Kar Discover

Thursday, October 23, 2025

Canada Ottawa Is In My Heart

5.6 Ottawa Lower Town

Saturday July 26, 2025

Lower Town

Lower Town also spelled "Lowertown" is a neighbourhood in Rideau-Vanier Ward in central Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, to the east of downtown. It is the oldest neighbourhood of the city, with construction beginning in 1826. It includes the commercial Byward Market area in the south-western part, and is predominantly residential in the north and east.
It was historically French Canadian and Irish, and is to this day home to many Franco-Ontarian families, businesses and institutions.

Royal Canadian Mint

320 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON K1A 0G8
https://www.mint.ca/en/

Castle-like 1908 Mint headquarters with guided tours & world's biggest coin & gold bars on display.

The Royal Canadian Mint is the mint of Canada and a Crown corporation, operating under an act of parliament referred to as the Royal Canadian Mint Act. The shares of the mint are held in trust for the Crown in right of Canada.

The mint produces all of Canada's circulation coins, and manufactures circulation coins on behalf of other nations. The mint also designs and manufactures precious and base metal collector coins; gold, silver, palladium, and platinum bullion coins; medals, as well as medallions and tokens. It further offers gold and silver refinery and assay services.
Take a fascinating, affordable tour to learn how coins are made, and shop for unique gifts and collectibles in an historic building.

Notre Dame Cathedral Basilica
385 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON K1N 1J9

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is a Roman Catholic minor basilica in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada located on 385 Sussex Drive in the Lower Town neighbourhood. It was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1990.

The National Gallery of Canada

380 Sussex Dr, Ottawa, ON K1N 9N4

https://www.gallery.ca/

The National Gallery of Canada, located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's national art museum. The museum's building takes up 46,621 square metres, with 12,400 square metres of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the largest art museums in North America by exhibition space.
The Gallery's permanent collection includes more than 93,000 works by European, American, Asian, Canadian, and Indigenous artists. In addition to exhibiting works from its permanent collection, the Gallery also organizes and hosts a number of travelling exhibitions.

The spider sculpture at the National Gallery of Canada is called Maman by French-American artist Louise Bourgeois. This 9.25-meter tall bronze sculpture is located in the plaza outside the museum and was acquired in 2005. Inspired by the artist's mother, the sculpture represents themes of nurture, shelter, and protection.
The sculpture titled Maman was created in 1999 by artist Louise Bourgeois as a part of her inaugural commission of The Unilever Series (2000), in the Turbine Hall at London's Tate Modern. This original was created in steel, with an edition of six subsequent castings in bronze.

Ottawa Art Gallery

50 Mackenzie King Bridge, Ottawa, ON K1N 0C5
https://oaggao.ca/

The Ottawa Art Gallery is a municipal gallery in Ottawa, Ontario that opened in 1988 at Arts Court. The gallery has a permanent collection of over one thousand works, houses the City of Ottawa-owned Firestone Collection of Canadian Art, and provides community, educational and public programming.
The OAG focuses on acquiring, interpreting, and sharing art as well as acting as a cultural meeting place.

ByWard Market
55 ByWard Market Square;
Ottawa, Ontario; K1N 9C3

https://www.byward-market.com/

ByWard Market is a buzzing hub of outdoor farmers’ market stalls and specialty food shops selling Canadian cheese and maple-infused chocolate. It’s also known for its colorful street art and hip stores filled with crafts and clothes by local designers. Surrounding eateries serve shawarma and BeaverTails (sweet fried pastries in the shape of a beaver’s tail). Nightlife encompasses rustic taverns.

Aulde Dubliner & Pour House
62 William St, Ottawa, ON K1N 7A3
https://heartandcrown.pub/location/the-aulde-dubliner-pour-house/

Sizable 2-story Irish pub offering classic comfort eats, live music on weekends & patio seating.

CF Rideau Centre
50 Rideau St, Ottawa, ON K1N 9J7
https://shops.cadillacfairview.com/property/cf-rideau-centre

The Rideau Centre is a three-level shopping centre on Rideau Street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It borders on Rideau Street, the ByWard Market, the Rideau Canal, the Mackenzie King Bridge, and Nicholas Street in Downtown Ottawa. Over 20 million people visit the mall annually.
It is the largest shopping mall in the National Capital Region and the sixth largest mall, by area, in Canada. The Rideau Centre complex has approximately 180 retailers and is connected to a rooftop park, a Westin Hotel, the Rogers Centre, the Freiman Mall and the Major-General George R. Pearkes Building.