Faces Magazine

Long before red carpets and sold-out arenas, Ottawa had its own brush with international celebrity, and it came in a very small package. General Tom Thumb, one of the 19th century’s biggest stage sensations, charmed local audiences not once but several times over the decades.

Stand almost anywhere in central Ottawa and water is never far away. The Ottawa River defines the northern edge of the city. The Rideau River cuts through neighbourhoods on its way north. The Gatineau meets the Ottawa just across from the capital, while the Rideau Canal has become one of the city’s most recognizable public spaces. But these waterways are more than scenery. They helped determine where people travelled, settled, worked and built.

Toronto rarely needs an excuse for a weekend away, but the city continues to give Ottawa travellers new reasons to return. This itinerary keeps things simple: stay downtown, make dinner the event, and leave time for a few hours dedicated entirely to slowing down. Stay: Soho Hotel Fresh from a 2026 renovation, SoHo Hotel Toronto offers a boutique alternative to Toronto’s larger luxury hotels.

Long before the Redblacks or the Rough Riders ever took the field, one gathering at a downtown hotel set the stage for football in Ottawa. This week marks 150 years since the city’s very first football club came into being. A Meeting at the Russell House On September 19, 1876, thirty-four men gathered at the Russell House hotel to formally establish the Ottawa Football Club.

There is nothing quite like watching Ottawa’s creative community show off its handiwork under the lights, and this fall, the city’s runway scene is getting a full night to shine. Ottawa Fashion Week 2026 lands at the Bronson Centre on Saturday, September 19, with a lineup built entirely around local talent. A Celebration Built On Craft Ottawa Fashion Week has always leaned into the handmade, and 2026’s edition is no exception.

There’s nothing quite like watching the world’s top athletes compete just steps from downtown, and next September, Ottawa is set to become the centre of the basketball universe for eleven straight days. What’s Coming to Town From September 9 to 19, 2026, the capital will host the IWBF Wheelchair Basketball World Championships, one of the most prestigious tournaments in the sport.

Between the fresh notebooks and the first-day photos on the front porch, this back-to-school season in Ottawa comes with a bit more homework for parents too. The 2026-2027 school year brings a wave of provincial policy changes that will shape how local students are taught, tested and supported from kindergarten right through to graduation.

Tucked between Laurier and Slater on Bank Street sits one of Centretown’s prettiest little secrets, a cobblestoned pocket park with murals, herbs and string lights that most Ottawans have walked past without ever stepping inside. That’s about to change, because Snider Park is now open longer than ever before.

That first week back to school and the office always shifts the rhythm of the city, and if your morning commute has felt a little slower lately, you’re not imagining it. New data on Ottawa traffic patterns confirms exactly when the roads fill up most. The Morning Crunch If you’re heading out the door between 8 a.m. and 8:45 a.m., expect company.

Perth has long been known for its scenic fairways along the Tay River, and soon a beloved stretch of green space is about to take on a whole new role in the town’s story. A major redevelopment plan for the Perth Golf Course has just cleared its biggest hurdle yet. The Big Approval The Ontario Land Tribunal has given the green light to a redevelopment plan that will see the historic Perth Golf Course transformed into a new residential community of roughly 1,000 homes.