Ottawa: Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Ontario, Canada

Ottawa, Ontario, sits at the northern end of the Rideau Canal. UNESCO designated the canal a World Heritage Site in 2007. Parliament Hill is also in Ottawa. This guide covers the canal's history, the Ottawa Locks, and the Parliament tours available during the Centre Block rehabilitation. It also covers the summer Changing of the Guard, the winter skateway, and how the seasons shape a visit to both the Hill and the canal.

Where Ottawa sits on the Rideau Canal

Ottawa sits at the northern end of the Rideau Canal. The canal runs 202 km along the Rideau and Cataraqui rivers to Kingston Harbour on Lake Ontario. It was built mainly for strategic military purposes.

Lieutenant-Colonel John By oversaw construction of 47 locks, and the canal opened in the summer of 1832. By set up his headquarters in 1826. That settlement grew into Bytown, which was later renamed Ottawa.

The canal's northern entrance is the Ottawa Locks. This is a flight of eight locks with a total lift of 24.1 m. Beside them stands the 1827 Commissariat building, which is now the Bytown Museum. Because the museum stands beside the locks, visitors can see both on the same stop. Check museum hours and admission directly with the museum before you go.

Why UNESCO recognizes the Rideau Canal

UNESCO designated the Rideau Canal a World Heritage Site in 2007. UNESCO describes it as the only canal from the early-19th-century North American canal-building era that still operates along its original line with most of its structures intact.

UNESCO also notes that most of the canal's lock gates and sluice valves are still worked by hand-powered winches. In Ottawa, this hand operation is visible at the Ottawa Locks. Pleasure boaters and paddlers use these historic locks during the navigation season, and visitors can watch the locks in action from land.

The navigation season runs from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, which is mid-May to mid-October. The historic site is closed from Thanksgiving to Victoria Day. Travelers who want to see boats lock through should plan their trip within the navigation season. Specific lock operating times are not covered here, so confirm them with the site before visiting.

Parliament Hill tours during the Centre Block rehabilitation

The main Parliament Building, Centre Block, is closed for rehabilitation. Public Services and Procurement Canada says main construction will be complete between 2030 and 2031, and the building will reopen about one year later. Visitors can still tour four other sites at no charge. Each building needs its own ticket.

West Block, at 111 Wellington Street, offers House of Commons tours of about 40 minutes. Arrive 30 minutes early for screening. Visitors aged 16 and over need government-issued photo ID. Tours are not available while the House is sitting. West Block also houses the Room of Remembrance and its eight Books of Remembrance, which list all Canadians who died in military service.

The Senate of Canada Building at 2 Rideau Street, the former Ottawa train station, offers a 30-minute guided tour. Arrive 25 minutes early. Parliament: The Immersive Experience, at 211 Sparks Street, is a timed 30-minute multimedia show about Centre Block. In summer, a 35-minute East Block tour visits four restored heritage rooms showing 19th-century life at Parliament.

Summer and winter on the Hill and the canal

Summer adds a ceremony to Parliament Hill. The Changing of the Guard began in 1959. During the summer, the Ceremonial Guard performs a daily ceremony on the Hill, wearing scarlet tunics and bearskin caps. Ceremony times are not listed here, so confirm them locally before you plan your morning.

Summer is also when the East Block tour runs. It falls within the canal's navigation season, from mid-May to mid-October, when boats use the Ottawa Locks.

In winter, the NCC turns the canal into the Rideau Canal Skateway. It runs 7.8 km through central Ottawa. The season typically runs from January to early March, depending on weather. When open, the skateway has no admission charge and is accessible 24/7. A packed-snow walking lane runs alongside some sections of the skateway.

How a visit to Ottawa is usually structured

A visit to Ottawa can include both Parliament Hill and the Rideau Canal. The Parliament tours and the Ottawa Locks, with the Bytown Museum beside them, can be planned as separate stops. Distances between sites are not covered here, so check a map before you set a schedule.

Each Parliament building needs its own ticket, so plan tour times one at a time. Allow arrival buffers of 30 minutes for West Block and 25 minutes for the Senate of Canada Building. Bring government-issued photo ID for visitors aged 16 and over at West Block. Check whether the House is sitting, because House of Commons tours are not available then.

Season shapes the rest of the trip. From mid-May to mid-October, visitors can watch boats lock through. From January to early March, depending on weather, the skateway typically opens through central Ottawa. Hotel locations, room types and amenities are shown on the booking site, and specific policies should be confirmed with the hotel.

Key points

• The Rideau Canal runs 202 km from Ottawa to Kingston Harbour on Lake Ontario and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2007.
• Centre Block is closed for rehabilitation, but visitors can tour four other Parliament sites, each with its own ticket.
• The Ottawa Locks are a flight of eight locks with a total lift of 24.1 m, beside the Bytown Museum.
• The canal's navigation season runs from Victoria Day to Thanksgiving, which is mid-May to mid-October.
• The Rideau Canal Skateway covers 7.8 km and typically operates from January to early March, depending on weather.

Frequently asked questions