Jerome Miousse, director of public affairs at Ottawa Tourism, said while Canada Day is always a major event for tourism in the nation’s capital, the current “geopolitical context” suggests that this year will be a “special” occasion.

“This context brings us together, and it’s conducive to a little bit more of Canadian unity, Canadian pride, and people want to celebrate that this year, I would say, more than other years, possibly,” he told Ottawa Compass. “So we’re expecting something bigger than the past few years that will bring people together.”

The federal government’s celebrations will proceed “as usual” with a ceremony at midday followed by entertainment in the evening, both at LeBreton Flats Park. Sarah McLachlan is set to headline the evening festivities and both the noon and evening events will be livestreamed across the country and on screens at Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court.

OC Transpo will also offer free ridership and extended service all day, with the LRT expected to bring a number of attendees in to the events from around the city, including the various fireworks shows that will be on display in nearly every neighbourhood in Ottawa.

“It’s going to be easy for people to make it from wherever they’re staying to the site of the celebrations,” said Miousse. “We are hoping for good weather, that would be a bonus. But all in all, we’re expecting a very lively, very busy and vibrant day in Ottawa.”

At Ottawa Tourism, Miousse said the goal has been to encourage visitors to extend their Canada Day trips and see everything else Ottawa has to offer. Namely, the organization has been promoting the Ottawa Visitor Pass and the Canada Strong Pass, which allow families to tour Ottawa’s biggest attractions at better prices, allowing people to “curate” their experience, Miousse said.

While events like Winterlude and the Tulip Festival are huge attractions for Ottawa, Miousse said “different events attract different visitors,” and Canada Day tends to be attended by the domestic market more than some other events. 

“While the Government of Canada will try to attract everyone to Ottawa for the big national celebration, our role here, beyond just getting people to book in advance, is to fill the gaps once it comes to last minute decisions,” he explained. “So if our hotels are not full yet, then it’s our role to convince people to make the last-minute decision to drive to Ottawa for Canada Day and make it worth their while.

“They can come see our landmarks, our cultural experiences, our outdoors experiences,” he continued. “It’s a city that can offer a lot to people at any pace, any segment of visitors.”

After years of recovery, tourism in Ottawa is back up to 2019 numbers, Miousse said — the goal now is just to continue growing, and with July and August “trending ahead of last year,” Miousse says “we’re looking at the very busy and lively summer in Ottawa.”

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The King will drop the puck at a road hockey game and visit an Ottawa farmers market, giving people in Ottawa multiple chances for a glimpse of the King and Queen during their short trip to the city.

Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government have invited the King to formally open the new session of Parliament on Tuesday as Canada’s head of state.

This will be the third time a monarch has presided over Canada’s throne speech, after Queen Elizabeth did so in 1957 and during her Silver Jubilee in 1977.

The visit is being presented as a symbol of Canada’s close ties to the monarchy at a time when the U.S. president has threatened Canadian sovereignty.

Philippe Lagassé, an associate professor at Carleton University and an expert in the monarchy, said the moment is right for such a visit. 

“(It’s) really meant to highlight that our institutions are long-standing, that we are different, that our sovereignty still matters,” he said. 

Lagassé pointed out that Donald Trump is an admirer of the Royal Family and the U.S. president was particularly pleased to be invited by King Charles to an unprecedented second state visit in London.

Lagassé also said it “misses the point” to suggest that the royal visit is meant to shore up Canada’s relationship with the United Kingdom. 

“That office is still the highest office of our state, and at a time when the very existence of our state is being questioned, it’s useful to have a very powerful symbol like that,” he said.

“It’s rare that Canada gets to employ the Crown in this way.”

Ottawa Tourism told Ottawa Compass the Royal visit is “boosting visibility” and “sparking excitement for ‘king-spotting’ in Ottawa.” 

Much of Ottawa Tourism’s data is pulled from the occupancy of local hotels, but it can be difficult to know how much of next week’s hotel’s stays will be due to the Royal visit —  “partly because of its timing between the Tamarack Race Weekend and the highly-attended CANSEC conference.”

