Ottawa – The Land for Young-Hearted People!

Gel in with Ottawa’s multicultural neighborhoods.

The capital city of Canada, Ottawa, is a diversified place with people settling from all over the world. Its peaceful life, joyful citizens, and gorgeous site-seeing places have attracted a global crowd of tourists all year round. This place has something in store for all age groups. Whether you are travelling and settling with family or alone, you will be blessed with a good neighborhood in Ottawa. Canada is globally recognized for its smooth immigration process, simple living, and progressive thinking.

Being a convenient city to travel to and having direct flights to its airport, this magical city has attracted many tourists and settlers for years. Along with the local tourists, many immigrants are attracted to its oodles of opportunities and tranquil living conditions. These include museums with amazing artifacts, informative history, unique boutique hotels, breathtaking events, musical symphonies, and lots of greenery around. Despite being a city, Ottawa keeps you close to Mother Nature with its beautifully preserved greenery. The city is loaded with occasions to celebrate too!

Exciting Festivals, Events, and Facts about Ottawa:

The Dragon Boat Festival, The Tulip Festival, and Canada Day are not to be missed if you are fond of colors, crowds, fireworks, and festivities! Being a small city with a major crowd, Ottawa is filled with lively events and celebrations.

The Ottawa Children’s Festival de la jeunesse is a five-day well-planned event that includes dance, music, theatre plays, and joyful activities for various age groups.

Those who have a spooky fascination must not miss the vibrant Halloween affairs this fall. Few excitingly creepy activities include Pumpkin fest, haunted walks and drives, paranormal adventure, cemetery tours, horror movie nights, and more…

Visit the Ottawa Festivals website (www.ottawafestivals.ca) for the fun events happening in Ottawa.

Top places to explore in Ottawa:

Ottawa is the best choice to start your Canadian exploration. From the huge parliament buildings to the High Victorian Gothic Glory, you have everything to look for. You must begin your morning walks at the backside of the Parliament Buildings. You will get to see grand views of The House of Commons, Library of Parliament, Peace Tower, Memorial Chamber, and Senate in the Centre Block. Life in Ottawa is much more than you would wish for.

Not to miss are the political sites and attractions in the Centre Block.

To add more, the Senate Chamber is the highlight of the town displaying huge War Paintings. You must also visit Parliament Hill to experience the Huge Changing of the Guard Ceremony. Dozens of guards dressed in bear fur hats and scarlet tunics march on the lawns of Parliament Hill. The ceremony is a delight to the eyes with so many colors around. Those who wish to watch the whole ceremony must reach there at 10 am any day in July.

Senate Chamber, Parliament Hill, and the Guard Ceremony are a delight to the eyes!

The scenic beauty of the Ottawa River will allure you to stay longer! The most magical experience is taking a boat ride during the sunset while the cool breeze touches you with all the positive vibes of the city. On your sail, you will experience amazing sites of The Royal Canadian Mint, The Prime Minister’s Residence, The National Gallery of Canada, The Museum of History, The Supreme Court, The Parliament Buildings, Rideau Falls, and many such interesting places.

Ottawa River, cool breeze, and sightseeing on a boat ride make a perfect stay in Ottawa.

People of Ottawa: Lifestyle, and Greetings

Ottawa was the first home to Indigenous Peoples; in fact, the city’s name is derived from the Algonquin word “Odawa” which means “traders”. Create unforgettable memories here and enjoy the special benefit of a vibrant, friendly, and cheerful neighborhood. You will experience a relaxed and natural environment around.

Don’t look surprised if you find friendly vendors and polite strangers at the ByWard Market. That’s where the local lifestyle and shopping begins in Ottawa. Other than local shops, it is the place to interact with local residents at some popular restaurants and make life in Ottawa smooth, to begin with. For Pizza lovers, head straight to the Cumberland Pizza on Nelson Street. Beckta Dining & Wine on Elgin Street is another popular tourist hub.

Explore the People, Shopping, and Lifestyle of Ottawa at ByWard Market!

Snow lovers will go crazy skating with the local people of Ottawa. Simple Handshake, Hello, or Bonjour is a common way of greeting in Ottawa. The Rideau Canal is a popular picnic spot where you are most likely to make friends and exchange greetings with each other. We love seeing visitors boating along the lovely canal systems or seeing them out for a casual stroll. It never ceases to amaze!

The Rideau Canal is the place for local residents, greetings, and ice skating!

Summers in Ottawa are equally pleasant and inspiring with amazing contests and special events organized by the Government.

Culinary Delights in Ottawa’s multicultural neighborhoods: 

Ottawa’s casual restaurants offer you local vibes and authentic flavors. The culinary options in Ottawa will leave you spoiled for a choice. 

Talk a walk around Ottawa’s Chinatown, to satisfy your cravings of sushi, pho, ramen or dim sum at the many Asian restaurants; Heart of Orléans, famous for its multicultural vibe and francophone presence; Little Italy, offering your favourite pasta or gelato. Woohoo! Sounds like it never loses its multicultural charm!

Feel neighbourly — not touristy in Ottawa’s Chinatown.

Few local restaurants nearby that are must-try are:

  • The Canal Ritz: Known for its mouth-watering Italian menu, the most fascinating thing to experience here is paddling and dining together!
  • Kelly’s Landing: Kelly’s is the place for those looking for cozy interiors, dining by the waterfront, and authentic Canadian food taste. Potato Pancakes wrapped like a crepe and stuffed with a juicy cream sauce of your choice is the best!
  • Stella Luna Café Merrickville: It is the place for desserts, sandwiches, gelato, and more… They have multiple branches in Ottawa so that you don’t miss out on the cravings.

Enjoy these Halal-friendly options in Ottawa!

Take a look at some of the halal food specials and you would know what we are talking about. Halal food lovers -Take a moment to cherish the authentic taste of food in Ottawa.

Great places to visit are Fairouz Café for Middle Eastern dishes, Aroma Meze for the Mediterranean, Ceylonta for Sri Lankan and South Indian cuisine, for Italian-inspired food, head to Kara Mia. Most of the restaurants offer a full halal menu with a wide range of pasta, chicken and steak dishes, burgers, barbecued ribs, poutine and so on.

Five Most Adorable Towns Near Ottawa That You Must Explore:

Explore captivating towns of Ottawa at a distance of 90 minutes each!

Pack your boots, sweaters, camera, and plan a short trip to some adorable towns near Ottawa. These towns near Ottawa will sweep you off your feet with shopping, dining, and exploration options. These are:

  1. Vankleek Hill: The community is packed with Murals to discover! Oh, how can you miss their lip-smacking bakeries?
  2. Merrickville: The community is a shopping hub for shopaholics!
  3. Gananoque: Wander in the alluring old buildings, cozy lighthouses, and memorable boat tours.
  4. Perth: Halt here to some of the popular pubs and grab a drink. The pubs offer beautiful waterfront views.
  5. Hillier: Having a population of roughly 100 citizens, you have ample peace to explore the delicious wineries. It is about a three-hour journey from Ottawa.


Few more similar communities to embrace the fall include Eganville, Chelsea, Smith Falls, and Westport.

At My Canadian Life we celebrate, share and socialize the moments that matter in our lives, as we celebrate the Canadian immigrant journey.