Doors Open Ottawa: a field guide

When Ottawa’s most intriguing buildings open their doors to the peering eyes of the public this weekend, it’s hard to imagine any drawbacks. But perhaps there is one. With so many choices and just two days, Doors Open Ottawa may require some advance planning. Here’s what you need to know to make the most of your excursion Saturday, June 5 and Sunday, June 6. 1. First, you don’t need to make at stop at the bank. It’s FREE. No admission is charged at any of the 119 buildings. 2. Along with comfortable shoes and sunscreen, bring your 2010 Doors Open guide. If you missed it in the May 29 editions of the Ottawa Citizen and LeDroit, they’re available at any Bridgehead location, or online at ottawa.ca/doorsopen. 3. Some buildings have limited hours or are only open ONE day. So, check the event guide to plan your times and route. The buildings span Ottawa from Cumberland to Carp and all points in between. 4. Because the buildings are all exceptional—either architecturally, historically or functionally—your expedition can easily cover the broad interests of everyone in your group. 5. Perhaps Art Deco may not yet excite the youngest Doors Open explorers, but you can bet a behind-the-scenes tour of CKCU radio station, the military equipment display at the Cartier Square Drill Hall, or the big presses at the Ottawa Citizen will. 6. History buffs can tour Canada’s Cold War Museum, the Diefenbunker, a once-secret bunker built in 1959 to house the government in the event of a nuclear war. Or they may be drawn to the last remaining Canadian example of a 19th-century Victorian exhibition hall, the Aberdeen Pavilion. Built in 1898, this is where the Ottawa Senators won the Stanley Cup in 1904 and where Lord Strathcona’s troops were encamped en route to the Boer War. 7. Doors are opening in buildings that range from Byzantine and Brutalism to Victorian and Baronial Gothic (yes, Ottawa has a castle!) But if minarets, porticos and quoins are not part of your lingo, don’t worry. Just come out and be dazzled by the architecture. 8. With 18 new buildings to visit, even Doors Open veterans will be kept busy. Two new science labs made this year’s list: the Parks Canada Conservation Laboratories which houses the National Underwater Archaeology Service; and the Transportation Safety Board Engineering Laboratory which investigates the cause of marine, railway, pipeline and aviation accidents (where airplane black boxes end up). 9. And if you’re into geocaching—a high tech version of a treasure hunt—you’ll know that one of its biggest rewards is discovering new places. Why not grab your GPS unit and search for the Doors Open hidden treasures that have been secretly stashed in various locations across Ottawa. Stayed tuned to ottawa.ca/doorsopen where the links to the geocache clues will be posted. 10. For a more serene and peaceful pace, there are several places of worship that are welcoming visitors. Or you might consider a stop at Maplelawn’s historic walled garden; a visit to Vernon’s library now housed in a former one-room schoolhouse; or enjoy a leisurely stroll through a different era at the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum. But hurry. There’s just two days to fit it all in. Visit ottawa.ca/doors open to start your planning, or call 3-1-1 for more information.

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