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Might one have a nice, short micro-vacation in Ottawa without knowing French? I am planning for some traveling this summer and would like to see "old city" Ottawa and walk the Rideau Canal. Ottawa rates an "OK" in walkability on other city sites. . . Could you do 3 or 4 days with no car, easily?
I consider myself very well traveled in America, but embarrassingly enough, am totally ignorant of our northern neighbor.
We really would like to see "olde world" architecture/culture, and would endeavor not to be the "ugly american" stereotype doing so
As mentioned, while Ottawa has a significant French speaking minority (~15%) and is an officially bilingual municipality, it is majority English speaking, and is on the Ontario side of the Ottawa river, which means it is located in a province where English is the official language. This means you will have no trouble there since English is the main language used. If you cross the river you will enter Ottawa's sister city/suburb, Gatineau, which is in Quebec and is majority French speaking. English is widely spoken as a second language in Gatineau, but the polite thing to do would be to learn some basic French phrases and ask in French if people speak English when you begin an encounter. People will generally be quite happy to help tourists, especially Americans for whom there is no reasonable expectation of French language abilities.
Ottawa is a small capital city with some fine old buildings around Parliament hill that I think you will enjoy greatly. You should tour parliament, visit the Byward market, and hit a few of the local museums. That said, I think you may feel a little disappointed if you are coming and expecting a grand European capital. Ottawa was a small town until it was designated the new capital in the late 19th century and most of its growth occurred in the 20th century. It has a decent public transit system, but it is bus based for now, the first of the city's subway/lrt lines is under construction and isn't due to open for another 2 years.
If what you are looking for is old architecture and a walkable, French speaking city I would recommend that after seeing what there is to see in Ottawa, you should take a bus to Montreal, which is an hour and a half to the east. It is nearly 200 years older and its old city is large and well preserved. It is a city of towering cathedrals and basilicas, truly walkable urbanity, horse drawn carriages, and it feels more historic and less typically North American then Ottawa does, on the whole, even if Ottawa is indeed no Phoenix, Arizona.
Montreal has these wonderful characteristics, but it is also a huge metropolis that has things like a large subway system, soaring skyscrapers, and underground pedways. You may find it is not as wholly historic, quaint, and olde world as you would like. Probably the best choice for you in that department would be neither Ottawa or Montreal, but Quebec City. This city, which is very French, has a city centre that is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is incredibly well preserved and historic, and is a smaller city then Montreal and even a little smaller then Ottawa, while still being respectably sized. It is incredibly charming and "old world", as it was Canada's largest city from ~1620 up until about ~1840, and it shows as it is a really wonderfully historic city architecturally. This would be my best bet for you, and if you are in the main tourist areas you should be able to muddle by in English, although outside of this area it would indeed likely be a bit harder to find English speakers then in Montreal, which has a bilingual character despite being majority French.
Hitting all three would likely be an incredible trip, but I was just laying out the characteristics of each as you said you knew very little about Canada and you expressed an interest in a historic, French speaking city.
As mentioned, while Ottawa has a significant French speaking
If what you are looking for is old architecture and a walkable, French speaking city I would recommend that after seeing what there is to see in Ottawa, you should take a bus to Montreal, which is an hour and a half to the east. It is nearly 200 years older and its old city is large and well preserved. It is a city of towering cathedrals and basilicas, truly walkable urbanity, horse drawn carriages, and it feels more historic and less typically North American then Ottawa does, on the whole, even if Ottawa is indeed no Phoenix, Arizona.
Montreal has these wonderful characteristics, but it is also a huge metropolis that has things like a large subway system, towering skyscrapers, and underground pedways. You may find it is not as wholly historic, quaint, and olde world as you would like. Probably the best choice for you in that department would be neither Ottawa or Montreal, but Quebec City. This city, which is very French, has a city centre that is a Unesco World Heritage Site. It is incredibly well preserved and historic, and is a smaller city then Montreal and even a little smaller then Ottawa, while still being respectably sized. It is incredibly charming and "old world", as it was Canada's largest city from ~1620 up until about ~1840, and it shows as it is a really wonderfully historic city. This would be my best bet for you, and if you are in the main tourist areas you should be able to muddle by in English, although outside of this area it would indeed likely be a bit harder to find English speakers then in Montreal, which has a bilingual character despite being majority French.
Thank you so much BIMBAM! So much info! I really appreciate you taking time to post what you did.
After reading this, I might re-think our Canadian adventure . . .
I saw a Public TV piece on Ottawa that was very intriguing. The sites they showed and being relatively close, combined with some random research, made me want to visit.
I have French books that are filled with phrases used in travel most situations that I was studying for an adventure a few years ago, so I will get them out, study, and hope it will be enough to get around and show the people we encounter we want to assimilate. Even if I obliterate the language, I feel it is a good way to ingratiate ourselves with our hosts and will actually add to the experience. I am embarrassed how little I know about Canada, but after reading this, I think I might concentrate my research around Quebec/Montreal.
Again, thank you very much for taking time to post this wonderful information! I really appreciate it and will use it to plan this summers adventure!
I'm very glad I could be of help to you, and thank you for taking an interest in my country
For the record, I'm not saying that Ottawa isn't a worthwhile tourist destination, and it may still be enjoyable for you. To help you make a decision, here are some short tourist videos for the three cities that I think give a good feel for what a trip to each would be like. For Ottawa itself, the best time to come would be July 1st which is Canada Day. The capital throws a massive celebration and it is quite a spectacle.
I remember when I visited Ottawa I heard French everywhere around the streets. All the street and construction signs had both languages as well. It truly felt like a bilingual city to me. Even more than Montreal because I saw and heard both languages everywhere, not just predominately French or English. That's why I always think Ottawa is the most bilingual city in Canada because it seems that way when you walk around the streets in Ottawa you constantly hear both French and English everywhere. But in reality it is Montreal. But it was really nice hearing both languages outside of Quebec. But you will have no problem visiting Ottawa without French. You wouldn't have a problem visiting Quebec City without French as well, though learning a few words and phrases is a plus.
Might one have a nice, short micro-vacation in Ottawa without knowing French? I am planning for some traveling this summer and would like to see "old city" Ottawa and walk the Rideau Canal. Ottawa rates an "OK" in walkability on other city sites. . . Could you do 3 or 4 days with no car, easily?
I consider myself very well traveled in America, but embarrassingly enough, am totally ignorant of our northern neighbor.
We really would like to see "olde world" architecture/culture, and would endeavor not to be the "ugly american" stereotype doing so
French? Boy you are uniformed! The overwhelming majority of people there rank their mother tongue as English my friend. Aside from a few pockets here and there, most people speak English first. Take for example Ottawa West, I doubt if you walk through the Carlingwood mall on Friday night that you'll hear a single verse in French for that matter. It is just the area you are in.
I'd be that me having to learn Spanish before I go on a trip to SF, wondering to myself if anyone in the Bay area speaks English?? Totally hogwash but do you see the parallel I'm trying to make??
I remember when I visited Ottawa I heard French everywhere around the streets.
They were probably government workers from Quebec hoping the bridges to work in Ottawa. . What area of town were you walking in? If this was during the day before the government was dismissed and you were downtown then it's possible that you would have heard a mixture of both languages.
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