This year, Family Day is on Monday, February 21st, and it’s just around the corner, so now is the time to start organizing some Winter-themed family fun for the long weekend! For our residences celebrating this holiday in Ontario and Alberta, there are plenty of activity options for you and your family to enjoy and create memories that will last a lifetime! Scroll through and explore some favourite activities in Ottawa, Calgary, Edmonton, and Kingston to help make this Family Day one to remember.
Ottawa
Trip To The Rideau Canal and a Classic Canadian Treat
Whether you’re visiting the city or have been born and raised in Ottawa, the Rideau Canal Skateway is a must visit during the Winter season (weather dependant, of course)! Discover Ottawa on skates (or by foot) anywhere from Rideau to the Hartwell locks with your friends and loved ones, and then stop for a Beavertail! Beavertails are a Canadian classic treat, and with so many delicious mouth-watering flavours they can be a little messy, but well worth it.
Hit The Tobogganing Hills
No matter how old you are, tobogganing is an activity that will never go out of style. From the east end to the west end, Ottawa has a wide variety of tobogganing hills to choose from! Grab your sleds, crazy carpets, and saucers, and go for a ride down the hill of your choice for a super fun time and a lot of laughs. After burning off all that energy from climbing back up the steep hill, stop at a nearby local coffee shop for a pick-me-up treat. Hot chocolate and fresh pastries are the perfect after-tobogganing snack!
Cross Country Skiing
If you’re looking for a fun challenge, grab the skis (or snowshoes) and go for a cross country adventure on one of Ottawa’s fantastic urban trails! Osgoode Properties is a proud sponsor of the Kichi Sibi Winter Trail and the Rideau Winter Trail, both amazing for cross country skiing with the whole family. Just minutes away from our residents living at Kingsview Apartments, Riverside Tower and Faircrest Apartments, the Rideau Winter Trail is a prime destination for outdoor activities in the heart of Ottawa. The Kichi Sibi Winter Trail is another great option for our residents to enjoy the outdoors, located just minutes away from Parkway Tower, Lincoln Park, The Juliana and Lakeview Apartment!
Calgary
Meet The Penguins at The Calgary Zoo
Spend your Family Day waddling with the penguins at the Calgary Zoo’s 10th Annual Penguin Walk! Until March 25th, the colony of king penguins go for a daily “enrichment walk” around the Zoo grounds to maintain the health of their brains and bodies. Visitors are welcome to join them and get a close-up look at this incredible species as they explore and exercise their way through the Zoo!
Visit the YYC Hot Chocolate Fest
For the entire month of February, Meals on Wheels hosts this BREW-tiful festival – a tasty way to support local this year and help bring together Calgary’s communities and small businesses! Throughout the month, participating cafés and restaurants will feature signature hot chocolate beverages created for a friendly competition between themselves. Online votes from customers will determine which vendor will win the title of Calgary’s “Best Hot Chocolate”!
Edmonton
Unwind With Friendly Critters and Beautiful Scenery
Spend your Family Day weekend at Dreamcatcher’s “Time on the Land” event in Ardrossan, Alberta! Feed friendly critters like the farm’s horses and donkeys, while being entertained by goats playing on a teeter totter. Explore the beautiful 40-acre property on a walk through its Magical Forest, where you and your family can catch a glimpse of mystical fairies and gnomes!
University of Alberta Botanic Garden
If you’re in search of some more laid-back family fun this winter, the University of Alberta Botanic Garden is hosting their “All-Canadian Winter” event until March 13th. Enjoy a scenic stroll through a beautiful winter garden, and try out some fun winter activities including Kicksledding, Snowball Toss, and more! When you’re all tired out from a day of sport, pull up a chair to their firepit and take some much-deserved time to relax.
Kingston
Explore Downtown Kingston at Night
Sing your hearts out under the city’s Singing Tree and Canopy Lights, an interactive lighting display on Brock Street that reacts to sounds of all kinds. After this experience, head over to Springer Market Square where you can enjoy “Impulse”, another interactive and publicly activated installation of lights! This project uses the idea of repetition of subtle light and sound to create a very entertaining and constantly changing experience.
Skate in The Square
In the heart of Downtown Kingston, lace-up your skates and grab a mask (and helmet, of course) for a skate in The Springer Market Square. This free rink is open to the public with a beautiful view of Kingston’s historic architecture from all angles until 10:00pm. Visit during the day for a fun glide across the glistening ice and see the hustle and bustle of the city or visit at nighttime and experience how Kingston lights up to create a unique atmosphere. Either way, don’t forget to treat yourself to a Beavertail afterwards.
Whether you are located on the west coast of Canada and are looking forward to waddling with penguins or on the east coast exploring Kingston’s nighttime light installations, we’re lucky to have such a variety of Family Day winter activities throughout Canada.
From our family to yours, we hope you have a very fun Family Day filled with great memories alongside all your favourite people!