The Centre for Geography and Exploration, located at 50

Sussex Drive Sussex Drive (french: Promenade Sussex), also known as Ottawa Regional Road93, is an arterial road in Ottawa, Ontario, the capital of Canada. It is one of the city's main ceremonial and institutional routes. Travelling roughly parallel to the Ot ...

in Ottawa, is headquarters to the

Royal Canadian Geographical Society The Royal Canadian Geographical Society (RCGS; French: ''Société géographique royale du Canada'') is a Canadian nonprofit educational organization dedicated to imparting a broader knowledge and deeper appreciation of Canada—its people a ...

(RCGS) and home to Canadian Geographic magazine, as well as Can Geo Education and special project departments. The Canada and the World Pavilion was a small

museum A museum ( ; plural museums or, rarely, musea) is a building or institution that cares for and displays a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance. Many public museums make thes ...

in Ottawa,

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...

, Canada. Exhibits were devoted to Canada's contribution to sport, arts and culture, development, peacekeeping, and science. Interactive exhibits, activities, and special events were held at the facility and in the surrounding parkland. With views to the north, the building overlooks the

Rideau Falls The Rideau Falls (french: Chutes de la rivière Rideau) are two 11-metre waterfalls located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, where the Rideau River empties into the Ottawa River. The falls are divided by Green Island, with Ottawa's Old City Hall j ...

and Ottawa River. It is the next-door neighbour to the Embassy of France at 42 Sussex Drive.

The history

Less than 1.5 kilometres southwest of the Rideau Falls on the Ottawa River, 50 Sussex Drive was the home to historic gatherings of Algonquin People. Indigenous families came to the delta where the Riviere Gatineau meets the Ottawa River to hunt game, pick berries, fish and trade. In 2000, the Canada and the World Pavilion was built as part of the

National Film Board of Canada The National Film Board of Canada (NFB; french: Office national du film du Canada (ONF)) is Canada's public film and digital media producer and distributor. An agency of the Government of Canada, the NFB produces and distributes documentary f ...

's exhibition. After several years of mediocre attendance, the facility closed in the fall of 2005. In October 2016, the RCGS and the

National Capital Commission The National Capital Commission (NCC; french: Commission de la capitale nationale, CCN) is the Crown corporation responsible for development, urban planning, and conservation in Canada's Capital Region (Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec), i ...

announced the vacant building would be transformed into Canada's Centre for Geography and Exploration. 50 Sussex was identified by the National Capital Commission as one of ten "Confederation Pavilions" in the

National Capital Region A capital region, also called a capital district or capital territory, is a region or district surrounding a capital city. It is not always the official term for the region, but may sometimes be used as an informal synonym. Capital regions can exis ...

as part of events celebrating Canada's sesquicentennial in 2017. The refurbished facility opened in two stages - for exhibits in 2017 and then fully in 2018. In May 2018, The RGCS and Canadian Geographic magazine moved in to the new permanent home at 50 Sussex Drive. One year after move-in, RCGS officially unveiled a plaque declaring Canada's Centre for Geography and Exploration the official home of the Society.

Famous visitors

Jeopardy ''Jeopardy!'' is an American game show created by Merv Griffin. The show is a quiz competition that reverses the traditional question-and-answer format of many quiz shows. Rather than being given questions, contestants are instead given genera ...

's Alex Trebek, Prime Minister

Justin Trudeau Justin Pierre James Trudeau ( , ; born December 25, 1971) is a Canadian politician who is the 23rd and current prime minister of Canada. He has served as the prime minister of Canada since 2015 and as the leader of the Liberal Party since 2 ...

Jane Goodall Dame Jane Morris Goodall (; born Valerie Jane Morris-Goodall on 3 April 1934), formerly Baroness Jane van Lawick-Goodall, is an English primatologist and anthropologist. Seen as the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best kn ...

Michael Palin Sir Michael Edward Palin (; born 5 May 1943) is an English actor, comedian, writer, television presenter, and public speaker. He was a member of the Monty Python comedy group. Since 1980, he has made a number of travel documentaries. Palin w ...

, Wade Davis and

Roberta Bondar Roberta Lynn Bondar (; born December 4, 1945) is a Canadian astronaut, neurologist and consultant. She is Canada's first female astronaut and the first neurologist in space. After more than a decade as head of an international space medicine ...

are famous people who have spent time in the facility.

In the building now

Two galleries fill the main and upper floors. Exhibits have included one on the NCC's 50-year plan for Ottawa, the debut of ''Thirteen Moons'' by Alex Janvier and exploration exhibits relating to the

Inuit Inuit (; iu, ᐃᓄᐃᑦ 'the people', singular: Inuk, , dual: Inuuk, ) are a group of culturally similar indigenous peoples inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic regions of Greenland, Labrador, Quebec, Nunavut, the Northwest Territories ...

of the Canadian Arctic. The main gallery contains the first Google Earth Wall in Canada - a three metre high screen that allows users to view and engage with geographical and social issues. Exhibit spaces are also used for private events including meetings, symposiums and weddings, operating under the '50 Sussex Drive' brand for bookings. Another feature of 50 Sussex Drive is the Alex Trebek Theatre. The space has 280 seats and hosts lectures by geographers, explorers, photographers and educators, as well as the Can Geo Talks events. Film screenings and Can Geo Education events are also held in the theatre.

References

{{RCGS Museums in Ottawa Defunct museums in Canada Sussex Drive