It should happen like this every year: Valentine’s Day is on a Friday; Family Day is on Monday. Sounds like the ideal long weekend for celebrating the people we love.
Here are some love-ly activities you and your family might enjoy.
Tattoo, craft and selfie event for kids
· Saturday Feb. 15, 11 am to 5:30 pm; Sunday, Feb. 16, 10:30 am to 5 pm
· Free
· The National Arts Centre, Peter A. Herrndorf Place, 1 Elgin Street
A day of creative and fun activities for children of all ages.
Self-drive winter safari
· Parc Omega
· 399 Route 323 North, Montebello, Québec
For a memorable family adventure, why not leave Ottawa for the day and visit this unique (and huge) zoo? Actually, Parc Omega isn’t like traditional zoos. It’s a massive preserved natural space of more than 2200 acres inhabited by more than 20 species of wild animals. It has animal presentations, hiking trails, picnic areas, restaurants and visits to farm animals along with many other exciting features.
One activity for the Valentine’s Day and Family Day weekend might be to drive on a 12-km path through the parc for about an hour and a half and see Canadian animals close up and personal. Throughout your journey, deer come to your window to accept your offerings of carrots.
Visit the website here to see all the things you can do.
Important: Read and research before you go, starting here.
Ticket information here.
Rideau Canal Skateway 2025
· Between Somerset and Bank access points.
· Free
· Skate, sleigh and ice trike rentals (as well as boot check) available
This iconic part of the National Capital is a perfect way to enjoy the outdoors with every member of the family. The total length of the skateway is 7.8 km; the open sections depend on the weather. Before you go, check this interactive map to see ice conditions.
Winterlude
The last day of Winterlude will be on Family Day (Feb. 17), but you can celebrate the Valentine/Family weekend sooner, starting Jan. 31, with delightful events and activities.
· See more Winterlude details here.
Snowflake Kingdom
· At the northern part of Jacques-Cartier Park, 350 Laurier St., Gatineau Québec
· Free
This wonderful snowy playground has beautiful snow sculptures, big slides for tubing, a kiddie zone, a maze, obstacle courses, and a zipline.
· See times and dates here.
Sparks Street
So many things to see and do!
· Feb. 1, 2, 8, 9, 15,16, 17
· Free
See ice sculptures, outdoor art installations and performances; a sugar shack; Ice Hogs Lounge; a special ice sculpture in celebration of the 60th anniversary of the Canadian flag, and much more.
· Details, here.
Byward Market
· Downtown Ottawa
Always a good place to visit, but especially during Winterlude. Free horse and carriage ride throughout the market; a synthetic ice rink, kids’ craft project, and more.
· See details, here.
Go skiing!
Gatineau Park
· 33 Chem. Scott, Chelsea Québec With one of the biggest and best-maintained networks of cross-country ski trails in North America, this might be a place you’d like to go with your family. See the breathtaking panoramic view from the Champlain Lookout, at the top of the Eardley Escarpment on the Champlain Parkway ‒ accessible only by cross-country skis. (See outlooks, here.)
There are 15 starting points, and you can buy either a daily or season pass online, here. You can also borrow a pass from your local library. See the list of participating libraries, here.
· You can also use the park for snowshoeing and snowbiking.
· You might want to start at the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre, and, behind the Visitor Centre, warm up at a day shelter.
Camp Fortune
· 300 Dunlop Rd, Chelsea Québec
For downhill skiing, Camp Fortune has 10 runs with groomed snow on a hard-packed base. It’s open for both day and night skiing. There is a full-service lodge that includes equipment rentals, a cafeteria and ski shop.
· Buy tickets online, here.
Mont Cascades
· 448 Chem. du Mont-des-Cascades, Cantley Québec
A family ski resort in the National Capital Region, it’s designed for skiers and snowboarders of all levels. It has 21 runs, including 16 available for night skiing; five chair lifts and two quad chair lifts.
· Buy tickets online, here.
Go tobogganing!
A traditional Canadian family outing, perfect for Family Day weekend! Some of the best hills are in Canada’s Capital Greenbelt. All toboggan hills are maintained by the City of Ottawa.
· Here are three, but check here for updates:
Bruce Pit
· Stony Swamp section (southwest end of Ottawa)
This hill is great for daytime sliding, but not night time because there are no lights.
Conroy Pit
· Pine Grove forest (south end of Ottawa)
If you want to go night-sliding, this is a good one!
Green’s Creek
Starting at the Ottawa River in the east end of Ottawa, this is another good hill for tobogganing.
Other hills in the Ottawa area
· Bayshore Park (unlit)
175 Woodridge Crescent, Nepean
· Craig Henry Park (unlit)
133 Greenbank Road, Nepean
· Loyola Park (unlit)
956 Loyola Ave., Gloucester
· Walter Baker Park (lit)
100 Charlie Rogers Place, Stittsville
· Ski Hill Park (unlit, has trees)
1995 Naskapi Drive, Ottawa
· Marcel Lalande Park (unlit)
2157 Northlands Drive, Orleans
· Westboro Kiwanis Park (unlit)
411 Dovercourt Ave., Ottawa
Visit a museum
There are many museums to choose in Ottawa, perfect for all ages and stages. The following is a list with links to their sites.
Here’s to celebrating love, family, the outdoors and our beautiful region. Happy Valentine’s Day and Happy Family Day from the whole Lagois team!
Comments