Five reasons to love spring in Ottawa

There are many reasons to love Ottawa every time of year, but there is something magical about this time of year that puts a little extra 'spring' in my step. So, with that in mind, here are five reasons to love spring in Ottawa: 

1)   Sugar Bushes

Maple syrup season is pretty much over, but this spring was one of the best I can remember with an overabundance of sap and maple syrup – yum! Packing up the family and heading to various sugar bushes in the Ottawa region for pancake breakfasts and wagon rides is a tradition in our house and is a favourite early spring time activity. Some of our favourite sugar bushes within the Ottawa area include: Fulton’s Pancake House, Proulx Maple & Berry Farm and Stanley’s Olde Maple Lane Farm. We never leave for home without at least one litre of fresh local maple syrup. 

2)   Baby Animals

Back before my daughter frequented the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum on school trips, we would make a point to visit the working farm every spring to visit the barns to see lambs, calves, piglets and ducklings. The farm is oozing with cuteness in the springtime and is a great place to educate your child on Canadian agriculture and farming. And if you are lucky enough to visit on a warm day there are plenty of areas for family picnics and the onsite playground is always a hit with the kids.

3)   Canadian Tulip Festival

The Tulip Festival takes place May 12-23rd this year, and runs annually for about two weeks. It’s your chance to snap some gorgeous photos of your little ones smelling some of the more than one million tulips in bloom. The best spots to see the tulips are along the Rideau Canal, Dow’s Lake and Commissioner’s Park. Ottawa Tourism has a handy “Tulip Map,” which is great for planning your trip.

4)   Parks reopen

We love to ski and snowshoe, but there is nothing more fun for my daughter than heading to the neighbourhood park with friends after school for a little fresh air and fun. Kids in the Capital has written about many great Ottawa parks in the past (you can find those posts by clicking here), but we’re always looking for updated information or information on new neighbourhood parks, so if you have a favourite park let us know!

5)   Longer Days

The earlier sun rise means I am more inclined to get my morning jog in before noon and the longer evenings mean we all have more energy and desire to not only do our chores, homework, etc. but we also have time to get outside and have fun before the sun sets.

What are some of your favourite things about spring in Ottawa? To be honest, my absolute favourite thing is sitting in the backyard on a warm spring evening chatting with my husband over a glass of red wine… and I love hearing the bird chirping outside my window at 4:30 in the morning (my husband, however, does not). ;) 

Parc Omega

When you have three kids spanning three age groups finding a family activity that does not inspire groans from at least one moody member is a huge coup...and we have found one.

Parc Omega

Located about an hour from Ottawa, and an hour and a half drive from my neck of the woods, Long Sault, Parc Omega is a little bit of wilderness in our back yard, minutes from quaint downtown Montebello. It is a terrific stop if you are on your way to Mont Tremblant.

The parc is comprised of 1500 acres, offering a 10 kilometer driving path through meadows, lakes, forests and rocky hills harboring a virtual pot pourri of exciting wildlife.

And I mean exciting. Especially if you happen to be in the possession of carrots.

Why? Because the wildlife that calls Parc Omega home loves their carrots.

What kind of wildlife? Wapiti, black bears, buffalo, red deer, white tail deer, caribou, beavers, the fallow, arctic wolves and timberwolves. And the boars. Oh, the little piggy boars!

With the exception of the wolves and the black bears, the collection of animals at Parc Omega roam free and plentiful, jauntily approaching your vehicles for food.

And this is where the multigenerational family bonding begins...all my children were initially equally terrified of the huge noses probing their way into the truck, sniffing out the food they knew must be in there somewhere.

The tour at Parc Omega starts at the front gate, with imposing statues that got the kids excited right away ( okay, maybe not the teenager).

The park is open year round, offering different adventures for every season, and there is seasonal pricing.  The hours vary as well, so check before heading out.

The first stop is at the "House of Park", a log cabin housing a snack bar  ( the teenager got excited about this...fries...yum ), a gift shop ( all the kids dug this;)) and a lower area where nature exhibitions are held. When we visited in February, there was a spectacular nature photography exhibition, with huge prints taken within the park. There were also arctic wolf pups playing and nestling up against the windows of the building, in a fenced in area where the parc often places it's most vulnerable members - babies and recovering animals. These little guys were a huge hit with children and adults alike.

The most important thing to note about this stop are the carrots.

Carrots make the drive through the park more fun and they are available by the bag at the gift shop cash. You can bring your own ( carrots are the preferred food for the animals as they are sweet and safe for them ), but the park carrots are nice and long making feeding very easy for your children. There are rules around who to feed and not feed, depending on the season, and all this is explained to you upon entering the park. We were not allowed to feed the buffalos...and one look at them lumbering up to and rubbing against the truck explained why. They are huge.

