Issue link: http://read.canadatravelguides.ca/i/809166
If you've never visited Ottawa before—and even if you have—this is the year to put Canada's capital on your "must see" calendar. Not only will the city be throwing a year-long party to celebrate Canada's 150 th anniversary, but it will also see the opening of a $110.5-million expansion of the National Arts Centre (NAC) and a new home for the Ottawa Art Gallery. OTTAWA: THE CAPITAL OF EXCITEMENT BY LAURA BYRNE PAQUET In addition, Ottawa will host both the Juno Awards for music and the Canadian Football League's Grey Cup championship. And, of course, you can still enjoy activities ranging from the Changing of the Guard ceremony to skating on the Rideau Canal. Here's just a taste of what you can expect in Canada's sixth-largest city in 2017. ARTISTIC FLAIR Whether you're a fan of theatre, music, dance, photography or painting, you'll be able to enjoy your favourite cultural treats in stylish new surroundings. The NAC recently renovated its largest theatre, Southam Hall, but that's just the beginning of the big news at the city's fl agship home of theatre, music and dance. On Canada Day (July 1), the NAC is set to unveil a multi-storey glass atrium over- looking the National War Memorial, Confederation Square and Parliament Hill. In fall, the Ottawa Art Gallery will move into a new fi ve-storey building of over 7,432 sq. m (80,000 sq. ft.), which includes a screening space that will be home to the Canadian Film Institute. The new gallery is centrally located between the University of Ottawa and the Rideau Centre. In summer, the private School of the Photographic Arts: Ottawa (SPAO) plans to move into stylish new quarters in Little Italy that will include a public gallery featuring students' work. Photographers visiting Ottawa can also draw inspiration from the Canadian Photography Institute—one of the conti- nent's largest public photography insti- tutes—whose dedicated exhibition space opened within the National Gallery of Canada last October. It focuses on Canadian works created between 1960 and 2000. Speaking of the National Gallery, it is currently transforming its Canadian Galleries and some of the Contemporary Galleries, which will reopen mid-year as the Canadian and Indigenous Galleries. The new space will present Native Canadian and Western-style art together, helping visitors understand Canada's art history from a new perspective. WATER WORLD Ottawa off ers lots of chances to clamber aboard your choice of watercraft. Rideau Canal Cruises is set to launch its second electric-powered boat this year, providing environmentally friendly tours of the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the heart of the city. Visitors can also RIDEAU CANAL SKATEWAY • OTTAWA TOURISM 21