Latest news with #CanadianTulipFestival
CTV News
17 hours ago
- Business
- CTV News
ByWard Market sees fewer visits during the winter
Tulips cover the OTTAWA sign in Ottawa's ByWard Market as part of the Canadian Tulip Festival. (Josh Pringle/CTV News Ottawa) Fewer people visited Ottawa's ByWard Market in the winter, with the monthly visits in February the lowest in two years. Statistics available on the City of Ottawa's website show there were 4.338 million visits to the popular tourist area in the January to March period, down from 5.004 million visits during the same period in 2024. The ByWard Market saw 1.65 million visits in January and 1.609 million visits in March. There were 1.08 million visits to the market area in February, the lowest number of monthly visits since January 2023, when 930,000 people visited the ByWard Market. While the data does not explain why there was a drop in visits to the ByWard Market, February was colder and snowier than average this year. The 109 cm of snow, including nearly 70 cm of snow around the Family Day weekend, was more than double the average snowfall for February of 48.5 cm. The ByWard Market hosted several events during Winterlude, and set up a synthetic ice rink on William Street. According to the City of Ottawa, the data is foot traffic recorded in the ByWard Market using cellphone data. The statistics showing a drop in visits to the ByWard Market comes as retailers and the City of Ottawa look for ways to increase traffic in the popular tourist area. The city is introducing paid on-street evening parking until 7:30 p.m. on weeknights and on Saturdays in a bid to encourage vehicle turnover in the ByWard Market area. Some business owners told a city committee last month that introducing paid parking after 5:30 p.m. would discourage people from visiting the ByWard Market to shop and dine. A Night Ambassadors program is being introduced this summer, with staff available to assist visitors and work with late-night venues between 9:30 p.m. and 4 a.m. The city says, 'providing additional eyes on the street,' the Night Ambassadors will 'enhance community and safety wellbeing' by practicing bystander intervention and de-escalation, helping patrons and employees find a safe ride home and connecting people with emergency and social services.
Ottawa Citizen
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Ottawa Citizen
Tulip fest to light up sky Sunday with fireworks/drone show
Article content Canadian Tulip Festival plans to light up the sky Sunday with a combined fireworks and drone show. Article content Article content The festival says the 'first-of-its-kind event' is in honour of the 80th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands. Article content The 10-minute show features 200 synchronized drones flying alongside brilliant fireworks, 'creating a breathtaking tribute that blends cutting-edge technology with time-honoured tradition.' Article content Article content The show is part of the festival's closing ceremonies. Article content Article content This show 'reflects the festival's commitment to modern, environmentally conscious programming — offering a quieter, more sustainable alternative to traditional fireworks, while still delivering a powerful visual celebration of history, freedom, and international friendship.' Article content The free show runs from 9:20 p.m. to 10 p.m., but guests are urged to arrive early to grab a good viewing spot. Article content Article content Article content
CTV News
16-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
5 travel tips for seeing the tulips in Ottawa this weekend
The tulips are in bloom at Commissioners Park in Ottawa ahead of the opening of the Canadian Tulip Festival. (Scott Rook/CTV News Ottawa)
Yahoo
16-05-2025
- Yahoo
3 tips to achieve tulip bliss — without the stress — this long weekend
Tulip admirers, assemble! But maybe not all at the same time, OK? This long weekend caps off the annual Canadian Tulip Festival at Commissioners Park in Ottawa. It's a beautiful space, resplendent in the bloom of variously coloured tulips — and a symbol of the enduring friendship between Canada and the Netherlands. The 2025 edition has some cool new features like the Big Bug Boardwalk along Dows Lake. Over 2,000 tulips are lit up with UV lights and surrounded by giant bugs. "You feel like you're shrunk down and you can see the pollen glow the way bees and butterflies see them," said the festival's executive director Jo Riding. But the festival area can get crowded, and this weekend is a holiday. To make the most of the occasion, without the stress, go to the park early if you can. If that's not possible, consider the following three tips. Take the O-Train Parking near Commissioners Park is "very limited," according to the festival's website. While Carleton University's P7 lot offers spots at a daily flat rate of $12 and is only an eight-minute walk to the park, you might consider hopping aboard OC Transpo's Line 2 instead. It practically deposits you right at the park. Dow's Lake station is the second stop after departing Line 2's northern terminus at Bayview. Dow's Lake station is located just north of Carling Avenue, a