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.

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)

Buyers and Cellars is a welcome, fresh face in the Centretown neighbourhood. Their sommeliers are…read moreincredibly knowledgeable, care deeply and work really hard (without breaking a sweat) to bring classy service. Since the Buzz disappeared mid-pandemic, there has been a wine bar sized hole in the heart of Centretown. My first introduction to Buyers and Cellars was a birthday celebration where my friend treated me to a tasting. It was every bit as girly and glamorous as you imagine. We were all dressed up and sampled 5 wines - 1 oz each and "travelled" from the Alps of Switzerland and Italy to Chile. My friend and I chatted happily in between tastings while the sommelier regaled us with stories of each winery, how long they had been in business, and how many of the wines they sell can only be found here. Imagine! These rich tasting wines not available anywhere else in the country. The wine from the Alps , for example, is only made in very small batches. I bought a bottle and I was hooked. I have since gone back twice - once when I was in a pinch and couldn't get to the LCBO or it was close to closing - and this evening. The second time I came away with two bottles and a free glass of wine. Tonight, I stopped in to pick up a nice bottle of wine for dinner on Friday, and asked if it wasn't too busy if I could sit and have a drink. The sommelier happily obliged and poured me three 1oz glasses, each of a rossa, carmeniere and a Croatian red wine. The Croatian, called Dika, was my favourite, so I bought two bottles ($60). The bartender comped my tasting, and I was happily on my way... but I'll be back!

Great place to explore rare varietals. Comfortable atmosphere to study wines. They carry phenomenal…read morewines from less popular regionsI picked up Jordanian Barbera and Mencia from Spain. Def coming back on my next visit to Ottawa. :)

Last night, I had a mini reunion with a former co-worker, now friend. We hadn't seen each other…read moresince we worked at the same company in Winnipeg. It had been so long that the calculation of years that we last saw each other was both scary and ridiculous. He plays hockey. I watch hockey. We are both hockey fans. He invited me to see his game last night. His team was playing at Carleton Ice House (CIH). This hockey facility is located at Carleton University. I continue my trend of visiting university campuses without taking a single course. It was easy finding this complex. There were also two parking lots with lots of spots in front of it. My friend gave me a special code that allowed me to park for free. I felt super VIP. You can either pay for parking at parking kiosks in either both lots or CIH. You can either pay through your phone's browser (that's how I did it) or download the app. It was easy. I walked through the main entrance. A sport medicine clinic and washrooms were on the left. The former was closed when I was there just before 7 pm. I used the washroom after the game was over. It was clean with at least six stalls. This facility is the home of the Ravens varsity hockey team. It's bright and inviting when you walk in. What took me by surprise was that this complex has two NHL-sized ice rinks. What?! I'm so used to going into an arena to watch a hockey game. Arena. Singular. Okay, which rink was my friend's team playing on? I went to Arena A. The second floor is where you go to sit down and take in a game. It looked like the North Stars were playing some other team and all players looked young. It wasn't my friend's game. I watched these teams warm up before I left. I headed to Arena B. Seating is on the first floor. The two teams that were playing were larger. Again, it wasn't my friend's team, but I stayed to watch the game. It was entertaining and both teams were evenly matched. My friend texted me a selfie. He was sporting his team's jersey, which was super helpful! He said that he didn't know which arena he was going to play at. I texted him back and said that Arena B's game was over, so he'd likely be on it. I chose correctly. The zamboni came out to clean the ice. My friend was playing at Arena B. It felt like high school. He found me in the stands, skated over, and tapped the plexiglass. I came down to talk to him for a bit. It was cool, especially seeing him after all these years. The Otters is my friend's team. It's a pride team year-round and is inclusive. My friend's son is transgendered, so it made sense that he joined it. The game consisted of two periods of play. There were two referees. One of them smiled at me during the second period while standing in front of me. Another first! Sadly, his team lost to the Rejects. I sat several benches away from the wife and daughter of the Otters' goalie. They were loud, but I appreciated their enthusiasm. Both ice rinks are cold temperature-wise. If you get cold easily, grab a sweater or jacket. I actually went in with shorts and a t-shirt, and was fine. I run on the hotter side, so I'm a bit different. My friend skated over after the game. He let me know that he'd need some time to switch out of his gear. I told him to take his time. I waited steps away from the Welcome Centre. My friend showered and changed, and we headed to his car with a couple of his teammates that I got to meet. As a hockey fan, this experience was wonderful. My friend had beer in the trunk of his car. We had a mini tailgate drinking a can of beer and chatting. It was a nice tradition that this team has and I was thrilled to be a part of it. I had a good time taking in a free game with my friend in it despite the outcome. CIH is an awesome hockey facility. I'm glad that I was able to check it out. (226)

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!

A fantastic independent cinema to see a wide range of movies from recent releases to indie films to…read moreinternational movies to classic films. There's always a great selection to pick from. The popcorn is really good here too.

