Remembrance Day in Ottawa will not be marked by crowds gathered at the National War Memorial this year due to the novel coronavirus pandemic.
Activities will be live-streamed to allow for virtual attendance with only a minimal number of people participating in the ceremonies.
While some municipal services are operating as normal on Nov. 11, others are powering down for the day, and select retail businesses won’t be opening until the afternoon, in accordance with the City of Ottawa’s Remembrance Day bylaw.
Read on to find out what’s open and what’s closed on Wednesday in Ottawa.
Food and drink
The city’s bylaw for Remembrance Day prohibits most retail businesses from opening before 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 11. This rule applies to most grocery stores. Call individual locations to double-check their hours.
LCBO stores in Ottawa are operating on reduced hours. Stores will be open from 12:30 p.m. until their normal closing hours.
Beer Stores in Ottawa are also opening their doors at 12:30 p.m.
Small pharmacies don’t fall under the Remembrance Day bylaw but pharmacies located inside larger stores must be closed until 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Contact a specific drug store for its hours.
Shopping
Ottawa’s major shopping malls will open their doors in the afternoon.
The Rideau Centre, St. Laurent Shopping Centre, Place d’Orléans and Bayshore Shopping Centre will all be open from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tanger Outlets will be open from 12:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Convenience or corner stores, gas stations, nurseries, gardening supply stores and florists will operate on a normal schedule.
Call any independent businesses for their store hours.
Museums and theatres
The Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and the Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau are both open from 9:00 a.m. to 4 p.m. and are offering free admission on Nov. 11, though tickets must be booked in advance.
The Canadian Museum of Nature, the Canada Science and Technology Museum and the Canada Aviation and Space Museum will also be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
The National Gallery of Canada and the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum will both be closed.
The ByTowne Cinema, Mayfair Theatre and Ciné Starz movie theatres will be open while Cineplex and Landmark multiplex locations have yet to reopen from their provincially mandated closures due to the novel coronavirus in October.
Garbage collection
Curbside garbage, recycling and green bin pickup will continue as normal.
The Trail Road waste facility will be open.
Ottawa Public Health
Ottawa Public Health’s COVID-19 phone line at 613-580-6744 will be open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m.
Coronavirus testing centres will be open for regular hours with the exception of the Coventry Road drive-thru facility, which will be closed.
The sexual health clinic and all satellite clinics will be closed.
The supervised consumption site at 179 Clarence St. will be closed. The program’s mobile van will run from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m.
Dental clinics will be closed.
The baby helpline will be closed.
City of Ottawa services
Ottawa City Hall and client service centres, including the Government Service Centre at 110 Laurier Ave. W., will be closed.
All Ottawa Public Library branches will be closed.
All municipal child-care centres will be closed.
All the city’s indoor pools, arenas and fitness centres are open according to COVID-19 regulations.
The Karsh-Masson Gallery, Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, City Hall Art Gallery and Ottawa Sports Hall of Fame at city hall will be closed. 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 waiving transit fares for all customers on buses, O-Train lines and Para Transpo on Wednesday, Nov. 11.
OC Transpo is operating on a regular Wednesday schedule. The Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO) will also operate regular weekday service.
Veterans who wear their medals or uniforms from Nov. 5 to Nov. 11 also won’t be charged to ride OC Transpo, Para Transpo or STO buses. Anyone accompanying them on public transit can ride at no charge as well. Veterans and their companions should use the video-chat function at LRT ticket machines to get through fare gates at O-Train stations.
If it is safe to do so, OC Transpo and Para Transpo buses will pull over to the side of the road at 11 a.m. on Wednesday to observe two minutes of silence, according to the city. A moment of silence will also be observed on the Confederation Line LRT.
The customer service centre at the Rideau Centre is open from 12:30 p.m. to 7 p.m.
All other customer service centres are closed.
Para Transpo is taking bookings for Nov. 11. Regularly scheduled trips will not be automatically cancelled; call 613-244-4636 to suspend a regular booking.
Parking and roads
All City of Ottawa parking regulations and restrictions will apply on Remembrance Day.
Veterans who wear their medals or uniforms or who have a veterans’ licence plate on their vehicle can park for free at City Hall on Wednesday, Nov. 11, between 6 a.m. and 1 p.m.
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