This tour will take you around the heart of the Byward Market area - Ottawa’s original residential and commercial district. Every building has a story – some is about the architecture, but much is about the people and events associated with various structures along three streets -York, Dalhousie, George. This economically and socially diverse neighbourhood is rich in heritage and in tales about Indigenous peoples, millionaires, female hotel keepers, political riots, commercial innovators, and more. The tour will have about ten thematic stops and will take about one hour. 

Join us for an engaging evening during Ottawa Architecture Week, as we delve into the exciting world of urban design, architecture and city building at our panel discussion event titled "Mapping the Market: Spatial Anchors & Planned Histories”

Join the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa for an accessible introduction to the realities of homelessness in our city, with a focus on the challenges and opportunities in Ottawa’s downtown core. This session will explore the root causes of homelessness, the pressures visible in areas like the ByWard Market, and the systemic solutions needed to create lasting change. Participants will learn about housing-first approaches, and the role of community partnerships in building a more compassionate and effective response.  The webinar will be conducted by Kaite Burkholder-Harris, the Executive Director at the Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa, and Co-Chair of the Ontario Alliance to End Homelessness. Kaite has a Master’s of Public Health from the University of Toronto, worked at the Canadian Observatory on Homelessness with communities across the country as a System Planner, and has been her role as Executive Director since 2020.

Registration to come

Come explore a historical building of the Byward Market!  

Since 1832 this piece of land has been the site for several structures that have serviced the local community. From the original wooden chapel to a permeant stone church dedicated to St. Jacques (James), this site has been an on-going construction site from 1827 to 1879. This local church was elevated to status of cathedral in 1847 and later cathedral-basilica in 1879. 

Come explore a structure that has been an evolving piece of religious architecture in the city to the current piece of gothic architecture that can now be seen today. Learn about the elements and details has created memories of our past and establish a unique treasure for the Byward Market and the city of Ottawa that is visited by many. 

Registration to come

Jane's Walk is offering walking tours as part of the 2025 edition of Ottawa Architecture Week. This year's theme is Mapping the Market: Spatial Anchors & Planned Histories. One of Ottawa’s oldest neighborhoods, the ByWard Market has long been a site of cultural exchange, architectural layering, and collective memory. Changes to Ottawa's downtown are upon us in light of the recent pandemic, city growth, and accelerated development; and changes are being proposed for the Market as part of that evolution: What should we be doing to honour the past while imagining a future that is inclusive, sustainable, and rooted in place?

Join us for an inspiring evening dedicated to the transformative power of beauty in architecture, featuring special guest Mr. Philippe Pemezec, the visionary Mayor of Le Plessis-Robinson, France. Widely recognized for orchestrating one of Europe’s most ambitious urban revitalization projects, Mr. Pemezec will share his journey of turning a declining suburb into a model of classical elegance and livability. Under his leadership from 1989 to 2018, Le Plessis-Robinson became a beacon of New Urbanism, embracing traditional architectural styles, walkable neighborhoods, and vibrant public spaces.

À l’occasion du 20e anniversaire de l’inauguration du Musée canadien de la guerre sur les plaines LeBreton, les firmes Moriyama Teshima Architects et GRC Architects (une société de Provencher_Roy) organiseront une visite architecturale du bâtiment. La visite sera guidée par les architectes, qui partageront leurs récits, de la conception à la construction de ce bâtiment marquant du patrimoine culturel.

In recognition of the 20th anniversary of the opening of the Canadian War Museum on LeBreton Flats, Moriyama Teshima Architects and GRC Architects (a Provencher_Roy Company) will host an architectural tour of the building. Architects from the firms will lead the tour, sharing stories about this significant cultural landmark, from its design through to its construction.