January 27, 2006
Presenting: Ottawa's Byward Market - Special
Events, Culture & Art, Boutiques and Culinary Delights in a
Historic Setting
Ottawa has a myriad of sights to visit and the ByWard
Market is one of the major entertainment areas in Ottawa. It
combines a great selection of restaurants and night spots, with
funky boutiques and retailers, galleries and artsy places and a
busy outdoor market. Throw in a good dose of special events and
you've got yourself a happening place!
I myself will be heading off to Ottawa on February 10 to sample
Canada's capital, and to check out Winterlude,
Ottawa's winter festival, which will be held this year from
February 3 to 19, 2006. Winterlude includes skating on the Rideau
Canal, the world's largest outdoor skating facility according to
its Guiness World Book of Records designation of November 2005.
Let me give you an idea of the enormity of this skating opportunity:
the Rideau Canal's surface is the equivalent size of 90 Olympic
rinks and stretches for 7.8 km (4.8 miles) through downtown! And
it features all kinds of outdoor entertainment as well as the famous
Beavertails, Ottawa's signature pastry, so skating on the Canal
will be a definite must on this upcoming trip.
So, after a good round of outdoor exercise I will certainly be
checking out what the ByWard Market area has to offer and quench
my well-deserved hunger with a great meal.
In anticipation of my visit I had a chance to talk to Meg McCallum,
from the ByWard Market Business Improvement Association, who was
able to give me a great overview of this ecclectic area.
Market hall at the Byward Market
1. Please give us a general overview of the ByWard Market,
its location and its history.
Established by Lieutenant Colonel John By in 1826, the ByWard Market
is one of Canada's oldest and largest public markets. The legendary
builder of the Rideau Canal, Colonel By himself laid out the street
plan of the Market, designating George Street and York Street to
be extra wide to accommodate the creation of a public market and
gathering place. 180 years later, the Market is still going strong!
Within an area roughly four blocks square, you'll find cafés,
specialty food shops, boutiques, galleries, restaurants, pubs, hair
& aesthetics salons and more! Easily accessible on foot, by
transit, by bicycle or by car, the ByWard Market offers a unique
experience for all.
Whether you're here at dawn to welcome the outdoor vendors with
their overflowing stands of fresh fruits and vegetables, flowers,
and art & crafts; joining some friends for brunch/ lunch/ dinner
or shopping; or staying up till the wee hours at one of our hip
nightspots, you'll find the ByWard Market has something for you!
Festivals at all times of the year....
2. The ByWard Market still houses a farmers market today,
please give us more information about that.
Outdoor vendors are an integral part of the ByWard Market experience.
You'll find ByWard's vendors outside, no matter the weather, 363
days per year (closed Christmas Day and New Year's Day)! At the
peak of summertime, there may be 175 stands operating, selling fruits
& vegetables, bedding & gardening plants & cut flowers,
arts & crafts, maple syrup & honey. In the winter months,
you're more likely to find Christmas trees, natural wreaths &
garlands, firewood, cut flowers, maple syrup & honey, and art
& craft.
The farmers market is surrounded by specialty food retail shops
- butchers, bakeries, imported items and more. As an example of
the variety of goods you'll find, there are over 1000 types of cheese
to be found!
3. Please tell us about the variety of culinary experiences
that are available in the ByWard Market.
With over 80 restaurants, you'll never run out of options for dining.
In the summer months, patios are the place to go, both to take advantage
of the sun and warm weather and to people watch. In the winter,
you'll find a warm welcome in some of the area's most beautiful
heritage buildings, such as the Courtyard Restaurant and Mamma Grazzi's
Kitchen. The ByWard Market is home to several internationally recognized
chefs and sommeliers - try the Social, Luxe, E18hteen and Domus
Café. You'll find Canadian cuisine at its finest, along with
Thai, Mexican, Indian, Aboriginal, Japanese and more. If you're
in a hurry, the ByWard Market building is home to several take-out
options, or you can assemble a picnic lunch with breads, meats,
cheeses, fruits and veggies from the farmers market. Don't forget
dessert - there are several bakeries and gelato shops to choose
from, as well as the Rocky Mountain Chocolate Factory or Sugar Mountain
for those with a sweet tooth!
There is always something going on....
4. There are also a number of nightlife opportunities
in the ByWard Market. Please tell us about those.
The Market is home to over 20 nightclubs featuring world reknowned
dj's and live music; as well as more than 50 restaurants, pubs and
lounges that stay open until 2 am. You'll find everything from martinis
and single malt scotches to a world wide selection of wines and
spirits. Venues run the gamut from intimate to extravagant; for
the salt of the earth and the cream of the crop. Some not to be
missed experiences include Fat Tuesdays New Orleans Experience (cajun
cuisine and a carnival atmosphere), the Rainbow Bistro (live blues
music), The Collection/Mercury Lounge/ Bar 56 (3 floors of martinis,
dj's, culture and style), and Zaphod Beeblebrox (recently made famous
as the filming location for the Rolling Stones latest video).
5. What type of retail and shopping opportunities can be
found in the area?
With most retail shops being locally owned and operated, Market
business owners are masters of their crafts. You'll find quality,
experience and cutting edge trends in the many fashion, housewares
and specialty boutiques. If you're looking for locally designed
jewelery and clothing or picks from designers across North America
and Europe, the shops on Sussex, Clarence and Dalhousie will wow
you! If your interest in cooking has been piqued, try Ma Cuisine,
Les Concepts Zone or Domus Housewares for kitchen gadgets galore!