straight diagonal line to the park. Just ascend the steps at Dow's Lake station, cross Carling and then Preston Street, and you're in tulip heaven — two minutes faster than if you'd walked from Carleton, according to Google Maps. You can always go downtown This tip might sound counter-intuitive. After all, Commissioners Park is where it's at, right? But if the park is too crowded, you could do worse than hopping back on the LRT. Transfer to Line 1 Bayview, head east to Lyon station and explore the many other tulip patches along Wellington Street. The bright flowers abound between Library and Archives Canada and the Supreme Court, to name but one spot. You could walk the pathway behind Parliament and picnic at Major's Hill Park, which boasts its own healthy helping of tulips (and is a good people- and dog-watching spot to boot). Sure, there's no interactive walking tour like at Commissioners Park. But your step-counting app will thank you. Escape to the country Feeling adventurous? Hit the road. An Ottawa couple whose "u-pick" tulip crop was badly damaged by a fungal growth has relocated this year to their nephew's farm. Manja Bastian and Allan Groen of Green Corners Farm have planted 300,000 tulips at 640 North Russell Rd. in Russell, Ont., about 35 kilometres southeast of downtown Ottawa. Losing half a million flowers last year was "emotionally wrenching," Groen recently told In Town and Out host Giacomo Panico. Seeing people stream back this year has hit a different note. "It's something that makes it all worthwhile for us," he said.
Ottawa Citizen
16-05-2025
- Ottawa Citizen
Today's letters: Needed — Better public transit to major Ottawa sights
It's not easy to park anywhere near the Canadian Tulip Festival, nor is public transit especially good. Photo by Ashley Fraser / Postmedia THIS CONTENT IS RESERVED FOR SUBSCRIBERS ONLY Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. SUBSCRIBE TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada. Exclusive articles from Elizabeth Payne, David Pugliese, Andrew Duffy, Bruce Deachman and others. Plus, food reviews and event listings in the weekly newsletter, Ottawa, Out of Office. Unlimited online access to Ottawa Citizen and 15 news sites with one account. Ottawa Citizen ePaper, an electronic replica of the print edition to view on any device, share and comment on. Daily puzzles, including the New York Times Crossword. Support local journalism. REGISTER / SIGN IN TO UNLOCK MORE ARTICLES Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account. Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments. Enjoy additional articles per month. Get email updates from your favourite authors. THIS ARTICLE IS FREE TO READ REGISTER TO UNLOCK. Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience. Access articles from across Canada with one account Share your thoughts and join the conversation in the comments Enjoy additional articles per month Get email updates from your favourite authors Back last year, when a visit to New York City wasn't considered being a traitor to Canada, we trekked from the Brooklyn Bridge to midtown Manhattan, and the 9/11 memorial. At that point, we were tired and on the verge of ordering an Uber back to the hotel. However, there were traffic signs on the road nearby saying 'No stopping,' so we asked one of the security guards where a car could pick us up. 'Ladies,' he said to us, speaking slowly and patiently, 'there's a subway car waiting just for you in the white building across the street. $3.25. Take line 1 to Penn Station.' It was as if he sensed we were from Ottawa, and so couldn't possibly be expected to imagine accessing popular highlights like Dow's Lake, Lansdowne or the River House in such a simple, timely and inexpensive fashion. My family was pleased when, a year ago, Ottawa city councillors unanimously approved a modern wildlife strategy based on coexistence between humans and animals. It was certainly overdue in that, a decade earlier after similar pressure from residents, the city undertook a wildlife strategy that promised a more harmonious relationship with all wildlife. However, it failed, as shown by the ongoing trapping of beavers, the killing of coyotes and the relocation of bears. Ottawa, the nation's capital, must finally put a progressive wildlife strategy in place. It is clear, city councillors must remain determined in insisting that staff make it this happen because it appears they haven't got the message. I am angry and embarrassed that our city continues outdated and inhumane practices when it comes to wildlife. Relocating a young bear several hundred kilometers from its own territory in this region is bad enough. Releasing it in an area selected by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, where its spring bear hunt is underway, is disgraceful. This clarifies why the city shouldn't be looking to the ministry for progressive or humane wildlife advice or direction. So, a last-minute change in the requirements for night-vision binoculars restricts the Department of National Defence's purchase to an American supplier. Same old scam: If you want only one supplier's product, create requirements to exclude all others.