“It is quite possible, however, that people decide to make a last-minute decision to come to Ottawa now that we know more about the Royal visit. Some people that were already going to be here for other reasons might also decide to extend their stay.”

“All in all, the royal visit is a good surprise for our destination.”

Ottawa Tourism also said  the visit creates promotional opportunities in the British market—a trend that was noticed after the uptick in British tourism to Ottawa following the royal visit in May 2022.

“The difference this time around is the new direct flight launched on March 31, making travel easier for British visitors,” the statement said. 

King Charles and Queen Camilla will arrive in the national capital on Monday, May 26, in the early afternoon.

Their first event that is open to the public will be a community gathering at Lansdowne Park, where the royal couple is expected to greet onlookers and visit a farmers market starting at 1:50 p.m.

The King is also set to drop the puck for a road hockey game at Lansdowne.

Canadian government officials who briefed reporters on background said the event is meant to be festive and that people will be able to attend on a first-come, first-served basis.

There will be extensive security around all of the events on Monday and Tuesday. The officials said there likely will be road closures around the downtown as well.

The City of Ottawa told Ottawa Compass that it is working with Canadian Heritage and its partners at the Ottawa Police Service to finalize plans for the King’s visit.

The City has warned that temporary traffic disruptions are expected for both days of the visit, with some significant road closures in the downtown core on May 27.

Government officials also said a Canadian doctor will travel with the King and Queen — a standard precaution. The King has been undergoing cancer treatment for more than a year.

Later Monday, the King and Queen will travel to Rideau Hall for a tree-planting ceremony — a traditional feature of royal visits — around 2:50 p.m.

Inside Rideau Hall, the Queen will be sworn in as a member of the King’s Privy Council. Officials said Prince Philip was also a member of Queen Elizabeth’s Privy Council in Canada.

On Tuesday, King Charles will read the Liberal government’s throne speech inside the Senate chamber.

The day will begin at 9:50 a.m. Tuesday with a parade along Wellington Street, during which the Royal couple will travel in the state landau — a horse-drawn carriage — from the Bank of Canada building to the Senate, escorted by members of the RCMP musical ride. A total of 28 horses are expected to flank the landau.

At the Senate building, King Charles will inspect an honour guard before a 21-gun salute.

The public is allowed to attend the parade but there will be traffic restrictions and security in place along the route. 

The speech from the throne, which sets out the government’s priorities at the start of a new session of Parliament, is typically presented by the Governor General as the Crown’s representative. King Charles is expected to read the speech in both official languages.

Guests invited to hear the speech in the Senate chamber will include members of Parliament, former prime ministers and governors general, current Gov. Gen. Mary Simon and lieutenant-governors from across the country.

The Supreme Court of Canada justices are also invited to attend, along with Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse Nepinak, Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami President Natan Obed and Métis National Council President Victoria Pruden.

The day’s ceremonies will include First Nations drummers, a Métis fiddler and an Inuk elder lighting a ceremonial fire.

The speech itself is set to get underway at around 11:10 a.m. and will be broadcast and livestreamed.

Carney told reporters last week that having the King present the throne speech is a “historic honour that matches the weight of our times” and underscores Canada’s sovereignty.

The royal visit will end with a wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. King Charles and Queen Camilla are set to return to the United Kingdom on Tuesday afternoon. 

Carney met with King Charles in London during his first overseas trip as prime minister in mid-March. Charles also met with outgoing prime minister Justin Trudeau two weeks earlier.

At the time, royal watchers noted that Buckingham Palace had been ramping up its subtle symbolic support for Canada.

The King met with the Usher of the Black Rod, a senior Senate official, and offered him a new ceremonial sword. He also wore Canadian military honours and planted a red maple on the palace grounds at events in March.

The King’s role is non-political and Buckingham Palace has said it will not comment on the trade war or Trump’s calls for Canada’s annexation.

Charles has visited Canada 19 times in the past — most recently in May 2022 to mark Queen Elizabeth’s Platinum Jubilee, when he was still Prince of Wales.

The last time the sovereign was on Canadian soil was 2010, when Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Nova Scotia, Manitoba and Ontario.

– with files from the Canadian Press

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