Ottawa traffic to feel impact of royal visit on Monday and Tuesday
In an advisory posted online Thursday, the city said it was working closely with the RCMP, Ottawa Police Service and other security partners 'to ensure that the safety of the King, Queen and our residents is maintained during the visit.'
The notice said traffic would be disrupted on several roads, with some closures lasting multiple hours.
Monday, May 26 — temporary closures between 1 p.m. and 4 p.m.:
Airport Parkway / Bronson Avenue between Airport Parkway and Colonel By Drive
Colonel By Drive between Airport Parkway and Rideau Street
Sussex Drive between Rideau Street and Rideau Gate
Elgin Street between Wellington Street and Laurier Street
Findlay Avenue
Torrington Place
Queen Elizabeth Drive between Airport Parkway and Princess Patricia Way
Princess Patricia Way
Hunt Club between Riverside Drive and Airport Parkway
Tuesday, May 27 — full closures between 5 a.m. and 1 p.m.:
Rideau Street between Dalhousie Street and Sussex Drive
Wellington Street between Lyon Street and Sussex Drive
Lyon Street, Kent Street, Bank Street, O'Connor Street and Metcalfe Street between Wellington Street and Queen Street
Elgin Street between Wellington Street and Laurier Street
Sussex Drive and Mackenzie Avenue between the Alexandra Bridge and the intersection of Wellington Street and Rideau Street
Colonel By Drive between the intersection of Wellington Street and Daly Avenue
Morning and afternoon commutes on Monday and Tuesday are not expected to be significantly impacted, the city said, but for security reasons the exact details and timing of road closures and other impacts to city services may be communicated at the last minute.
When the royals' motorcade is in motion, the city's advisory added, the Macdonald-Cartier and Portage bridges will have intermittent and temporary closures in both directions for all vehicle, cyclist and pedestrian traffic. The Alexandra and Chaudière bridges are to remain open in both directions.
The city said its online traffic map would have live updates on traffic impacts, which would also be posted on its traffic account on X, formerly Twitter.
Some OC Transpo bus routes and Para Transpo service will face delays because of road closures and some routes will include detours during select time periods, the notice said.
Customers can obtain updated transit information online at octranspo.com, by telephone at 613-560-5000 or on OC Transpo's X account. Para Transpo customers can use My Para Transpo.
At this time, the city does not anticipate any impact to its residential waste collection on Monday or Tuesday as a result of the royal visit, the advisory said.
Our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed.
Ottawa business owners brace for another Canada Post strike
Algonquin College program cut hits most vulnerable students, advocates say
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
9 hours ago
- Forbes
5 Canadian Towns That Make The Perfect 'Town-Sizing' Destination
The cityscape and the city hall of Kingston, Ontario and sunrise. getty Town-sizing is one of the latest movements in the travel community, encouraging travelers to opt out of the typical big cities or popular tourist destinations in favor of smaller towns and lesser-known destination alternatives. While travelers visiting Canada tend to stick around the bigger cities—Toronto, Montreal, and Vancouver tend to be the easy choice—there are hundreds of towns across the country that offer a more lrelaxed holiday without sacrificing getting to know local Canadian culture. The following Canadian towns offer a more local experience than their big city neighbors, are more affordable, and allow travelers to get to know the destination at a slower and more relaxed pace. Canada, Prince Edward Island, Souris, Souris East Lighthouse getty The entirety of Prince Edward Island feels like a small town—but get out of Charlottetown and adventure further east for even friendlier locals and delicious seafood. Souris—on the eastern tip of the island—boasts quiet 'singing sand' beaches, historic lighthouses, and plenty of fresh seafood shacks and 'lobster supper clubs' that are way less crowded than neighboring Charlottetown. "Sydney, Canada: The Visitor Centre and Cruise Ship Terminal illuminated in the evening with the world's largest fiddle in Sydney, Nova Scotia." getty Travelers tend to stick to capital of Halifax when visiting Nova Scotia or the Cabot Trail when traveling to the Cape Breton Island, but the city of Sydney is a great midway point between metropolitan and small town Canadian hospitality. Attractions include cheeky draws like the world's largest fiddle but the town also boasts incredible seafood restaurants and patios right on the water. Sherbrooke, Quebec Sherbrooke Quebec is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. Sherbrooke was the sixth largest city in the province of Quebec and the thirtieth largest in Canada. getty About an hour and a half outside of Montreal, the town of Sherbrooke is a much more relaxed and laidback destination for travelers looking to get a taste Quebec culture outside of the bustle of the big cities. Sherbrooke is easily walkable with microbreweries, art museums and galleries, and vintage shops sprinkling the downtown core, and, of course, excellent poutine that rivals Montreal and Quebec City. Kingston, Ontario Road centreline in focus with downtown Kingston, Ontario in background. Downtown Kingston Ontario. getty Straddling the Cataraqui and the St. Lawrence River, Kingston is a highly underrated town in Ontario that offers both stunning water views and a lively arts and culture scene. Known as the 'Limestone City,' Kingston is also home to plenty of 19th century architecture and heritage buildings. The town is easily accessible by Via Rail train, about three hours from Montreal or two and a half hours from Toronto. Canmore, Alberta Canmore, AB, Canada getty Banff and Jasper get all the glory when it comes to mountain towns in Alberta—but neighboring Canmore offers the same great views, world-class hiking, skiing, and biking, and a more close-knit local scene focused on sustainability and community. Less touristy (and more affordable) than its tourist hotspot neighbors, Canmore is just a twenty minute drive from Banff and an hour from Calgary.
