Ottawa....is where I'm going for Jan-April, can someone pls tell me about the place?

[appleface]

Hi guys,

I'm going to Ottawa this coming Jan-April 08 for a coop work term with Health Canada @ Tunney's Pasture.
I'm not quite sure what to expect yet, I've only been told that it's going to be very cold (much colder than Toronto).

Any advice or suggestions about housing, outtings or anything in general will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :razz:

[thelefteyeguy]

It' been rocking once playoffs start...enjoy it!

[aimfox]

it's okay. try googling for results ;)

[testinz]

You work at a lucky location :)

Just rent an apartment next to the transit way and it will take you only minutes to get to work.

If you are a hockey fan, it's the best city to live in during that time of the year. You will become a Sens fan once your co-op term is over ;)

[3weddings]

If you drive get a block heater...buy the warmest coat you can afford

Take in the freebie nights at all the different museums

[kuqdew]

the capital of canada

[corrupt123]

Ottawa is great. I've been a couple of times and always have a blast. It is cold, but if you're used to winter (a.k.a. not coming from a warm climate) you should be able to adjust. I've only ever gone for a weekend or so at a time so I only say that with limited confidence. Personally I feel the city is more people friendly than Toronto. There is a lot more incentive to move around on foot rather then drive everywhere (atleast, downtown) which is probably the european influence.

Hull is a great place too if you're <19, and even if you're over I suppose. Good luck man!

[ipxxx]

the capital of canada

Haha what the heck...

In terms of "outtings" what type of person are you? Clubber (Bar hopper...in Ottawa...as I am a firm believer that Ottawa has no real clubs when compared to places like Toronto), Site Seeing type person?

Will you be driving a car up or will your main means of transportation be by bus? (OC Transpo :O).

More info?

[appleface]

I'll be taking public transportation ( no car :( )
For outtings? I enjoy the random bar nights, good eats, fun activities. Usually up for anything!

Thanks for the posts guys :razz:

[taro-chan]

the capital of canadaWhy do you even bother posting that.

Anyways, Ottawa is quiet compared to Toronto. As for bars, you can always head over to the Byward Market (http://www.byward-market.com/)

Other then that, Museums are fun. I could spend hours at the Art Gallery. And ya, try to get a place on the Transitway if you are busing b/c it's a pain if you aren't.

[go leafs]

the capital of canada

you have made about 350 posts in the last (edit: 72 hours) according to the search function... did you really need to boost your post count by posting something like this?

[kuqdew]

Here info for ya:
The first inhabitants of the Ottawa area were the Algonquin Indians who called the Ottawa River the "Kichesippi" - the Great River - and called themselves the Kichesippirini (People of the Great River). French fur traders named the Ottawa River after the Outaouais tribe which in fact only inhabited the area for some ten years. They served as middlemen in the fur trade, carrying furs to Quebec after the Iroquois Indians had driven the Algonquins from the area.

With the end of New France in 1759, the Ottawa area came under British rule and settlers from the United States began to stake claims to the land. Amongst these was Philemon Wright and his settlers who, anticipating the enormous energy possibilities of the Ottawa River, settled across the River in Hull Township.

After the War of 1812 between Canada and the United States, a means of communication between Montreal and the western part of the country was sought to protect it from possible attacks by our neighbours to the south. The 200-kilometre Rideau Canal was designed to establish a link by waterway between Montreal and Kingston (then Canada's capital) via Ottawa. Construction of the Canal was entrusted to Lieutenant-Colonel John By and carried out between 1826 and 1832. Colonel By is recognized as the first builder and planner of what was to become the Capital. The plans he developed in 1828 set aside large land expanses for public use at the entrance to and along the Canal. At first, these areas were to have been used for the building of fortifications, but they later became the site for Canada's Parliament Buildings and the parkway network.

The thirty years that followed the building of the Rideau Canal saw Ottawa (by then called Bytown) and Philemon Wright's settlement (Wright's Town) progress mainly because of the thriving forest industry. Stores, manufactories (mainly producing stoves and axes) and banks were set up, churches and schools were built and a little manufacturing community was started in New Edinburgh about the Rideau Falls. Steamboats plied the river and canal, and a newspaper, the Bytown Gazette, was started in 1836. In 1855, Bytown was incorporated and became Ottawa. Wright's Town followed suit in 1875 and became known as Hull.

