Ottawa Canada
Ottawa sits on the Ontario side of the Ottawa River, facing Gatineau in Quebec, which makes it genuinely bilingual in a way most Canadian cities are not. It is a government town first, with Parliament Hill and the national museums at its centre, but it also holds the University of Ottawa and Carleton University and a technology corridor in Kanata that grew out of Nortel. For cryptography in particular the city has real history: the Selected Areas in Cryptography workshop has run in Canada since 1994 and the Communications Security Establishment is based here. The downtown core is small and walkable, and the Rideau Canal running through it becomes the world’s largest skating rink each winter.
- Parliament Hill - The Gothic Revival parliament buildings above the river; the Centre Block is under long-term restoration but the grounds and Library are worth the walk.
- National Gallery of Canada - Strong Canadian and Indigenous collections behind Maman, the giant Louise Bourgeois spider.
- ByWard Market - The oldest market district in the city, and where most of the eating and drinking happens after sessions.
- Canadian War Museum - Unusually well designed, with a raw concrete building that is worth seeing on its own terms.
- Rideau Canal - A UNESCO site; walk or cycle it in summer, skate it in winter.
- Gatineau Park - Across the river in Quebec, 20 minutes out, and spectacular in the autumn.
Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International (YOW) is about 20 minutes south of downtown, connected by the O-Train Line 2 and by bus. It handles domestic and US routes plus some transatlantic service. For wider international connections, Montreal Trudeau (YUL) is two hours away by train or road and Toronto Pearson (YYZ) about five hours by train, with VIA Rail running frequently to both.
Downtown Ottawa is compact and walkable, and most conference venues, hotels and museums sit within about twenty minutes of each other on foot. The O-Train light rail Line 1 runs east to west through the core and connects to the bus network; a single fare is around 4 CAD. Cycling is good in summer along the canal and river paths. A car is unnecessary unless you are heading out to the Kanata technology parks.
May to October is the comfortable window. Late August, when SAC runs, is warm and settled, and the summer festival season has finished. September and early October bring the fall colours in Gatineau Park, which is the single best thing about visiting then. Winter is genuinely cold, often below minus 15C, though the canal skating and Winterlude in February are the compensation.
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1 upcoming conference in Ottawa
Stay downtown. The area between Parliament Hill, the ByWard Market and Elgin Street holds nearly all the hotels and puts you within walking distance of the universities, the museums and the restaurants. ByWard Market is the liveliest and the noisiest; Elgin Street and Centretown are slightly calmer and a few minutes further from the bars. Rates are moderate outside of Canada Day in early July and the February Winterlude weekends, both of which fill the city. If your event is at the University of Ottawa, the Sandy Hill edge of downtown puts you within a ten minute walk of campus.
Our picks in Ottawa
A curated selection of hotels chosen for location, value, and fit for conference travellers.
Alt Hotel Ottawa Downtown
185 Slater Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 0A1, Canada
Modern three-star in Centretown a few minutes from Parliament Hill, known for flat-rate pricing that does not spike during busy weeks -...
DoubleTree by Hilton Ottawa Downtown
33 Nicholas Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 9M7, Canada
Four-star with an indoor pool five minutes’ walk from the ByWard Market and about ten from the University of Ottawa - well...
Fairmont Château Laurier
1 Rideau Street, Ottawa, ON K1N 8S7, Canada
The 1912 railway chateau beside Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal locks, with an art deco indoor pool and views over the...
Lord Elgin Hotel
100 Elgin Street, Ottawa, ON K1P 5K8, Canada
Landmark 1941 hotel opposite the National Arts Centre with a 24-hour fitness centre and lap pool, a few minutes from Parliament and...
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