What's open and closed in Ottawa over the holiday season

As you prepare to ring in the new year, here’s what you need to know about what’s open and closed in Ottawa over the holidays.

OC Transpo

From Dec. 22 to Dec. 24, buses and trains will run on reduced weekday schedules.

OC Transpo buses and O-Trains lines 1, 2 and 4 will operate on Sunday schedules on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

On New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), O-Train Line 1 will run until 2 a.m., and night bus service will run throughout downtown after that. Line 2 of the LRT will run until 1 a.m., while Line 4 will run until midnight. ParaTranspo service will run until 3 a.m. Rides are also free after 6 p.m. on New Year’s Eve.

ParaTranspo will run on a holiday service on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. Customers can book trips by calling 613-560-5000.

The OC Transpo customer service line (613-560-5000) is available throughout the holidays to help with trip planning. However, the Rideau Centre OC Transpo counters will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. 

City services

The City of Ottawa’s 311 line will be open for urgent matters only on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

All ServiceOttawa Client Services Centres, Provincial Offences and Administrative Penalty System will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. That will include counters at Ottawa City Hall, Ben Franklin Place in Nepean (101 Centrepointe Dr.), Kanata (580 Terry Fox Dr.), Orléans (255 Centrum Blvd.) and the Provincial Offences Court at 100 Constellation Dr.

Metcalfe, West Carleton, and North Gower Client Service Centres will be closed from Monday, Dec. 22, until Friday, Jan. 2.

The Business Licensing Centre at 735 Industrial Ave. will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

The City of Ottawa Spay and Neuter Clinic at 26 Concourse Gate will be closed starting Dec. 22, and will re-open on Jan. 5.

The City of Ottawa Archives and Gallery 112 at the James Bartleman Centre will be closed starting Dec. 22, and will re-open on Jan. 6.

All four Employment and Social Services offices Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The officers are located at:

• 370 Catherine St.

• 2339 Ogilvie Rd.

• 100 Constellation Dr.

• 2020 Walkley Rd.

All municipal child-care centres will be closed from Dec. 22, through Dec. 26, and again on New Year’s Eve.

Public libraries will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. All branches and services will operate on regular schedules from Dec. 27 through Dec. 30. All branches will operate from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Green bin, recycling and garbage collection

There will be no residential green bin, recycling and garbage collection on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Those pickups will take place the following day and collection will be delayed by one day for the rest of the week.

The Trail Road Waste Facility will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. It will be open on Boxing Day from 7 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Christmas trees will be picked up on regular collection days. The city reminds everyone to remove all decorations. Christmas trees in plastic bags or frozen into snowbanks will not be collected.

Starting Jan. 1, the city will no longer be responsible for collecting blue box and black box recycling. Those collections will instead be administered by the non-profit Circular Materials.

Parking

The City Hall parking lot will be free from Christmas Eve at 4 p.m. until Boxing Day at 7 a.m. Free parking will also be available there on New Year’s Eve starting 4 p.m. and lasting until New Year’s Day at 7 a.m.

The ByWard Market Garage at 70 Clarence St. and the Dalhousie Garage at 141 Clarence St. will also offer free parking during the same time periods.

Exit gates will be placed in the “up” position during these time periods to allow for free exits. If a vehicle remains in the garage when the gate returns to the “down” position, drivers will be responsible for paying for the full time spent in the garage.

Recreation and cultural services

City of Ottawa pools, arenas and fitness centres will operate on modified schedules during the holiday season. Users are asked to check specific facility pages for winter drop-in schedules.

Some holiday-themed programs will be offered at complexes, community centres and arenas. Check with a facility for its specific offerings.

The city’s four refrigerated outdoor ice rinks will be open if the weather is favourable. Community outdoor rinks will also be open if the weather is favourable for ice-making.

Sledding hills will be open, weather permitting.

The Shenkman Arts Centre will be closed from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day as well as on New Year’s Day.

The Box Office at Meridian Theatres will be closed from Dec. 26 until Jan. 10.

Ben Franklin Place will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

The Barbara Ann Scott Gallery, City Hall Art Gallery and Karsh-Masson Gallery at Ottawa City Hall will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Ottawa Public Health

The Site mobile van will operate from 5 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

The Sexual Health Clinic and dental clinics will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. The clinics will have modified work hours during Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

The Parenting-In-Ottawa drop-ins will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day. They will also be closed on Dec. 30 and Jan. 2.

Health811 will be available for free, secure and confidential health advice.

The city’s immunization program telephone line will be closed on Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day.

Shopping malls, grocery stores and alcohol

Rideau Centre, St. Laurent Shopping Centre, Billings Bridge Shopping Centre, Bayshore Shopping Centre, Carlingwood Shopping Centre, Place d’Orléans and Tanger Outlets will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

All Farm Boy locations in Ottawa will be closed on Christmas Day. Rideau, Metcalfe and Trainyards locations will be open on Boxing Day.

All Loblaws and Metro stores in Ottawa will be closed on Christmas Day.

Whole Foods at Lansdowne will also be closed on Christmas Day.

LCBO, Beer Store and Wine Rack stores will be closed on Christmas Day. Beer Store locations will be closed on New Year’s Day.

Museums

The Canadian Museum of Nature will be closed on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day.

The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum will be open until 2 p.m. on Christmas Eve, but will be closed on Christmas Day and Boxing Day.

The Canada Science and Technology Museum, Canada Aviation and Space Museum, Canada Museum of History and the National Gallery of Canada will be closed on Christmas Day.

The Ottawa Art Gallery will be closed from Christmas Day to New Year’s Day.

The Diefenbunker Museum will be closed from Christmas Eve to Boxing Day and again on New Year’s Day.

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