Christmas lights sparkle downtown with the Peace Tower as a backdrop. Photo via Canadian Heritage. Here’s our a list and map of large-scale Christmas light displays in and around Ottawa, including downtown, Parliament Hill, Taffy Lane and even more in surrounding communities. ...

There was a lot of news in city politics this week. Here’s a recap: Committee chairs and members picked On Wednesday, council approved nominations for committees, boards and agencies as well as deputy mayors. The deputy mayors, a ceremonial position, are Matthew Luloff, Laura Dudas and George Darouze. ...

Looking out from the Elgin Street Diner in Ottawa. Photo by Ross Brown. A list of grocery stores, pharmacies, diners, restaurants and fitness clubs in Ottawa that are open 24 hours a day. (We haven’t included convenience stores in this list because so many of them are open 24⁄7. ...

“Out like a lion.” Photo by Jamie McCaffrey via the OttawaStart Flickr Pool. Like most cities, Ottawa experiences quite a bit of congestion on the road – especially during the winter. Here’s a handy guide to navigate your way through it and get where you’re going. ...

Colourized image of a Canadian messenger carrying his bicycle through mud in August 1917. (photo via Library and Archives Canada – PA-001581) (Via Canadian War Museum) As the First World War continues to fade into the past, the conflict and its impact have been brought vividly to life with The Great War in Colour – A New Look at Canada’s First World War Effort, 1914–1918. ...

On the Rideau Canal. (Photo by Matthew Fournier via Unsplash) Ottawa, City of Rinks: Our city is a great place to skate, with dozens of indoor rinks and arenas, and countless volunteers who maintain community rinks in parks and backyards. And of course, there’s the Rideau Canal, the world’s longest skating rink. ...

In the trees, Gatineau Park. Photo by Justin Van Leeuwen via the OttawaStart Flickr Pool. Grab your boots and coats, winter is here! With the recent snowfall, the cross-country ski, snowshoe and snow biking season is officially open in Gatineau Park, the Capital’s conservation park. ...

The City of Ottawa is seeking public comment on two topics. Significant Woodlands Guidelines: The City invites residents to comment on draft guidelines for its new Significant Woodlands policies, which will help protect and identify these areas. Residents can submit written feedback at woodlands@ottawa. ...

Christmas toboggan on a steep hill, 1959. Via Ross Dunn/OttawaStart Flickr Pool Toboggans, sledding, tubing, sliding … whatever you want to call it, we have it covered on our map of Ottawa and Gatineau’s best hills. It’s one of winter’s most fun and inexpensive sports. ...

Lyft has revealed the most traveled-to places by users of its platform in Ottawa’s inaugural Lyftie Awards. The Lyftie Awards are an annual review of the most popular destinations for users of the ride-hailing company, across more than 45 cities. Lyft has been operating in Ottawa for around 10 months and included it in the 2018 awards. ...