Dozens of people gathered at Major’s Hill Park on a crisp Saturday morning to kickstart Open NCC, a day when residents and visitors could learn about new projects and sites around the National Capital Region.
The event, which ran from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., offered guided tours and presentations.
Many participants dropped by Major’s Hill Park to ride in the Confederation Boulevard bike tour, a five-kilometre trip that explored parts of Ottawa and Gatineau. A guide took riders to 90 Wellington St. and then to the Cliff Heating and Cooling Plant before crossing the Chaudièe Bridge into Pangishimo Park.
Then they rode past the Chaudière Falls and followed the Capital Pathway to the Canadian Museum of History before returning to Major’s Hill Park.
Others took the opportunity to learn about the NCC at the interactive booths and games underneath a large tent in Major’s Hill Park.
Some walked farther down to take in the beautiful view of the Ottawa River and Parliament Hill at Kiweki Point, where the leaves were starting to show their fall colours. Experts there were giving a presentation about the design and concept behind Kiweki Point’s renovation, as well as a guided tour about projects shaping the National Capital Region.
Open NCC was also scheduled to take place in Gatineau Park, Dow’s Lake, the Hull Marina at Jacques-Cartier Park, Pinhey Forest, Rideau Hall and Westboro Beach.
Tobi Nussbaum, CEO of the NCC, said the event was modelled after Doors Open Ottawa, an annual event that happened in June.
“This is the fourth year in a row that we’ve hosted this opportunity to really share with the public all of the activities and programs and sites and plans that the NCC has been engaged in over the last number of years and is looking forward to doing in the future,” Nussbaum said.
“We have guided tours. We have staff who know a lot about these things and are very knowledgeable, so it’s an opportunity for people to get an insider’s look at everything.”
One of the newest activities in the lineup was BikeNight at Confederation Park, which was to start at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday. Cyclists were to start at Confederation Park at the intersection of Elgin Street and Laurier Avenue before biking along the Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Colonel By Drive.
Nussbaum said the staff had been inspired by the popular Tour La Nuit event in Montreal.
“We’re going to see hundreds of people wearing neon and crazy lights and all sorts of things biking along the (Rideau Canal) … I think that’s going to be super exciting and a wonderful new event, which I think is going to get a lot of people enthusiastic about trying something new and doing something fun with all members of the public,” he said.
Nussbaum said he was confident the Open NCC event would continue to grow.
“I think, as we’re opening up new, exciting waterfront and shoreline sites, people are becoming more aware of all the great things the NCC is doing. So with that awareness comes greater interest and wanting to know the behind the scenes and wanting to understand a little more about what went into the projects,” he said.
“I think the message to the public about Open NCC is that we’re very eager to share all of the exciting things the NCC is doing. We want to demonstrate that openness by having a day like today, and it’s part of a larger priority of openness and transparency and public engagement.
“And today is a great manifestation of that.”
