Ottawa Tourism granted special museum status last month to dozens of Ottawa festivals, restaurants, concert venues, and attractions as a way to shine a light on some of the city’s cultural hidden gems, many of which make the perfect addition to a conference or incentive programme.
The Unofficial Museums campaign aims to attract organisers and travellers to Ottawa by celebrating culture and creativity in Canada’s capital, all year long. To (re)discover the 76 new museums—as well as Ottawa’s already famous institutions—visit heretoinspire.ca
“Seven of Canada’s nine national museums are found in Ottawa, along with dozens of other notable museums and galleries,” said Glenn Duncan, Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer from Ottawa Tourism. “We’re proud of our museums—they’re among the best in the world. By granting museum status to 76 grassroots institutions this summer, we’re showing the world the range of cultural experiences that Canada’s capital has to offer and signalling to the world that Ottawa is an incredible place to host events.”
The newly anointed museums include the Unofficial Museum of Croffles (First Bite Treats), where you can experience Ottawa’s first-ever union of waffle and croissant, and the Unofficial Museum of Second-Hand Treasures (Highjinx), an antiques and vintage social enterprise shop where proceeds go towards providing food, clothing, and support to those in need within the community.
“Opening 76 museums in a day was an ambitious undertaking but we’re an ambitious city,” said Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. “Business events and tourism are critical economic drivers for Ottawa, and after a two-year disruption for conferences, events, restaurants, the arts, and live concerts, this is a big step towards recovery in our community.
“Ottawa has so much to offer in the way of arts, food, and music — this is our way of celebrating and giving back to those who work in the event and tourism industries and bring vibrancy to our amazing city,” said Mayor Watson.
“We never expected our café to become a museum—let alone the Unofficial Museum of Croffles,” said Elias Ali, co-owner of First Bite Treats. “We’re delighted to participate in this celebration of Ottawa’s people and businesses. We’re ready for a great summer.”
