Doors Open Ottawa returns in-person for 2022

For Doors Open Ottawa this weekend, see Centre Block in a whole new light as it undergoes renovations. (Photo via Government of Canada)

(Via City of Ottawa)

This weekend is your chance to get a glimpse behind many of Ottawa’s iconic and historic buildings – in-person and virtually. It’s Doors Open Ottawa 2022 – Saturday, June 4 and Sunday, June 5.

After a two-year hiatus, Doors Open Ottawa is offering many in-person building tours. Depending on your comfort level, virtual tours are also being offered. You can explore behind those doors right in the comfort of your home, balcony, porch or backyard. Some buildings are offering both virtual and in-person tours, so be sure to double check each building’s schedule.

See the full building list here!

This year’s event also celebrates Doors Open Ottawa’s 20th anniversary, and it will feature a celebration of Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee as she marks 70 years of service to the United Kingdom and the British Commonwealth.

As one of the featured sites, British High Commissioner, Her Excellency Susannah Goshko, will be opening the doors to the High Commissioner’s residence – Earnscliffe – for guided tours. A Platinum Jubilee street party will also take place, giving all visitors a flavour of British food, culture and music.

Some of the other featured buildings include:

In-person tours

• Parliament of Canada: Centre Block

• Parliamentary Precinct Block 2 Redevelopment Project

• Ottawa Art Gallery

• Rideau Hall

Virtual tours

• Cancer research labs at The Ottawa Hospital

• Ottawa Humane Society

• Embassy of Hungary to Canada - Birkett Castle

• John R. Booth Residence National Historic Site of Canada – Laurentian Leadership Centre

In-person tours operate from 10 am to 4 pm. It’s also important to note that many of the in-person tours have their own respective health measures in place. Remember, be kind and respectful.

Scavenger Hunt (and Prizes!)

And what’s a tour without discovering interesting tidbits of information? Ottawa Regional Society of Architects has partnered with Doors Open Ottawa to present a 20th anniversary scavenger hunt – where people can take part in the in-person tour or virtually at home to find key information for a chance to win one of the $50 gift certificates from local businesses. Entry form and contest rules are on ottawa.ca/doorsopen.

Take advantage of this free event. Explore these architecturally and historically rich buildings that we often pass and wonder what they look like inside.

Upcoming Events

• The Governor General’s Foot Guards will exercise Freedom of the City today.

• Today is the last day to catch the Grad Shows put on by this year’s class of Canterbury High School arts program. Created entirely by graduating students, these exciting collective creations of original pieces that range from poetry, to scenes, to movement pieces, and more. At 4:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m., they will present their shows, Subject to Change and A Light in the Dark, on the front lawn of Canterbury H.S., 900 Canterbury Ave. The show is free, and donations are appreciated.

• Summer Solstice Indigenous Festival is June 21-26 at Mādahòkì Farm.

• Via One World Grannies: Set aside the evening of June 21 to enjoy marvellous stories, music, hors d’oeuvres, and desserts in a beautiful Rockcliffe garden —  for a worthy cause: the Stephen Lewis Grandmothers Campaign. This year, as Ottawa begins to tentatively emerge from Covid suppression, our stories and music are about resilience. Hear tellers Kim Kilpatrick (“My 9/11"),  Phil Jenkins ("Ottawa’s First Grandmother"), Zac Ramsay ("A Common Thread") and Venice Smolnik ("From Odessa to Ottawa") spin tales of resilience from history and personal experience. Listen to the music of Local Colour, a band known for its catchy rhythms and singalong lyrics. Doors open at 6:15 p.m. Tickets are $30 and available by e-transfer to OWGTreasurer@gmail.com, Eventbrite.  Seating is limited to 100 and selling briskly. Rain date is June 22. 

• At the National Gallery: Challenging both the art world and the world at large, General Idea (1969–1994) remain some of the most influential artists to have emerged from Canada. Together, Felix Partz, Jorge Zontal and AA Bronson invented a groundbreaking practice that spanned twenty-five years. Explore the enduring impact of the famed group in this stunning new retrospective. Learn More

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