Winterlude 2019

The snow has been steadily falling for almost a week here in Ottawa, and February is fast approaching. Almost time for one of the best festivals of the year - Winterlude!

On the list of activities this year are some old favourites that are always a MUST for families: - the Rideau Canal Skateway, Snowflake Kingdom at Jacques-Cartier Park, and the 32nd Crystal Garden International ice carving competition. Also back this year are the WInterlude mascots the Ice Hog Family, with a special birthday celebration for Noumi and Nouma.

What’s New

• The Chimes: Visitors to the Byward Market are invited to activate this set of chimes comprising more than 30 illuminated tubes and eight loudspeakers, triggering a transformation of the space through sound and light.

• Culture Walk: The Downtown Rideau Culture Walk is a free, self-guided walking tour featuring the abundant and vibrant collection of public art, galleries, exhibits, monuments and points of interest in the district “Where Culture Lives!”

• Sparks Street Icecade: Three weekends of frozen interactive fun! Try your mitts at classic carnival games with a chilly twist. Enjoy a warm beverage as you toss, throw or shuffle.

• LGBTQ2+ Ice Mosaic: Come OUT and play: build an ice mosaic using small coloured blocks of ice in the rainbow flag colours.

Where to go

There are so many different destinations for Winterlude. You definitely don’t have to spend all your time skating on the canal. Check out this link for the complete list of events and destinations, as well as an interactive map so that you can find your way around. The easiest form of transportation is the OLG Sno-Bus shuttle service which is FREE. Ongoing shuttle-bus service is provided by OC Transpo and the Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO), linking the Snowflake Kingdom in Jacques-Cartier Park, in Gatineau; the ByWard Market (Crystal Garden); and the Rideau Canal Skateway up to Dows Lake, in Ottawa. OLG Sno-Bus stops are clearly indicated on Winterlude signs.

Never braved the snow to check out Winterlude? My family goes every year, and I wrote a quick tips/tricks blog post back in 2016 (the year when all the ice sculptures melted….we still had so much fun!) to give families a bit more info on all the big events.

Do you attend Winterlude with the family? What’s your favourite part?

This blog post has been sponsored by Canadian Heritage. All opinions are our own.

The New Canada’s Food Guide: Encouraging Healthy Eating

The new Canada Food Guide was released on January 22, 2019, and before its publication there was a lot of speculation surrounding what foods would be eliminated and what foods that were previously highlighted would be minimized. In truth, the new Canada’s food guide encourages healthy food choices. They want Canadians to, "make it a habit of eating a variety of healthy food each day."

What does this mean? It means eating plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grain foods and protein foods – including protein that come from plants. It also means limiting highly processed foods (note: they do not say to avoid them altogether, but to eat them less often and in small amounts).

The picture on the new Canada’s food guide shows a plate half-filled with vegetables and fruits, with the other half split between protein foods and whole grain foods. Gone are the graphics for milk, yogurts and meats. Instead, meat protein shares its space with protein from nuts, tofu and legumes.

My favourite addition is to, “make water your drink of choice.” There is no substitute for the healthiness and necessity of water. We are mostly made from water, so it’s no wonder we should be focusing our beverage choices on water as opposed to sugary and artificially-flavoured drinks. 

The new Canada’s food guide also focuses on healthy eating habits. It encourages you to use food labels, and to limit foods high in sodium, sugars and saturated fats.

In a fast-paced world, the new food guide encourages us to take our time to eat, plan what we eat and involve others in planning and preparing meals. This is especially important for families.

As a registered dietician, and mother of three young children, Cathy Richards believes eating healthy as a family does not have to be time-consuming or difficult, and she’s happy to see that the new food guide recommendations support the scientific evidence on diet and health.

“The focus is on whole foods and it’s presented in an easy to understand format. A visual of the plate makes it easy for my clients to understand how they should be aiming to balance a meal. I really like the interactive nature of the website for the guide, as it makes it a fun activity for families to explore together by trying new recipes or incorporating the tips around mindful eating.”

