Latest news with #MelanieBrault
CTV News
30-06-2025
- CTV News
Large crowds expected for Canada Day celebrations
Ottawa Watch CTV's Patricia Boal speaks with Melanie Brault, Canadian Heritage Director of Capital Celebrations, ahead of Canada Day.
CTV News
29-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
Ottawa prepares for Canada Day
The capital is preparing for one of the busiest times of the year with lots in the city to do. (Camille Wilson/ CTV News Ottawa) The capital is preparing for one of the busiest times of the year with lots in the city to do. Peoples lawns and the streets are lined with flags showing Canadian pride. Many tourists are visiting from all over the country for Canada Day, excited to see how the Nation's capital commemorates Canada's birthday. 'We're on a four month tour of Canada, so we thought it would be a great experience to celebrate Canada Day in the capital of the country. We're looking forward to see how it's celebrated here,' says Deb McLean, visiting from Edmonton. Deb and Kevin McLean say they usually travel across the country to see how each province celebrates the special day and tis year was their stop in Ottawa. LeBreton Flats Park will be a hot spot for activities on Canada Day. The site opens at 9:00 a.m. on July 1st. A noon show will take place with speeches from dignitaries. The prime minister, governor general and the Minister of Canadian Heritage will be in attendance. 'We're going to be celebrating some really key milestones this year. It's the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag. We're going to be celebrating Terry Fox and the run that he started 45 years ago,' says Melanie Brault, director of capital celebrations with Canadian Heritage. Other official sites include a large screen at the Supreme Court lawn for people who can't make it to the park, they can watch the noon and evening show from Supreme Court lawns. 'We're going to have some yoga that's offered. We've got some face painting for the kids, some really fun stuff for the family. Also on Parliament Hill, there's lots of activities that will be happening there. There's some large beavers that we put in place so folks can come and take some photos of the beavers. We also have a ceremony, some bands that will be performing and Parliament Hill is really the best location if you want to see the snowbirds. They are scheduled to fly from 4 p.m. to 4:30 p.m.,' says Brault. The evening show at LeBreton Flats will be showcasing Canadian talent and a fireworks show at 10 p.m. Canada The capital is preparing for one of the busiest times of the year with lots in the city to do. (Camille Wilson/ CTV News Ottawa)
CBC
17-02-2025
- CBC
Winterlude wraps on a high note, despite heavy snowfall
Winterlude wraps up Monday, in what organizers say could be its most attended season yet. Ottawa's winter festival has seen a spike in visitors, according to Canadian Heritage, the federal department that puts on the celebration. And they're attributing that increase to the winter weather. Ottawa was hit with two major snowstorms this week — the heaviest the city has seen all season. But despite that, and warnings from officials to stay off the roads, people from all over came to brave the cold for Winterlude. "Yes, it's been cold. Yes, we've had a lot of snow. But that's what makes winter in the National Capital Region so memorable," said Melanie Brault with Canadian Heritage. "It's something that we're really, really grateful for." The Rideau Canal Skateway has been open for more than a month this year. It's the longest the UNESCO world heritage site has been open in years. In 2024, the skateway opened for mere days, and didn't open at all the year before that. Some visitors said it's the main reason they came to Ottawa this year. "You can't be here... and not do the canal," said Alicia Van Den Bos. She and her kids braved the cold and blowing snow to skate on the canal. It wasn't an easy skate, they said, but they were thrilled to be in the city. Her family is living in Muskoka for a year, and drove to Ottawa to spend a day. They'll be extending their trip to avoid a snowy drive home. "I'm really excited to be here," said Cian Murphy-Burns, whose family travelled from Syracuse, NY for Winterlude. He doesn't remember his first time here, five years ago, when he was an infant. But now, he's finally old enough to enjoy all that Ottawa has to offer. He skated about 12 kilometres along the skateway with his family on Saturday. In 2020, Winterlude welcomed more than 600,000 visitors in its most heavily attended season yet. But COVID-19 put the fun on pause. Last year, the festival saw 500,000 visitors. Tourism Ottawa said the first two weekends of this year had even higher attendance than the same period last year, but the organization will have to tally visitors on the final weekend to know if they've surpassed pre-pandemic levels. Record-breaking year or not, Jérôme Miousse with Ottawa Tourism said the high attendance has been a positive sign — both for the festival and for the local economy that benefits. "It's been a great winter," he said.
