Stay in or go out—it’s your choice this weekend, as I have options for fun both real world and virtual. Via your computer, you can take an art class, enjoy stand-up comedy or visit notable Ottawa buildings. Beyond home, you can go paddling near Billings Bridge, driving in Glengarry or ziplining in the Outaouais. Whatever you choose to do, follow current COVID-19 rules and have fun!
Attend a virtual art show in Almonte
Rooted in Time (running until July 2) is a new show by Ottawa artist Gayle Kells at the Sivarulrasa Gallery in Almonte. Through the works in the exhibition, Kells uses art to explore themes of Canadian identity in the 21st century. The gallery is holding an online vernissage for the show on Wednesday, June 2, from 7pm to 8pm, when Kells will be discussing her work and taking audience questions via Zoom. You can see the show online at the minute; the gallery will open later for in-person visits, if and when COVID-19 restrictions allow.
Explore more than 70 Ottawa buildings
Doors Open Ottawa (June 4 to 11) has been a popular event among architecture buffs for two decades, showcasing fascinating and architecturally significant buildings throughout the city. This year, of course, in-person visits to the sites aren’t possible, but you can explore the buildings from the comfort of home via photos, 3D tours and detailed descriptions. Among the 18 buildings added to the event are the West Block of Parliament Hill, the Canadian Museum of Nature and Arts Court. They join old favourites such as the Supreme Court of Canada and the Chaudière Falls power station. (Disclosure: I’m on the event’s advisory committee.)
Go kayaking or paddleboarding near Billings Bridge
Hidden away in tiny Linda Thom Park, at the north end of Billings Bridge (the actual bridge, not the mall), you’ll find a small trailer where you can rent kayaks and standup paddleboards by the hour. Once outfitted, you can paddle a quiet stretch of the Rideau River where, if you look in the right direction, you can almost forget you’re in the middle of the city. Ottawa SUP is open seven days a week in high season (weather permitting) and offers lessons, too.
Discover Outaouais musicians and artists
Over the next three months, you can learn about artists and musicians throughout the rural areas of West Quebec through a new 12-part video series, Outaouais Live! The English-language shows, produced by the 100 Mile Arts Network for the Regional Association of West Quebecers, began airing on Videotron’s MAtv on May 24. Each one will be repeated on the cable TV channel 18 times over the course of its release week. They’ll also be released weekly on the 100 Mile Arts Network’s YouTube channel, where you can watch them anytime.
Attend the virtual Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival
For the second year, Ottawa’s Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival is taking its celebration of Indigenous art, music, cuisine and more online. From June 1 to 21, you can delve into a diverse range of Indigenous cultures via culinary classes, craft workshops, streaming movies, a pow wow competition, a colouring contest for children and much more.
Events this week include a reading by Anishinabe author Sunshine Tenasco from her children’s book, Nibi’s Water Song (Tuesday, June 1); a painting class with Algonquin artist and curator Simon Brascoupé (Thursday, June 3); Got Land?, a comedy show featuring eight Indigenous stand-up comics (Saturday, June 5); and a cooking class during which Inuk chef Trudy Metcalfe-Coe will teach viewers how to make curried caribou (Sunday, June 6). There’s also an online marketplace where you can buy items created by Indigenous artisans.
The video above captures a sunrise ceremony on the Ottawa River from last year’s virtual festival.
Shop for local food in Vanier
The Beechwood Market is opening for the season on Saturday, June 5, at Optimiste Park in Vanier. Vendors will be there from 9am to 2pm. The market’s organizers encourage shoppers to browse online first for the widest selection before popping by the market to pick up their purchases. (Looking for details on other farmer’s markets? Check out my big list of markets across our region.)
Enjoy aerial videos of our region
Reader Margaret Lavictoire alerted me to Ottawa Valley Drone Photography’s YouTube channel, which features all sorts of short aerial videos of scenic places in the Ottawa Valley, including Burnstown, Pakenham and Calabogie. Watching a few is a fun and easy way to get a new perspective on our area. The video of Fitzroy Harbour, above, is one of the most recent additions to the channel.
Go ziplining in the Outaouais
If you live on the Quebec side, you can indulge your love of heights and speed by strapping yourself into a zipline harness and whizzing along a suspended cable. Ziplining sites that are open now include Arbraska Laflèche in Val-des-Monts and Chutes Coulonge in Mansfield-et-Pontefract.
Laugh at a comedy show from Kingston
The Kingston Rotary Club is staging an online comedy night on Saturday, June 5. The fundraiser will feature five stand-up comics: Ernie Vincente, Fiona O’Brian, Greg Enwright, Ricardo Mejias and Anjelica Scannura. Have some laughs for a good cause!
Drive to historic sites in Glengarry
Annually, the Glengarry Pioneer Museum in Dunvegan (about 45 minutes east of Ottawa) usually organizes a guided historical driving tour, where participants drive themselves from site to site and gather at various interesting places to hear talks by historians and storytellers, and share lunch.
That’s not possible this year, of course, but the museum folks have not been deterred. They’ve created an audio version of the Glengarry Historical Driving Tour, which you can buy, download and listen to in your car as you drive among seven fascinating sites. Many are related to the Scottish settlers who arrived in the area in waves in the 1800s. One stop is Cooper Marsh, a popular birdwatching destination. You can learn more about the tour in this segment on CBC Radio’s show In Town and Out.
The tour is available in English now, and the French version should be up within the week. If you go, don’t forget to pack a picnic!
Take a watercolor painting workshop
On Sunday, June 6, local studio Art for Affect is offering an online watercolor workshop. Instructor Danielle Beaulieu will lead participants through the steps to paint a picture of a famous barn in Grand Teton National Park. The Zoom workshop is limited to 30 students and is aimed at people who have some experience in watercolor painting and want to take their skills to the next level.
Plan a future road trip to Quebec
Yes, the ban on interprovincial travel has been extended until June 16. However, if you live in Quebec, you have a bit more freedom to move around now. And if you live in Ontario, you can still daydream about future road trips in the province and do some advance planning! The province’s tourism agency has just substantially enhanced its website with all sorts of new travel-planning functions and suggested itineraries to inspire trips throughout the province. One of those itineraries highlights a route through the Charlevoix region east of Quebec City, an area I can highly recommend to all you food lovers out there!
Learn about a historical tragedy in Almonte
On December 27, 1942, a train packed with troops collided with a local passenger train at the Almonte station, resulting in one of the worst-ever rail tragedies in Eastern Ontario history. After years of research, the North Lanark Historical Society and the North Lanark Regional Museum recently launched an extensive online exhibition about the events of that tragic day, with photographs, survivors’ recollections and much more.
Bid in an online auction for a good cause
Second Harvest, a cross-Canada organization that “rescues” food that would otherwise be wasted and diverts it to food banks and other food security organizations, is currently holding a big online fundraising auction. Items up for bid include beauty services, art, perfume, tickets to tourist attractions, tech gadgets and much more. Interested? You have until June 7 to place your bid.
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