What’s open and closed in Ottawa on Canada Day

While national events have started to crop up over the weekend, Tuesday officially marks Canada’s 158th anniversary of Confederation.

While some businesses have opted for an extra long weekend, giving Monday off as well as Tuesday, others will flip-flop, providing service on Monday and remaining closed on Tuesday.

Here is a look at what is open and closed across the city on July 1 so you can make the most of your holiday.

Food and retail

Most major grocery chains will be closed on Tuesday or will be operating on reduced hours. Smaller grocers and convenience stores may be open. A spokesperson from Farm Boy told CityNews in an email statement that all Farm Boy locations across the city will be closed except for the location in the Rideau Centre.

The Rideau Centre will be operating on reduced hours, open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on July 1. Other malls including Bayshore, Place d’Orléans and St. Laurent will be closed.

All LCBO locations will be closed.

Local shops in some areas of the city like the Glebe and ByWard market are allowed to be open under the province’s Retail Business Holidays Act. You can check individual store hours on their website or by calling the location.

Government and institutions

All federal and provincial government offices are closed on Tuesday as well as Service Canada locations and Canada Post.

The City’s 3-1-1 Contact Centre will be open for urgent matters only. Client Services will be closed.

There will be no curbside garbage, recycling or green bin collection on July 1. Pickup will be rescheduled for July 2.

Most Public Health Services will be closed. Residents can connect with a registered nurse from Health811 for free and confidential health advice.

All banks and credit unions will be closed.

Transportation

OC Transpo buses as well as O-Train Lines 1, 2 and 4 will operate on a special Canada schedule.

Line 1 will run from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. and Lines 2 and 4 will run from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m.

OC Transpo says there will be extra service on particularly busy bus routes throughout the day.

All OC Transpo services will be free of charge on July 1.

Regular reservations on Para Transpo will automatically be cancelled for July 1. Reservations can be made by calling customer service at 613-560-5000 or by using the My Para Transpo app.

Activities

All public libraries will be closed on Canada Day as well as most indoor recreational activities. The city’s museums and art galleries will also be closed.

If the weather holds up, outdoor pools, wading pools and splash pads will be open with modified schedules.

Unsupervised swimming is available at Dow’s Lake from dawn until dusk.

Celebrations

Of course there are many opportunities to express national pride on Tuesday. There are many different events going on in various Ottawa neighbourhoods but the core of celebrations will surround Parliament Hill and the Le Breton Flats area.

The day will be capped off with a Tim Hortons sponsored fireworks display that will light up the night sky.

You can visit the official Canada Day website for all events and activities.