Skiing at Mount Pakenham:
Went skiing for the firs time at Mount Pakenham. What a wild ride! Had a blast. Being physically disabled (and a total newbie at this), I had some concerns… but their staff and the entire atmosphere put those to rest. Highly recommend!
It’s our second winter season living near Mount Pakenham. Since my foot was “in repair” last year, I am happy to finally be able to experience downhill skiing. I’ve only ever gone once during a class trip either with Lourdes or Bishop (elementary v. high school; can’t remember).
Click here to visit Mount Pakenham’s website. As a complete beginner living with a physical disability, plus the added challenge of bringing my 8 year old (who’s never been downhill skiing before), I wasn’t sure what we were in for. From start to finish; the greeting and walk through from Front Desk staff, to the hands on help in the Equipment Rental shack, to all the kind, smiling faces and words of encouragement from employees and other skiers/boarders (of all skill levels); it was an awesome night.
In fact… the whole family just purchased skis, boots, helmets over the weekend (thx Play it Again Sports - Kanata)! It was a wonderful experience and we can’t wait to get back out there.
More than happy to answer any Qs you may have about mobility challenges or other health concerns that may be a perceived barrier to outdoor adventure. Just message me but note, I can only share what my experience was. Yours may vary!
Winterlude 2025
Looking for a Winterlude 2025 hot sheet? I’ve got you covered. Winterlude in Ottawa/Gatineau is on across three weekends: Jan. 31 to Feb. 17.
This is the Official Website for Winterlude 2025 - but that’s a real mouthful when referencing on-air during my radio show, so I figured I’d make a quick ‘highlights’ page for those who wanna know!
Winterlude is MOSTLY FREE - Week 1 is from January 31 to February 2. Week 2 is from February 7 to 10 and Week 3 is from February 14 to 17 (Family Day).
There are three MAIN Winterlude sites in Ottawa/Gatineau. They are:
Sparks Street; sculptures, music and light show, sugar shack, parliament light display
Byward Market; carriage rides, farmer’s market, synthetic rink,
Snowflake Kingdom; tubing, maze, intro to skiing/snowboarding, obstacle course, drone shows
Here’s how you can access the sites via free SnoBus shuttle which operates:
BLUE CIRCUIT (between Robert-Guertin Park-and-Ride and Jacques-Cartier Park/Snowflake Kingdom) on Saturdays from 9am to 9pm, Sundays from 9am to 6pm
RED CIRCUIT (between Snowflake Kingdom to Sparks St.) on Saturdays from 10am to 5:30pm, Sundays 10am to 5:30pm and Family Day Monday (Feb. 17) from 10am to 3pm.
Rideau Canal Skateway is NOT part of Winterlude’s official programming but it’s been a great season for skaters so far, so I wanted to include it!
There is Winterlude themed programming (not free) at both the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau and the Museum of Nature in Ottawa. The Winter Jazz festival is also on at the Arts Court Theatre (not free).
photo by Amy Volume, Sparks Street, Ottawa
March Already? Sunny Day Ahead!
Tomorrow’s expected high is the hottest Ottawa's seen in a while at plus 12! Woohoo!
Proudly completed DryFeb with over $1,400 raised for the Canadian Cancer Society. Being sober the entire month wasn’t too bad! The whole ‘having a sinus infection the entire time’ thing sucked. I felt like I had hangovers that I certainly didn’t earn… even though I gave up the hooch.
Obviously back on the wagon and, otherwise, life is pretty great. The sun is shining and we’re getting longer days, warmer days… the ice is melting, the snowbanks are disappearing and spring is en route.
Time to think about motorcycles, spring break, cottages and spending more time outdoors.
Oh yeah, and the end of this goddamned pandemic.
2017 Winterlude Fact Sheet
Want to enjoy Winterlude 2017 in Ottawa-Gatineau this year but aren't sure where to start? Here are some quick tips to get your adventure(s) planned!
There are 3 Main Locations:
- The Crystal Garden at Confederation Park & Marion Dewar Plaze (Elgin at Laurier/City Hall) - here you will find breathtaking ice sculptures, family fun and the Sub-Zero Concert Series
- The Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Park (Rue Laurier, Gatineau) - great for kids with snow slides and tonnes of outdoor fun
- The Rideau Canal - the world's largest skating rink
Here are some other locations to enjoy various Winterlude activities: CLICK HERE.
Winterlude runs February 3rd to the 20th with all sites open on Family Day in Ontario.
The full calendar of events can be found HERE.
Let's get to the Sub-Zero Concert Series (highlighting KiSS 105.3 artists). Concerts happen every Friday and Saturday (Feb. 3rd, 4th, 10th, 11th, 17th and 19th) plus the last Sunday (Feb. 19th) @ 7:30PM, Confederation Park - CIBC Stage.
Opening night: Friday, Feb. 3rd: Karim Ouellet and Coleman Hell
Friday, Feb 10th - Alx Velix, DJ DOMENO and Trevor Guthrie
Saturday, Feb 11th - Canada 150 Signature Concert
Saturday, Feb. 18th - David Usher
Sunday, Feb. 19th - Scott Helman and more