Ottawa, ON, Canada

Not just a hub for politicians, these green-topped buildings on Parliament Hill attract tourists from around the world.

If you’re willing to negotiate the rigorous security checks - yes, they have metal detectors and even an x-ray machine for your bags and personal belongings - then you can climb the Peace Tower inside the Parliament Buildings to look out across the whole city. Great views (if you don’t mind the heights).

September

Whether you’re involved in the massive return to school (either yourself, or your family), or getting ready to party it up with the crazy frosh weeks that welcome thousands to Carleton and Ottawa U, September certainly gets off to a wild start.

The highlight of September is attending one of the many Country Fairs held all around the boarding villages on the outskirts of the city.  If you’re trying to decide which one to visit, I’d recommend the Richmond Fair, Metcalfe Fair, and Carp Fair as must-sees.  Lots of yummy food, tasty sweet treats, rides, games, competitions and of course there are the animals to see

May

Jam packed with things to do, May is when the capital really kicks into full swing! The May weather is great, and daylight saving’s has come into effect, so the bright day light is to die for! Nothing beats this time of year with everyone out in their gardens, BBQ’s ready to go, and the first official holiday of summer with May 2-4 (24th of May long weekend) just around the corner. Who cares about work, let’s get outside and play!

January

Well, there’s not too much going on in January in the Capital.  Everyone’s back to school and back to work, trying desperately to get back into a routine.  We’re all spending a bit more time at home, be it from the cold, bitter weather, or feeling guilty about Christmas spending, Christmas eating, and holiday drinking.

The obvious event of the month is New Year! which can be spent in any number of ways – but with most of the ski hills open by now, one of the best places to spend it is on the slopes! Try Edelweiss, Camp Fortune, or Mount Pakenham for a fresh, fit start to the New Year ahead!

Wow, the weather’s really turned now.  Fall has come so quickly this year – it’s only mid-September, but already the leaves are starting to turn here in Ottawa.  Red hues are mingling with the green and yellow.

Plus, with the thermostat now hanging out in the low teens, and single digits at night, out come the jackets and woolly socks, while the tank tops and flip flops are put away for another year. Fall has definitely arrived!

While many in Ottawa know that these shorter days and colder nights are only foreshadowing towards the ominous Winter, there are certainly a few perks to Autumn that we all look forward to and enjoy.

Well, if you’re in Canada, like me you’ve probably spent the day lazing around as today was a Civic Holiday (a ‘day off’ from work, basically).

The weather was unfortunately cruddy - not what you’d expect for August Weather. Anyhow, we had a good day and drank a few Canadians (a Molson brand of beer - the Americans consider Canadian beer to be like moonshine because its a tad stronger than Budweiser!! But, we love it!)

 Got outside for a while, until it rained and things got soggy. Then watched a few movies.

 More news from the capital coming soon…!

As I mentioned in March Weather, April is a time for greener and warmer climes.

Unfortunately the old adage about ‘April showers’ also can be true but, in recent years, we’ve been looking at the skies and waiting for them to pour, but often nothing happens. It seems global warming is ensuring that it’s drier at times when you expect rain, and tempestuous in months when you expect sunshine… But, hey, what do I know? Am I a meteorologist? Nope.

But, as an Ottawan I can say, hand on heart, that April is mostly a good month to visit Ottawa, and most of

July 1st was another awesome Canada Day. We also had a ‘bank holiday’ today as the 1st was a Sunday… Which is great for sleeping off the one too many Canadian beers that I may have imbibed - Labatts Blue, Alexander Keiths, and Molson Canadian (of course).

In Ottawa, we pull out all the stops for a great Canada Day celebration - fireworks, cool people, and even the sun was shining!

Best place to see the fireworks is in front of the Parliament Buildings on Parliament Hill, where things ‘lift off’ around 10pm. See you there next year!!

Most Canadians are just about sick and tired of the chilly weather by now. Had enough of -20 C temperatures, constant shoveling of driveways and sidewalks, and had chapped lips aplenty!

So, it’s not unusual for everyone to jet off to sunnier climes… Personally, I hop on a plane southwards and have a week or two in Florida. Unbelievably, they are enjoying days of +20C (and hotter) and walking around in shorts and t-shirts, while we suffer the deep freeze.

This, of course, makes many Canadians wonder ‘why the hell are we walking around in snow pants and scarves, when it’s sunny just a couple of hour’s flight away??’ D’oh!

Much like January Weather, the winds are biting, the snow is falling, and the wind chill factor can make everything seem much colder than actuality…

Although, in recent years, some unseasonal warmer spells (not much warmer, but warm for Feb in Canada!) has led to the famous Winterlude Festival being a bit of a wash-out!!

At the annual fest, the canal is normally opened to legions of ice skaters - but only if the ice is thick enough. If the weather is too warm, then the whole thing can be rather wet and slushy, and ultimately unsafe…