Gay Ottawa, Canada | The Main LGBT Travel Guide!



Introducing Gay Ottawa, the glittering queer money on the currently remarkably appealing and LGBT-friendly Canada. Think Ottawa can be your typical stuffy capital that only looks semi-alive 9-5 on working days? Reconsider!



Ottawa is actually dynamic, fresh, friendly and – dare we say – sexy!

With a tiny yet radiant and well-organized gay area comprising everyone from activists to professionals, leaders to young queer visionaries, almost always there is some thing happening right here.

Pop-up queer takeovers, pull programs, poetry, keep coffee meetups, and arts & tradition than we thought possible – just to list several!

While there is many beautiful demi-gods trembling their own perfect human anatomy really inside evening in the gay clubs, what we should liked regarding the Ottawa homosexual scene is the focus on inclusion and full spectral range of the rainbow neighborhood.

In Ottawa, discover all kinds of queer-serving companies and grassroots social justice teams focussing on guaranteeing every person receives the really love and help they require and amplifying the queer sounds that require it many.

If that’s lack of, Ottawa also offers a crazy roster of A-list events all through the year, a great amount of the number one galleries in Canada, leafy eco-friendly places and, of course, the possibility of bumping into dreamy Justin Trudeau. Though if he or she is to not ever your preference

(sacré bleu!)

, then the up-and-coming Ottawa homosexual town has plenty of sexy girls and boys to fawn more than!



Are you currently moving? This article can help travelers discover the queerer area of the urban area. However, if you are fortunate getting considering a move here, we recommend reading our very own article about
transferring to LGBT Ottawa
or


calling a neighborhood homosexual realtor


. They’re able to joyfully present no-obligation information and all sorts of the information and knowledge you will ever need to know regarding the brand-new urban area.


Of course then you wish their help to find your dream residence, you will be fully guaranteed fair, equal, and sincere representation. No shocks or awkward conversations are essential!




In this post we’ll protect…



Destinations in Gay Ottawa


Because capital of Canada, Ottawa is actually a concealed jewel for queer travelers getting a relaxed and comprehensive destination. Although becoming homosexual does not define which attractions to consult with, you certainly shouldn’t miss a few of the must-sees every day.

However, if you want to know the spot where the celebration is, check-out Ottawa’s radiant queer nightlife scene. The center of homosexual nightlife in Ottawa is situated in Centretown, especially along Bank Street, with various homosexual pubs, nightclubs, and pull programs. Make sure to drop by The Lookout, Ottawa’s longest-running gay club, featuring a rooftop patio and an inviting atmosphere.

If you should be a museum enthusiast, Ottawa will likely not disappoint. Check out the Canadian Museum of background, National Gallery of Canada, or Canadian Museum of Nature to obtain a significantly better comprehension of the town’s art, background, and nature. Ottawa also boasts some fantastic beverage taverns, like the Moonroom, a comfortable room with an original atmosphere ideal for drinking cocktails as you’re watching the sundown.

While Ottawa is known for being a safe urban area, chances are you’ll come across some peculiar appearance when revealing PDA. We place it right down to the combination of Brit and French societies. Having said that, Ottawans are generally set aside and never more likely to create a fuss. You should be yourself, and you will suit inside!


Top Places To See in Ottawa


ByWard industry

With well over 600 shops and organizations, the ByWard marketplace is a unique combination of good dining, delicious snacks, baked items while the not-to-be-missed Beaver Tails or Obama Cookies.

ByWard Market is in fact over the age of the Canadian country, and even though it’s got changed substantially over time in order to satisfy the switching trends and requires of Ottawa, the forex market happens to be the ‘go-to’ meeting-place for Ottawans on the lookout for top-quality meals, cutting-edge styles, and boutique shops.


Parliament Hill

Not only an accumulation of many of the best medieval Revival architecture around, Parliament Hill in Ottawa may be the conquering cardiovascular system associated with the Canadian country.

To really know the way these a vibrant and multi-cultural condition can exist, get one of the many everyday free trips in the parliament (on a first-come, first-served foundation) to have a peek around and find out the historical past, artwork, and function of Canada’s parliament like the senate, residence of commons and collection.


Ottawa Gay Village

A six-by-two-block part of Bank Street is formally designated Ottawa’s Gay Village. Do not count on such a thing like Montreal,
Lisbon
,
Munich
or
Glasgow
, but this developing gaybourhood is already home to many developed and freshly blossoming LGBT+ friendly pubs and hotels, many of which are gay-owned and run. Let’s wish it keeps growing and finds their fabulous foot!


