It was that dreaded time again where I had to get my health card renewed. I'm literally so bad at…read morerenewing cards and documents, and always wait until the very last minute. This service center is in beacon hill mall. There are like four other centers in this mall, one for financial aid, card renewals, and employment services. I ended up going to the wrong service center at first, but the first lady I spoke with directed me to the right one. I literally walked two steps in the mall and bam I was there. I grabbed a number, grabbed a seat (theres not many seats, and it gets crowded fast), and waited for my number to be called. The numbers were called pretty quick, and I waited about 10 minutes. The associate helping me with my renewal was super quick, efficient and got me in and out in no time. This location is a short drive away from my home, so to not even be gone an hour to get this service done is a win for me.

Nice place overall. Not a welcoming entrance, but once you're past that it's very welcoming. Very…read moremuch a "find it for yourself" feel, rather than help you find what you need. However I'm sure if you ask, you'll be helped. Incredibly quiet, especially for the number of people in the building. Every floor is silent. There's big open seating areas as well as many computers and chromebooks to loan (in library only).

This library is huge! I used to love coming here as a child for storytelling in the children's…read moresection. Now, as an adult, it's kind of like a candy store for those that love to read. They have 3 levels of pretty much any kind of reading and research materials that you would need, including maps, academic journals, public records, dictionaries, encyclopedias, historical/special collections, fiction/non-fiction, children's books, comics, and audio tapes/CDs and videos. There is plenty of tables and seating for reading and studying, computer stations for Internet browsing and catalogue searching, and even a small coffee and tea shop with very reasonable prices. The library is fully accessible and easy to navigate around, and they have the most helpful staff. The 24-hour book drop and the fact that they take Interac are extremely convenient. The only problem I ran into was trying to get a library card. They have separate desks just to sign up for a library card, but they wouldn't let me because my ID didn't have an Ottawa address on it. I had just moved here and they were asking me for utility bills or a tenant's agreement, which, of course, I didn't have on-hand. So I decided to just sit and read inside the library, and before I knew it, I ended up spending hours there!

Beautiful architectural design for a supreme court. No known tours for this place.few mins. Walk…read morefrom house of commons

The tour took us to the Federal Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Canada courtrooms. All the…read morematerial in areas accessible to the public are foreign and expensive building material while the washrooms and non-publicly accessible areas used Canadian building material. The ceilings of the court are high to express the stature and importance of the Supreme Court of Canada. I have to say, the washrooms were nice too. Security staff were courteous, unlike the Supreme Court of the United States - think that says much about Canada. :) Interestingly, the chairs of the judges of the SCC are all custom made so that all the judges sit all around at the same level. As a lawyer, you only get an hour to make a concise argument for your case so the importance of written factums (written submissions) are very important. Typically cases are heard in 1 day, but there are cases that take 2 days to be heard due to the high number of intervenors. The library, which is not accessible to the public, takes up most of the third floor of the building. For the general public, the library isn't probably somewhere you'd want to see or check out. It's has the legislation of all provinces/territories, secondary sources, and also European/British sources too. You can only borrow books for typically 24 hours.

The Glebe Community Centre is a unique structure in the heart of the Glebe. It offers a multitude…read moreof programs for every age group and interest, including painting, theatre, yoga, pottery, sports, dance, baking and cooking classes, dog obedience classes and even random classes like soap and bath-bomb making. Their prices are usually reasonable, but the classes fill up very quickly, so make sure to register well before the first class begins. If you live in the area, you'll receive a calendar for the upcoming season with a grace period to plan your next class. The centre also has many day or weekend long events, such as plays, craft fairs, jewelry shows and food shows. If you're in the area on weekdays between 11:30am-3pm, stop by The Pantry Vegetarian Tea Room for some food. The prices are a bit high and there's not much selection, but the food is fairly wholesome and usually organic. They don't accept debit or credit card, so bring cash!

This is an amazing community feature right in the heart of one of the loveliest spots in the city…read more I've recently had the opportunity to drop by with two little ones to bring them to playgroup and their toddler music class, and I was blown away. I would never have suspected from the relatively boring outside of this building that the inside is alive with great programming. You're greeted by a lovely staircase that leads up to Scotton Hall - the "gym" that Reviewer R mentioned. This is a stunning room with huge vaulted ceilings, stained glass, a kitchen and tons of room for the little ones to run around during playgroup (which is what I was there for!). It would also be amazing for an event. The playgroup was amazing. The facilitator Andrew, was great with the kids and there's even snacktime for kids and parents. The music class is similarly well-run and all the staff I have interacted with her are sweet and friendly. There' a whiteboard in the front lobby that details all the happenings going on that day and it's always packed! They have tons of classes (I even say mention of a "mother-daughter glee group" - unreal!) for all ages and the prices aren't bad at all. There's a great play structure outside for the little ones, as well as a sweet Thomas the Tank Engine table under the stairs. Be sure to ask the lovely lady at the front desk for the trains - clearly these have gone missing in the past, haha! If you're in the area, this is a great option for activities for kids and adults alike. Pop in and see the space - you won't be disappointed!