From there, of course, you'll start to want to redecorate your whole
house... and this is the place to do it. Roche Bobois, Philip Van
Leeuwen and many more furniture shops are to be found, along with
specialty bath and bedding stores such as Mon Lit and Bed Behaviour.
This is only a sampling of the variety of shops - you really have
to visit to see for yourself!
Ecclectic boutiques
6. What special events are you planning during the ByWard
Market Mardi Gras?
Warm your fingers, toes, and your spirits as you take part in a
variety of great activities all week long. From a masquerade ball
to live Southern bands, you will find fabulous entertainment options
for everyone at ByWard Market Mardi Gras from February 3 - 14th.
Plus, all week long, take advantage of extraordinary discount prices
at 20 of the ByWard Market’s trendiest boutiques and salons.
Over 25 great ByWard Market restaurants and bars will be serving
up special Mardi Gras Menus all week; with tasty Southern dishes
and beverages such as all-you-can-eat Creole mussels, Mardi Gras
martinis, Cajun seafood jambalaya, and much more.
Mardi Gras beauties celebrate....
7. You are planning a "Winterlude Stew Cook-Off"
for February 3, 2006. Please tell us about this special event.
For only $10 you can sample stew created by over 20 of the Market’s
finest restaurants, including last year’s winner of both Judge’s
and People’s Choice awards, Luxe Bistro. The 15th annual Winterlude
Stew Cook-Off takes place at the south end of the ByWard Market
Building on Friday, February 3, between 12 and 2 p.m.
Winners are chosen by the public as well as by a panel of celebrity
judges including a master chef from Le Cordon Bleu Cooking School.
All proceeds from the stew cook-off will be donated to Operation
Go Home.
8. You have another special event planned for February
18, 2006: a Snow Volleyball Tournament. Please tell us about that.
Winter doesn't need to be spent inside! The Snow Volleyball Tournament
brings out up to 40 teams to compete for bragging rights in friendly
competition. The action takes place on Saturday, February 18 at
3:00 pm beside the Whiskey Bar at 112 York Street. Proceeds raised
at the event will be donated to Operation Go Home.
9. Please tell us about the galleries and the arts and culture
opportunities that are accessible in and around your area.
To start with, the National Gallery of Canada anchors the Market
at it's north-west edge. And just across the street is the Notre
Dame Basilica - a beautiful cathedral worth a visit to see the marbled
painted archways and pillars. Throughout the Market you'll find
many small galleries, commercial and publicly owned. The Ottawa
School of Art offers short courses, workshops and lectures, and
has a shop, a student gallery and a large public gallery. Lafreniere
& Pai Gallery is home to works by some of Canada's best glass
and ceramic artists, and Gallery of the Kanadas showcases aboriginal
and inuit art. Many restaurants host exhibitions, and the Sussex
Courtyards are home to several whimsical sculptures.
Located in the heart of Ottawa
10. What are the ByWard Market Ambassadors?
The ByWard Market Ambassador program is operated through a community
partnership and includes tourism, safety and information functions.
Each summer ByWard Market Ambassadors circulate throughout the Market
area contributing to a positive Market experience by…
- Providing tourists & the public with an on-street resource
for questions about the Market & the City
- Providing a safety &security function by monitoring the street
activity & responding to situations that require intervention
- Providing front-line response & first aid treatment in the
case of accident or injury
- Maintaining positive community relations with all Market stakeholders
Look for the bright yellow t-shirts with INFO on the back...
11. What are some of the special events coming up in 2006?
The Market is its own festival! Special times of the year are:
May - Celebrate the spring return of fresh local produce and bedding
plants to the outdoor market, the opening of patio season, and new
spring fashions.
June - Sunday, June 4th - the ByWard Market Auto Classic gives you
one more reason to visit the Market, as over 100 classic and collector
vehicles are on display throughout the Market
July - Canada Day on July 1st, the ByWard Market is the place to
see and be seen! Close enough to Parliament Hill to catch the fireworks,
make the Market your base of operations for meeting up with friends,
people watching and celebrating.
September - Bring home the harvest! And while you're picking up
apples and squashes, leeks and garlic, take a detour to find some
back to school fashions.
October - Get all you need for your Thanksgiving feast at our local
butchers, bakeries and outdoor market. And then come back to pick
up your pumpkin for Hallowe'en!
December - The Market turns into a winter wonderland! Fresh pine
boughs decorate the heritage streetlamps, carollers serenade you
with traditional Christmas carols, and free horse-drawn carriage
rides are offered in the weekends leading up to Christmas. The heritage
buildings and cobbled courtyards make an excellent backdrop for
a taste of the holidays as they were one hundred years ago.
Thank you, Meg, for giving me a good overview of the ByWard Market.
I look forward to checking out some of these places in person in
a few weeks from now.
Related articles:
A general overview of things to see
and do in Ottawa
The National Gallery of Canada:
One of Ottawa's Treasures
Helpful websites:
Tourism
Ottawa: Ottawa's official tourism information
The ByWard
Market Business Improvement Area
The
National Capital Commission
The National Museum of Civilization
The National Gallery of Canada
Useful books about Ottawa:
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