This stadium was built specifically for the Red Blacks football team. There are other teams that…read moreplay as well such as hockey, volleyball, soccer and many more. The field and surroundings are clean. I like how there are info people if you do get lost. There are many washrooms and potties around. The football games a bit empty or so when I went especially for the long weekend but the crowd really set the atmosphere. The DJ as well was playing some awesome tunes to pump up the audience. Before the game starts there are a variety of alcoholic drinks for $10. The food is a bit expensive for what you get. I will be back for sure.

Opinions about Lansdowne Park are very polarized. I was living in Ottawa during the re-development…read moreand I feel that there was so much potential for it to be a more beautiful space. There is too much concrete and not enough greenery, in my opinion. Too many mega chains not enough independents. I feel that it lacks charm. Many Ottawans (including me, admittedly) were excited about the arrival of Whole Foods. However, since they've opened I've been there a grand total of 3 times. Ottawa's only Sporting Life is also at Lansdowne. There's what I call an "urban concept" Winners there (i.e. not too much selection and relatively small). It's similar in layout to the one on Sparks St. Like I mentioned earlier, many of the restaurants are big franchised places that offer burgers, pizza, etc., and in my opinion are not too dissimilar from each other. There are very few smaller independent places that have character, more unique fare, and a more intimate setting. However, I recognize that you need huge restaurants should people who go to the stadium want to go for dinner before/after the game (the stadium fits 24,000 people after all). There's the big stadium of course, and there is a skate park, and a wading pool/area for kids. There is some green space towards the back of the area, and they have retained some of the original buildings like the Aberdeen Pavilion, so all is not lost. Parking is a pain in the butt. There's a paid parking lot but it's quite pricey (and the lot is kind of a maze, and also a zoo - metaphorically, not literally, no monkeys or pandas!), and street parking is hard to come by, plus you are limited to only 1-2 hours. My opinion is that Lansdowne Park may be cool for people living in the neighbourhood who can walk there, but a bit of a pain to get to and find parking for everyone else.

So much history of hockey in Ottawa. Arguably the sport started here and not Toronto but they went…read moredecades without a team and came back about two decades ago and then had an arena built for them far outside the city in Kanata. The arena, Canada Tire Centre, is quite dated but they do their best with a good fan experience. My wife and I went here for our first hockey game in Canada to see our Kraken play the Senators. It was Oktoberfest night and they had a Bavarian dance troupe that was fun to see from crowds up in the club level. Their star player Brady Tkachuk is amazing and grew up near me where his father Keith was on the Blues. Hence I got a Brady Tkachuk jersey from Fanatics to wear while my wife wore a Kraken jersey.

Ottawa Senators The original Ottawa Senators were founded…read morein 1883. They won the Stanley Cup 11 times playing in the NHL from 1917 until 1934. For complicated reasons I don't understand the team moved, changed names, and possibly went bankrupt. You can research the details if you're interested. On December 6, 1990, after a two-year public campaign by Firestone, the NHL awarded a new franchise, which began play in the 1992-93 season. The Senators have made 16 playoff appearances, won four division titles, and won the 2003 Presidents' Trophy. They made an appearance in the 2007 Stanley Cup Finals but lost to the Anaheim Ducks in five games. So there you have the history that is important to me. I support all the teams because of my love for the sport. This one has a place in my heart because of the history. I'm not sure I'll ever get to see them play live. I hope their local fans support them so they won't lose their place in the NHL. NHL wants to expand the league not lose teams.

Of the 7 current NHL arenas I have been to this is 7th out of 7th Here is the rundown…read more Arena feels quite dated compared to the others I have been to, even though our favorite Madison Square Garden is much older and others are of similiar age. Unlike Centre Bell and Scotiabank Arena which have great food, drinks, and WiFi there are limited food and drink options here (at least on 3rd floor where we sat) and no WiFi. The arena is also far away from the city center although luckily they are putting new arena near the War Museum in LeBreton Flats that will be on the light rail line. They do their best to make up for the shortcomings and have a couple restaurants in the arena but we didn't try them as well as great pregame and intermission entertainment. When we went on November 2nd against the Kraken it was Oktoberfest night and they had pregame specials and entertainment we missed along with a beer stein giveaway they ran out of (but we didn't want to fly back with them anyways), and a German dance troupe during intermission that was just to the left and below us on the club level and the Jumbotron was fun to watch throughout the game. The team has so much potential and I love Brady Tkachuk as his dad Keith was my favorite Blues player growing up so I got his jersey in advance. Plus hockey really has its origins in Ottawa rather than Toronto even though the original Senators relocated to St. Louis to become the Eagles before they got the current team several decades later. Looking forward to seeing Ottawa again when Parliament is restored and they have a new and improved arena.

