A summer in Ottawa goes by quickly as we transition back into reality come September. The days get shorter, the temperature drops, the snow falls.... well, hopefully that last one doesn't occur until December. In the meantime we can reflect on the past summer in the busy O-town!

Summer in Ottawa began with a very wet Canada Day. It's a natural occurrence for at least a little rain to fall on our National Holiday, but this day was, to put it simply : soaked. I had made plans to go down to Parliament Hill to celebrate, however mother nature had different plans. So the day was spent indoors drinking lemonade and eating ketchup chips.

Two huge events premiered in Ottawa this summer. La Machine and MosaiCanada150 brought in crowds from all areas of the world. MosaiCanada150 is still running until autumn time, however La Machine was around for a few days only back in July.

MosaiCanada150 is actually in Gatineau but only a 10 minute walk from Ottawa through the Portage Bridge! MosaiCanada150 involved floral arrangements and sculptures that represented each province and territory of Canada. There were also tributes to the Indigenous people and a journey through Chinese art.

La Machine brought giant human-controlled and robotic creatures that performed in different parts of the city. Long Ma and Kumo were the two main characters who fought each other through their rivalry. The event brought more spectators than Canada Day on the hill and was a huge success.

There are other events currently being presented in Ottawa that are high in popularity such as Continuum: an interactive indoor light and art performance. There is also a sound and light show on Parliament Hill called "Northern Lights" that runs every evening. On Wednesdays, yoga-enthusiasts can attend "Yoga on the Hill". Various musicians are set to perform in Ottawa as well.

Ottawa has presented an unquestionably active summer with plans for more entertaining events to begin in the fall. Stay tuned for more to come!