Are you excited about Step One of Ontario’s re-opening plan kicking in on Friday? Yes, me too! If you’re not already planning to head to a restaurant patio, do some socially distanced shopping in a non-essential store or set up your tent in a campground (among the activities that will now be allowed again), you could lace up your walking shoes for a community spirit event, tune into the launch of Season 2 of Encore Ottawa, stream two funny pandemic-themed plays or help look for ghost in an historic home. Wherever you go, have fun and stay safe!
Get some exercise for community spirit
The Silver Chain Challenge is a free, friendly challenge that encourages residents of six Eastern Ontario regions—Renfrew County, Lanark County, Hastings County, Prince Edward County, the City of Quinte West and the City of Belleville—to get out and log some active kilometres in June. All you need to do is walk, run, cycle or wheel your way along local roads and trails, then log your distance on the site. Everyone will see an updated bar graph showing how each region is doing against the others as the month goes on. The goal is to get people outdoors exercising and exploring. Sounds good to me!
Visit a provincial or national park in Ontario
Did you know that admission to all Ontario provincial parks is FREE on weekdays (Monday through Thursday, including statutory holidays) until September 2? Here’s all the news you need to know about Ontario Parks and Parks Canada sites in the summer of 2021.
Celebrate Indigenous music
On Saturday, June 12, the Summer Solstice Indigenous Music Awards are streaming live from the National Arts Centre. That’s just one of the many events you can enjoy online this week as part of the Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival (running until June 21). Others include a workshop on sketching Inuit sea creatures (June 10, then available on demand until June 30), the chance to stream The Road Beyond, a musical documentary about Indigenous nationalism in the 1930s (June 11), and a cooking class where participants will learn to make seared rainbow trout with sweet corn succotash (June 13).
Check out a night market in Brockville
The Night Market on Perth Street is a summer-long outdoor event happening every Thursday night in the courtyard behind 5-11 Perth Street in Brockville. Local artists, artisans, food vendors and musicians will be on hand every Thursday between 5pm and 8pm, starting this week (June 10) and running until August 26.
Book your staycation and enjoy a concert
Back in March, Ottawa Tourism and RBC Bluesfest announced their Room Service Concert Series: streaming concerts you could only see if you were a guest at one of the participating Ottawa hotels. That initiative was postponed when the stay-at-home order was announced…but now it’s back! This weekend would be a good time to start planning ahead for your local getaway. Featured artists include Alan Doyle, Third Eye Blind and Lennon Stella, with shows streaming on Fridays and Saturdays between June 18 and July 10. Once you book your hotel room, there’s no extra cost for tickets—just check in, switch on your hotel room TV and enjoy. (P.S.: Some room service or takeout food would be fun, too.)
See two online plays from Osgoode
The ITR Theatre Company in Osgoode is presenting Work From Home Blues, a “live double feature” on Zoom this week (June 10 to 13). It features two pandemic-themed comedies: Dr. Melissa’s Online Neurosurgery Class (can you teach brain surgery from your kitchen island?) and The Rooftop Guy (in which two office workers wonder whether they are losing their grip on reality). You need to register in advance and registration is free, but donations to the Canadian Mental Health Association are encouraged.
Spot your favourite flowers at Montreal’s Botanical Garden
If you live on the Quebec side of the river, you can now travel between regions. And here’s something cool I just learned today: the Botanical Garden in Montreal has a detailed calendar on its website showing you exactly which flowers are supposed to bloom and when. (Granted, predicting this sort of thing is an inexact science.) Blooms you have a good chance of seeing now include irises, peonies, begonias and day lilies. (P.S.: One of my recent posts features lots more ideas for garden-themed day trips.)
Hunt for ghosts in Williamstown (online)
The Sir John Johnson Manor House, a national historic site in Williamstown, is hosting a virtual live paranormal investigation on Saturday, June 12, starting at 7pm on Facebook Live. During the free event, Phantoms of Yore and The Haunted Walk will delve into the history of spooky events at the heritage home, which was built in the late 1700s by the Loyalist founder of Williamstown (a small community about 25 kilometres east of Cornwall). Over the centuries, numerous people have reported encounters with a spectral woman in blue. Will she appear on Saturday? Even if she doesn’t, the organizers promise an evening of history and storytelling.
Discover new Ottawa music
Season 2 of Encore Ottawa—presented by the Shenkman Arts Centre and Rogers TV Channel 22—will include 23 concerts featuring some 60 Ottawa artists (including MonkeyJunk, above). Between June 11 and September 3, new shows will premiere weekly on Channel 22 and stream for free on YouTube. The series kicks off with a two-hour premiere on Friday, June 11, which includes one song from each of the featured artists.
Explore cool Ottawa buildings (virtually)
Unlike the in-person version, the virtual version of Doors Open Ottawa lasts a whole week! So you have until Friday, June 11, to check out the online tours of 70+ fascinating buildings all over Ottawa—including everything from one of Ottawa’s oldest homes (the Billings Estate National Historic Site) to the OC Transpo Simulator Facility (when you can experience what it’s like to be at the controls of an LRT train). Disclosure: I’m on the event’s advisory committee.
Looking for more tips for things to see and do in Eastern Ontario, the Outaouais and beyond? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter and/or buy my guidebook, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide.