I will be in Ottawa in a couple of weeks for a few days. Any ideas of things to do there?

D. I. S. C. O ?

Hands up, baby hands up

Freestyle kayaking on the Garburator wave?

[video]http://youtu.be/QQK47RuJJFs[/video]

Visit the Parliament and parliament Library, a free tour but you have to get a ticket at the tour office opposite. Have a look at the flight of lock gates, if you get the timing right a good sunset makes the girder bridge opposite glow red. Good eating places in the Byward market area.
Some Canadians told us it was an awful place to visit but we loved it. Notre Dame cathedral near the National gallery is a lovely building with silver spires

Was there a few weeks ago for the first time. Nice city just to mooch around a bit. Byward market area is good for food. Don’t forget to grab yourself a beaver tail 🙂

I hired a decent road bike from a place under the canal bridge near the parliment buildings and went riding up through Gatineau Park. There’s loads of dedicated cycle trails too along the river and out of town.

Museum of civilisation is good. Its the other side of the river from parliament. Spent an enjoyable day there when I needed a day off from doing what kayak23 suggests (which is a couple of hours up the road)

Go to a strip club on the Quebec side.
I lived there in 1999. Hopefully the ladies I gave money to have now saved up enough money and have gone through University.

All good advice above. I would definitely suggest you hop on a bus or train, or even get a car, and visit Montreal just a short way (2 hrs) up the road.

[N.B. In Canadian terms, 2 hrs is not a long drive!]

Visit the Parliament and parliament Library, a free tour but you have to get a ticket at the tour office opposite. Have a look at the flight of lock gates, if you get the timing right a good sunset makes the girder bridge opposite glow red. Good eating places in the Byward market area.
Some Canadians told us it was an awful place to visit but we loved it. Notre Dame cathedral near the National gallery is a lovely building with silver spires

Good suggestions, and y Girlfriend said the same thing. She’s from the area so underplayed it massively. I liked it.

The Canadian National Gallery was good too, could easily spend half a day in there.

the rideau waterfall is worth a look, its where the rideau river empties into the ottawa river, its very close to the centre of town.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/150942182@N05/shares/v9N9S1
There will be nhl hockey at canadian tire centre, (plenty buses go out there)
Canadian football at td place, (walkable in 15 mins from the centre of town)
There’s also the rideau canal, the oldest functional canal system in the world and a unesco world heritage site, however atm its drained as they prepare for winter operations (in winter it becomes the largest skating rink in the world)
Byward market a great area for food, there’s all sorts of restaurants, and our experience is they’re not that expensive.
Last time we were there we drove out to wakefield in quebec, a little village which was very picturesque, id imagine it could be pretty busy in summer like.
I love ottawa, can you tell?

There will be nhl hockey at canadian tire centre,

When will you be there Bikerdan?

https://www.si.com/nhl/team/ottawa-senators/schedule

Thanks for all the replies. Looks like more potential things to do than I first though. Get there afternoon of the 4th so unfortunately will miss the NHL.

Test some knees and ankles.