Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill, the seat of Canadian democracy, sits on a dramatic bluff above the Ottawa River, with its stunning Gothic Revival towers. Free guided tours run regularly, and in winter, the front lawn becomes one of the world's most iconic outdoor skating rinks! Shane Hollander grew up in a city where the national parliament is also a public hockey rink. This explains a lot.
PS: Check out the free daily Changing of the Guard ceremony in summer!
See MoreRideau Canal
We're pretty sure Shane would have skated here as a kid. At over 4.5 miles, the Rideau Canal Skateway holds the title of world's largest naturally frozen skating rink, which is really just Ottawa's way of saying the whole city is a hockey rink from January through March. Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that locals can basically use as a commuter route! Skate it at dusk when the lights come on and try to feel nothing. You won't be able to.
In the summer, it makes a gorgeous paddling and cycling corridor, threading right through the heart of the city.
See MoreByWard Market District
One of Canada's oldest public markets, ByWard is where you go for fresh produce at dawn and craft cocktails at midnight. You can almost imagine Shane Hollander as a teen sneaking out to go here on the weekends.
Tip: Get a BeaverTail. It is a fried dough pastry, and it is not subtle and it is perfect.
See MoreNational Gallery of Canada
Moshe Safdie's glass-and-granite landmark houses one of the most significant art collections in the country, right across from Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica. The National Gallery of Canada is one of those places in Ottawa that visitors are always a little surprised by. Worth at least two hours. (And the gift shop is dangerously good.)
See MoreCanadian Museum of History
Across the river in Gatineau, the Canadian Museum of History is the most-visited museum in Canada. Its sweeping, wave-shaped exterior (designed by Indigenous architect Douglas Cardinal) is as cinematic as anything in the "Heated Rivalry" universe. Inside, the Grand Hall and Canadian History Hall tell the full, complex story of the country, which feels especially fitting for a show that is itself rewriting what Canadian stories can look like.
Don't miss the towering totem poles in the Grand Hall and the views of Parliament Hill across the river!
See MoreCanadian Tire Centre
Home to the MLH Ottawa Centaurs (or the NHL Ottawa Senators), Canadian Tire Centre brings the hockey energy! This is where over 19,000+ people remember simultaneously why they do this to themselves every October. Watching a live game here will get you in your hockey feelings. There is no substitute for the sound of a crowd that genuinely cares.
You can also catch the PWHL's Ottawa Charge playing here, as well!
See MoreNepean Sportsplex
With multiple NHL-regulation ice surfaces, open to the public year-round for skating and hockey programs, Ottawa is a city that builds serious ice infrastructure and then just...lets anyone use it. Shane Hollander learned to skate somewhere. It may not have been here specifically, but it was a place exactly like this one.
The Nepean Sportsplex is a multi-rink facility and one of Canada's premier public skating and hockey complexes, offering public skate sessions, drop-in hockey, and programming for all ages and skill levels.
See MoreMajor's Hill Park
Ottawa's oldest public park sits just behind the Château Laurier with sweeping views of the Ottawa River, the Alexandra Bridge, and Parliament. In spring and summer, it fills up with festivals and concerts; in fall, it shows off with fiery foliage.
Tip: Go in the morning before it gets busy, and bring coffee.
See MoreOttawa Valley
"Will you come to my cottage this summer? Don't go to Russia. Come to my house. We'll have so much fun. It's so private. No one will know."
Stretching west from the city, the Ottawa Valley is cottage country, farm country, and white-water-river country, and is most likely where Shane's cottage is located. Pick-your-own orchards, farm-to-table everything, cycling trails that reward the effort. A day trip out here is a must.
"I'm coming to the cottage."
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