The Christmas holidays are just days away.
Read on to find out what’s open and what’s closed on Christmas Day (Wednesday, Dec. 25, 2019) and Boxing Day (Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019) in Ottawa.
Food and drink
Grocery stores and department stores like Walmart and Costco are powering down for Christmas Day and re-opening on Boxing Day. Hours vary by location.
LCBO stores close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve (Tuesday, Dec. 24) and will remain closed for Christmas Day. Select stores will re-open on Boxing Day with reduced hours. Check LCBO.com for local store hours.
Beer Stores also close at 6 p.m. on Christmas Eve and will remain closed through Christmas Day. Four stores in Ottawa will re-open on Boxing Day from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m.:
- 1860 Bank St.
- 1984 Baseline Rd.
- 548 Montreal Rd.
- 515 Somerset Street W.
Shopping
Ottawa’s major shopping malls are open Christmas Eve, closed Christmas Day and open once again on Boxing Day. Call any independent businesses for their store hours. Contact a specific drug store for their hours.
The Rideau Centre
- Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
St. Laurent Shopping Centre: 12:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.
- Christmas Eve: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Place d’Orléans:
- Christmas Eve: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Bayshore Shopping Centre:
- Christmas Eve: 8 am. to 5 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Tanger Outlets:
- Christmas Eve: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Entertainment
Cineplex movie theatres are open 365 days a year.
ByTowne Cinema
- Christmas Eve: OPEN (show times vary)
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: OPEN (show times vary)
Sens Rink of Dreams
- Open daily from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m., weather permitting.
- Check here for the rink’s status on any given day.
The National Gallery of Canada
- Christmas Eve: 10 a.m to 2 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Canadian War Museum and the Canadian Museum of History
- Christmas Eve: 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 9:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Canadian Museum of Nature
- Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.
The Canada Aviation and Space Museum
- Christmas Eve: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum
- Christmas Eve: CLOSED
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
The Canada Science and Technology Museum
- Christmas Eve: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
- Christmas Day: CLOSED
- Boxing Day: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
City of Ottawa services
- Ottawa City Hall and all seven client service centres, including the Government Service Centre at 110 Laurier Avenue West, are closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.
- The provincial offences court is closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.
- Garbage collection:
- Curbside and multi-residential garbage, recycling and green bin collection scheduled for Dec. 25 will be picked up on Dec. 26.
- All collection will be delayed by one day for the remainder of the week.
- The Trail Road waste facility is closed on Dec. 25.
- Ottawa Public Health:
- The sexual health clinic (179 Clarence St.) and all satellite clinics are closed on Dec. 26.
- The site needle and syringe program office (179 Clarence St.) is keeping its regular daily schedule from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- The program’s mobile van will also run daily from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
- All Ottawa Public Library branches are closed on Dec. 25 and 26. On Christmas Eve, branches that normally close at 5 p.m. will close early at 3 p.m. and branches that normally close before 3 p.m. will keep regular hours.
- All municipal child-care centres are closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.
- All the city’s pools, arenas, fitness and community centres will operate on modified schedules between Dec. 24, 2019 and Jan. 2, 2019. Check ottawa.ca for schedules and check with your facility for holiday-themed registered programs.
- The Karsh-Masson Gallery, Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, City Hall Art Gallery and Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame at city hall will keep their regular schedules throughout the holidays. All other municipal arts centres, galleries, theatres and museums will be closed.
- The 311 contact centre is open for urgent matters that need the city’s immediate attention.
Transit
- OC Transpo is operating on a reduced schedule from Dec. 23 through Dec. 27. Check octranspo.com for timetables.
- A group of up to six people — up to two of whom can be 13 years or older — may travel all day on Dec. 25 and on Dec. 26 with a Family Pass, which can be purchased on the bus or at O-Train ticket machines.
- OC Transpo service centres:
- OC Transpo customer service (613-741-4390) is open from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Dec. 24 and Dec. 26, and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Dec. 25.
- The customer service centre at the Rideau Centre is closed on Dec. 25 and open on Dec. 26 from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
- All other customer service centres are closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.
- Para Transpo is operating a holiday service on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26. Regularly scheduled trips on these days will be automatically cancelled; customers may book trips for these days by calling 613-244‑7272 on or after:
- Dec. 18, for Christmas Day bookings and
- Dec. 19, for Boxing Day bookings.
- Para Transpo operations:
- The taxi coupon program line (613-842-3670) is closed on Dec. 25 and Dec. 26.
- The line for reservations (613-244-7272) is open regular hours.
- The line for trip cancellations and general inquiries (613-244-4636) is open from 6 a.m to midnight.
Parking and roads
- Free parking is available at city hall’s underground garage from 6 p.m. on Dec. 24 until 6 a.m. on Dec. 27. Free parking at city hall is also available on evenings and weekends.
- The ByWard Market garage and the Dalhousie garage are offering free parking from 5 p.m. on Dec. 24 until 7 a.m. on Dec. 26.
- All other City of Ottawa parking regulations and restrictions will apply from Dec. 24, 2019 to Jan. 2, 2020.
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