Canada Day may be over, but the fun continues as Ottawa plays host through the fall to a number of high-profile events and unique attractions.
“While the summer of 2017 was a big deal, it wasn’t the final act,” said Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. “Quite the contrary. Having drawn the world’s attention to the nation’s capital, our opportunity now is to keep that momentum going.”
What momentum? Just look at the social media buzz tracked by Ottawa Tourism from June 30 to July 30, compared with the same period a year ago:
• Traffic to www.ottawatourism.ca roughly doubled.
• Twitter impressions jumped by 628 per cent and total engagement by a whopping 2,406 per cent.
• Facebook saw increases in impressions and overall engagement of 678 per cent and 291 per cent, respectively.
• Instagram engagement rose 74 per cent, with a 105 per cent jump in #MyOttawa posts. Now that’s what you call impact.
SO WHAT’S NEXT?
La Machine took over downtown with a giant roving spider and a dragon-horse. Kontinuum has dazzled visitors with a subterranean odyssey through time. But there is more to come, starting with the sports trifecta:
• The Canadian Football League’s 2017 Grey Cup game takes place Nov. 26 at TD Place. Starting Nov. 21, Ottawa will host the 105th Grey Cup Festival. The festival will showcase the city across Canada with events, performances, live music and activities that build a sense of pride and unity by showcasing Canada’s culture.
• The 2017 Tim Hortons Roar of the Rings hits the ice at the Canadian Tire Centre, Dec. 2-10. See the best men’s and women’s curling teams from across the country compete to represent Canada at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
• The 2017 Scotiabank NHL100 Classic comes to TD Place on Dec. 16. Come see our Ottawa Senators take on the Montreal Canadiens on outdoor ice. As part of the NHL’s centennial, the game will be a re-match of one of the league’s first regular-season games.
ADD TO THAT:
• The Canadian Science and Technology Museum reopens in November after three years of renovation. The museum will feature about 80,000 square feet of new exhibition space in five main galleries, and include old favourites like the Crazy Kitchen.
• Chaudière Falls in all its magnificence will be reopened to the public for the first time in over a century by early November. Discover one of our most important landmarks and immerse yourself in First Nations culture through a vivid display of colourful lights that will elevate the natural beauty of Chaudière Falls.
• Until Oct. 15, you can still enjoy MosaïCanada 150, an impressive free horticulture event in Jacques Cartier Park, Gatineau, featuring sculptures, paintings and a one-kilometre stroll through fantastic plants.
• Ottawa Welcomes the World also continues, with more than 75 high commissions, embassies and international partners highlighting their culture in a series of free cultural events at the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne.
