This week’s Heads Up post will help you save money on VIA Rail trips, find fun roadside attractions across Canada, snag tickets to writing and needlecraft workshops, or discover Indigenous travel experiences. You’ll also get a peek inside Ottawa’s newest live music venue, and find out about a new package in Carp that pairs a flight in a vintage aircraft with a wine tasting in a vineyard. Enjoy!
Events
If you’d like to learn about the Canadian publishing biz, get your manuscript assessed by a pro, take a literary boat cruise through the Thousand Islands or attend a talk by your favourite author, now’s the time to buy tickets for the St. Lawrence Writers Festival. It’s happening in Brockville from September 10 to 13.
Tickets are going quickly for the workshops at Fibrefest in Almonte, which focus on quilting, weaving, felting and all sorts of other fibre arts (September 9 to 13). Of course, you can also drop into the festival on September 12 and 13 just to browse for yarn, fabrics, crafts and more from some 80 vendors.
The rising costs of food, fuel and other items are putting the economic squeeze on some Eastern Ontario fairs, as reported in the CTV Ottawa video above. Those rising costs may make a trip to a fair a pricier proposition this year.
Planning way ahead? Hilary Duff is bringing her Lucky Me tour to the Canadian Tire Centre on February 4, 2027.
Deals and discounts
This week’s Tuesday discount at VIA Rail is a relatively modest one: $15 off bookings on select train trips. But, hey, 15 bucks is 15 bucks, right? Book by 11:59pm on Tuesday, August 18.
Planning to go to the RoadTrip Music Festival in Kingston on Saturday, September 12? The Kingston Marriott is offering a package deal for two people that includes accommodation, festival tickets, parking and breakfast, starting at $450 a night. (Yep, I know that isn’t cheap. But, believe me, this isn’t a bad deal. Prices are crazy these days.)
Other news
Talaysay Campo of B.C.’s Talaysay Tours has partnered with Intrepid Travel. Photo courtesy of Intrepid Travel.
According to a new survey done for Intrepid Travel, 57% of Canadians would like to try Indigenous-led tourism experiences, but many people don’t know how or where to find them. Intrepid has added Indigenous content to some of its 2027 Canadian itineraries, including an excursion to Wendake (an Indigenous community near Quebec City) on its Eastern Canada by Rail trip.
Stittsville Central reports that Ottawa Aviation Adventures and KIN Vineyards have joined forces to offer a cool-sounding package: a flight in a 1940s vintage aircraft from the Carp Airport followed by a tasting at the nearby winery.
History Ottawa, a big new music venue, will officially open this week inside the former Chapters store at Rideau Street and Sussex Drive. In the Ottawa Citizen, Lynn Saxberg gives readers a peek inside the space.
Even though it mistakenly implies that the Fairmont Chateau Laurier is adjacent to an active train station, a new article in the U.S. publication Parade has lots of inspirational tips for exploring Canada by train in fall.
National Geographic is also bullish on Canadian trains, with a just-updated article about taking The Canadian from Vancouver to Toronto. You’ll need to register for a free account on the NatGeo site to read it.
OC Transpo is promising more frequent trains and more bus routes, starting on August 30. However, the long-awaited eastern extension of the O-Train still doesn’t have an opening date. Colour me skeptical.
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.
