OTTAWA
I Want to Go There
OTTAWA
MARIE-ANDRÉE BLAIS
Omega Park
CC FLICKR / MICHEL RATHWELL : bit . ly / 2GvBX66
CC FLICKR / MARTIN CATHRAE : bit . ly / 2GRbovz
As the seat of Canada ’ s national government , Ottawa boasts a signature set of attractions and experiences for school groups . Many student itineraries include Parliament Hill and museums housing some of the country ’ s most prized artifacts and valuable collections .
But , according to Kelly Dean of Ottawa Tourism , groups should also head beyond the city ’ s history-rich downtown area to visit Omega Park . “ If you want to get up close to real Canadian wildlife , there ’ s no better place to go than Omega Park ,” she says .
Located east of Ottawa in Montebello , the 2,200-acre nature reserve is home to elk , bison , caribou and four types of wolves , as well as many farm animals . A popular way to see more of the park is on one of the open-sided bus tours . Participants are encouraged to pick up carrots at the visitor center that they can feed to the animals at certain points during the ride .
There are a number of other ways in which students can get close to the animals , such as birds of prey demonstrations and daily wolf programs . Hikes along the Colonization Trail and the First Nations Trail also take them to additional wildlife habitats .
Omega Park complements the animal viewing with areas and exhibits that focus on Canadian history . At the Trading Post , costumed re-enactors share stories of the area ’ s fur-trading heyday . Visitors also can see fox , raccoon and otter pelts that would have been exchanged between Canada ’ s Voyageur settlers and First Nations tribesmen .
For more information , contact Dean at kdean @ ottawatourism . ca or go to ottawatourism . ca .
TOP EDUCATIONAL ATTRACTIONS Parliament Hill , the Canadian Museum of History , the National Gallery of Canada , the Canadian Museum of Nature
TOP RECREATIONAL ATTRACTIONS Camp Fortune Ski , Aerial Park and Ziplines ; Calypso Theme Waterpark
TOP LOCAL FESTIVALS Winterlude ( February ), Tulip Festival ( May )
18 NTA Trip Planner for Student Travel