Information - Tourism

Capital Infocentre

90 Wellington Street, Ottawa (across from Parliament Hill)
Open daily.
613-239-5000, 613-239-5090 (TTY) or 1-800-465-1867, 1-866-661-3530 (TTY).

Rideau Canal Skateway Conditions

Information: 613-239-5234 or canadascapital.gc.ca/skateway

Winterlude Hotline

Free direct lines for Winterlude information:
• Rideau Centre — Customer Service Centre, third floor   

Official Winterlude Headquarters 

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays:
• The Fairmont Château Laurier, lobby  
• The Westin Ottawa, lobby  
• Lord Elgin Hotel, lobby   

Information Services — Presented by WestJet  

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays:
• Confederation Park
• Rideau Canal Skateway (Fifth Avenue)
• Jacques-Cartier Park

Service Counters

Skate and sleigh rentals, and skate sharpening on the Rideau Canal Skateway [at the National Arts Centre (NAC), Fifth Avenue and Dows Lake Pavilion].
NAC: 613-232-8049 (boot check available)
Fifth Avenue: 613-233-0543 (weekends only)
Dows Lake: 613-232-1001, ext. 5

Winterlude Volunteers

More than 700 volunteers help make Winterlude a success. For more information, call 613-239-5373 or visit canadascapital.gc.ca/volunteer.

Sponsored by Subway® restaurants, your community partner.

Lost Children Services

Ottawa
Saturdays and Sundays:
• on Queen Elizabeth Driveway at the NAC
• on Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Fifth Avenue
• on Queen Elizabeth Driveway at Dows Lake
Lost Children Services provided by the Girl Guides of Canada and Scouts Canada.

Gatineau
Lost Children Services are provided at Jacques-Cartier Park during park hours by the volunteers of Ambulance Saint-Jean, region 07 (Outaouais).

Lost and Found

Articles of value: Please bring any found articles of value to an information kiosk, and the NCC will turn them over to the police. When information kiosks are closed, to report or claim a lost article, please contact your local police station. Ottawa Police: 613-236-1222, ext. 5238; Gatineau Police: 819-246-0222

Articles of lesser value: Lost and found boxes will be available next to the information kiosks.

First Aid

First aid services are provided at Jacques-Cartier Park during park hours by the volunteers of Ambulance Saint-Jean, region 07 (Outaouais).

Special Services

Access to sites:
• The Rideau Canal Skateway is the most accessible of all Winterlude sites.

Parking ($):
• A limited number of parking spots ($) are available for people with disabilities at the NAC, at Dows Lake (at Preston Street and Prince of Wales Drive) and at the Bronson Avenue parking lot.

Wheelchair-accessible portable toilets and heated chalets:
• Available at various Winterlude sites. Look for this symbol  on the map.
Please note that the portable toilets at Jacques-Cartier Park and Confederation Park may be difficult to access due to weather conditions.

Road Closures

Alexandra Bridge
Friday, February 5
• Pedestrian section: closed from 9 am to 10 pm (approximate time of reopening)
• Southbound lane to Ottawa: closed from 4 pm to 10 pm.
• Northbound lane to Gatineau: closed from 6 pm to 10 pm.
A shuttle will be available for pedestrians crossing the bridge between 9 am and 6 pm. Points of departure will be marked at both ends of the bridge.

Ottawa
Laurier Avenue West between Nicholas and Elgin streets, as well as the Queen Elizabeth Driveway, will be closed to traffic at the following times*:
• Saturdays, February 6, 13 and 20, 9:30 am to 8:30 pm
• Sundays, February 7, 14 and 21, 9:30 am to 6 pm
* Unless otherwise specified.

Gatineau
Laurier Street, between Verdun Street and Boulevard des Allumetières, and Saint-Étienne Street, between Laurier Street and Notre-Dame-de-l’Île Street, will be closed to traffic at the following times:
• Mondays, Thursdays and Fridays, February 8, 11, 12, 15, 18, 19, 9:30 am to 2:30 pm
• Saturdays and Sundays, February 6, 7, 13, 14, 20 and 21, 9:30 am to 5:30 pm

Shuttle-Bus Service: Sno-Bus

In Ottawa:
Ongoing shuttle-bus service is provided by OC Transpo.
www.octranspo.com or 613-741-4390

In Gatineau:
Ongoing shuttle-bus service is provided by the Société de transport de l’Outaouais (STO).
www.sto.ca or 819-770-3242

Schedule:
Saturdays, February 6, 13 and 20, 10 am to 8 pm; Sundays, February 7, 14 and 21, 10 am to 5:30 pm

Fare:
• $3 (proof of payment valid only on day of purchase), free for children 11 and under

Animals

Dogs are not permitted on sites.

Presented by the American Express Philanthropic Program.