This week’s Heads Up posts has details on everything from a volunteer opportunity at Mer Bleue this week to a web browser that might save you some frustration. If you’ve wondered why the Brockville Railway Tunnel isn’t open yet, I have the scoop on that, too. I even have details on Carleton Place’s recent victory in an Eastern Ontario-wide contest.
You can save up to 55 percent at Fairmont Le Château Montebello
Spring is often a slow season in the Outaouais, which can mean deals. And here’s a good one: Fairmont Le Château Montebello is offering up to 55 percent off its regular rates for spring stays, plus up to $100 in discounts on dining, golf, spa treatments and more. Valid for stays from Sunday through Thursday, as well as some Fridays and Saturdays, until Thursday, May 30.
Brockville Railway Tunnel will open later than usual this year
The Brockville Railway Tunnel—a great free sound-and-light show inside a 19th-century tunnel in downtown Brockville—will open later than usual this year. They’re having some problems with the lighting system, according to this CTV News story.
You can help clean up Mer Bleue this weekend
The Ottawa Valley Chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS) is seeking volunteers for its third annual spring clean-up at Mer Bleue on Saturday, April 13. You’ll be picking up trash that’s accumulated over the fall and winter along the trails of this ecologically significant wetland on Ottawa’s southeastern edge. Meet in Greenbelt parking lot 21 (at the corner of Anderson and Ridge roads) at 10am, and bring your own garden/work gloves, water, snacks and bug spray. CPAWS will supply the trash bags. Please register in advance by emailing CPAWS.
Carleton Place wins CHEZ 106’s best town contest
A tip of the hat to The Ottawan newsletter, which alerted me to the fact that Carleton Place triumphed in CHEZ 106’s latest March Madness of Small Towns contest. The annual contest sees 32 towns around Ottawa vying for top spot as voters’ favourite place. The town is planning a big party on Saturday, May 4, when CHEZ will be broadcasting live from Carleton Place. Congrats, CP!
WestJet announces more flights from Ottawa
If your upcoming travels will be taking you out West, you may be interested to learn that WestJet has expanded its Winnipeg-Ottawa service to one flight each way, every day, year round. The airline’s Edmonton-Ottawa service got a similar boost.
Get better Internet search results…and help your local blogger
Recently, Google has been changing the algorithms it uses to determine the results of searches. In many cases, the new system gives priority to posts from sites such as Quora and Reddit, as well as some AI-generated sites. That’s leaving specialized bloggers (like, ahem, me) struggling to find an audience for the detailed, labour-intensive posts we create.
If you’re getting frustrated with the quality of your Google searches—or if you just want to support small, independent digital publishers—here’s one solution: Change your default search engine from Google to DuckDuckGo.
DuckDuckGo tends to return better search results, and its interface isn’t cluttered with annoying ads. Plus, it doesn’t track your browsing, so you won’t start suddenly seeing ads everywhere for that toaster or sweatshirt you Googled last week. (And, no, I’m not being paid by DuckDuckGo to post this! I’m just a happy fan.)
Ottawa superfans drive to Utica to cheer our PWHL team
Speaking of fans: When Ottawa’s new Professional Women’s Hockey League team played in the International Ice Hockey Federation Championships in Utica, New York, recently, they weren’t facing a completely hometown crowd. Several groups of Ottawa superfans made the four-hour drive to Utica to support their team. Here at Ottawa Road Trips, I’m always happy to hear about new reasons to hit the road!
Looking for more tips on things to see and do in and around Ottawa? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or order a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.
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.