Canada Day 2023: What you need to know

UPDATE | The nationalCanada Day festivitieswill resume tonight after being temporarily suspended in the afternoon due to the threat of bad weather, Canadian Heritage says.

What people can do and where they can go changes in Ottawa-Gatineau around July 1. Here's some of what that looks like this year.

Along with smaller community events, the main national shows are again at LeBreton Flats on the west edge of Ottawa's core because of construction on Parliament Hill.

Free activities on the flats start at 9 a.m. ET, according to the Canadian Heritage schedule.

The main entrance, similar to recent Ottawa Bluesfests, is near the corner of Wellington and Booth streets. There will be concessions, free water stations, bike parking, accessible washrooms and a bag size limit. Only service animals are allowed.

The daytime show runs from 11:45 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., the evening show from 7:15 to 10 p.m. and the fireworks nearby at 10 p.m.

People who want to set off fireworks outside of a nationally broadcasted spectacle are asked to follow city rules. In Gatineau, the fire ban includes a ban onfireworks.

There aresome freeactivities around Parliament Hill, including a changing of the guard ceremony performed several times between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. and pipes and drums shows between 10:45 a.m. and 4:30 p.m.There will also be exhibits at the Bank of Canada Museum and100 Wellington St.

Weather permitting, the Royal Canadian Air Force is slated to fly over Parliament Hill at 12:05 p.m.

Stages for musical performances and a professional wrestling match will be set up in Old Hull from 11 a.m. to8 p.m. and another (without the wrestling)on the Portage Bridge from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Portage Bridge is closed to vehicles while the performances are happening as are many otherroads around the core July 1.

Getting around

Select roads around LeBreton Flats and Parliament Hillclose to vehicles at 6 a.m. onJuly 1. In Ottawa, they lift by 2 a.m. the following day. This includes Kichi Zb Mkan(formerly the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway) and Wellington Street from Kent Street to Metcalfe Street, the Alexandra,Chaudire andPortage bridges.

TheChaudire Bridge will be closed to all users, pedestrians included, while Portage and Alexandra will remain open to pedestrians. The Macdonald-Cartier and Champlain bridges will be the only crossings accessible to vehicle traffic.

Other streetsbetween Somerset Street W. and LeBreton Flats, including Booth, Preston and Rochester streets,will be restricted to local drivers.

Multi-use paths around LeBreton Flatsclose at 4:30 p.m until 2 a.m. and Albert Street closes between Preston Street and Bronson Avenue from 9 p.m. Saturday until 2 a.m.

The city also saidit may need to expand the closures of Bank and Queen streets to vehicles near where those streets intersect andParliament station, if transit traffic requires it.

Places suchBarrhaven,Orlans and Osgoode will close roadsforneighbourhood events.

In Gatineau, street closures to vehicles in Old Hulllast from June 30 at 10 a.m. until July 1 at 10 p.m. Those closures will affect rue Laval between rue de l'Htel-de-Villeand promenade du Portage and rues Wellington and Wright near rue Laval.

OC Transposays it has a free,special Canada Day schedule on Saturday with light rail service on its regular hours of 6 a.m to 2 a.m. Trains will not stop at Pimisi station from 8 to 10 p.m. on July 1 and westbound trains won't stop thereeither, with buses at Albert and Booth instead.

Trains will stop at Pimisi station outside of those times, according to OC Transpo, though riders will not be able to enter thestation unless they have accessibility needs in which case they can use the Albert Street entrance.OC Transpo recommends Lyon Station as the best alternative.

The city saidto use its travel plannerand keep in mind that transit is often busy on July 1 and buses will have to work with road closures.

On July 3aweekdayoff for some workplacesthe Confederation Line has its normal weekday schedule, butmost buses are on a Saturday schedule. Sixroutes will get"enhanced" service.

TheSocit de transport de l'Outaouaishas Sunday service July 1 and 3. Buses arefree July 1.

Neither the city nor policehave announceda vehicle exclusion zone similar to last year.

"Any restrictions to travel in the downtown core will be posted (online)," reads its Canada Day 2023 page.