The Capital Pathway, also known informally as the Bike Path, is a recreational pathway interlinking many parks, waterways and sites in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

and

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...

Quebec Quebec is Canada's List of Canadian provinces and territories by area, largest province by area. Located in Central Canada, the province shares borders with the provinces of Ontario to the west, Newfoundland and Labrador to the northeast, ...

. Most of the pathway is paved, and allows an almost continuous route through the National Capital Region. The pathway was mostly the work of the National Capital Commission (NCC), a crown corporation created in 1959. The trail, which includes the Rideau Canal Pathway, the Ottawa River Pathway, and the Rideau River Eastern Pathway extends in all directions and extends northward into

Gatineau Park Gatineau Park () is a federal park located in the Outaouais, Outaouais region of Quebec, Canada. Administered by the National Capital Commission as part of the National Capital Region (Canada), National Capital Region, Gatineau Park is a wedge ...

's lakes.

History

The Capital Pathway was a project of the National Capital Commission as part of their improvements to the National Capital Region. The NCC was created by an act of parliament in 1959. The first section built was the Ottawa River Pathway in the early 1970s. The majority of the pathway continues to be maintained by the NCC. The section of the Ottawa River Pathway between Acres Road and Moodie Drive was paved in 2009.

Routes

Ottawa River Pathway

The Ottawa River Pathway runs along the south bank of the Ottawa River. In the east, it ends at Tweddle Road (near Trim Road) providing access to nearby beach at Petrie Island on the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...

. It continues westward, interrupted on the west side of Orleans by two connector streets before resuming. Going westward, it meets up with the pathway along the Aviation Parkway which is at the

Canada Aviation and Space Museum The Canada Aviation and Space Museum () (formerly the Canada Aviation Museum (''Musée de l'aviation du Canada'') and National Aeronautical Collection (''Collection aéronautique nationale'')) is Canada's national aviation history museum. The m ...

. Further along, it becomes a part of the Trans Canada Trail / The Great Trail using a connecting trail and Sussex Drive as it winds through Rockcliffe Park to the residence of the

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

at 24 Sussex Drive and nearby Rideau Hall the residence of the Governor General. Large sections of this path east of the Canada Aviation and Space Museum remain unpaved, and between there and Rockcliffe there is a choice of a paved path or an unpaved one, while the remainder is paved. Close to Major's Hill Park, and by crossing the Rideau Canal where it meets the Ottawa River at the Ottawa locks, it continues adjacent to the river on the back side of

Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern bank of the Ottawa River that houses the Parliament of Canada in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. It accommodates a suite of Gothic revival buildings whose ...

and then near the War Museum in LeBreton Flats. It continues first Westboro Beach, then Brittania Beach. Nearby, it crosses Carling Avenue becoming the Watts Creek Pathway which eventually crosses the Greenbelt Pathway. Here, going west will go to Kanata, north will go to Shirley's Bay, and south will go to the Trans Canada Trail rail trail to Stittsville and Carleton place. There are connections to Gatineau via multi-use pathways via either the Chief William Commanda Bridge or the Alexandra Bridge.

Rideau Canal Pathway

The most well known of all the sections of the Capital Pathway is the

Rideau Canal The Rideau Canal is a 202-kilometre long canal that links the Ottawa River at Ottawa with the Cataraqui River and Lake Ontario at Kingston, Ontario, Canada. Its 46 Lock (water navigation), locks raise boats from the Ottawa River 83 metres (272 ...

section. Its

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in American and Canadian English to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business district ( ...

location attracts tourists and residents, frequently used for walking, cycling, and running. It continues to be popular in the winter, as the Rideau Canal is widely known as one of the longest skating rinks in the world, with 6 to 8 km of skatable surface on most days in January. The Rideau Canal Pathway's most northerly point is where the canal empties into the Ottawa River. Immediately beside the locks is the Bytown Museum. There actually are two separate paths, on each side of the canal. One encircles

Dow's Lake Dow's Lake in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is a small man-made lake on the Rideau Canal, situated two kilometres north of Hog's Back Falls in the middle of Ottawa. It is at the southern end of Preston Street, just south of Carling Avenue, and just ...

and path users frequently cross to the other side near

Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public university, public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to se ...