Ottawa Becomes Canada's Capital

In 1857, Queen Victoria was asked to settle a dispute between Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Kingston and Ottawa as to which city should be named Capital of the Province of Canada (made up of Upper and Lower Canada which consisted of parts of today's Provinces of Ontario and Quebec). Queen Victoria chose the City of Ottawa as the seat of the new government. Work immediately began on the new Parliament Buildings on Barrick Hill (henceforth to be Parliament Hill) and between 1859 and 1866 the Centre, East and West Blocks were built. (The latter two Blocks were known as the Eastern and Western Departmental Buildings.)



One year after their completion, Ottawa became the Capital of the new Canadian Confederation composed of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick and parts of present-day Quebec and Ontario. Ottawa's population was 18,000 in an area of 760 hectares.

Ottawa Grows Into a Capital

The Capital has not always been the beautiful city it is becoming today. At first a military building site, then a prosperous lumber town, the City of Ottawa which, by royal edict, was suddenly given the top rank among Canadian cities, had grown haphazardly until 1899. It was then that the Canadian Government concluded that if Ottawa were to become a Capital worthy of a vast and growing country, a start should be made with the planning of its environment: the Ottawa Improvement Commission (OIC) was therefore created.

The OIC's first priority was to clean up the banks of the Rideau Canal which were cluttered with warehouses, sheds, lumber yards and piles of construction material. They also began the park system and envisaged the creation of boulevards and scenic parkways. After the rubble was cleared from along the banks of the Canal, part of the present Queen Elizabeth Driveway was constructed as the first of the scenic drives. In 1912 the Union Station and the Chateau Laurier Hotel, both built by the Grand Trunk Railway Company, were opened.

1900 and 1916: Disaster Strikes Ottawa

April 26, 1900 was a day of horror. A fire started in Hull and, carried by the wind, soon destroyed a large segment of the city, flamed across the Chaudière Falls and burned a swath through Ottawa as far as Dows Lake, making thousands homeless.

Canada had not celebrated its first half century when tragedy struck once again. On February 3, 1916, near 9 p.m., a small fire started in the Parliamentary Reading Room in the Centre Block. Fed by stacks of newspapers and varnished woodwork, it was soon a raging blaze that claimed seven lives and reduced all but the northwest wing and the Library to a charred shell.

Despite the almost complete redirection of resources to fighting the First World War, construction began almost immediately on rebuilding Canada's Parliament. The new structure, which preserved the Gothic Revival style of the original, was designed by John Pearson and Jean Omer Marchand and completed by 1922.

The Gréber Plan: Modern Ottawa Arises

In 1936, while visiting the site for the World Exhibition of 1937 in Paris, Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King became acquainted with Jacques Gréber, chief architect for the exhibition and reputed for his work in Philadelphia on the Fairmont Parkway. King invited Gréber to come to Ottawa to advise on the plans for Confederation Square and to undertake a number of studies of the National Capital area. The Prime Minister envisioned large parks, scenic driveways and broad thoroughfares for Ottawa and Hull as well as the preservation of a natural park - his beloved Gatineau Hills.

Before his departure Gréber submitted a report in which he recommended the creation of a master plan for the Capital's development. While the outbreak of the Second World War delayed the completion of this plan until 1949, it would serve as the city's planning guide well into the 1970's. The creation and conservation of green space was an important element of the master plan. The Canadian Government purchased property along the banks of the Rideau Canal and of the Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau Rivers and restored it to its natural beauty to allow public enjoyment of these waterways. Today, large tracts of land around Federal Government buildings are beautifully maintained as are the flower beds in the parks and along the driveways. Exceptionally broad park corridors containing driveways and pathways further enhance the open space concept.

In 1958 the Government established a "greenbelt" around Ottawa to avoid uncontrolled urban sprawl as well as provide future parks and public open space. The Greenbelt, which Gréber called "the Capital's emerald necklace", forms a semi-circular belt of about 17,600 hectares running in a continuous 44.8 kilometres arc on the outer edge of the urban area. Presently, some of the land is leased, some is in public use, some is used for research and development activities, and large tracts have been set aside for the conservation of the water table and the preservation of animal and plant life.