Forbes
a day ago
- Forbes
Montreal In 48 Hours: Your Ultimate Weekend Escape
Old Montreal in the summer getty Montreal, in the Canadian province of Quebec, is a brilliant city for a weekend break at any time of the year but the summer is really a special time to visit. If you're there in late June/early July, the fantastic ten-day Montreal International Jazz Festival is a musical extravaganza with hundreds of gigs, many outdoors and free. For an introduction to the city, a walking tour of one of the neighborhoods and a boat tour around the harbor are both highly recommended. Or rent a bike for a more active tour of a city that has more bike paths than anywhere else in North America. Drinks on one of the numerous terraces in Old Montreal is blissful way to finish the day. And squeeze in an excursion outside of the city if you'd like to experience a less urban vibe too. The spacious roof terrace at Hotel Monville, Montreal Hotel Monville Hip Hotel Monville, a 4-star hotel with 269 spacious rooms, housed in a sleek glass and concrete high-rise, is within an easy stroll of both Old Montreal and the shops of rue Sainte Catherine. The chic public spaces include a ground floor lobby bar, a cafe, various meeting areas and a spacious outdoor rooftop terrace. The cafe serves an excellent breakfast that includes proper (not runny) scrambled eggs, local cheeses and the famous Montreal bagels. Montreal artist Valerie Jodoin Keaton's commission to create a mural for the ground floor space features vintage black-and-white photographs of Montreal's history. Guest room at Hotel Monville, Montreal Hotel Monville Design is by local architects ACDF Architecture, known for their sleek, contemporary aesthetic. Rooms have a cool urban vibe, with floor-to-ceiling windows for stellar city views. A double room is from $270 per night, depending on the room type and dates of the stay. Firmly committed to innovation, in addition to a regular check in desk with a staff member, Hotel Monville offers a self-check-in option, allowing guests to receive their room keys in moments. And a fun techie feature is the hotel is the first and only hotel in Canada to offer room service via an autonomous delivery robot. This robot delivers orders directly to guests' rooms quickly and efficiently. You'll see the cute robot hanging about in the bar area waiting to help. Complementing their efforts in innovation is sustainability which has been recognised with a Gold certification from GreenStep Sustainable Tourism, a Canadian organization that evaluates and supports tourism businesses in their sustainable development efforts. Le Germain Hotel Montreal Le Germain Hotel Hotel Le Germain is a wonderful 5-star, just off St. Catherine Street, in the heart of Montreal's shopping district. Awarded a coveted Michelin Key last year, Le Germain has 136 rooms with the space, chic design and ultra comfort you'd expect from a boutique hotel. A queen room is from $400. Always keen to support local talent, works by Montreal artists are displayed in corridors, elevators, and rooms. And of course, the famous mural "Dazzle My Heart" by Canadian artist Michelle Hoogveld covers the hotel's facade and beckons you to enter. The mural features 80 different colors and geometric shapes and can be spotted from miles away which is handy if you get lost on your way back from sightseeing. Sustainability is certainly not just a buzz word at Le Germain. From the opening of the family-run business's very first hotel 36 years ago (in Quebec City), long before sustainability became a standard practice, sibling founders Christiane Germain and Jean-Yves Germain took concrete steps to protect the environment with sustainable practices: water and energy management, prioritizing local suppliers, partnering with local artisans, and choosing high-quality, durable materials. Today, they have Green key certification, a global standard of excellence in the field of environmental responsibility and sustainable operation within the tourism industry. They've managed to almost eliminate single-use plastic water bottles with a water fountain on each floor where guests can refill their own water bottles or the carafes found in every room. Sustainable materials have been used throughout the property, including custom furniture manufactured by Renova, a Canadian supplier renowned for its low-toxicity materials. Unusually, instead of single-use slippers, they use washable and reusable slippers made by Kotmo, a Quebec B Corp company. Restaurant Le Boulevardier, Hôtel Le Germain Montréal Le Germain Hotel The food and drink offering at Le Germain is stellar from the chic Bar Flaneur on the ground floor serving excellent cocktails to all-day dining upstairs in Le Boulevardier where hotel guests can order breakfast a la carte to the classic French gastronomic menu in the evenings. The food, inspired by French brasseries, features fresh, local fare, with a French-influenced wine list. What