Central Experimental Farm

The Central Experimental Farm is a well-loved jewel in the heart of the city, boasting a rich and fascinating history, as well as a key role in Canada’s agricultural science. In a new five-session Speaker Series, the Friends of the Central Experimental Farm are sharing their horticultural and historic knowledge with the public, aiming to provide locals with a deeper understanding of the farm’s history and the fundamentals of horticulture that can be applied at home. Teaming up with scientists from Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the free speaker series will cover different aspects of the farm’s relevance to the city, from invasive insects to famous women horticulturalists in history. The series has something for everyone.

It is still summer in the 613, and this weekend has lots to offer in terms of great food, exciting sports, cool learning opportunities, and lots of art of course! Make the most of the weekend, rain or shine.

The cover of We Stand With the Trees is an idyllic scene of a green field dotted with trees, with some tinged with the yellow and orange of early autumn in Ottawa. Within the pages, we learn why some Ottawa residents are taking a stand to oppose the removal of more than 700 trees to make way for the new Ottawa Hospital.

It’s time for a long weekend roundup! The weather is all over the map but that’s never stopped us before.

We have made it into summer’s wind down and it is time to soak up all we can of these remaining summer weekends. Make it a priority to get outside and enjoy the sunshine while we can. There are plenty of reasons to get out and about this weekend, if the fleeting warmth of the season’s sunny skies isn’t enough to draw you from your living room. Here are just a few of them.

Ottawa photographer Kelly McDonald takes us on a tour of the Ornamental Gardens at the Central Experimental Farm.

Welcome to another beautiful summer weekend in the city.

A local brewery’s July 1st party at the Experimental Farm is also serving food from 20 or so restaurants. Jim Bryson and Amanda Rheaume headline the all-Canadian music lineup.

A grand structure, the Dominion Observatory, commands high ground at the Central Experimental Farm near Carling Avenue. Sharon Odell explains why this building was constructed (1902-5) and how one of the astronomers, Mary Grey, saved the heritage architecture of the building and the scientific instruments it contained.