10 things to do this week: Museum re-openings, winter hiking and jewellery

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Looking for diversions in Ottawa, the Outaouais or Eastern Ontario over the next week or so? From talks on Black and Jewish history in Ottawa to restaurant promotions in Cornwall and Kingston, there’s no shortage of things to see and do. It’s also not too early to start making your camping and cottage reservations for this summer, and I have tips on doing just that. I even point you to an international philosophy and culture festival that you can tune into from your computer on Saturday. Enjoy!

Gather around a virtual campfire at Laurier House

The Haunted Walk of Ottawa’s latest online outing is a spooky evening of storytelling featuring tales from Laurier House, a National Historic Site that was home to two prime ministers. The Virtual Haunted Campfire is happening on Saturday, February 20. While they’re family friendly, the Haunted Walk warns that these evenings might be a bit too scary for kids under 12.

Hit the trail

Does all this lovely snow have you itching to hit a hiking, snowshoeing or cross-country ski trail? The NCC has lots of information on hiking, walking, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat biking in Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt. Ottawa Tourism has tips on cross-country ski trails and snowshoeing routes all over the city.

Northwest of the capital, the Ottawa Valley Tourist Association offers all sorts of recommendations for outdoor trails in and around Arnprior, Renfrew, Pembroke, Petawawa and points beyond. To the southwest, Lanark County Tourism has these winter fun ideas. Visit Kingston points out these places to snowshoe and cross-country ski. And the South Eastern Ontario tourism organization has a big page of suggestions, including trails near Morrisburg, Glenburnie and Westport.

You don’t have to venture very far from home to experience wilderness. Believe me, I know we’re all yearning for fresh air, novelty and adventure, but some smaller, more isolated trails aren’t built to handle city-sized crowds. If a place seems busy, put your gear back in the car and keep going. And, wherever you roam, don’t forget the cardinal rule of enjoying the outdoors: leave no trace.

Fundraise for a good cause

The CN Cycle for CHEO will be virtual this year. Cycle run or walk any distance on your own, and collect pledges to help kids with cancer. You can even participate at home on an exercise bike! Registration is open now, and this year, it’s free. On March 1, the organizers will be releasing a new app that will encourage you to travel (virtually) from the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa to the CN headquarters in Montreal and back, reaching milestones along the way and competing for prizes.

Try a tasty dish

Throughout February, some 25 restaurants in Cornwall and across Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry (SD&G) are participating in a promotion called Dished. Each is featuring a special menu item designed to entice diners to check out the restaurants (takeout and local delivery are available). For instance, Brunch on Pitt in Cornwall is showcasing a porchetta sandwich with sage-scented jus and spiced pear chutney, while Sol de Acapulco in Ingleside is serving up enchiladas verdes topped with avocado and cilantro. You’ll also find specials in restaurants in Winchester, Finch, Chesterville, Morrisburg and Alexandria, among others.

Kingston’s month-long restaurant promotion, Kingstonlicious, continues until the end of February. If you’re seeking a new takeout spot in the Outaouais, check out the searchable restaurant database at Tourisme Outaouais. And here’s a selection of great international restaurants pulled together by Ottawa Tourism.

Prefer to cook at home? Don’t forget my big, big list of Ottawa, Eastern Ontario and Outaouais shops selling foods of the world.

Learn about Ottawa’s Jewish history

The Bytown Museum is offering a by-donation/pay-what-you-can talk on Wednesday, February 24. In Beyond Bytown: Jewish History in Ottawa, Teigan Goldsmith and Mareike Friedrich of the Ottawa Jewish Archives will present a unique perspective on the capital’s past.

Start thinking about a summer rental

Anecdotally, I’m hearing that reservations for cottages, yurts, campgrounds, trailers—you name it, really—are going quickly for summer 2021. If you want to get in on the action, now is probably the time to start planning or booking. Here are a few suggestions.

• Reservations for cabins, yurts, tents and campsites in Gatineau Park for dates from May through October open at 9am on March 15.
• Ontario Parks is already taking reservations for campsites, tents, cabins and other accommodations, and I’d move quickly if you have your heart set on a particular spot on a particular date; I did a test search for a long weekend at one campground and it was already completely sold out. The parks service has a good blog post of reservation tips.
• Parks Canada’s reservations site, which normally opens in January, will open in April this year, instead.
• Sépaq, Quebec’s park system, is taking reservations now. There’s a two-night limit on all stays in park campgrounds, cabins and yurts.
• County Holiday Homes, which rents a variety of cottages and larger homes in and around Prince Edward County, is taking bookings now for summer 2021.
• Long-time readers may remember the story I wrote last summer about my fun stay at Pine Brae, a new two-cottage spot just south of Perth. If you’d like to check it out this summer, reservations for the general public (as opposed to previous guests) open March 1.

Attend a British philosophy-and-culture festival

In normal times, How the Light Gets In is a twice-yearly live event in the U.K. featuring philosophy talks, cultural discussions of all sorts and concerts. This month, however, the festival’s Winter Revel (Saturday, February 20) is online. As a result, all you need to do is buy a ticket and open your computer to delve into all sorts of subjects with big names such as author Jared Diamond (Guns, Germs and Steel) and TV producer Armando Iannucci (The Thick of It, Veep). A warning for late risers: The one-day event starts at 11:30am U.K. time (which is 6:30am in Ottawa).

Check out a local museum

With the latest changes to COVID-19 restrictions in Ontario and Quebec, museums and similar institutions are now allowed to reopen. In most cases, you need to buy tickets online in advance; click on the links below for the latest visitor information on each museum.

• The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is now open from Thursday through Sunday.
• The Canada Aviation and Space Museum is now open from Thursday through Monday.
• The Canada Science and Technology Museum is now open from Wednesday through Sunday.
• The Canadian Museum of History is now open from Wednesday through Sunday.
• The Canadian Museum of Nature is now open from Thursday through Sunday.
• The Canadian War Museum is now open from Wednesday through Sunday.
• The Diefenbunker: Canada’s Cold War Museum will reopen on Friday, February 26, from Friday through Sunday.
• The National Gallery of Canada is now open from Thursday through Sunday, but note that there are no online ticket sales (tickets are available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis).
• The Ottawa Art Gallery reopens on Saturday, February 20, from Wednesday through Sunday.

Pop into a library

Starting Monday, February 22, most of the Ottawa Public Library’s branches will be open for in-person pickups, returns, browsing and public computer use. Masks and other distancing measures will be required. Many of the rural branches, however, will remain closed (but the OPL is working on getting them open again ASAP).

Attend a Writers Festival talk for Black History Month

On Monday, February 22, the Ottawa International Writers Festival and the Ottawa Public Library are offering a free online conversation with Toronto author Rinaldo Walcott, as part of activities marking Black History Month. CBC Radio’s Idil Mussa will interview Walcott about his new pamphlet book, On Property, which explores the long shadow cast by slavery and calls for sweeping societal change to overcome it.

Buy jewellery to help animals

The Gananoque and District Humane Society is running a fundraising jewellery auction on Facebook. To bid on items in Kitty Kat’s Fine Jewellery Treasure Hunt, just go to the Facebook page and enter your bid as a comment below the item that interests you. Winning bidders will receive their items by mail (or by porch drop, if they live in the Gananoque area). Bidding closes on Sunday, February 28.

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