to See and Do The Catholic Church of St. Michael, Montreal Wikimedia/Jean Gagnon A walking tour, or even better, a food tour is a great way to get the taste of a city. Secret Food Tours offer a few super options, including one in Mile End, a journey through Montreal's hippest foodie neighborhood ,with stops at five places and history of the area thrown in (including a stop outside of the Catholic Church of St. Michael, modeled after Istanbul's Hagia Sofia). Mile End, named after London's Mile End, was the birthplace of many creatives including writer Mordecai Richler, musician Leonard Cohen and the band Arcade Fire. The tastings on the food tour can change but generally include a delicious sweet pastry to start, 'street gnocci,' a famous Montreal bagel, a moreish cannoli and of course, the French Canadian classic, poutine. Jean Talon market in Little Italy, Montreal getty Spade & Palacio also offer brilliant foodie walking tours. Started by two native Montrealers, the small independent tour company prides itself on offering non-touristy tours. Their 'Beyond the Market Tour' visits the famous Jean-Talon Market (the largest in North America) as well as lesser known venues in Little Italy. Basilica of Notre-Dame of Montreal and Place d'Armes - Montreal, Quebec, Canada getty Picturesque Old Montreal is a must. Start with a visit to the historic Notre-Dame Basilica, followed by an exhibition at the contemporary arts center, Phi. Currently on show is Bingo , the first solo museum-scale exhibition for artist Nico Williams, winner of the 2024 Sobey Prize. After your cultural fix, wander the cobbled streets of the Old town and and stop for lunch at one of the pretty outdoor terraces. French brasserie Gaspar is a good choice with a menu offering a superb tuna tataki, cassoulet and croque madame. Daytrips Near Montreal Strom-Saint-Hilaire Bianca Desjardins If you can fit in a day or afternoon excursion outside of the city, there are plenty of options. Just 30 minutes south of Montreal is the glorious Strøm Spa Mont-Saint-Hilaire, in the heart of the Gault Nature Reserve. This thermal spa is a little piece of paradise, surrounded by nature, with views of Mont Saint-Hilaire. There are a series of pools in different temperatures, a Finnish sauna, Eucalyptus and essential oil steam rooms and plenty of indoor and outdoor relaxation areas with fireplaces. The Nord restaurant at Strom Spa Mont Saint-Hilaire Bianca Des Jardins The Nord restaurant at Strom Spa Mont Saint-Hilaire is alone worth the excursion, brilliantly showcasing the products and flavors of the region. Smoked duck breast with Jerusalem artichoke; Trout gravlax with fennel confit and a fine Artisanal platter with local cheeses, meat and fish are among the menu highlights. A blissful visit to Strom Mont-Saint-Hilaire anytime is $99 CAD; Monday- Thursday $74 CAD ($64 CAD after 5PM). Le Mas des Patriotes Paul Allen/Andfotography2 Another wonderful excursion close to Montreal is a vineyard tour. There are three wineries close together in or around in the Vallée-du-Richelieu, 30 minutes south of Montreal. Le Mas des Patriotes is an essential visit both for its lovely rural location, pretty tasting room and its superior products. Established in 2003 by France Cliche, who owns the vineyard with her husband, the winery specialises in organic wines. Madame Cliche is passionate about organic farming and focuses on producing high-quality, elegant wines that reflect the terroir of the Richelieu Valley. This winery really feels like an insider secret but it deserves to be better known as the quality of the wines (especially the whites) and keen prices (all bottles are under $30) are excellent. The wines from Le Mas are currently only available in Quebec so a tasting at the winery ($20 for 5 wines) and a nosey around the attached antique shop make for a great afternoon out of the city. Getting There Air Canada offers 12 direct flights a week to Montreal from London Heathrow and direct flights from Miami, LA, San Francisco, New York and Atlanta.
Bloomberg
a day ago
- Bloomberg
It's Not Just Tokyo and Kyoto: Tourists Descend on Rural Japan
There was a time when residents of the northern Japanese farming community of Biei might walk for miles and see no one. Those days are long gone. The town of 9,000—really a sparsely populated expanse of rolling fields of various grains, vegetables and flowers—has become a sensation on Instagram and Chinese rival Xiaohongshu. With the social media sites featuring ever more photos of the bucolic scenery, waves of phone-wielding tourists followed. The vacationers, mostly foreigners, often trampled private land, prompting the town to install cameras that trigger a warning in multiple languages and snap photos of intruders. But the tourists kept coming, with buses of them jamming the streets. On one stretch of road, traffic often halted as visitors stopped for shots of a particularly photogenic row of white birch trees.
