10am
Saturday, August 1
Architectural and Engineering Wonders on the Canal

Take a walking tour along the Rideau Canal between Entrance Bay and Corktown Bridge to see the imposing architecture and engineering along the first mile of the canal corridor.

Hear the story of the architects, engineers and history of important structures such as the Alexandra Bridge, Chateau Laurier, Government Conference Centre, National Arts Centre, National Defence HQ, Laurier Bridge, Drill Hall, and Lisgar Collegiate. Imagine an earlier era when canal shipping created Ottawa’s commercial artery, when railway tracks lined the canal’s east side, and when the Queen Elizabeth Driveway was created as Ottawa’s first scenic parkway.

Tour guide David Jeanes is a retired professional engineer and Vice President of Heritage Ottawa He has conducted tours of downtown Ottawa’s architecture and helped to organize the annual Doors Open event for the past seven years. As president of the public transportation advocacy group, Transport 2000, he has a long-standing interest in the transportation history of the canal corridor. He has researched, written, and lectured about many of the structures on the tour.

Tour departs from the Colonel By Fountain in Confederation Park.

10am
Sunday, August 2
Explore Lowertown West with Heritage Ottawa

Lowertown West is the heart of old Bytown where canal workers first settled and some of Ottawa's earliest residential, commercial, and institutional structures can be found. The walk takes participants around Major’s Hill Park, up to Nepean Point, and then looks at some of the historic buildings in Lowertown and the ByWard Market. Your guide is Hagit Hadaya, architectural historian.

Tour departs from the Colonel By statue in Major Hill’s Park

Tour duration: approximately 1.5 hours

NOTE: A $10 fee for non-members supports the work of Heritage Ottawa, a non-profit charitable organization.

Please visit their website at www.heritageottawa.org for more information on summer heritage walking tours.

The Rideau Canal: UNESCO World Heritage Site Tours
(in English & French)

The Rideau Canal borders the western edge of the University of Ottawa campus and is considered one of the world' most remarkable examples 19th-century engineering prowess. What's more, the canal still works exactly as it did 175 years ago when it was inaugurated by Colonel John By, the royal engineer who headed its construction. (A campus building is named after John By.) Such is the marvel that explains UNESCO's decision in 2007 to add the canal to its prestigious list of world heritage sites—the first ever site in Ontario to achieve that status.

Not surprisingly, the Rideau Canal, constructed under very harsh conditions and in part by Irishmen and French Canadians, has a fascinating story full of twists and turns. Come discover the Ottawa locks, the Bytown Museum (Ottawa's oldest public building), the monument commemorating the workers who died during the construction, and Major's Hill Park, a magnificent green expanse where John By's statue and the ruins of his home are tucked away.

The tour includes several stops at historical interpretation panels and runs roughly two hours. Bring water and wear comfortable walking shoes — you have to walk across the locks and climb a steep slope.

Tour Guide Michel Prévost is the University of Ottawa's chief archivist and the president of the Société d’histoire de l’Outaouais. The Rideau Canal holds a special place in his heart, and he regularly gives guided tours of this historic man-made water link between Kingston and Ottawa.