I didn't even know this library was here until I moved into the community. I love it because it is…read moreso quaint and almost hidden among the trees. Though this small library obviously doesn't have the ample selection that other branches in Ottawa do, you can easily order in books. But the vibe of this library more than makes up for that fact. Here you feel like you are in a small town library, where you can get individual attention and bring your kids to stay for a while. There is a meeting room here too and there are often activities or meetings going on. Because of it's size, there are often stacks of books on the front desk or a line up to check out books, but that is all part of this library's charm. The hours vary to allow those who work, or those who stay at home to have time to stop by. I'm proud to call this my home branch!

Commenting as a tourist, I was able to go there even though it's being renovated (will be complete…read moreby 2032, apparently). You can even go into a legislative session (need to bring a governmental ID and pass a security check) to see parliamentary procedures and democracy in action. Definitely worth checking out!

The place that runs Canada. The parliament building, modeled after the Big Ben in London, has an…read moreamazing site. Currently it's going through some renovations, so two gigantic cranes are towering over the building. Very popular site with tourists. There are huge boards that provide details of the building and the government. Visitors can the building too but we saw a long line. Lots of law enforcement officers in the area to keep everything safe and in order.

We have visited the canal for many years but this was our first time trying the ice bike…read moreexperience, and unfortunately, it will be our last. Renting from Capital Skates turned out to be an incredibly frustrating and frankly unsafe experience. The primary issue is the equipment maintenance: the tires on these "ice bikes" appear to be completely worn down and are clearly not fit for a natural ice surface. With absolutely zero traction, the rear tire just spins in place, leaving you drifting helplessly rather than actually cycling. This lack of grip makes steering nearly impossible; I spent most of the ride fighting a massive lag in responsiveness that nearly sent me veering into the canal edge multiple times. The mechanical failures didn't stop there, as the gear shifter took nearly 15 seconds to actually engage after being moved, making any kind of momentum impossible to maintain. To make matters worse, the business model feels designed to capitalize on their monopoly on the canal. You are forced into a rigid two-hour rental--no more and no less--which is a steep commitment for equipment this poorly maintained at nearly $60 per bike. We attempted to call the business to address these concerns, but the line went to a voicemail that hasn't even been set up. It's a shame that such an iconic Canadian landmark is served by a vendor that seems to have given up on basic maintenance. Save your money and your nerves--stick to traditional skates.

Wow! What a cool and unique experience! I learned how to skate as a child but am not a pro. I'm…read morenot very good at stopping, as an adult I usually stick to near the edge and run into the boards to stop, but after planning a trip to Ottawa during winter and hearing about this place I knew I needed to try it, and I am so excited I did. I was a little nervous not being a good skater, and having read some reviews that the ice is full of holes and not well surfaced, and that during Winterlude (when we were visiting) it gets crazy I was a little nervous, but I was glad to find that I had no problems. True the ice isn't perfect, that should be anticipated when on an outdoor rink, but it was still an enjoyable experience despite not being a confident skater myself. I went slowly and was able to make it through even rocky areas by holding my husbands hand. I went on Saturday during Winterlude and on Family day and both days were very busy, lots and lots of people on the ice, but that didn't take away from the experience. Faster and better skaters were able to go around me and other slower skaters and they were respectful of those of us who weren't as skilled. If you aren't a skater at all, you should still come and enjoy this cool place! My husband is not a skater and he walked in his boots the entire open length of the canal. I walked it one day and skated it the other day we visited. We also watched lots of others enjoy the space in the same way. I was also nervous about the ice conditions after watching them change between good, fair and poor in the week leading up to our visit. The day I walked the canal it was listed as "very good" and it seemed like it was. The day that I skated it was listed as "fair" and I found it not bad at all. There were certainly areas where the ice was bumpy and some holes but overall even as a weaker skater it was good, so don't let the ice conditions scare you, if you are here in winter give it a try! You can even buy beavertails and other food while still on your skates! Getting on the ice is free, and there are different entrances that have benches, bathrooms, food places, fire pits, places to hang out and so much more! Such a cool and unique experience, plan a trip out to Ottawa in winter ASAP!