Andrew Haydon Park

Visiting cousins in Ottawa, mostly on an eat-​fest.
To get some exercise we took a beautiful long walk at Andrew Haydon Park.
There are gorgeous views of the water and of Ottawa’s skyline. The walk is especially beautiful at sunset. Make sure you take the path to the lighthouse, which faces the water and has a great vista.
Also – there are a lot of birds and they have some beautiful birdhouses on stilts in which you can see the birds nesting, which is really cool.

This is a beautiful park in the west end of the city off of Carling. Located on the Ottawa River, it has beautiful views of the water (a wonderful place to spy sailboats!) and is a great place to watch the sunset. A whole host of community events are held here, and their Canada Day festivities are particularly well done. There’s a large outdoor stage with a beautiful fountain, lots of walking paths and tons of spots for picnicking and play. There are play structures for kids and lots of room for them to run around.
I’ve seen many community events held here, family reunions, walkathons, and on one particularly memorable day, a wedding!
I often see artists painting here and photographers, and often see couples walking hand in hand. It’s a lovely place to spend a sunny afternoon. There’s a few places with smaller ponds which are lovely, but be sure to bring bug spray. You can find little windmill and lighthouses as well, and there’s always something fun going on during the summer.
The one thing that I have a huge problem with here is the geese. I’m an avid bird-​hater and the geese here are hardcore. They don’t scare easily and there is often a crap-​ton (ha!) of goose feces on all the green spaces near the water, so be prepared for that. Otherwise, this is a picturesque place to spend a lovely summer day, or evening.
Note: You can bring your dog here, but be sure they’re on a leash. It used to be a dog-​free park but the bylaws have changed. Just be sure to pick up after your pooch!

Parks with water features are always nicer — and they definitely aren’t lacking at Andrew Haydon Park. Alongside the Ottawa River, they have lots of large ponds and bays and bridges. Plenty of pathways, benches, and geese, too. The grass may be a little run-​down, but I guess it’s late in the summer and it’s been a well-​used park? The water may be a bit stagnant in places, but I wasn’t ever planning on swimming here.
There are a few parking lot areas, and a large pavilion for birthday parties or barbeques. There’s also a decent playground for the kiddies, in addition to the ample open spaces. This park is also connected to Dick Bell park, just down the street.

This is a nice park right off the Ottawa River in the city’s west-​end. A lot of sail boats can be seen here due to the presence of a sailing club nearby. In addition, the annual Canada Day celebrations and fireworks that take place on July 1^st are worth checking out.
Throughout the spring, summer and fall, there’s also various performing artists that come out here from time to time, such as the Nepean Concert Band that puts on shows. Also, you can find Irish, Welsh and Scottish dance performances that take place throughout the summer months.
This is one of the city’s more underrated parks; it’s a good place to enjoy the summer breeze, go for a walk, catch a good view of some wildlife, or enjoy the aforementioned entertainment options.