Food marketing to kids is also a very relevant concern and Cathy is, “happy to see some direction for parents around this. The research supports cooking at home more often and eating together as key health behaviours to prevent obesity in adulthood. To be honest, I haven’t been referring to Canada’s food guide with my clients for years but with this new addition I’ll definitely be directing more of my clients there to explore the website and learn with their families.” 

Canada’s food guide website has many healthy recipes the entire family can enjoy preparing and eating together. The guide also has tips on how to eat healthy anywhere as well as outlines nutritional needs based on age and life stages.

Canada's food guide has changed, but it has changed because with the many food options available to us in grocery stores, online and in restaurants, it can be confusing to know what eating healthy really means. After all, “healthy eating is more than the foods you eat.”  

For more information on the new Canada’s food guide, visit their website. You can even download an educational poster and post it on your fridge as a reminder of what it means to eat healthy.

Where to skate in Ottawa

With all the cold weather we have been having it’s no wonder all the skating rinks around the city are filled with eager skaters young and old. To help you decide where to lace up, here’s a list of various ice skating rinks in and around Ottawa (and a little further out too). 

Rideau Canada Skateway

Weather permitting, the Rideau Canal is open to skaters daily from roughly late December (whenever it’s ready!) to late February (when it starts to thaw). And it’s free! There are many change huts, skate rental shacks and snack stations (yum - Beavertails!) all along its 7.8 km length. We recommend checking the ice conditions before you head out to avoid disappointed little skaters should it be closed.

SENS Rink of Dreams

If the Rideau Canal is closed you can almost-always count on the SENS Rink of Dreams at City Hall to be open. This refrigerated outdoor skating rink is open from December to March from 6:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. It’s a large rink that features LED lighting, a heated change hut, picnic tables and benches. Skate rentals and skate sharpening are available on weeknights and weekends, check out the City’s website for information on hours.

Landsdowne Park Skating Court

Weather permitting, the Lansdowne Park Skating Court is open from early December to mid-March. There is on-street parking nearby. Free open skating sessions are available daily.

Ben Franklin Place Skating Rink

Ben Franklin Place’s outdoor skating rink in Ottawa’s West End (Nepean) has a heated changing facility and is open daily from 11 am to 8 pm (weather permitting).

Rideau Hall Skating Rink

The historic skating rink at the Governor General of Canada’s residence, located on Sussex Drive, was established in 1872. Rideau Hall’s refrigerated outdoor skating rink offers free public skating sessions on Saturdays and Sundays from roughly December through March, weather permitting.

RiverOak Skating Trail 

Located in Metcalfe, RiverOak offers a unique outdoor winter experience with more than three kms of skating trails through old growth apple orchards. Their on-site facilities include a heated changing area in a charming log cabin, food and drink, and a hockey rink for pickup games. They also have unique events happening all winter long! For details visit their website at: www.riveroak.ca

Patinage en Fort (Skating Through the Forest)

Located Lac des Loups, Quebec (about 45 minutes north of downtown Ottawa), this skating rink is a 3-kilometer open-air ice loop which winds through tall trees. There is a heated chalet onsite. A very limited number of skate rentals are available, so if you can – bring your own! Visit their website for more information.

Perth Outfitters Skating Trail

About one hour south of Ottawa in Perth, Ontario is Perth Outfitters. They offer a 400-metre (0.2 mile) skating trail through the woods (including lantern skate events on Friday and Saturday evenings). There’s also a shinny hockey rink, log cabin and warm treats. A fun way to spend a weekend evening!

Arrowhead Provincial Park Ice Skating Trail

Although it’s a bit of a drive (about 3.5 hours from west Ottawa), this ice skating trail is considered one of the most stunning natural skating rinks around the world! The 1.3 km ice skating trail winds through think Muskoka forest and is magical anytime of day! The park is very busy on weekends, so the ark recommends visiting during the week if you can.  Visit their website for more information.