Ottawa in the 1980s

This decade saw the Capital assume its role as the cultural showcase for the nation. New festivals such as Winterlude, the Canadian Tulip Festival and the Gatineau Hot Air Balloon Festival were launched; the National Arts Centre Orchestra developed into one of the world's pre-eminent orchestras; and new museums and galleries rose throughout the city.

Two new buildings, in particular, captured people's imaginations. The National Gallery of Canada, inaugurated in 1988, now houses the most comprehensive collection in the world of Canadian art as well as masterpieces from Europe, Asia and the Americas. The Canadian Museum of Civilization, opened the following year, traces Canada's intriguing history from prehistoric times to the present. Visitors come face-to-face with longhouses and totem poles, life-size reconstructions of historic Canadian scenes and larger-than-life movies in the museum's OMNIMAX and IMAX theatre.

http://www.teskey.com/ottawa/index.htm

[kuqdew]

in the last 36 hours ?

You messed up (http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/timeindex1.htm) :cheesygri

[go leafs]

You messed up (http://www.netrover.com/~kingskid/timeindex1.htm) :cheesygri

72 I mean :lol:

[PHANTOMPHOENIX]

Its a nice town except for all these ugly red hockey jerseys everyone is wearing.:D

[go leafs]

Hi guys,

I'm going to Ottawa this coming Jan-April 08 for a coop work term with Health Canada @ Tunney's Pasture.
I'm not quite sure what to expect yet, I've only been told that it's going to be very cold (much colder than Toronto).

Any advice or suggestions about housing, outtings or anything in general will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks :razz:

Make sure to bring your skates, skating on the canal is a great activity during the winter. You can get a Beavertail at the food huts right on the canal :)

As others said, if you're on a location along the transitway it will be an easy commute to work.

67s games at the Civic Centre are a cheaper alternative to seeing Sens games, if you are a hockey fan, and you can see upcoming stars like John Tavares

The Byward Market is the place to be for restaurants, bars, and unique stores.

[seekay]

i'm there for co-op right now...and i've been told over and over again that this isnt winter. walking to work this morning was nice and cold...i couldnt feel my feet and my ears for 15 minutes after i got into the office. it was pretty cold and the wind didnt help. but then again i worked in london in january, so i guess it's not too bad just yet...i didnt have to walk then.

OC Transpo is your best friend, the busses go everywhere. makes the TTC, Viva etc... look like a complete joke. the website is www.octranspo.com and go to travel planner...type in where you and where you want to go...and it'll give you instructions on how to get there, which busses to take, what time they arrive etc...it's like..GPS for taking public transportation.

the people here are pretty awesome, with the exception that they're sens fans, and extremely friendly, even the homeless :D. the night life downtown can be pretty sweet as u of o is right downtown, and carleton isnt too far away.

pm me if you have any questions...can give you the co-op experience in ottawa.

[Viz79]

Make sure to bring your skates, skating on the canal is a great activity during the winter. You can get a Beavertail at the food huts right on the canal :)

+1 for the skates! Can't wait to skate the Canal again during Winterlude.

~V79~

[thelefteyeguy]

72 I mean :lol:

lots of post about "wanted" that's all...

[supe]

Alright, I was in the same boat too, I did a years intern in Ottawa a few years ago. Like someone said, rent a place close to a transit way or the O-train.

Mother tuckers is an amazing buffet in the market. But everything is in the market. Lots of bars and restaurants. A real fun bar is Grace O'mallys which is sort of in the south west. If you want to go to a real club go to Hull its called 728, or 623 or some other combination of three numbers but its the best 'real' club.

If you're into museums, the science one is one of the best ive been to. The civilization museum is pretty good too, I only liked it when they had the special an the maurice "rocket" richard.

You'll have to try skating in the canal too, longest canal in the world. And then of course, walk down sumerset and check out the parliament and other federal buildings. The supreme court is pretty cool to see.