This is the 7th hockey arena I've visited. It's almost 30 years old, but the place still looks…read morepretty new. Pretty easy access to get in and out and there are plenty of restrooms and food choices. Staff was also super cool and friendly along with all of the Ottawa fans we met. It is out in the middle of the boonies, so we didn't drive there and stayed at the hotel that was 0.5 miles down the road. It is pretty easy to walk on Huntmar Dr and across the bridge to the arena. That's the only downside is that the place is like a 30 minute drive to downtown. There are some things around the area, but it is still pretty dead and you can't really pregame like you can at other arenas.

Four ice pads, one with lots of seating to host a major game. Indoor soccer field with artificial…read moregrass. Pro shop. Concessions (pizza etc). All in all, the venue offers everything one would need to host a big AAA hockey tournament, which they do very well, every year.

Debbie at the Sport Medicine Centre is a great Massage Therapist, one of the best I ever had. I…read morehaven't venture much into the facility but does look great. Played Beach volleyball one summer and courts were well maintained.

This site offers great entertainment all summer long. Great team building activity. Cost is very…read moreresealable to bring family and friends. Enjoy the suites with work colleagues, food, beer, and great entertainment. Easy access with O-Train

After I had booked my hotel for my recent visit to Ottawa, I checked what was around it. I realized…read morethat I was staying next door to Raymond Chabot Grant Thornton (RCGT) Park. My first thought: That ballpark's name is a mouthful! My second thought: Is the name a law firm representing two people or four? The ballpark is home to the Ottawa Titans. A number of Ottawa baseball teams have come and gone over the years. The Titans made their debut in 2020 as part of the MLB Partner Frontier League - East Division. Being a partner league means that this team has no direct affiliation with individual MLB organizations, but it collaborates on promoting the sport in North America. Although the name of this ballpark sounds like a law firm, it's actually an accounting firm. It was founded by Jacques Raymond and Guy Chabot. Like the various Ottawa baseball teams that have come and gone, so have partners at this accounting firm. There must have been some merger in the past, because the Grant Thornton part of the name points to an accounting firm in the United States. It was founded by Alexander Grant, went through a bunch of partner names changes, and is now known as Grant Thornton. So, the baseball park's name comprises the last names of four men. It used to be called Ottawa Stadium. I yearn for simplicity. I saw RCGT Park every day from my hotel room. It was cool seeing whether there was a game based on whether the stadium lights were on. I decided to take in a game on Canada Day. My plan was to check out celebrations downtown and then come here to see the Titans play against the Quebec Capitales. I bought my ticket before arriving in Ottawa. I got a decent lower-level seat for $17, which includes tax. It's the most expensive ticket that you can purchase, which is highly affordable. I paid for parking online through Indigo. It was $7. You register your licence plate through the app, specify when you're taking in the game, and pay. In hindsight, I didn't need to pay for parking. If you're staying at the Courtyard Ottawa East, you can simply walk across the parking lot and save some money. The game was to start at 5 pm. I left downtown at around 4:30 pm. It was pouring rain. I didn't know whether the game was on. I still headed to this stadium and parked. I had seven minutes before the first pitch. Security is interesting at this stadium. Staff scan your electronic ticket. That's it. There's no security check at all. So, the guy who brought a huge drum to get the crowd going just walked through with a valid ticket. Kind of weird. It was a throwback to simpler times, but I was living them here. I got a bottle of Diet Coke at the concession stand. I used a credit card to pay. The man who helped me with my order was nice and professional. I used the women's washroom. There were perhaps twelve stalls. Mine was clean and decent. There were many sinks available. The scoreboard stated that this game was delayed by an hour due to rain. The hour delay allowed me to check out the team store. I liked the caps, but many were fixed and could not be adjusted. I like adjustable ones because my big head needs an adjustable one, rather than unintentionally busting a cap when attempting to wear it. I saw the tarp being folded by staff. Staff also wiped down the seats that were wet. It was a nice touch. I actually helped them out by wiping down my seat before sitting down. This ballpark is nice. It has a split-level design, with a concourse running around the middle of the seating bowl. This concourse is the main level. Since I had a lower seat, I was actually walking down. If you have an upper seat, you are climbing up stairs to get there. Apparently, there's a play area for kids. I didn't get around to seeing it. The stadium has skyboxes. I saw some folks occupying a couple during the game. There used to be an upper desk restaurant, but it no longer exists. Bummer. You can technically see a game from Coventry Road. It also means that you can occasionally see a ball fly out of the stadium and potentially hit a passing car. I had a nice view of the home team's dugout, along with home plate and third base. I liked my seat. The only downside to this stadium is that there aren't any handrails. I saw one older man hold on to the backs of chairs. There was also a drunk woman who was wobbling all over the place that it caused some concern for a lot of us watching her make her way up the stairs. The Titans were trailing by a run in the fifth inning. I went to buy a hot dog, as I was getting hungry. I got back to my seat and started eating it. The Titans scored three runs. Note to self: When the home team is trailing, get food. Get a footlong next time! The team mascot is Cappy. Sadly, his name is so close to Crappy that I snickered whenever I saw him. I got a Cappy plushie. It wasn't crappy. The Titans won 4-2. Yay! I had a great time. It's a nice stadium with affordable tickets. There's free wifi, too. (257)