, just south of the lake. The trail extends to Hog's Back Falls which also provides a crossing. This is the point where the canal meets the Rideau River. A multi-use trail continues on its east side past

Mooney's Bay Park Mooney's Bay Park is a public park in Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, on the Rideau River. Its main entrance is on Riverside Drive (Ottawa), Riverside Drive, opposite Ridgewood Avenue, but it can also be accessed from Hog's Back Road. Mooney's B ...

to Walkley Road.

Rideau River Eastern Pathway

The Rideau River Eastern Pathway is almost unknown by tourists but frequented by residents. It starts at Rideau Falls where the Rideau River meets the Ottawa River. It goes southward through

New Edinburgh New Edinburgh is a neighbourhood in Rideau-Rockcliffe Ward, in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located to the northeast of the downtown core. It is bordered on the west by the Rideau River, to the north by the Ottawa River, to the south by Beec ...

then along Riverside Drive until it reaches Billings Bridge. Here is a park where ducks frequent. From Billings Bridge, it continues south until it meets up with the Rideau Canal at the Hog's Back Falls.

Other routes

Besides the Rideau Canal Pathway, Ottawa River Pathway, and Rideau River Eastern Pathway, the following pathways are also part of the Capital Pathway in Ottawa: *Watts Creek Pathway *Pinecrest Creek Pathway *Experimental Farm Pathway *Aviation Pathway *Greenbelt Pathway The Capital Pathway also include several routes in Quebec. Aylmer is home to an effective and generally well-maintained network of bicycle paths that encircle the central portion of the area and run past many scenic locations, such as the Aylmer Marina and the Deschênes Rapids. The bike trail becomes very steep going northwards into

. Pink Lake is directly on the path. Other lakes such Kingsmere Lake are accessible. The Champlain Lookout provides a good view of lands to the west of the city of Ottawa from a high elevation.

Safety

Despite the National Capital Region having a very low crime rate, attention has been given to safety on the pathway. The pathway is dark at night, has places where traffic may be hazardous, and has been involved in the investigation of more than one homicide. The Pathway patrol is a volunteer organization based in Ottawa. Trained volunteer patrollers cycle, in-line skate, or

walk Walking (also known as ambulation) is one of the main gaits of terrestrial locomotion among legged animals. Walking is typically slower than running and other gaits. Walking is defined as an "inverted pendulum" gait in which the body vaults over ...

along Ottawa's recreational pathways to promote active living, improve safety and security, and to encourage courtesy among all users. Areas patrolled span the NCC pathways in the west from Andrew Haydon Park through Britannia Park, east along the Ottawa River Pathway to Petrie Island, the Rideau Canal (downtown to Mooney's Bay), the Rideau River (Sussex Drive to Mooney's Bay) and within City of Ottawa parks in the Greenboro area. In 2010, Kanata was added to the patrol region. In 2003, Ardeth Wood disappeared from a pathway near Rockcliffe Parkway starting a large search effort, and resulting in a homicide conviction. There have also been more than one criminal incident on pathways in Gatineau.

References

External links

*
Cycling - City of Ottawa

Ottawa’s Multi Use Pathway Pocket Map Version (hansonthebike.com)

Citizens for Safe Cycling
- Ottawa's bicycle advocacy group since 1983-4
Map My Ride
shows cycling trails mapped by registered users
Bikemap.net - User recommended cycling routes and bike maps for in and around Ottawa

GoBiking.ca - Cycling in Ottawa-Gatineau (including Ontario and Quebec and beyond)Ottawa Bicycle ClubExplore Ontario by Bike - Ottawa
* {{Ottawa Cycleways in Canada Regional parks of Canada Bike paths in Ontario Bike paths in Quebec Tourist attractions in Ottawa Parks in Gatineau Tourist attractions in Quebec National Capital Commission