Progressive Walking Tour of Ottawa

So you think you know Ottawa history?

Join Centre for Inquiry Canada (CFIC) volunteers for a unique exploration of old Bytown and present-day Ottawa, featuring fact-checked stories you won't hear on a standard sightseeing or tourist jaunt.

Based on a tour created for delegates of last month's World Humanist Congress in Ottawa, this 3.6 km route guarantees you'll learn something new. At each themed stop, we’ll dive into a humanist, secular, or progressive political fact, covering local angles, such as:

• Centuries of threats from our neighbours to the south
• Workers' protests during the building of the Rideau Canal
• Residential schools and the Indigenous renaming of landmarks
• The narrow victory that allowed abortion rights for women
• 2SLGBTQIA+ history and other human rights milestones
• How many people in the region identify as non-religious
• The surprising locations of Ottawa's only two terrorist bombings

You can leave early if you need to, but stay until the end for some fun trivia about Ottawa celebrities!

The Details:

• When & Where: We’ll start near the Centennial Flame at 12:30 PM.
• The Route: 3.6 km ending at Minto Park on Elgin Street. The entire tour is wheelchair accessible.
• Amenities: There are several washrooms and water fountains along the way, including at Happy Goat on Elgin Street near the end of the tour.
• Number of Participants: There are only 20 spots available, so book early.
• Cost: Completely FREE for anyone who signs up for the CFIC mailing list, which gets you our Critical Links newsletter and other updates.

Post-Tour Bonus: When the tour wraps up at Minto Park, you're invited to stick around for CFIC's Skeptics in the Park at 3:00 PM for engaging discussions with atheists, agnostics, humanists, and freethinkers on whatever topics everyone wants to discuss.

Can't make it this time? If you're interested in future "pay what you want" tours, send a private message to the main organizer, Scott.