My review of Carleton University has nothing to do with academics, as I never attended this…read moreuniversity. I was recently here to attend my friend's hockey game at Carleton Ice House, so my review is about setting foot on campus for the first time as a visitor. Getting to Carleton Ice House from my hotel in east Ottawa was straightforward. What I find to be a bold move is that there is a roundabout on campus. University Drive runs east-west at first, but you take the roundabout to continue on this street to head north-south. Nothing like messing with prospective students who are trying to do a campus tour and have to deal with a crazy roundabout perhaps for the first time. Same goes with first-year students who have enough to deal with that a roundabout may be intimidating to them, causing them to avoid it at all costs and yearn for a normal intersection. I frankly like roundabouts. They are efficient. I find them enjoyable because I grew up in a non-roundabout community. It was a pleasant surprise using one here. Ottawa, in general, has its parking act together, compared to some major Canadian cities. You pay for parking with an app at any parking lot on campus. You can either download the app (I'd recommend it if you are here often) or use the browser on your phone if you are an infrequent visitor like me. It works. It's efficient. I had a great experience using it to park. The Carleton Ice House is a wonderful hockey facility. It took me by surprise that it houses two NHL-sized ice rinks. It was great taking in a few games, including my friend's hockey game that I came to see. It is a state-of-the-art hockey facility with a sports therapy clinic. My friend and I had dinner at Lansdowne Park after his game. It was ridiculously close by. I liked my brief visit to this university. It has a nice balance of parks and buildings. It's also cool that the university is bounded to the north by the Rideau Canal and Dow's Lake, and to the south by the Rideau River. It was nice getting a brief introduction to the university while I was on vacation. It was totally unplanned and a pleasant surprise! I doubt that I'd ever get a doctorate degree here, but never say never, as the saying goes. (248)

I worked at Carleton for 2 years. People there used lies and gaslighting on me for the whole time…read more My supervisor never stood up for me. Despite that I had excellent reviews and 2 of the 3 people I supported agreed to be references for me. I went off on sick leave, and when I was able to return, they had reorganized the office and eliminated my position. A coworker told me that they actually created 3 full time positions to cover the work I had been doing. HR told me there were no equivalent positions and I would have to take a lower paying job. Then they offered me off with a paltry payout to leave their employment. I admit I agreed to take it and never return, but that was due to the fact that they said the offer was no longer available if I left the meeting. I should have consulted a lawyer. My fault. HORRIBLE place to work!

Good gym, kids love the wave pool…read more The staff in the weight room is very knowledgeable and helpful.

Ottawa's local auto racing attraction puts on a good show every Wednesday night. The track has new…read morepavement and lots of cars each week, worth checking out.

This is ideal for kids who may like racing and cars. The races are short with new cars for each…read moreheat which keeps the kids attention. The ticket prices are reasonable so if you need to leave at intermission (about 9:00) to get the kids to bed it is not a real loss. I had a great time with my 6 year old son and will go back again soon.