Victoria Day, celebrated on Monday, May 19, marks the unofficial start of summer in Canada. It’s a public holiday, so most businesses and institutions in Ottawa will be closed. There are exceptions, though.

🎆 The Tulip Festival will end on Sunday with a drone show and fireworks display.

🛍 Shopping and Malls
Open: Rideau Centre and Tanger Outlets (10am–6pm), Les Promenades Gatineau and Galeries de Hull (in Quebec City).

Partially open: ByWard Market and Glebe stores — call ahead.

Closed: Most supermarkets and malls.

LCBO: Closed.

Beer Store: Open 11am–6pm.

🚍 Parking and Transportation
City parking rules apply as usual.

OC Transpo operates on a Sunday schedule.

Confederation Line: 8am to 11pm, Trillium Line: 7:30am to 11:30pm.

Rideau Service Centre is open; Lost & Found on St-Laurent is closed.

Para Transpo bookings for Monday are cancelled, but can be booked manually.

🎭 Leisure and Culture
City museums, Centrepointe and Shenkman theatres are closed.

Open: National Gallery, Museum of Agriculture, Aviation, History, Nature, Science and War.

Ottawa Art Gallery and Diefenbunker are closed.

Children's fountains open May 16, beach toilets open May 17.

🏛 City Services
Garbage and recycling collections are postponed to the day.

Municipal buildings, customer service centres and courthouse are closed.

The 311 call centre is open for urgent matters only.

The Trail Road recycling centre is open from 9am to 5pm.

Libraries, licensing centre, animal sterilisation clinic and city galleries are closed.

🏥 Health and child care
Sexual and dental clinics, as well as child care centres and parenting advice centres, are closed.

Health811 is open.

The drug consumption centre is closed, but the mobile van will be open from 5pm to 11:30pm.