The Outaouais (prounounced oo-tuh-WAY) is a region of the province of Quebec north of Canada's capital, Ottawa.
Outaouais in French and Ottawa in English are both named after the same indigenous nation, known these days as the Odawa or Odaawaa. The Odawa are part of the Anishinaabeg branch of the Algonquian language family, related to Ojibwe and Potawatomi. This group migrated after contact with Europeans to what are now Western Ontario, Michigan and Wisconsin, but their name remains behind.
You will find in the Outaouais region a really bilingual population. You can easily get understood in French or English in most places, being so close to Ontario.
By car
If you come from Montreal, you are likely to take either Autoroute 50 (which bypasses Route 148 on the Québec side of the Ottawa river) or Trans-Canada Highway 417 on the Ontario side.
Access by city bus from Ottawa:
Access by intercity bus:
By car: Driving in Gatineau and Ottawa is fairly simple. Finding a parking spot is not a big problem maybe except downtown Hull and even so... it is nothing compared to Montreal.
By bus: STO - Société de Transport de l'Outaouais is the main city bus in Gatineau.
By boat: You can sail on the Ottawa and the Gatineau rivers and the Rideau canal.
By bike: There are many bike paths in the region, especially in Gatineau.
The Canadian Museum of History in Gatineau is an architecturally fascinating building that houses moderns exhibits about the country's history, from the Indigenous peoples, to French colonization, the British imperial era, and the formation of a self-governing dominion.
The fall colours when the leaves turn to bright yellow, red and orange and the hills seem to be on fire. The colours peak late October. Although they are spectacular throughout the park, one of the best views is from the base of the Eardley Escarpment at the Lusk Falls parking lot.
The Champlain Lookout offers breathtaking views onto the Ottawa River valley from the Eardley Escarpment. The lookout is accessible by car and is a popular spot for watching sunsets.
Kingsmere was the country estate of William Lyon Mackenzie King, the longest-serving Prime Minister of Canada. Take a leisurely walk through gardens and "ruins" he collected in a woodland setting. The cottages, including Kingswood and the primary residence, Moorside, have been restored and feature interactive exhibits about Mackenzie King's era.
The Grands feux du casino is an impressive fireworks show at the Lac Leaky Casino.
The Olympiques de Gatineau are the local hockey team, in the Ligue de Hockey Junior-Majeur du Québec.
The Maison de la culture, Gatineau has frequent shows of musicians, signers and humourists.
Gatineau Park offers skiing (cross-country and downhill), hiking, canoeing, camping, rock-climbing, mountain biking, roller-blading, wildlife watching and leisurely strolls.
There is skiing close to Ottawa at Mont Ste. Marie, Camp Fortune, Edelwisse, Mont Cascades, or Ski Vorlage.
You can bungee jump at the Great Canadian Bungee, the highest bungee jump in the Americas
Mont Cascades water park has heated swimming pools and water slides in July and August.
White water river trips are offered on the Ottawa River and smaller nearby rivers Noire, Coulonge, and Dumoine.
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