Sightseeing
Byward Market
Contained within the square formed by Sussex, Rideau, St. Patrick, and King Edward Sts
May-Nov Mon-Sat 9 - 6pm, Sun 10-6; Dec-Apr daily 10-6
A traditional farmers' market here still sells all manner of foods, flowers, plants, and vegetables, while the central market building houses two floors of boutiques displaying a wide variety of wares and crafts. During market season, enjoy a snack or meal at more than 70 indoor and outdoor stand-up counters and cafes. The neighborhood is a mix of rehabilitated 19th- century brick buildings and some contemporary commercial structures. The many stalls of carefully arranged gleaming produce invite inspection of the offerings of regional farmers and food artisans.

Laurier House
335 Laurier Ave. E At Chapel St
613-992-8142
Apr-Sept Tues-Sat 9am-5pm, Sun 2-5pm; Oct-Mar call ahead for hours
Admission charged.
This comfortable 1878 brick home is filled with mementos of the two Canadian prime ministers who lived here over a span of 50 years. From 1897 to 1919, it was occupied by Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Canada's seventh Prime Minister and the first French-Canadian elected to that office. He was followed by William Lyon Mackenzie King, who held the same post for 21 years and lived here from 1923 to 1950. King is said to have held seances in the library; on display is the crystal ball he supposedly had seen in London but said he couldn't afford: an American bought it for him when he overheard King's remarks. A portrait of the PM's mother is here, in front of which King used to place a red rose daily. You'll also find a copy of the program Abraham Lincoln held on the night of his assassination, plus copies of his death mask and hands. Lester B. Pearson's library has also been re-created and contains the Nobel Peace Prize medal he won for his role in the 1956 Arab-Israeli dispute.

Parliament Buildings
On Parliament Hill, a bluff jutting into the Ottawa River
613-992-4793 for tours
Late May-Labour Day 9am to 8pm (to 5pm the rest of the year). Free tours of the East Block historic offices given daily July-Labor Day 10am-6pm. In summer, tours leave as often as every 10 min., but check at the Info-tent behind the West Block for the current schedule. In cooler months, tours depart at the front of the Center Block No tours New Year's Day, Canada Day (July 1), Christmas Day Free tours (English and French) of the grounds and 4 rooms each of the Center and East Blocks given dailyThe last tour excludes the Peace Tower
The Parliament buildings, with their steeply pitched copper roofs, dormers, and towers, are truly impressive, especially on first sighting from river or road. In 1860, Prince Edward (later Edward VII) laid the cornerstone for the buildings, which were finished in time to host the inaugural session of the first Parliament of the new Dominion of Canada in 1867. Entering through the south gate off Wellington Street, you'll pass the Centennial Flame, lit by Lester Pearson on New Year's Eve 1966 to mark the passing of 100 years since that historic event.
The Buildings: Parliament is composed of three g building blocks:
1. Center Block, straight ahead, and the flanking
2. West Block
3. East Block.
East and West Block contain the House of Commons and the Senate. You can attend sessions of the House of Commons to observe the 295 elected members debating in the green chamber with tall stained-glass windows. Parliament is usually in recess from late June to early September and occasionally between September and June, including the Easter and Christmas holidays. Otherwise, the House usually sits Monday 11am to 6:30pm, Tuesday and Thursday 10am to 6:30pm, Wednesday 2 to 8pm, and Friday 10am to 4pm. The 104 appointed members of the Senate sit in a red chamber with murals depicting Canadians fighting in World War I.
The 302-foot campanile dominating the Center Block's facade is the Peace Tower. It houses a 53-bell carillon, a huge clock, an observation deck, and the Memorial Chamber, commemorating Canada's war dead.A 16-sided dome, supported outside by flying buttresses and paneled inside with Canadian white pine, features a marble statue of the young Queen Victoria and splendid carvings: gorgons, crests, masks, and hundreds of rosettes. The West Block, containing parliamentary offices, is closed to the public, but you can visit the East Block, housing offices of prime ministers, governors-general, and the Privy Council. Four historic rooms are on view: the original governor-general's office, restored to the period of Lord Dufferin (1872 to 1878); the offices of Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir Georges-Etienne Cartier (the principal Fathers of Confederation); and the Privy Council Chamber with anteroom.

