Exploring the Rideau Falls in the heart of Ottawa • Tapped Out Travellers

The twin falls mark the spot where the Rideau River flows into the Ottawa River.

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Rideau Falls

The falls are divided by Green Island, with Ottawa’s Old City Hall just to the south. To the west of the falls is the headquarters of the National Research Council while to the east are Canada and the World Pavilion and the French Embassy. The falls were named by the early French for their resemblance to a curtain, or Rideau in French. The Rideau River was later named after the falls. The Rideau Canal was constructed to bypass these falls and the Hog’s Back Falls.

Commonwealth Air Force Memorial

The Ottawa Memorial (Commonwealth Air Forces) is dedicated to the almost 800 men and women of the Air Forces of the Commonwealth who lost their lives while serving in units operating from bases in Canada, the Caribbean and the United States of America, or while training in Canada and the U.S.A., and who have no known graves. It was unveiled on July 1, 1959 and is owned by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Looking back across the second (smaller) segment of Rideau Falls

National Artillery Memorial and Memorial Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae statue

The large marble wall commemorates gunners killed in service. The 25-pounder gun was used by the Royal Canadian Regiment of Artillery during the Second World War and in Korea.

In 2015, a statue of John McCrae was added to the site of the monument to mark the centennial of the writing of “In Flanders Fields”.

The Lieutenant-Colonel John McCrae Statue in Ottawa features a large likeness of McCrae in the uniform of an artillery officer, with his medical bag at his feet and poppies growing nearby amidst the destruction of a battlefield. Designed by Canadian artist Ruth Abernethy, it was erected by the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery in collaboration with the Royal Canadian Medical Service. This beautiful monument stands beside the National Artillery Memorial and was unveiled on May 3, 2015 – the 100^th anniversary of the writing of his renowned poem.

Ottawa River Cruise and Rideau Canal

Last summer, we took a ride on the Ottawa River Cruise through Paul’s Boat Tours. It was a great adventure for the whole family and we got an amazing view of the falls from the canal.

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