City of Ottawa Outdoor Ice Rinks

There are many volunteer-run outdoor community ice rinks across the city – several even have huts to change in and out of your skates. Check out the City’s website for more information.

City of Ottawa Indoor Ice Skating

Ottawa is home to several indoor arenas that offer affordable public skating sessions and skate rentals. Visit the City of Ottawa website for more information or to find an arena near you.

Ear piercing without a piercing gun

When I was a kid ear piercing seemed like a simple business - you visited a beauty boutique at the mall, hemmed and hawed over the earring choices, and then received a quick shot to the ears with the piercing gun. Easy peasy!

Unfortunately in my personal experience, the months and years that followed my first piercing weren’t an easy experience. My ears were forever getting infected. Even pure gold earrings seemed to cause problems, and I got so frustrated I decided to take them out. To this day (at the age of 38) my piercing holes regularly become infected, even without earrings in there!

So when my 6 and 9 year olds started asking about piercing their ears, I knew I wanted to do things differently. First, I waited almost one year to be sure they were really serious about the decision. We talked about it a lot - about how it might hurt a bit, and how you needed to properly clean and care for your ears.

During this waiting period I happened to come across this post from a local tattoo parlour here in Ottawa. I had NO idea the risks associated with piercing guns, and hadn’t really considered the issue of consent. Piercing guns cannot be properly sterilized, can sometimes cause blunt trauma to the ear lobe and the advice given for cleaning/care is not accurate or thorough enough to always avoid infection.

We made the decision to use a qualified piercing artist, and started the process. The following is a bit about our experience: what to expect, the aftercare process, cost and other issues.

The Consult

The entire process began with a very thorough consult with the piercing artist. She walked us through the procedure step-by-step, talked about consent, and spent a lot of time going over aftercare. She said she would refuse to do the piercing if my daughters could not demonstrate that they had learned the 4-step aftercare process by the time the actual piercing appointment was made (we booked about 4 weeks after the consult, but you could certainly do sooner!)

The Big Day

Piercing day arrived for my first daughter. Appointments can NOT be made together, as it’s possible one child’s experience will impact the other child (seeing your sister in pain may make you wary to go ahead!) We went over all the aftercare again, and then the piercing took place. A small dot is drawn onto the lobe to map out the spot where the needle will go. My daughter was asked if she was ready, and then asked to count to three. The needle went in, and she barely flinched. Her ears were quite red and sore that evening, and we gave her a dose of Advil. The following day the pain was gone!

The Jewelry

The quality of jewelry is excellent. The earrings are titanium studs, and for an extra few dollars my kids had the option to have them coloured (my oldest chose “blurple” which is a combination between blue and purple…so pretty in the sunlight!)

The Aftercare

My daughters have to clean their piercings morning and night, with a process that involves: a sterile saline solution, water to rinse, and proper drying using a hair dryer. Furthermore, the girls were instructed to NEVER touch their ears (except during cleaning and after a good hand washing) and not to allow any friends to touch either. They can’t go to bed with wet hair (the damp can cause infection) and they were instructed not to swim to 4-6 months. So far we’ve had no problems getting them to do their cleanings, and their piercings are healing very well - we recently did our follow-up appointment to have the posts shortened now that risk of swelling has passed.

Time

Your investment of time is going to be really significant compared to a piercing done at the mall. The consult alone was over 1.5 hours, the piercings were about the same, and then we’ve got several follow-ups. There is also the time that you need to dedicate to aftercare. The parlour seemed to regularly be running late, so we were often waiting 20-30 minutes just to get into our appointments. I would suggest bringing water, snacks and activities for your kiddos.

