Ottawa is an open, friendly and welcoming destination for gay and lesbian travelers. Canada’s Capital has an LGBT pedigree that extends back to the first-ever gay and lesbian public demonstration in Canada (1971), and that in recent years included perhaps the most public gay marriage of all time between two gay stars of the TV program The Amazing Race.

Today, Ottawa is home to a proud and active gay and lesbian community with an ever-expanding variety of clubs, organizations, activities and events – including a very boisterous annual Pride Week celebration – that reflects the diversity of the local community.

The centre of gay and lesbian life is the area around Bank Street and Somerset in the downtown core. The growing gaybourhood has shops and bars and is the home base for local institutions serving the LGBT community.
 
Explore it by day—or by night. But don’t feel you have to limit yourself to one neighbourhood. There are things happening all over. On Sunday evenings, for example, there’s a lesbian coffee club in suburban Barrhaven. You’ll find gays and lesbians all over the city, doing the active things Ottawans do. Check publications such as Capital Xtra for listings and up-to-date information.

Capital Pride has geared up with several community partners to bring the community a more diverse set of events, providing something for all demographics of the GLBTTQ community.

Capital Pride also announced that the 2009 Parade Marshal would be long-time community and trans-rights activist Joanne Law. Capital Pride also officially launched its first issue of its new quarterly Capital Pride newsletter, helping the community stay more connected to their Pride committee.

The theme for the 2009 festival, “Capital Pride on the Map”, recognizes the significant place the festival holds in the Ottawa–Gatineau festival season.

The Capital Pride Festival has made leaps and bound throughout its 20-year history, growing to be Canada’s fourth-largest Pride celebration. Also incorporated into the theme Capital Prides new logo, whose purple star is the symbol marking a capital city on a map.

Ottawa is blessed with a natural setting offering boundless opportunities for outdoor recreation. Paved recreational paths welcome cyclists, inline skaters and joggers across the region and on Sunday mornings from May through September, several streets are closed to cars for Sunday Bikedays. The region’s many waterways are ideal for kayaking, canoeing and boating, and the upper Ottawa River offers some of the best whitewater rafting anywhere. And nearby Gatineau Park offers hiking, rock climbing, camping, exciting zip line aerial experiences and more.

Ottawa is also  city of museums, galleries, and theatres showcasing the best in Canadian and world culture. 5-Diamond dining, a vast selection of international cuisines, relaxed, casual fare – Ottawa offers restaurants and culinary experiences to suit every palate, with a thriving local culinary scene and local chefs making names for themselves at home and abroad.

Dining districts include the courtyards and outdoor cafés of the historic ByWard Market, great Asian dining along Somerset Street West, Italian along Preston Street, and a mix of culinary treats along Elgin Street, Bank Street and surrounding neighbourhoods.

Ottawa is just a two-hour drive west of Montreal, just a one-hour flight from Toronto and New York City and a two-hour flight from Chicago. Superb air, rail and road connections make Canada’s capital easily accessible.

CAPITAL PRIDE          OTTAWA LGBT TOURISM

ARC THE.HOTEL is proud to sponsor Capital Pride 2009 and is offering a special Capital Pride rate beginning at $119 for a Classic Room with Queen-size bed*.  Comfort and luxury are paired with contemporary design in the serene and sophisticated ARC The.Hotel Ottawa. The premier design boutique hotel in Canada’s capital offers luxuriously appointed rooms in an intimate atmosphere to ensure you feel energized and relaxed. Minutes away from Ottawa International Airport and close to all major Ottawa attractions.

Please contact the hotel for details and availability, or visit www.arcthehotel.com.
*Rates quoted are for double occupancy and do not include applicable taxes and fees.

Reserve your room today at 1-800-699-2516 –  Be sure to ask for the special RAINBOW RATE.


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