Sound & Light Show
For details, contact the National Capital Commission at tel. 613-239-5000.
For years, May to August, Canada's history has unfolded in a dazzling half-hour display of sound and light against the dramatic backdrop of the Parliament buildings. Weather permitting, two performances are given per night, one in English, the other in French. There's bleacher seating for the free show.

The Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal, sweeping past the National Arts Center, divides the downtown area in two segments known as: Center Town and Lower Town.

Center Town
Parliament Hill, the Supreme Court, and the National Museum of Natural Sciences.

Lower Town
on the east side of the canal, are the National Gallery of Canada, the Byward Market (a vibrant center for restaurants and nightlife), and along Sussex Drive (which follows the Ottawa River's course), the Canadian War Museum, the Royal Canadian Mint, and the Prime Minister's residence, diplomat's row, and Rockcliffe Park.

Hull
North across the river, in Qu?bec, reached by the Macdonald-Cartier and Alexandra bridges from the east end of town and the Portage and Chaudi?re bridges from the west end. At the end of the Alexandra Bridge stands the Museum of Civilization, and nearby are some of the city's best French restaurants and the most lively nightlife action (which continues until 2am). North and east of Hull stretch the Gatineau Hills and ski country.

Close by . . .
Frontenac Provincial Park
613-376-3489
Near Sydenham about 45 miles from Ottawa, is a wilderness park with more than (113 miles of hiking trails that explore such areas as Moulton Gorge, the Arkon Lake bogs, and the Connor-Daly mine.

Port Hope, Presqu'ile Provincial Park & Trenton
613-475-2204
This 2,000-acre area of marsh and woodland offers excellent camping and a mile-long beach. Flocks of migratory birds from the Atlantic and the Mississippi flyways arrive for the major bird-watching weekends held in spring and fall. The visitor center is open Victoria Day to Labor Day. Driving from Ottawa, take Route 16 south to 401 west, bringing you to the old lakefront town of Port Hope, where antiques stores line the main street. It's at the mouth of the Ganaraska River.
40 miles east of Port Hope lies Trenton, the starting point for the Trent-Severn Canal, a 239-mile-long waterway traveling northeast via 44 locks to Georgian Bay on Lake Huron. It's also the western entrance to the Loyalist Parkway (Route 33), leading to Quinte's Isle. Halfway between Port Hope and Trenton on Route 401 is Brighton, the gateway town to Presqu'?le Provincial Park.

Serpent Mounds Park
RR #3
705/295-6879
Located in Keene, which you can reach by driving north from Port Hope on Highway 28. The park has 120 campsites and offers swimming and self-guided nature trails. The name comes from the Indian burial mounds it contains: one shaped like a snake

Peterborough
visitor center on the waterway on Hunter Street East.
705/750-4900
Farther north on Route 28 is, at the center of the Kawartha Lakes: the series of lakes connected by the Trent-Severn Waterway from Trent to Georgian Bay. Here you can watch the boats moving through the locks and being lifted 62 feet from one water level to another.

Petroglyphs Provincial Park
705/877-2552
Continuing northeast on Route 28 from Peterborough, you'll come to Stony Lake. At its eastern end, on Northey's Bay Road near the town of Stonyridge
Open from second Friday in May to Canadian Thanksgiving; daily 10-5.
Although the hiking trails, two lakes, and forests are appealing, the petroglyphs themselves: hundreds of symbolic shapes and figures: are what attract visitors. It is believed that these images were carved by an Algonquin-speaking people between 1,100 and 6,500 years ago. About 300 distinct carvings have been identified alongside 600 indecipherable figures. Members of the Ojibwa Anishinabe Nation still revere this as a sacred site.

The Thousand Islands
The St. Lawrence River was the main route into the heart of Upper Canada from the 17th to the mid-19th century, traveled first by explorers, fur traders, and missionaries and later by settlers en route to Ontario and the plains west. The river is a magnificent sight, especially where it flows around the outcroppings and pine-covered islets of the Thousand Islands region; in some stretches it's over 19km (12 miles) wide.

St. Lawrence Islands National Park (The Thousand Islands)
2 County Rd. 5, Mallorytown
613-923-5261
Canada's smallest national park encompasses a 50-mile stretch of the St. Lawrence, from Kingston to Brockville. The visitor center and headquarters are on the mainland, where you'll find a picnic area, beach, and nature trail. Access to the park's island facilities is via boat only.