Cost

This is where we ran into the most trouble, and caused a bit of stress throughout the whole process. When I asked for a quote from the tattoo parlour I received a “rough estimate” that was SO far from the total cost. If I had known the real costs I probably would have decided not to go ahead with both kids in the same year (it was really my youngest daughter who wanted the piercing done, so I would have told my oldest she had to wait another year!) To be clear, I think the service is worth what we paid; but I wish we’d known how much it was before we went ahead.

One of the variations in cost is dependant on the type of jewellery your child chooses. Of course mine wanted the pretty sparkly earrings rather than the round (and boring!) balls. In total we spent about $200 per child - that includes everything, including follow-up appointments.

In addition to the unexpected cost, the parlour also did not accept any type of debit or credit. So we had to trek down the street to an ATM.

I would strongly suggest that you get a very clear quote for the ENTIRE process, and find out if the tattoo parlour will take debit or credit.

In the end, I would say we are glad we went this route for ear piercings. I think that in the long-term this will pay off. The piercing will heal properly and unlike me, my daughter’s will be able to keep their earrings for life.

Have you taken your child to a piercing artist for their ear piercings? What was your experience like?

Game Time: Checking out the Ottawa Senators with Kids

KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel.  During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival.  During the winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.  

Our son, David has been a big Sens fan since they almost defeated the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Conference finals in 2017. We had never been to a game as a family and thought the end of Christmas holidays was the perfect opportunity.

The Sens were playing the Carolina Hurricanes in a matinee match-up; meaning the game started at 1:00 pm and we could be home before anyone was too bleary-eyed. Upon arriving at the stadium, the first thing I noticed was the improved pricing for parking making it affordable before we even set foot inside the Canadian Tire Centre.

For the first time ever, I got a mobile ticket and wanted to hide my technological ineptness. The ticket person was kind enough to assist me into the 21st century. Once inside the arena, I was struck by the historical photos of the team dating back to the 1920’s.I work in a library so I respect any organization that honors its past.

David thought the photos were cool but was excited to see some present day action. Before we took our seats, we checked out where TSN radio and television produce some of their segments. David took multiple photos of the TSN reporter before he started his live broadcast.

It was now time to make our way to our seats. We decided to get 100 level seats near ice level since it was David’s and my wife, Sandy’s, first game ever.

Photo Credit: David Johnson

David loved being close to the action and was on a mission to appear on national television. He perfectly positioned himself behind the anthem singer so he appeared on the jumbotron several times. The game was also on Fox Sports so it is possible David’s mug reached a worldwide audience.

Once the game started,we were only about five rows up so every crunching bodycheck and shot that hit the glass almost seemed like it was going to hit us. It was cool to see every smile and grimace of the players.

Carolina jumped out to an early lead and by the end of the first period, it was 2-0 for Carolina. First place intermission meant it was time to go for a walk and load up on snacks. We passed by the media broadcast area again and David got to see a live TSN broadcast. It was fun watching the television screen and the reporter at the same time.

We did not forget our second mission and made a pit stop at Tim Horton’s. Feeling rejuvenated with a diet of Boston cremes and French vanillas, we were ready for second period action.

The teams traded numerous goals and by the end of the second period the score was tied up at 4. David did his best sports photographer imitation and got a few great photos.

For the intermission, we stayed in our seats and enjoyed seeing fans sitting on snow tubes sent down the ice by a catapult. Their goal was to knock over as many bowling pins as they could at the other end of the rink. I thought this was a uniquely Canadian take on bowling. Next was DJ Prosper who got fans up and dancing with classics like Stayin’ Alive.

The third period started and unfortunately, the Sens went down a goal and were unable to come back. The final score did not really matter for our family. The Sens are a young team and play exciting hockey. There was also plenty of in-game and intermission entertainment to keep even the youngest fan entertained. Sandy mentioned she enjoyed that there was not one fight in the game and relatively few penalties.

We will certainly be back to another Senators game before next Christmas. For more info about the Sens and tickets visit www.ottawasenators.com

Disclaimer: The Sens provided assistance with tickets, but all opinions are our own