Even with the current restrictions, you don’t have to be bored! This week, you can start planning your garden, get a jump on your Mother’s Day shopping, enjoy an online concert or author talk, or see animals without leaving your car (or your house, if you book an online tour of Brockville’s Aquatarium). Read on for details.
Start planning your garden
Now that the snow is gone, all of you green thumbs are probably itching to be digging in the dirt. To inspire your gardening efforts, you could sign up for a free webinar, Gardening in a Changing Climate, being offered by the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority on Thursday, April 22.
Do some early Mother’s Day shopping
The Ottawa Handmade Mother’s Day Market is running online for the next two weeks (April 16 to April 30). All of the items were made by artisans living within a 100km radius of Ottawa, and the website will highlight a different maker every day of the sale. Items include earrings, necklaces, bath bombs, soaps, greeting cards and more. There’s a flat-rate $15 shipping fee to anywhere in Canada or the U.S., or you can pick up your items in Orleans or Kanata.
Drive through Parc Oméga
Parc Oméga, the drive-through animal park in Montebello, Quebec, is currently offering a 30% discount on weekday tickets for visits between April 19 and May 14, 2021. Animals you may be able to spot from your car include black bears, bison, Rocky Mountain goats, moose and multiple deer species.
Watch an online chat with a local mystery author
The Township of Russell Library is hosting an online chat with local mystery author Maureen Jennings about the research behind her new series of novels featuring PI Charlotte Frayne in 1930s Toronto. The talk takes place on Tuesday, April 20, at 7pm; it’s free, but advance registration is required.
Inspire the young hiker in your life
Over at Ottawa hiking website Girl Gone Good, you can pre-order a copy of the Little Hikers Club Activity Book, full of tips and ideas for encouraging kids to explore outside responsibly.
Discover new-to-you murals
Over the last year or so, I’ve been writing more than usual about murals—see, for example, my posts about Westboro and Little Italy. But did you know that House of PainT has an interactive online map of murals and graffiti art all over Ottawa? Scroll down their home page to see the link to the map, which you can use as inspiration for your next walk. (Thanks to reader Carrie Alyman for this idea.)
Hear an online talk about climate change
The Ottawa International Writers Festival is presenting an online conversation with Seth Klein, author of A Good War: Mobilizing Canada for the Climate Emergency. Hosted by author/activist Dimitri Lascaris, the free talk will take place on Monday, April 19, from 7:30pm to 8:30pm. Advance registration required.
Vote for your favourite Ottawa spots
You have until May 11 to vote for your favourite Ottawa shops, parks, experiences, restaurants and more in Ottawa Tourism’s current promotion. The winning places will be featured in the upcoming #MyOttawa Local’s Guide.
Enjoy an online concert
This week’s Encore Ottawa concerts, online and on Rogers Cable on Friday, April 16, feature bilingual singer-songwriter-dancer Marie-Clo at 8pm, followed by Ontario hip-hop artist Mischa at 8:30pm (see video above). The screenings are free.
That same evening, the National Arts Centre is presenting a free Facebook livestreamed concert by G.R. Gritt, a Juno Award-winning, two-spirit, transgender, francophone, Anishinaabe/Métis artist.
Support a good cause
The Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation is raising funds through a weekly Catch the Ace lottery. A $40,000 jackpot is up for grabs, and the current draw closes on Tuesday, April 20.
Amuse the kids
Do you have some squirrelly house-bound kids on your hands? Here are a few of the many online activities that just might keep them entertained for an hour or two:
- Ottawa Tourism has a roundup of virtual activities dreamed up by local museums.
- You can book a 45-minute virtual tour of the Aquatarium in Brockville that includes real-time interaction with the site’s staff and river otters. Tickets are $20 per connection.
- The Toronto and Region Conservation Authority has a fun video of an “indoor virtual nature walk” for kids aged 4 to 8.
- Older children might enjoy a free online screening of the documentary Wonders of the Arctic, being presented by the Montreal Science Centre on Wednesday, April 21. There will also be a Q&A with the film’s director, David Lickley, at 8pm.
Looking for more ideas for things to see and do in Ottawa and beyond? Why not subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or pre-order my new book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100km Getaway Guide?