Canadian Museum of Background

While the most-visited museum in Canada – and perhaps the most important – the Canadian Museum of History is a drawcard all by itself with exceptional exhibits concentrated on Basic countries, Canadian and world history.

Whether you may have only a few hrs or whole days, the Canadian Museum of History in Ottawa provides a vital retrospective in the activities which resulted in the forming of the Canadian condition and, since, provides site visitors a better understanding of Canada, their identification and its particular devote the entire world.


National Gallery Of Canada

With the mixture of modern, indigenous, modern-day and historical art from virtually every era, the National Gallery of Canada has anything for all. The nationwide Gallery of Canada is actually undisputedly the biggest assortment of Canadian Art in the field, and of certain interest is the Inuit and Aboriginal art, which provides a real point of huge difference to other first-class galleries all over the world.

Set inside a striking glass and granite building ignoring Parliament Hill – designed by important designer Moshe Safdie, of environment 67 in
Montreal
fame – a trip is worthwhile!


Canadian Museum of Nature

As next largest nation in this field, with an absurd number of expansive nature, biomes, and pets, it really is impractical to see them, and that is where a visit to the Canadian Museum of Nature comes in. With well over 14.6 million (yes, million) specimens, this art gallery brilliantly showcases the botany, mineralogy, paleontology, and zoology of Canada in a modern and fun manner ideal for all age groups.

Due to a recent multi-million buck update by the addition of many new entertaining exhibits and an impressive ‘glass lantern,’ there is absolutely no better location to get good-looking bartenders tend to be manning understanding of the scale or connections when you look at the Canadian wilderness, and why it’s very important to protect it.


Rideau Canal

In which everything began, Ottawa (or ByTown because it was first known as) would not really occur minus the Rideau Canal, a monumental 19th-century construction spanning over 200 kilometers. Created mostly for army purposes to guard against an American intrusion that never occurred, the Rideau Canal happens to be a UNESCO globe Heritage Site as well as the best-preserved instance of a slack drinking water channel in united states.

Nowadays it’s still made use of – but for ship tours in the Rideau Canal or satisfaction cruises – and provides one thing for everybody, whether it is ice-skating inside cold temperatures, or picnicking in the summer. The Rideau Canal slices through cardiovascular system of Ottawa, and there is the perfect walk along its duration, basically a great way to explore the town from a fresh point of view.


Ottawa Memorial

Newly widened in 2018, this $38-million buck state-of-the-art facility eventually provides Firestone number of Canadian Art – an accumulation over 1600 really works of twentieth-century Canadian art amassed by Ottawa residents O.J. and Isobel Firestone – a suitable residence.

The Ottawa Art Gallery centers around developing associations between musicians and artists therefore the neighborhood, and that present iteration, at five times the dimensions of the outdated room, could a coming old the Ottawa art world.


Ottawa Street Art

Of all of the beautiful shocks that Ottawa throws at you, the proliferation of road artwork in undetectable areas needs to be the most exciting. Eschewing the stereotypical expectations associated with the ‘plain and safe’ globe capital, Ottawa encourages murals and street artwork in every single possible general public room, in alleys, entrances, parks, and structures.

Programs for example “Paint it up!” or “decorate the Pavement” help take away the stigma of street artwork and graffiti, which means exploring the metropolitan streets of Ottawa has not been thus interesting, or photographable!


Gay Things To Do In Ottawa


Stonewall Wilde’s

A current merger of a couple of Ottawa’s historical gay-owned stores, a bookstore and a sextoy shop. Visit to see this unusual spot where you are able to search for homewares and neighborhood crafts before moving forward toward men’s den, with men’s clothes,
queer adult sex toys
, and grooming items. Consider for a while regarding the varied variety of clients that would be within the store any kind of time single!


Venus Envy Ottawa

An award-winning sex shop and bookstore with anything for everyone. Anybody who’s deterred by standard intercourse stores may find Venus an inviting and educational place to get cool and sexy stuff, with equipment for safe gender, sex phrase and play and health.

Even more education focussed on a core opinion that consumers deserve high quality services of good use information, and therefore sex must filthy in an effective way, not a shameful one. Venus Envy (in addition present Halifax) operates a bursary fund in Ottawa to compliment females and trans people functioning towards a diploma, degree or certification in almost any subject and runs a pay-it-forward system for binders and gaffs.