I wish I could show the same love for this theater everyone else has...it's a very old theater…read morethat's never been updated. You're reminded of the 70s and 80s in here as the chairs are old, the style of theater is that of an old one and so is the audio and video equipment. Don't get me wrong, I come by for the chance of watching throwback classics as they play old movies and independent movies. It's fun to watch movies you grew up to on the big screen but the movie experience isn't the greatest. For newer independent movies in a newer theater, the World Exchange usually gets some. Either case, those theaters are far from sitting in TIFF Bell Lightbox in Toronto. For more throwback movies you can check out the new Mayfair that opened in Orleans or the newly renovated Mayfair on Bank St which I believe are much better theaters. Coliseum recently had a throwback movie month and played classics on their modern screen with modern audio and video and that was amazing. The nostalgia is great here but honestly with the Mayfair that opened in Orleans and the renovation of the Mayfair on Bank St I really hope the Bytowne follows their lead.

What a fun night out to watch these ladies battle it out!…read more Roller Derby has made quite a comeback and continues to grow as a sport. It's flat track skating with a lot of bumping and pushing......with some pretty solid licks - we personally saw two girls who couldn't finish the night due to injuries. Both ok, but lots of knee and ankle injuries. There are some tiny, super fast, girls.......and some ladies that would have no problem tossing around a WWE wrestler but both have one thing in common - they are both absolutely an empowering example to young woman. They are thrilled to talk to fans after the bouts with huge smiles. Bring your friends, Beau's is a sponsor, so fresh Beau's is on tap! Merry Derry is also at all the bouts so awesome ice cream awaits........btw, how about another food truck joins merry derry to supply us with dinner? get out and enjoy this awesome sport

I am beyond thrilled that roller derby is becoming more popular in Ottawa! I came out to the second…read morebout on Saturday night with a handful of friends, and we all really enjoyed ourselves, despite the fact that we had to miss the first bout (which was said to be super exciting and hardcore!). I hadn't been to a roller derby bout before, and most of my knowledge came from watching Whip It and stalking Rachel F's facebook page. When Tanya I mentioned that her and Dave C had been frequenting roller derby, I got pretty psyched. I was surprised to see the bout was in Kanata, in a totally residential neighbourhood (this totally added to the charm of the night). We strolled in and noticed that The Merry Dairy was parked outside for snacks - hurray! We made it over between periods, but that's another review for another day :) The ladies manning the ticket table were friendly and welcoming. The cost was $15, though it might be cheaper if it's just one bout instead of two, I'm not sure. The money goes straight into the league, which I think is awesome. I was surprised to see there were a lot of families in attendance, and I had a particularly awesome conversation with a six year old about why she loves roller derby so much. Her answer? "The girls are really strong and smile a lot and wear fun costumes." She sums it up quite well, really. These ladies are super athletic, strategic and fun. They work their tails off, but they always look like they're having a blast. I love that no matter your size or shape you can play this game - you just need to learn to roller skate! As Dave mentioned, they serve up Beau's and Smirnoff Ice which is a nice touch. If you're drinking, keep in mind you do need to stay on the rink. I noticed quite a few people brought lawn chairs which I thought was brilliant - a must for next time! Another one of my favourite things? They have a team member walking around with an "Ask me about derby" sign if you have any questions. They really want people to learn about the sport! Taking in a bout is an awesome way to spend the evening. Old, young, single, 5 kids - you should go. These women are worth watching and this sport is worth supporting!

This is the movie theatre where I go when I want to spoil myself. The reason I wanna say this is…read morebecause I always go at the VIP movie. They offer free parking for two hours which is amazing and honestly life-saving. Took me a while before I knew this. I have come to this place on multiple occasions and had the chance to almost try everything in the menu going from salad, too burgers & wrap. I tried a few drink also the bloody Caesar and a few slushy drinks. I love that you get to eat a meal while you're watching your movie and a very comfortable seat. If I have to recommend one of the item it would definitely be the wrap I think it is the tastiest one. Have a great solid option and honestly the size are pretty good. Price a great considering that if you go to the movie theatre the popcorn is crazy expensive. I wish I took more pictures of my food too show you. Most item rank between 10$ and $20 really good. Also before I forget they also have arcade games when you come in. Really fun if you come in with a few friends or by yourself Arcades are fun right. But be careful some games or just to gain points so depending on if you really want to claim your points to get prize or if you wanna have some fun depends on you.

Definitely only needed two tacos because they're so filling but it's one of my favorites meals in…read morethe city!

One of the few places around my hotel that had a open kitchen until 11pm. Really glad my concierge…read morerecommended that I go to this place. Good selection of booze and I enjoyed their burgers, specializes fries w/ their mulligan sauce and hip hop music. And great service. My server and the bartender were both really friendly. (04/29/2024) I'm not sure about the golf sim, but I like how It doubled as a tv for sports.

Got a smashed burger and poutine. Both were delicious. The service was friendly and the place was…read morenice and quiet