National Post (National Edition)
Kick off spring with a visit to Ottawa for the Canadian Tulip Festival
Spring is a time of renewal and optimism, and it seems that Canadians are embracing that spirit and are ready to turn the page on the past two years. There is no better way to do that than by visiting Ottawa to celebrate the platinum jubilee of the Canadian Tulip Festival.
It's just one of several colourful and exciting events this spring in the National Capital Region, which is welcoming visitors once again from across the country and around the world after years of restrictions. First out of the gates will be the Canadian Tulip Festival, a free event that has been delighting visitors for 70 years. Organizers say this spring's festival, which takes place from May 13 to 23, will hold special meaning to the people of Ottawa and to all Canadians.
“Our founder, Malak Karsh, was quoted as saying the tulips brought colour back to a world that was still very grey after World War Two. And it's very similar for us now, coming out of the global pandemic, coming out of so much isolation and greyness,” said Canadian Tulip Festival executive director Jo Riding. “We certainly feel the parallel that these flowers will bring colour and joy back to the city after a long winter.”
The festival's origins lie in a gift of 100,000 tulip bulbs the Dutch royal family gave to Ottawa as a thank you for Canada's role in liberating the Netherlands during the Second World War and sheltering members of their royal family during the conflict. To this day, the Dutch royals continue to send bulbs to Ottawa as symbols of remembrance and of thanks.
Some of that history will be on display at this year's festival. With the assistance of the Railway Museum of Eastern Ontario, a heritage display will be on site recreating a 1940's-era Canadian train station that will let visitors imagine what it was like to greet soldiers returning home from the war. Many of those men in uniform came back with war brides from the Netherlands so there will also be an exhibit about their experiences put on by Heritage Canada.
Of course, the star attraction of the festival is the flowers, a sea of which will be blooming at the festival site by Dows Lake at Commissioners Park this spring.
“The National Capital Commission plants one million tulips all across the city and Commissioners Park hosts the most with 300,000 so if you've never seen that before, it's something special,” Riding enthused.
Guests can explore the park on their own or pay a small fee for a guided tour, but there's also a tulip boutique, tulip bingo, outdoor painting and a new schedule of nighttime events which includes outdoor movies, a Ghosts of the Glebe walking tour and a fascinating blacklight boardwalk which will bathe flowers in ultra-violet light to let visitors see the gardens as a pollinator would.
Tulip fans who can't get enough of the flower, can also visit one of two pick-your-own flower farms in the region including Vankleek Hill Tulip Fields and Green Corners.
More tulips are on display throughout Ottawa every spring than just those at Commissioners Park. One of the most notable locations is Major's Hill Park near Parliament Hill and if you're looking for a room with a view, the iconic Fairmont Château Laurier hotel overlooks the park along with panoramic views of downtown Ottawa.
If you are staying downtown and don't want to drive to the tulip festival, there is a paid shuttle service that stops at the Château Laurier, Westin and Lord Elgin hotels as well as the National Gallery of Canada before continuing to Commissioners Park.
You won't find tulips there, but an interesting new park to discover in the city is Pangishimo Park on Chaudière Island behind the Canadian War Museum. Located on the Ottawa River and opened just last year, the park's name means “sunset” in Algonquin and was developed in collaboration with Indigenous partners. During the spring, the spectacular flow of the nearby Chaudière Falls should not be missed.
Even if you can't get to Ottawa in time for the tulip festival, 2022 is the Year of the Garden in Canada and the National Capital Region is ready to celebrate. Ottawa boasts some of the nation's most beautiful examples and the Garden Promenade offers numerous self-guided tours to help you discover some of the region's finest.
To help you plan your spring or summer getaway to Ottawa, visit Ottawa Tourism's website for information and inspiration about what to do, where to eat and where to stay.