Gay ZONE

Canada’s just gay men’s particular HIV/STI testing establishment provides numerous programs and solutions for gay, bi, transmen alongside guys that have gender with men when you look at the Ottawa region. Check their particular month-to-month pilates periods, guide nightclub, queer youthfulness team, film evenings, cooking meetups plus.


Roosters Timeless Barbershop

A timeless American groom shop very popular making use of Ottawa LGBT neighborhood and acts every person irrespective of competition, gender or intimate positioning. Check out in case you are looking for a touch-up, and you’ll leave appearing like a 21st-century man while experiencing a lot better than Leonardo DiCaprio after the guy ultimately obtained that Oscar.


Sexual Overtones

a non-profit overall performance troupe in Ottawa dedicated to the lost art of intimate satire. Their own shows drive the seam between burlesque, bodily wit, and vaudeville activity. Feminine, human anatomy and sex-positive, the intimate Overtones offer an all-inclusive, why get attend, as either an audience user or participant of your breakthrough overall performance art?


Little Jo Berry’s Java & Eats

A fantastic bakery with fresh day-to-day choices, tasty coffee, and revolutionary food. Whether it’s dairy-free, gluten-free, or maybe just ordinary ole’ delicious…They have you ever covered! Very gay-popular, as everything trendy and cool are usually – this can be one place in Ottawa you won’t wanna skip!

Our favorite thing? Attempt the Matcha Latte with Agave – the very best around, or any of their own ultra instagrammable food. And it is all further delicious than it appears!


Bicycle Yeah!

An LGBTQ+ bicycle class in Ottawa offers protection, access, and acceptance to their twice-monthly flights. Popularised across Canada, we like the main focus on wearing down obstacles and developing a residential district through commonality. Besides, it’s nice to get some workout which is not jumping around a club until 4 am…


Manajiwin

A body-positive LGBT+ fitness space to celebrate yourself and build self-esteem while in the middle of positive, stimulating vibes. Manajiwin means private fitness the way you are interested, with volunteers readily available for guidance that assist. At this time functioning Saturdays from 5 pm – 8 pm at 250 City center Ave within Odawa Native Friendship Centre has nicely offered the area.


Ottawa Wolves

A rugby group with an objective promoting and convince participation in rugby those types of who’ve generally been under-represented inside online game. The team members tend to be predominantly an element of the LGBTQA society, but varied within the make-up, and inclusive of everybody else.

Join all of them on the pitch, check out at methods, watch video games and maybe even play inside real this? With both men and women groups, these are generally usually recruiting both new and experienced members!


Gay Events in Ottawa

Gay Ottawa is an urban area with which has numerous events over the season, and queer people to Canada cannot restrict on their own to exclusively gay activities. Specifically of note will be the many songs festivals of sizes which happen to be prepared all through the year, but each night for the few days, you will find alive music and lots of pub events throughout the weekend.

While June is the main thirty days of LGBT parties and activities for Ottawa’s homosexual neighborhood revolving around the vast investment Pride Festival, there are lots of additional homosexual activities in Ottawa to watch out for during remaining portion of the 12 months.

People in Ottawa are timid but extremely inviting, so if you may start a discussion on any of the preferred hookup programs or perhaps in person, you are virtually going to read about one thing somewhere acquire welcomed. These, however, include most noticeable occasions currently regarding the Gay Ottawa schedule.


Ottawa Gay Pride / Capital Pride Festival

The most important Ottawa homosexual event is used annually in August. The whole satisfaction few days is actually powered by events, picnics, sporting events, courses and plenty of artwork and tradition. Everything culminates on Sunday in a Pride Parade and Festival on Ottawa’s City Hall reasons, in which everybody commemorates and enjoys real time enjoyment.

This is the one gay occasion in Ottawa value making plans for your excursion about, however always
publication the hotel in Ottawa far ahead
as best resorts everything decent promote out several months ahead of time.


Inside Out | The Ottawa LGBT Movie Festival

3 days in November of the finest in queer cinema from Canada and internationally. We swoon anytime there clearly was a gay kiss on television, so this is literally an aspiration become a reality for us.

One of the greatest rainbow film festivals in Canada, with well over 4,000 attendees + a great amount of swanky before and after events. An enjoyable strategy to explore Ottawa’s homosexual existence without keeping out past midnight.


