Celebrating Canada Day across Ottawa

Canada Day is just around the corner and Ottawa has plenty of opportunities for you to proudly celebrate our nation’s birthday – from the main national event downtown to local community celebrations across the city. National event – the main celebration Canadian Heritage is hosting a nation-wide celebration for Canada Day, with special events in downtown Ottawa. This year, the main event sites are at Parliament Hill, LeBreton Flats Park and in front of the Supreme Court of Canada. For full details and times of the events, visit Canadian Heritage’s Canada Day website. Downtown Ottawa will be very busy on Canada Day, with significant parking and traffic impacts. Planned travel restrictions in the downtown core will be shared on this page. For the most up-to-date information, visit our interactive traffic map for road and parking impacts or OC Transpo’s Alerts page for transit impacts. Community events In addition to the national Canada Day event downtown, many communities in Ottawa have a long-standing tradition bringing residents together to celebrate our nation’s birthday.  Here are some the community events happening across the city:

• Barrhaven: This year, Canada Day Barrhaven will take place over several days in Clarke Field Park (93 Houlahan St., Nepean). The festivities will start on Tuesday, June 24 and continue to Sunday, July 6 from 8 am to 10 pm on most days (except for Tuesday, July 1 from 7 am to 11 pm).
• Beacon Hill: Fireworks will be displayed at Loyola Park (956 Loyola Ave., Gloucester) on Tuesday, July 1 from 7:30 to 9:30. In the event of rain, fireworks will be postponed to Wednesday, July 2 from 7 to 9:30 pm.
• Downtown – ByWard Market: Canada day celebrations in ByWard Market will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from 9 am to 11:30 pm. Roads will be closed on York Street from Sussex Drive to Dalhousie Steet.
• Greely: Greely Canada Day will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from noon to 10:30 pm at the Greely Community Centre / Andy Shields Park (1448 Meadow Dr., Greely). Partial road closures for set-up and parking restrictions will be in place from Meadow Dr. from Parkway Rd. to Bank St.
• Kanata – Otto’s Race: Otto’s Canada Day Road Race will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from 8 am to 11 am in Sandwell Green Park (60 Leacock Dr., Kanata) and associated roadways. Roads will be closed on The Parkway between Reaney Ct. / Leacock Dr. and Teron Rd.
• Kanata – Walter Baker: Canada Day in Kanata will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from 8 am to 11 pm in Walter Baker Park (100 Charlie Rogers Pl., Stittsville). Roads will be closed on Charlie Rogers Place from Ron Maslin Way to the Tony Graham Recreation Complex – Kanata.
• Orleans – Ouellette Park: Firework display in Ouellette Park will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from 9:30 to 10 pm. In the event of rain, fireworks will be postponed to Wednesday, July 2 from 9:30 to 10 pm. The sidewalk bordering the park on Gerry Lalonde Dr. will be closed.
• Orleans – Petrie Island: Canada Day Orleans celebrations will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from 8 am to 11 pm in Petrie Island Park (795 Trim Rd., Orléans).
• Stittsville – CARDELREC: Canada Day in Stittsville will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from 6 to 11 pm at the CARDELREC Recreation Complex (1500 Shea Rd., Stittsville) and the Sports fields at Sacred Heart High School (5870 Abbott Street, Stittsville).
• Stittsville – Legion: Stittsville Legion Canada Day Promenade will take place on Tuesday, July 1 from 11 am to 5 pm at the Stittsville Royal Canadian Legion (1481 Stittsville Main St., Stittsville).

Celebrating safely and respectfully If you are holding your own celebrations with your friends or family, be aware about the regulations around Canada Day fireworks. So before lighting the fuse, here are some things to know about fireworks in advance

• Purchasing firework: The sale of consumer fireworks is prohibited in Ottawa, except on Canada Day and the seven business days leading up to it.
• Firecrackers are prohibited: the City’s Fireworks By-law, the sale and use of firecrackers are strictly prohibited.
• Location and age requirements for discharging fireworks: Fireworks displays must be directly supervised by an adult, 18 years and older, and must take place on private property – with permission from the property owner. Even on private properties, fireworks cannot be discharged if it poses danger to other individuals and properties. This includes any property nearby, such as other homes, apartments, roadways, sidewalks and public spaces.
• No discharging fireworks on City parks and sports fields: Discharging fireworks is not allowed on City property – which includes all parks, sports fields and beaches.
• No discharging fireworks on school properties and sports fields: The four local school boards – Ottawa Catholic School Board, Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Le Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-Est and Conseil des écoles publiques de l'Est de l'Ontario – do not allow discharging fireworks on all school premises, including all track and sports field areas.

The City’s Fireworks By-law is available on ottawa.ca. Residents can report issues with fireworks online through ServiceOttawa. More Canada Day information Visit our Canada Day webpage for information on community events, Indigenous events and reflections, fireworks guidelines, and how to stay safe as you enjoy your Canada Day activities. The City has been working closely with Canadian Heritage, the Ottawa Police Service and other law enforcement agencies to ensure a fun and safe Canada Day for all.