Cross-Country Ski Trails in Ottawa

KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel. During the summer, when there isn’t a pandemic, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival.

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Anyone who lives in Ottawa knows that spring, summer and fall are brief houseguests whereas winter is like close family.  To enjoy the season more,  our family loves to cross-country ski.  If you’re looking for a way to get some exercise this winter, here are a few of our favourite cross country ski trails in Ottawa   

Mer Bleue

Since moving to the east end,  Mer Bleue has been my go-to spot.  There are four different parking lots to access the trails.  The scenery is amazing and many Ottawa families know the joys of feeding the chickadees.   

Our son, David learned to cross-country ski on the relatively flat trails of parking lot P23. Some of the trails from the other parking lots offer more ups and downs.     

One highlight at all the trails is the canopy of snow in the trees after a fresh snowfall.   

One cool feature is that if all the trails at Mer Bleue are busy, you will often find few people on the Prescott-Russell rail trail which also  has parking just off of Anderson Road.   

Pine Grove

This is my go-to spot if I just want to get away from everything. I find the trails are generally quieter than Mer Bleue and the trails seem to go on forever. I always imagine encountering a bear or a wolf on the trails as you feel completely in nature. Don’t worry,  I have not heard of any bear or wolf sightings.  Perhaps many chipmunks and the odd skunk or raccoon.  

Ski Heritage East/Ottawa River Trail

This is a relatively new trail for me.  In 2018,  a group of volunteers wanted to expand cross-country skiing to Orleans and started grooming the bike trails along the river.  The trail has since expanded all the way from Trim Road to Blair Road making it 30 km there and back.  

I had the opportunity to ski the trail a few weeks ago and it was an amazing experience.  To have the view of the Ottawa River on one side was incredible.  I saw two huge pieces of ice slowly collide on the river. I felt like I could have been on the movie, Titanic and yelled,  ‘Iceberg, right ahead.’   

The day I visited,  the trail was moderately used and there was space to socially distance.  There are nice flat sections and also small hills.

Rideau Winter Trail

This trail started off as a trial project last winter and has grown in scope this year.  Set along the Rideau River,  this may be my new favourite trail in the city.  The Rideau Winter Trail runs from the Rideau Sports Centre near Donald Street to past the Hurdman light rail station.  It offers up nine kilometres of groomed trail.

The thing I love about this trail besides the fact it is beautiful is that it is accessible to many people.  Located right in the heart of Ottawa,  it is easily accessed by University of Ottawa students or anyone taking the light rail.  The trail is literally almost right in front of the light rail station. There is also plenty of space for social distancing.   

Your local park

The great thing about cross-country skiing is that you can throw on your pair of skis and go almost any place there is adequate snow.  This year,  I have been doing a lot just in my local park just outside my backyard.  

One of my favourite memories was doing a video call with my wife’s family from Mexico while David and I skied down a small hill.   

Skiing during COVID-19

It goes without saying the trails are much busier this year.  There is an increase in skiers and also hikers, snowshoers and fat bikers. Most people have been very respectful about social distancing on the trails. I do find the trails are very busy on weekends. I try to go during the week when the trails are less busy. I found the Rideau Winter Trail had the most space for social distancing.  

A big shoutout must be given to the National Capital Commission and the Urban Winter Trails Alliance.  Working together both groups have greatly expanded the urban trail network in Ottawa. Also, a guy with the nickname of Groomer Dave (Dave Adams)  was instrumental in getting the trail project going.  About five years ago,  working with the NCC,  he had the idea of grooming trails along the Ottawa River in the west end.  This led to the creation of the SJAM.  His vision helped us to arrive to where we are at today.  

West End Ottawa Cross-Country Ski Trails

Don’t worry west-enders, you have plenty of options as well.   As mentioned, the SJAM is a wonderful trail along the Ottawa River.  There is also the Britannia Winter Trail  along with the Ottawa West Winter Trail.

All the trails mentioned above are free of charge but donations are gratefully accepted to many.  It is best to check out their website or Facebook page for conditions and possible donation information.  

Wherever you go, happy skiing!

Arbraska Lafleche Caves

KITC would like to welcome back, guest blogger, Stephen Johnson. Stephen Johnson is an Ottawa writer who loves to write about family travel.  During the summer, you will most likely find him and his family at a local fair or festival.  During the winter, a beach in Mexico is a likely bet.  

Our family has always tried to embrace the idea of exploring your own backyard. We are fortunate to have an abundance of natural and historic attractions in or close to Ottawa. 

Keeping with the idea of local tourism, my son, David and I decided to go check out the cave at Arbraska Lafleche. My wife, Sandy, decided to pass since she found out there are bats that hibernate in the cave. 

Bats hibernating in Arbraska Lafleche Caves

David and I arrived at Arbraska Lafleche and were treated to a nature sighting. We saw a group of wild turkeys eating and then slowly meander across the road. They were not bothered by our vehicle and seemed to be saying they had the right of way.

