From a writers’ workshop in Kingston and a new international film festival in Ottawa to Hok skiing in the Outaouais and free skating at TD Place, the options for fun indoors, outdoors and online this week are many. Happy road tripping!
Enjoy a free outdoor sound-and-light event in Centretown
The Fire & Ice Winter Exhibit (March 11 to 13) is a new event coming to the stretch of Bank Street between Slater Street and Cooper Street. For each of the three nights, you can stroll along the street to enjoy a variety of sound-and-light installations, including video walls and interactive lighting displays that change for every person. And it’s all free! The show will be switched on at 6pm each evening and run until midnight on Friday and Saturday, and until 11pm on Sunday.
Shop, shop, shop in Smiths Falls
To celebrate International Women’s Day on Tuesday, March 8, a number of women-owned businesses in Smiths Falls will be staying open until 8pm and offering specials, draws and refreshments. Participating businesses include the Pickled Pig, Michele’s Doorway to Splendour and the Blue Door Spa. See this Facebook post for the complete list.
And if you’re wondering what else you can do in Smiths Falls while you’re there, check out my day trippers’ guide to Smiths Falls.
Go tubing and Hok skiing in the Outaouais
When I read this blog post by Tourisme Outaouais about winter adventures at Base de plein air Air-Eau-Bois, I was intrigued. The rustic cabins at this spot in Denholm, about 75 kilometres north of Ottawa, look like fun accommodations for families (if you don’t mind roughing it without electricity). Tubing is among the many activities available. But it was the writer’s reference to “Hok skiing” that had me heading to Google. I’ll admit I’d never heard of this type of cross-country skiing until today. When I looked it up, I learned that it involves using wider-than-usual skis and is apparently easier than traditional cross-country skiing. To quote Mr. Spock, “Fascinating.”
Skate for free at TD Place in Ottawa
Ever wanted to skate the ice at the Ottawa 67s’ home arena? This Sunday is your chance! TD Place is hosting an open public skating session at The Arena on Sunday, March 13, from 1pm to 4pm. Enter through Gate 1. Admission is free, and people will be admitted on a first come, first served basis. All children 12 years of age and under must wear a helmet on the ice and everyone must wear a mask inside TD Place, except while skating.
See hard-to-find movies in Ottawa and Kingston
The International Film Festival of Ottawa (March 9 to 20) is finally in theatres! The festival was supposed to debut in 2020, but that was cancelled. In 2021, the event was virtual. This year, the official selection includes 26 films from more than 20 countries, including the Croatian family drama Murina, the partly improvised Egyptian coming-of-age film Souad (see trailer above) and the South Korean drama Aloners. Movies will be playing in several downtown Ottawa venues, including the ByTowne Cinema and the Ottawa Art Gallery. Several will be streamed online, too.
Speaking of film festivals, the Kington Canadian Film Festival, which I mentioned last week, continues online and in person until March 13.
Go snowshoeing in Kemptville
On Tuesdays at 10am and Sundays at 2pm, Anytime Fitness Kemptville runs free guided snowshoeing walks in Limerick Forest. You can even borrow snowshoes! If there isn’t enough snow, the group hikes instead. You don’t need to register in advance, and the outings are open to people of all ages and fitness levels.
Hone your writing skills in Kingston or online
Many of the in-person sessions are sold out, but you can still get tickets to stream most of the sessions of this weekend’s Kingston Writersfest Winter Writers Retreat (March 11 to 13). Instructors include Shyam Selvadurai, Karen Connelly and Tim Wynne-Jones, and sessions focus on novels, poetry, humour and more.
Enjoy classical music at the NAC
On March 9 and 10, Ukrainian-Finnish conductor Dalia Stasevska will lead the National Arts Centre Orchestra in the Canadian premiere of Swedish composer Andrea Tarrodi’s Wildwood at the NAC. The program will also feature Venezuelan virtuoso pianist Gabriela Montero (see video above) performing Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.1 and will conclude with Dvořák’s joyful Symphony No. 8. As the performances are dedicated to the people of Ukraine, the NAC Orchestra will open each evening with the Ukrainian national anthem. Note that both in-person and livestream tickets are available.
Eat pancakes with maple syrup in Kingston
Maple Madness is back at Little Cataraqui Creek Conservation Area in Kingston. On weekends throughout March, as well as during Ontario March Break (March 14 to 18), you can tour the conservation area’s sugar bush, learn how maple syrup is made and dig into some tasty pancakes. Note that you must register online in advance. (P.S.: Don’t forget to check out my list of open sugar shacks for more maple fun.)
Delve into Canadian history online or in Gatineau
The new show at the Canadian Museum of History, Lost Liberties, focuses on some tumultuous times in Canadian history, including the internment of Ukrainian-Canadians in the First World War, the internments of Italian-Canadians and Japanese-Canadians in the Second World War, and the invocation of the War Measures Act in 1970. The 20-minute video above was made for the exhibition’s launch.
The Marine Museum of the Great Lakes at Kingston is presenting an online talk, part of its Nautical Nights series, on Wednesday, March 9. This week, the topic is La Vérendrye and the Search for the Western Sea. Learn about the complex relationship between French voyageurs and the Indigenous peoples they encountered, as the French crossed what is now Canada in search of a sea route to Asia. Advance ticket purchase required.
Sign up for a virtual coffee house
Savvy Company is holding its first-ever virtual coffee house event on Sunday, March 20. That’s a couple of weeks away, so why am I mentioning it now? To participate, you need to register in advance. That allows enough time for you to receive a box of four different coffees, along with biscotti and chocolates, all from local producers. On the morning of the event, you can savour your coffee and treats while enjoying live music performances with your fellow coffee house attendees over Zoom.
Sign your kids up for March Break fun in Pembroke
This is another plan-ahead note! The Champlain Trail Museum in Pembroke is running an Amazing Race-style event for kids, with a local history theme, on Wednesday, March 16. You need to register by March 11.
Looking for more ideas for things to see and do in our region? Subscribe to my free weekly newsletter or pick up a copy of my book, Ottawa Road Trips: Your 100-km Getaway Guide, from which this post is adapted.
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.