Marion Dewar Plaza, Ottawa, Besucherguide & was in der Nähe unternehmen

Marion Dewar Plaza is the public square in front of Ottawa City Hall on Laurier Avenue West in downtown Ottawa. It is named after Marion Dewar, a former Mayor of Ottawa and Member of Parliament who is remembered for her work on refugee sponsorship, housing and social causes. It is a good place to pause in the middle of the city and learn who the space honours.

The story behind it

Marion Dewar served as Mayor of Ottawa and later as a Member of Parliament. As mayor she became known for putting community needs at the centre of city life. She backed non-profit housing and better public transportation, encouraged the arts, and spoke up for peace and women's rights.

Her best-known achievement came in 1979, when she founded Project 4000. Residents of Ottawa were invited to sponsor 4,000 refugees from Southeast Asia, and many families helped newcomers settle in the city. Those communities have since become part of Ottawa's cultural life. The plaza in front of City Hall was named in her honour, so a space used for gatherings carries the name of a mayor who built her career around bringing people together.

What to look for

• The wide open square itself, which works as a front yard for City Hall and a meeting point for the downtown core.
• The façade of Ottawa City Hall behind the plaza, a good way to read the civic character of the area.
• The name of the plaza, a prompt to think about Project 4000 and the people it brought to the city.
• In winter, the plaza is often used for skating and other seasonal events, so look for signs of what is on during your visit.

Tips for your visit

• Plan on 10 to 20 minutes if you are only here for the plaza, longer if you want to sit and take in the surroundings.
• It is an outdoor public space, so you can walk through at any time. Check current opening hours if you want to go into City Hall.
• The Rideau Canal and Elgin Street are a short walk away, so the plaza fits easily into a wider stroll downtown.
• Daytime is best for photos of the City Hall frontage, while events can change the feel of the square, so check what is on locally.

See it on a quest

You can reach the plaza on foot as one stop of The Cardinal Disappearance: Shadows of Downtown Ottawa, a self-guided route through the downtown streets. The app tells you about each place as you arrive and sets a puzzle based on what is in front of you. It is a paid quest, and one ticket covers the whole group.

Another way in is Ottawa Detective Mystery: Infiltrate a Secret Society., a mystery-themed walk through the same part of the city. You move from place to place at your own pace, hear the story of each stop and solve a puzzle on the spot. It is also paid, and one ticket covers the whole group.