Ottawa-Vanier MP Mona Fortier joined the festival’s partners on William Street to ring in Winterlude, which kicks off on Friday, and give attendees a glimpse of this year’s attractions, including booths from the Museum of Nature, the Ottawa Art Gallery, Mādahòkì Farm and the Ottawa Winter Jazz Festival. She was also joined by Ottawa Centre MP Yasir Naqvi, who stopped in to surprise her.

“Is your family ready for Winterlude?” she asked Naqvi. “Mine is ready.” 

She thanked sponsors and partners and encouraged attendees to learn more about the attractions and activities planned for this year’s festival. Meanwhile, Grant Hooker, founder of BeaverTails, was passing around warm Killaloe Sunrise BeaverTails and other vendors distributed hot drinks. The Ice Hogs, the official mascots of Winterlude, were also wandering around to pose for photos and offer warm hugs. 

Another partner is Submerge, an Ottawa business that specializes in cold exposure and sauna therapies and is offering cold plunges through the Centretown BIA. Owner Tarik Hassan brought a tub where Susan Benoit, breathwork facilitator and owner of Fearlessly Transformed, took a polar ice dip in a bathing suit, outside on William Street — despite the -16 C temperature outside. 

Winterlude is one of the biggest attractions of the year for Ottawa, particularly for the downtown core, as tourists pour in to experience ice sculptures, hot pastries and the Rideau Canal. It’s something that neighbourhoods like the ByWard Market always look forward to, Fortier said. 

“[Ottawa-Vanier] has been through so much, and now we have a chance to come and celebrate and know that being in the cold is really easy when we have warm hearts and are playing with what we can,” she told Ottawa Compass. “There are so many activities happening this year to make sure that everybody can have a taste of winter. And I think that’s the most important thing. 

“There’s the ByWard Market, but also, Sparks Street has a lot of to offer, the Rideau Canal, and many other venues are going to have indoor and outdoor shopping,” she continued. “It’s really a time when sometimes we feel a little bit blue in January and February, but in Ottawa, we can’t, because we have Winterlude.”

The festival officially begins on Jan. 31 and continue until Feb. 17. A full schedule of planned events and activities is available from Canadian Heritage.

Participants at the Winterlude event photographed the enthusiastic Ice Hogs and street performers. Photo by Sarah MacFarlane/OTTAWA COMPASS.

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