All in all, Ottawa is a real safe and down to earth kind of city. I had a blast there, and would enjoy revisiting. Let me know if you have any questions.

[Nikita]

One word of advice that was given to me when I moved to Ottawa a number of years ago. In order to endure the b*tch cold winters you have to take up a winter sport, skating or skiing comes to mind of course. Lot's of great ski resorts especially in Quebec. Skating on the canal is awesome and the only times I could endure -30 and -40 weather. Don't wait till Winterlude, they usually open the canal in early December. In fact you'll get a lot more skating in during non-Winterlude time.

If you like bars and restaurants, yep, the Byward Market is about all you'll need. I live in the market for a few years and it has everything you need, including of course fresh food markets of all kinds.

Dress warm, very warm....in Ottawa it comes down to 'doesn't matter how you look, only matters if you're warm'....lol.

In any event......enjoy yourself, it is one incredibly beautiful city!

[testinz]

There's no way the canal open in early dec. :) You would probably be swimming there instead :)


One word of advice that was given to me when I moved to Ottawa a number of years ago. In order to endure the b*tch cold winters you have to take up a winter sport, skating or skiing comes to mind of course. Lot's of great ski resorts especially in Quebec. Skating on the canal is awesome and the only times I could endure -30 and -40 weather. Don't wait till Winterlude, they usually open the canal in early December. In fact you'll get a lot more skating in during non-Winterlude time.

If you like bars and restaurants, yep, the Byward Market is about all you'll need. I live in the market for a few years and it has everything you need, including of course fresh food markets of all kinds.

Dress warm, very warm....in Ottawa it comes down to 'doesn't matter how you look, only matters if you're warm'....lol.

In any event......enjoy yourself, it is one incredibly beautiful city!

[Diamondog]

Cold winter??? I can't even remember the last cold winter.

[Nikita]

There's no way the canal open in early dec. :) You would probably be swimming there instead :)


Cold winter??? I can't even remember the last cold winter.

Wow, must be something to this climate change stuff. I lived there from 1990 till 1998 and the winters were the coldest I could have imagined, snow knee deep every day despite the fact they have the most efficient snow removal I've ever seen, and I skated the canal long before Christmas every year, usually early as November.

[rubberband]

Eat:

Elgin Street or the Byward Market. Think of any kind of food you could possibly want, and then walk around 5 minutes to get it. If you like food you're set.

Museums downtown are great if you're into that sort of thing.

Ottawa is a VERY active city for sports. Generally by the end of January things are frozen/snowy enough. The Canal is a must-do. You can rent skates if you need them, but bringing your own is definitely better. There's good downhill skiing nearby, and world-class cross country skiing! Lots of local outdoor hockey rinks, etc.

If you want to hide indoors, look up the Ottawa Sports and Social Club. They run leagues for every indoor sport imaginable all winter, and take individual registration. Perfect for students like you. If you have a favourite sport, indoor soccer, ball hockey, ice hockey, ultimate frisbee and curling all all widespread indoors during the winter, and all have leagues you could get in to - especially if you start looking now!

Public transit downtown is good. Lots of buses and cabs. Tunney's is very central to the transit routes (it's big!) so you'll be good to go.

In general It's almost a better place to live (even for a short while) than to visit in a way. Lots to do if you have some time to get into it.

[ak47num1]

67s games at the Civic Centre are a cheaper alternative to seeing Sens games, if you are a hockey fan, and you can see upcoming stars like John Tavares

The Byward Market is the place to be for restaurants, bars, and unique stores.

I am also a coop in Ottawa. Definitely pay a visit to the museums and join some sport clubs if you like. I found Ottawa to be a very sporty city. Shopping is decent. It's definitely quieter than Toronto. And it sucks to be a Leafs fan here :cry: , but good if you are a fan of all Canadian teams.

Also, you would love the OC Transpo travel planner. It is a great tool that I can't find with any other public transport providers yet.

On a side note, does anyone know whether coops from universities outside Ottawa can get the student semester pass for OC Transpo?

[kjs]

This winter is supposed to be the worst Ottawa has had in 15 years. There has already been more snow this fall/winter than there was last winter as of late March.

The past 3 winters have been a joke.