Glowfair Festival

A somewhat brand-new occasion which takes set in June across ten area blocks in Downtown Ottawa, each one of these obstructs centers around a distinctive motif or component to celebrate the diverse area that Ottawa is recognized for. Extremely gay-popular, but available to everybody (demonstrably), this unique occasion is actually a genuine celebration of music, light, and art with bizarre experimental activities that do make us want to go so terribly!


Geek Away! Ottawa

A secure area for every members of the LGBT+ community in the future collectively and interact socially outside the groups and taverns. Generally held in the very first and next weekend of each month, we wish much more occasions similar to this would happen around the world as a powerful way to meet similar people, relationship and merely delight in a great occasion without loud songs or excessive sipping.


Ottawa Knights Club Night

A Leather and Denim Social Club provides over 42 years of record locally. About 2nd Saturday of any month, they host a Fetish/Kink/Themed Leather Nights @ T Pub’s, their home base. The Ottawa Knights in addition variety various other courses and events throughout the year value shopping for.


Ottawa Bears

a personal group for many bears, otters, cubs, and admirers. Observe what they are all about, mind along their beer coffee afternoons every Sunday or even the common gaymer evening on Tuesdays.

The Ottawa Bears in addition host a once-a-month ‘Bear eating’ evening at an area bistro and various other special events throughout the year. Could it possibly be merely us, or perhaps is it a little ironic that real Bears tend to be lonely in general, however in the homosexual community, these are typically usually the most social of all folks?

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Various other Occasions in Ottawa


Yes, Ottawa truly punches really above their weight regarding activities, and when planning a trip right here, you will be hard-pressed to acquire a date when there clearly was absolutely nothing taking place. In Gay Ottawa, you will be welcome every where, but we’ve got highlighted two activities which are specifically gay-popular.

Ottawa is a
place to go for all conditions
, from cold depths of winter and also the yellow-orange light of fall to the extended days and warm weather of summertime – in addition they truly can make use of every one of these problems to their advantage when planning activities.


Foreign Ottawa Busker Festival

An event we initial encountered in
Gay Auckland
it is in addition presented along Sparks Street shopping mall in August in Ottawa. Enough free activity, such as clowns, jugglers, acrobats, fire-eaters, comedians, magicians also road artists from around the world – simply don’t forget to tip!


Ottawa Fringe Festival

The Fringe Festival is an event of the arts and a chance for neighborhood, national and intercontinental painters to show off their particular original work. While the principle originated in Edinburgh, Fringe Festival features popped right up worldwide, from
Orlando
to
Melbourne
to
Taipei.
Usually wealthy with LGBT motifs, with lots of queer individuals, its very nearly as if gays just can’t get sufficient drama …


Winterlude (March)

An unique winter event fabled for their snow and ice sculpture competitions. Watch as Ottawa turns out to be a winter play ground like not any other.


Rideau Canal Skateway (Winter)

The sun’s rays have eliminated, but because the conditions fall, see the Rideau Canal concerns life once the earth’s largest outside skating rink at 7.8 km!


Ottawa ComicCon (will)

A pop-culture bonanza featuring the unusual, crazy and just basic wacky. Go into the realm of comical publications, sci-fi, and anime!


The Canadian Tulip Event (May)

World renowned, watch in disbelief as over a million tulips bloom everywhere Ottawa, with well over 250,000 in Commissioners Park alone.


Gatineau Beerfest (May)

Germany is actually over-rated, as is
Oktoberfest.
Just head to Ottawa for typical Canadian food, a jovial atmosphere and, naturally, tasty artisanal beer!


WESTfest (June)

Canada’s biggest street party combines songs, artwork and folks in a single incredible event.


Canada Time (July)

What much better spot to celebrate Canada than their Capital which certainly arrives live during the annual gathering?


RBC Ottawa Bluesfest (July)

One of several world’s largest songs festivals, with more than 220 artists and 300,000 music enthusiasts coming collectively for a lot of enjoyable in the sunshine!


Gatineau Heat Balloon Festival (August)

Exactly what much more could you require than Canada’s greatest balloon event, where countless these coloured devices fill the sky?


Money Fair (August)

Every fun of a carnival, countless attractions and lots of locals in addition to Canadian character.


Lighting Across Canada (December)

The occasions might-be short,