escaped your notice
It’s easy to walk right by Stolen Goods (106 Sparks Street), as the long, narrow space is almost invisible from the street. Inside, bartenders whip up drinks full of unusual ingredients, such as Ancho Reyes chili liqueur or sencha green tea, late into the night.
Dogs (and others) get their due at Confederation Park
Ottawa has a monument to animals who have served Canada in battle. Sculptor David Clendining’s Animals in War Dedication (Confederation Park) recognizes animals such as mules, dogs, horses and carrier pigeons. Standing guard over a plaque recognizing their service is a life-sized bronze dog wearing a First World War-era medical backpack.
Looking for more ideas for things to see and do in our region? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or pick up a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide, from which this post is adapted.
As the owner of Ottawa Road Trips, I acknowledge that I live on, work in and travel through the unceded, unsurrendered territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabeg Nation. I am grateful to have the opportunity to be present on this land. Ottawa Road Trips supports Water First, a non-profit organization that helps address water challenges in Indigenous communities in Canada through education, training and meaningful collaboration.
2 comments
Not to give away my age, but I used to work on the second floor at the then Union Station. And, yes there were trains going in and out – steam locomotives. It was a thrill a minute going up and down in the rickety old elevator to the second floor. Our office overlooked the plaza and the Chateau Laurier. Oddly enough I was with the Department of Transport, Board of Transport Commissioners. These Commissioners even had their own railway car to take them to out-of-town meetings.
I enjoyed hanging around the great halls downstairs – the waiting room, and the great hall where the train gates were. There was a tunnel connecting the train arrival hall and the Chateau Laurier. Presumably that was so VIPs wouldn’t need to cross the plaza on foot to get to the Chateau. That was also a fun walk on my lunch hour, hearing the streetcars rumbling overhead as they went by, and then finding myself in the lobby of the Chateau.
What great stories, Evelyn–thanks for sharing them!