Come for the party, stay for the fireworks.
The annual Canada Day shows and activities in downtown Ottawa this long weekend will culminate Sunday night at 10 p.m. with a 15-minute pyromusical fireworks show, launched from Nepean Point over the Ottawa River.
(This is all weather permitting, of course. Organizers say they’re monitoring the blistering heat and humidity forecasted for July 1.)
If you’re willing to brave the humidex of 47 to get your fireworks fix, some popular viewing spots downtown include:
- Major’s Hill Park (located west of Mackenzie Avenue, behind the Fairmont Château Laurier at 1 Rideau St.)
- Anywhere along the central loop of Confederation Boulevard (which runs along Wellington Street, MacKenzie Avenue, Sussex Drive and Laurier Street in Gatineau)
- Victoria Island (accessed from the Chaudière Bridge)
Across the river in Gatineau, you can get a great view of the fireworks display from the lawn behind the Canadian Museum of History (100 Laurier St.) and from Jacques-Cartier Park (285 Laurier St.).
Do not venture to the Supreme Court of Canada to watch the fireworks. Normally a great lookout, this year, organizers are using the court’s grounds as the main entrance point for visitors wanting to join the festivities on Parliament Hill. Aside from that, a spokesperson for Canadian Heritage confirmed the grounds and the pathway behind the Supreme Court are off-limits and closed to the public.
(Read on for information about fireworks shows outside of downtown Ottawa.)
If you’ll be heading downtown at any point on Sunday, keep in mind many streets will be closed to vehicles throughout the day. The Department of Canadian Heritage has compiled a full list of all closures, as well as an interactive Google map demonstrating specific road closures.
Some main closures to note:
- All of Wellington Street is closed from 6 a.m. on July 1 to 2 a.m. on July 2
- The Alexandra and MacKenzie King bridges will be closed to vehicles from 6 a.m. onward (no pedestrians or cyclists on the Alexandra Bridge as of 9 p.m.)
- Sussex Drive (from Boteler Street to Rideau Street) is closed from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- The grid of downtown stretching from Wellington Street to Laurier Avenue, and Elgin Street to Lyon Street is closed from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. (although Laurier will remain open throughout the day)
- The Laurier Avenue Bridge is closed from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m.
- Roads west of and including Lyon Street are closed from 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
- The stretch of the Trans Canada Trail (Ottawa River Pathway) from Library and Archives Canada to the Rideau Canal Locks is also closed to pedestrians and cyclists from 3 a.m. on July 1 to 2 a.m. on July 2.
If you’re looking to avoid the crowds in the downtown core this weekend, a number of other communities in the Ottawa area will be hosting Canada Day events and fireworks shows. All times for fireworks listed below are for Sunday, July 1.
Barrhaven: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. at Clarke Fields Park, 93 Houlahan St.
Carleton Place: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 9:45 p.m. at Riverside Park, 175 John St.
Clarence-Rockland: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. at Parc du Moulin, at the end of Edwards Street towards the Ottawa River.
Dunrobin: Event details here. Fireworks at sunset at the Dunrobin Community Centre, 1151 Thomas A. Dolan Parkway.
Greely: Event details here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m at the Greely Community Centre, 1448 Meadow Dr.
Kanata: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. at Walter Baker Park, 100 Charlie Rogers Way.
Merrickville-Wolford Village: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. at the Fairground, 446 Main St. West.
Munster: Event details here. Fireworks at dusk at
Orléans: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. on Petrie Island.
Osgoode Village: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. at the Osgoode Community Centre, 5662 Main St.
Riverside South: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin around 10:30 p.m. at Claudette Cain Park, 660 River Rd.
Russell: Schedule of events here. Fireworks at dusk (between 9:30 and 10 p.m.) at the Russell High School grounds, 982 N. Russell Rd.
Stittsville: Schedule of events here. Fireworks begin at 9:45 p.m. at the Sacred Heart High School grounds, 5870 Abbott St. East.
Vars: Event details here. Fireworks begin at 10 p.m. at Park Alcide Trudeau, 5715 Rockland St.
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story cited the Ottawa River Pathway as a viewing spot for the Canada Day fireworks downtown. The pathway, from Library and Archives Canada to the Rideau Canal Locks, is in fact closed to the public all of Sunday.
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