Join us on Tuesday, February 18th at 12:00 pm for a Heritage Day celebration back at Ottawa City Hall!
See invitationCelebrate Heritage Day! February 18, 2025 - Heritage Champions: Crafting a Legacy of Preservation and Innovation.
We are thrilled to invite you to Heritage Day 2025, celebrating with the theme: “Heritage Champions: Crafting a Legacy of Preservation and Innovation.” It’s a time to come together and honor the incredible work being done to preserve Ottawa’s rich and diverse history!
Tuesday, February 18, 2025
12:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Free In-Person Event at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue
The Heritage Showcase
Come explore the vibrant heritage community of Ottawa! Local historical societies, museums, and heritage organizations will be featured in Jean Pigott Hall before and after the official ceremony at 12:00 pm. You’ll have the opportunity to meet heritage professionals and volunteers, ask questions, and plan your next cultural adventure.
Theme: Heritage Champions
This year’s theme highlights the enduring and essential work of heritage professionals—planners, architects, craft and trade specialists, educators, and volunteers—who are dedicated to preserving Ottawa’s rich history. We will also showcase innovative approaches that these champions use to sustain our cultural legacy for future generations.
Why celebrate Heritage Day?
Canada’s collective story is told through our special places, whether they are historic buildings or sites, archives, libraries, museums, commercial mainstreets or districts, places of faith, industrial areas, or natural or cultural landscapes.
Our shared heritage and histories in all forms has the power to bring people together and create a sense of belonging. Gathering places like town squares, and pow wow grounds, and cultural objects such as artefacts, regalia and family memorabilia are tangible touchstones with the past that can root us in place and nourish the spirit. Intangible heritage – languages, traditional rituals, music, dance, storytelling and more – is at the heart of family and community.
Heritage Day is also a chance to recognize the contributions of the many dedicated staff and volunteers promoting heritage conservation and educating the public about our city’s history. Gathering places like museums, and cultural objects such as artefacts and memorabilia are tangible touchstones with the past that can root us in place and nourish the spirit; and intangible heritage – such as traditions, storytelling and more – is at the heart of family and community.
In celebration of our past and our future, we encourage all – young and old, deeply rooted or new to Canada and its Capital – to visit heritage destinations, cultural landscapes and centres, and connect with traditional knowledge keepers, educators, parents and grandparents to experience heritage on Heritage Day and beyond. Find out how heritage is being celebrated in your community; and learn about services offered by local heritage organizations, public programs and special initiatives, as well as professional development and volunteer opportunities.
Join Capital Heritage Connexion in partnership with the City of Ottawa Cultural and Heritage Programs and Spaces Branch and embrace, explore and enjoy your heritage places and experiences in Canada’s Capital during Heritage Week February 20 to 26, 2024 and throughout the year!