Once on the road, you will be greeted almost immediately by large caribou who anticipate your carrot sharing. The drive through the park is slow going, with most cars making the most of the feeding opportunities. You do have to be mindful of fingers and staying inside the vehicle, but in 10 years of visits we have never had a bitten finger.

You are able to tune your radio to FM 88.1 in English or FM 90.1 in French to listen to a good narrative about the park, it's history, philosophy and the animals found within it's boundary...which sometimes includes wildlife from outside the boundaries...

There are three walking paths available to visitors, and often you are able to visit with and feed deer along these protected trails. We were lucky enough to catch the opening weekend of the "cabane a sucre", and enjoyed taffy on a stick and a short walk in the brisk sunny weather. This is a new feature at the park and it was busy and popular the day we were there. The maple trees are tapped right there.

So, with all these possibilities, what did my kids enjoy the most? The teen enjoyed the fries, the tween loved feeding the deer and caribou ( after her initial "squeeeeeeee" moment ) and the baby loved pointing out all the boars. Of which there are many. Too many, lol, and not very bright...I was worried about hitting them a few times.

I loved the flying wild turkeys and my husband was thrilled with the fact that the cranky caribou did not leave a permanent hoof print on the truck when he kicked the door when cut off from his carrot fix.

All of us were thrilled to see the black bears out of hibernation THAT DAY, enjoying the sun. That was really exciting as they were very close to the fence.

The whole tour took us an hour and a bit, and you are allowed to go around as many times as you wish. Many people, in the summer, bring picnics and enjoy lakeside dining on the patio at the  "House of the Park". There are statues for the kids to clamber over and inquire about and lots of place for them to run during and after the car ride. There are also bird of prey shows in July and August.

A side note...if you are hungry after leaving Parc Omega, there is a great greasy spoon/ casse croute in Montebello called "La Belle Bedaine". The poutine was too die for. Seriously worth the stop:).

Angela is mom to a teen, tween and toddler, wife of an intrepid businessman, master of two big dogs and she loves her camera-baby very much. She is a displaced montrealer living in Long Sault, Ontario. She blogs at

From the Dock

Arctic Alive! Giant Arctic Floor Map at the Museum of Nature

There is a giant map of the Arctic at the Museum of Nature. You can go check it out over the holidays and let me tell you: it's really cool. I got to see first hand the impact this map had on students' awareness and perception of the Arctic. It was impressive.

When we think of the Arctic we think cold, snowy, and quiet. Those are some of the exact words students from a grade 5/6 class used in the beginning. After spending 20 minutes walking over the map and learning about the plants, animals, fossils and minerals found in the Arctic, you know how they described it? Vibrant, colourful, and alive. Just how the plant scientist who collected specimens there did. Their understanding of the great white North had completely changed.

From December 26th to January 4th anyone visiting the Museum of Nature can take a stroll through the Arctic. Five copies of this 8mx11m map and real specimens will spend 2015 traveling across Canada to schools where students will learn about the Arctic. In fact, there are lesson plans available from kindergarten through grade 12.

While you're at the museum I strongly encourage you to check out the special exhibit called Arctic Voices. There were lots of great hands-on things for kids, beautiful images, and interesting info.

Arctic Alive! is a joint venture between the Canadian Museum of Nature and Canadian Geographic Education. The map and specimens will be available to the general public from December 26th to January 4th as part of the holiday programming at the museum.

Arctic Voices is a fascinating new exhibit at the museum that runs from December 5th, 2014 until May 3rd, 2015

Disclaimer: I was able to check out Arctic Alive! and Arctic Voices free of charge. All opinions are my own.

Checking out the Diefenbunker with kids

I wasn't sure if the Diefenbunker would be a great place to bring my kids (5 and 8), but after a few of my friends had taken their children and assured me there was lots for them to do, we headed out to Carp to check it out for ourselves. The kids had a blast and my only complaint is that there is so much awesome information to be read and learned and 5 and 8 year-olds don't want to stop and read everything. I'll need to head back one day without them.

The more I learn about the Diefenbunker, the more amazed I am at all the cool stuff they have there and the fun activities they plan within the museum.

I made a short video (my first of this kind) on our trip out there.  Have a look and let me know what you think.  And leave a comment letting my know if you've been to the Diefenbunker with your kids and how they liked it!

Butterfly Show at Carleton University

Until this Monday, you can see butterflies at Carleton University. This is a free event though they do accept donations.

Over 1000 butterflies, representing more than 40 species, are flown in for this event. The butterflies are let loose in the greenhouse and flutter around for everyone to see

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What I recommend:

• don't bring your stroller or park it just past the entrance in the designated area;
• wear bright clothing so the butterflies will be attracted to you;
• don't wear a sweater (it's hot in there!);
• be prepared for a line.

And don't forget to snap a picture in front of the enormous butterfly in the hall before you leave!

Website for more info: Annual Butterfly Show at Carleton University.