We entered the main building and were greeted by our guide, Marc Andre Dorval. Marc immediately made us feel welcome and introduced himself as the caveman. The nickname is well-earned as Marc has been exploring caves for the past forty years and started as a young child. 

Marc got us suited up with a helmet and showed us how to turn the headlamp on and off. We entered the cave and spotted a number of little brown bats hibernating. David was fascinated to see the animals in their natural environment and not just on a youtube video or zoo. The bats glistened as it had recently rained and they were wet from the dripping inside the cave.

Marc told us that the bats prefer a temperature of between 4-7 celsius when they are hibernating. We did not linger too long as not to disturb the bats.

For the next part of the cave, we descended a small ladder and entered a larger cavern. We made ourselves comfortable and Marc shared with us how the cave was discovered and the geologic history. The cave had first been discovered by a bear trapper in the 1800’s. Of course, the geologic history of the cave stretches back many more years than just the 1800’s. 

It was time to visit another section of the cave. We climbed a longer ladder to what I called the upstairs floor. After a short walk, I noticed two yoga style mats on the cave floor. I was intrigued but did not say anything. Marc shared more interesting information about the cave. I was listening but frankly could not get my mind off the mats. Was there a special yoga class offered in the cave? Perhaps some mystic had made the cave his/her permanent home? 

It all made sense when Marc asked us to shut off our headlamps. We were enveloped in total darkness. I literally could not see my hand in front of my face. Marc shared that he slept in the cave three nights a week as it was too long a commute from his house to the cave. The only problem he mentioned was that sometimes the bats would disturb him in the summer. He truly is a caveman!

As we neared the end of the tour, Marc shared with us some of the future plans for the cave. We were also able to see a gigantic icicle that had already formed on the cave floor. Marc said by January, the exit would be filled with huge icicles. I can imagine it would be a very popular place for Instagrammers. 

David and I made a vow to return to Arbraska Lafleche in the summer when we can do the zipline course. I’m sure Sandy will join us as well. Just as long as she does not see any bats.

If you go - Arbraska Lafleche is located about forty minutes north of Ottawa along route 366. David and I chose to do the cave discovery tour which is about an hour. There is also a cave explorer tour for the more adventurous. For the explorer tour, you will be crawling through small spaces.

I would recommend the cave tour for slightly older children and those without mobility issues. There are some stairs to climb.

The temperature of the cave is 4-7 C year round so dress appropriately. 

Arbraska Lafleche also offers ziplining, an aerial game trek and hiking. In the winter, they offer a snowman adventure tour that includes a zipline, snowshoeing and the cave discovery tour. 

For more information, visit www.arbraska.com.

Full disclosure, we received free passes for the purposes of this review, but all views are my own.

Little Ray’s Reptiles : An educational outing

One of the things on my daughter’s summer bucket list was to visit the baby sloth at Little Ray’s Reptiles. So, I took a morning off work to go with her and my mom. Apparently my mom and my daughter went last summer as well, but this was my first time visiting.

We arrived at Little Ray's Reptiles just as the doors opened at 10 a.m. There was a summer camp in session and a school bus pulling in with another camp dropping in for a field trip. Needless to say - there were a lot of people in Little Ray's that day.

The building was VERY warm. An employee came by to apologize and let us know the air conditioner had broken; however my mom noted that it was just as hot in the building the last time they were there, last summer.

The adorable baby sloth (three months old) yawning

I was a bit surprised that Little Ray’s would be fully air conditioned because I remembered when the Canadian Museum of Nature had their reptiles exhibit, with similar reptiles native to tropical climates, that they had to ensure the exhibit was separated and the doors closed to keep the exhibit warm and humid at all times. When I looked it up on their website, they mentions an air ventilation system that should keep the building at 20 degrees. Regardless, if you go, be prepared for a warm, tropical-like temperature inside the building.

What kinds of animals are there?

Little Ray’s has many (over 150) different species of animals, frogs, snakes and reptiles to look at and learn about. My daughter stopped to try and find each one in their habitat (like a “Where’s Waldo?) as well as read about them. She was very impressed by the size of the resident alligator.

Little Ray’s Reptiles also has an outdoor area with a few rabbits, a lynx and bald eagles. Apparently there is also a kangaroo, but he wasn’t outside when we were there. It took us about an hour to tour the building, as my daughter likes to stop and learn everything about the animals. There were many toddlers and preschoolers there at the same time as us who enjoyed looking at the ferrets and frogs as well as the rabbits.

The Live Show

The main attraction is the live shows in which staff takes out various creatures and share facts about them with the audience. When we were there my daughter got to hold or touch and learn about a tarantula, a scorpion and a cobra snake. They also brought out the baby sloth, but because we had a rambunctious, busy audience there was no touching the sloth, just looking and photos, which was enough to satisfy my daughter’s love of sloths.

