I have lots of news you can use to share this week, whether you’d like to go whitewater rafting off Bate Island, watch the Perseids meteor shower from a kayak, learn about Ottawa’s Black history, enjoy festive dinners featuring local chefs, or be the first to know about a big conservation announcement. Plus, you’ll find out how to save on a brand-new Kington tour!
You could win a $250 gift card with your photos
The All Things Home real estate website and Lagois Design-Build-Renovate have teamed up on a photo contest celebrating Ottawa and area neighbourhoods. Take a photo of your neighbourhood, post it on social media (Facebook, Instagram or LinkedIn) with a few words about why you love where you live, add the required hashtags (see the photo contest website for details) and you’ll be eligible for a draw for a $250 Visa gift card. And you can enter more than once! Just make sure to post your photos by September 2, 2024.
At Éco-Odyssée, you can watch meteors from a boat
Well, this sounds pretty magical: The Éco-Odyssée water maze just outside Wakefield is taking evening bookings for its pedal boats, canoes, kayaks and standup paddle boards during this year’s Perseids meteor shower (August 9 to 11). The skies will be darker there than in the centre of Ottawa, meaning you have a better chance of seeing some shooting stars—if the skies are also cloudless. Note that you must be comfortable propelling your chosen craft and that you’ll need a flashlight or headlamp (you can buy or rent one from the park if you don’t bring your own).
Did you know you can go tubing from Bate Island?
Last week, I told you about a new NCC café on Bate Island (off Island Park Drive). This week, here’s a tip on something you can do while you’re there: Ottawa Turbo Tubing runs 2.5-hour guided rafting paddles through gentle rapids.
Ottawa and Kingston have intriguing new tours
I just learned about two new tours that sound fascinating. For either of these tours, you should buy your tickets online in advance.
In Ottawa, the Black History in Ottawa Streets bus tour runs every Saturday until October. It focuses on everything from art to music to cuisine and politics, and includes interactive activities and multimedia presentations. Tours depart from Ottawa City Hall at 11:30am and 2:30pm. (A tip of the hat to The Ottawan for the tip.)
Meanwhile, the Haunted Walk has launched Hidden Kingston: City Secrets & Stories, which promises a light-hearted look at quirky Kingston history (ranging from duelling doctors to a sea serpent). The 90-minute tour walking runs daily throughout August at 11am, and you can save 30 percent if you book by August 31, 2024.
Two dinners celebrating local chefs coming in September
Harvest: A Feast of Fall is a fundraising dinner supporting Youturn Youth Services, a non-profit that provides services to some of the most at-risk youth in the city. Last year, it took place at the Allsaints Events Space in Sandy Hill (see photo above). This year, it will be happening at the Ottawa Art Gallery on Wednesday, September 18.
Feast on the Farm: A Taste of Southeastern Ontario is an outdoor celebration of local flavours and terroir at the Mackinnon Brothers Brewing Company west of Kingston on Saturday, September 28. It will feature dishes created by six Kingston-area chefs (including some vegan and gluten-free options), as well as local beer and wine. If you want to make a weekend of it, you can book a hotel package in Kingston that includes shuttle services from Kingston to the event. Tickets and packages are on sale now.
Land trust is throwing a bash for a big announcement
The Thousand Islands Watershed Land Trust (TIWLT) is throwing a big party at the Glen Elbe Learning Centre in Athens on Saturday, August 24, to celebrate a BIG conservation announcement. They’re keeping details of the project under wraps until the big day (colour me intrigued). What I can tell you is that the outdoor party will include a fundraising auction, a barbecue, a cash bar and live music by River City Junction. Each $75 ticket includes a $50 tax receipt. The TIWLT has conserved over 5,000 acres of land in Eastern Ontario, including islands, grasslands, forests and wetlands; the video above includes more details about their work.
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.
