Best way to spend a free hour in Ottawa

Take in the Rideau Canal. From May to October, watch boats climb the first eight locks--it’s like an elevator for nautical craft. The mechanisms work the same today as they did in 1832, when the canal’s construction was finished.

From late December to March, you should be able to skate on the frozen canal--recently named by The Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s largest naturally frozen ice rink. The portion of the canal maintained for skating snakes 7.8 km (4.8 miles) through downtown. There are warm-up huts along the way offering skate rentals, change rooms, hot chocolate and BeaverTails (a hot pastry treat that was born in Ottawa).

Best weekend trip to add on after a business trip

What about whitewater rafting? The Ottawa River is world-renowned for its powerful rapids. Several outfitters (Wilderness Tours, OWL Rafting, Esprit Rafting, RiverRun, etc.) will take you out for the trip of your dreams-whether that’s nonstop adrenaline-pumping action or a more sedate float trip. Wilderness Tours, for one, also offers cabin or camping accommodations, a bungee jumping crane, beach volleyball, a pool, organized recreational activities and a central lodge.

Or, for something completely different, take a course at Le Cordon Bleu Ottawa Culinary Arts Institute. There are four-hour demonstration courses, full-day hands-on activity courses, and even four- or five-day immersion courses.

You can complement your course with a stroll through the ByWard Market neighborhood. Not just one of Canada’s oldest farmers markets, the four-block-square neighborhood also offers some of the best restaurants and food stores in the region. Search for the ingredients for your next masterpiece or simply indulge in a local chef’s creations. The neighborhood also offers the best people-watching in town and plenty of unusual shopping.

Worth planning a trip around

Canadian Tulip Festival in May

For a complete calendar of events, visit www.ottawatourism.ca.