While my daughter had a great time during the show, I would have liked to have seen the pace of the show move a little faster. I love that the handler takes the time to give everyone who wants to hold an animal a chance to, but I wish there had been a second person who continued to teach. This would help little ones - who often have a shorter attention span - from getting restless and wanting to walk about when they have been requested to sit down. The group we had also would not stop talking, which made it hard to hear what the handler was saying. Some ground rules regarding talking, etc. prior to the show would have made it more enjoyable.

What you need to know

• You can expect to spend about an hour and a half at Little Ray’s Reptiles – more if you plan on staying for the live show, which really make it worth your money.
• Little Ray’s Reptiles is a privately funded zoo and a member of the Canadian Association of Zoos and Aquariums and has more than one location.
• General admission is $12.50 for adults, $10 for seniors, and ages two and under are free. There is also a family rate of $48 for 4 people.
• There is free parking in the parking lot in front of the building, as well as along Bank Street. The day we were there was quite busy, so they had a staff member directing traffic and making sure those parked along Bank Street were safe.
• Summer Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., 7 days a week (from May long weekend to the September long weekend)
• There is a gift shop
• There is no place to eat there, but there are restaurants located nearby in Findlay Creek (including a McDonald’s.)

My daughter loves learning about animals - if your have a child with a passion for animals then they will probably love Little Ray's Reptiles too!

Activities to Celebrate National Flag of Canada Day

On February 15, 1965 the Canadian flag, as we know it, was raised for the first time on Parliament Hill, and in 1996, February 15th was declared National Flag of Canada Day.

If you’re looking to get your kids involved in National Flag Day here are six fun and educational Canadian flag-inspired activities:

Dress in Red and White

This is a great way to teach younger children what the colours of our national flag are and is an easy activity for everyone in the family to participate in. You can even break out any old Canada Day shirts you may have.

Create a Trivia Game

The Government of Canada website is a great source for flag facts. Write down some trivia about the flag on index cards and create a game out of it.  Depending on the age of your children you can make the questions as simple as what are the colours of the flag, to what year was the flag created, to what do the colours on the flag symbolize.

Host a "Fold a Flag" Contest

Although I still cannot properly fold a flag, there are many demonstrations online and this could be a fun challenge for kids of all ages. From how many folds does it take to properly fold a flag to who can fold it properly the fastest, this activity is a great way to learn the proper protocol for handling and folding the national flag.

Make Your Own Flag

From construction paper to felt, there are many ways to create your very own Canadian Flag. And you only need red and white! Break out the paints, pompoms, clay or Play Doh–whatever red and white crafty materials you may have on hand.

Bake an Edible Flag Cake

Bake a vanilla cake in a rectangular-shaped baking pan. Cover completely with white icing, and then add strawberries or raspberries for the sides and maple leaf. This dessert is super fun to create together and a delicious way to teach the shapes that make up the the Canadian flag.

Count Flags

Take a walk or drive around the city or neighbourhood. While out and about, ask the children to count as many Canadian flags as they can—you can find them on schools, businesses, city, provincial and national buildings, etc. The kids will be excited when they spot the Canadian flag and you can even use this opportunity to teach them about provincial flags and other national flags.

Do you celebrate National Flag day with any educational and fun activities? If you have one to add to our list, leave a comment and let us know.

Family Workshops at Nepean Visual Arts Centre

I had the pleasure of checking out a family workshp last month with the Nepean Visual Arts Centre (located at the Nepean Sportsplex.) The workshop was called "Trim Your Tree," and no, this didn't involve saws ;) This two hour workshop led us through two holiday ornaments for decorating the house and tree.

Family workshops are offered for one fee per family (maximum 4 participants,) but I had brought my 7 year-old alone. There is no age range, but your children should be interested in sitting for 2 hours and able to concentrate on the project. A 3 or 4 year-old may not have that patience.

We started with the feature craft - hand-painted Reindeer! We were supplied with the pre-cut/glued reindeer, and a huge table full of paints and decorations were at our disposable. There were four different reindeer samples to look at, but we were encouraged to be creative! Steps were broken down into manageable tasks, and my 7 year-old had no problem at all following along.

After the reindeer were painted, they got their faces and were adorned with bells, ribbons, stickers and stamps. We then took a break, and the workshop facilitator came in with delicious cookies and hot chocolate with marshmallows - YUM!

We finished the afternoon off with an ornament for the tree. My daughter was sad it was over, and said "when can we come back?" I loved the one-on-one quality time with her, and getting creative without having all the mess in my house was a bonus! 

Looking ahead, NVAC will be offering "Parent & Me" pottery classes in 2017. I'm excited to sign us up. If you're looking for last minute stocking stuffers, a gift certificate to NVAC or NCAC (Nepean Creative Arts Centre) would be make the perfect gift. Or sign your child up for a workshop or class, and make them a cute gift card that they can open on Christmas morning!

How do you like to get creative with your kids?