Skate Canada International (SCI) 2020 to be held in Ottawa

[victorskid]

Announced today: https://skatecanada.ca/2019/10/ottawa-to-host-2020-skate-canada-international/

It will be at The Arena at TD Place (formerly known as the Civic Centre at Landsdowne Park) Oct. 30-Nov. 1, 2020

 

[marbri]

I assume Landsdowne has been renovated? I use Landsdowne as it was that the last time I was there so hoping with the new name came some new renovations
But I like that location, not having to drive out to Canadian Tire Centre is a huge plus.

 

[RoseRed]

I assume Landsdowne has been renovated? I use Landsdowne as it was that the last time I was there so hoping with the new name came some new renovations
But I like that location, not having to drive out to Canadian Tire Centre is a huge plus.

It was renovated back around 2012-2014, when the whole Landsdowne Park redevelopment took place. The arena used to be called the Civic Centre and is now TD Place. The area is still Landsdowne.

 

[victorskid]

I assume Landsdowne has been renovated? I use Landsdowne as it was that the last time I was there so hoping with the new name came some new renovations
But I like that location, not having to drive out to Canadian Tire Centre is a huge plus.

The last Canadian Championships held in Ottawa (2017) were at The Arena at TD Place.

 

[marbri]

That's right, the Civic Centre, it's where I saw most of the concerts I went to in my life back in the 80's!
I have heard the area has been redeveloped, just wasn't sure about the arena itself.

It's a good location though for people who want to visit. My niece lived in the area recently and I know from her there are some decent restaurants etc in the area so convenient for folks. The location and facilities around it, and close proximity to downtown makes it very tempting.

 

[marbri]

The last Canadian Championships held in Ottawa (2017) were at The Arena at TD Place.

I just have some vague memory of a competition there where there were squirrels in the rafters, but that could be going back a few years.

 

[RoseRed]

That's right, the Civic Centre, it's where I saw most of the concerts I went to in my life back in the 80's!
I have heard the area has been redeveloped, just wasn't sure about the arena itself.

It's a good location though for people who want to visit. My niece lived in the area recently and I know from her there are some decent restaurants etc in the area so convenient for folks. The location and facilities around it, and close proximity to downtown makes it very tempting.

Yeah, there's tons of stuff around there. Even just in Landsdowne (so right outside the arena basically), there's a movie theatre, several restaurants and dessert places, some shops and a couple of banks. Then tons more close by in the Glebe.

The underground parking lot can be a bit confusing, but it's big and you don't have to drive either, depending on where you're coming from.

 

[quartz]

What is the hotel situation around the arena? And how far is the area from the train station?

 

[Aaron W]

What is the hotel situation around the arena? And how far is the area from the train station?

I stayed in The Glebe area a couple years ago while visiting Ottawa. The arena isn’t near a train station, though there was frequent bus service up/down Bank Street. So you could stay downtown without much of an issue getting back & forth if you’re fine with taking a bus.

 

[JasperBoy]

NOTHING is close to the train station! And there are no shuttles or taxi services either. At least, that's how it was last time I tried to go by train. That was before everyone had a cell phone and we lined up to use the only pay phone to call for a taxi.

 

[RoseRed]

I believe transit to Landsdowne is also free if you show your TD Place event ticket.

 

[RoseRed]

NOTHING is close to the train station! And there are no shuttles or taxi services either. At least, that's how it was last time I tried to go by train. That was before everyone had a cell phone and we lined up to use the only pay phone to call for a taxi.

Don't think I've ever been to the Via station in Ottawa and not seen at least a few taxis waiting outside. There's also a car rental place there. And the O-train now has a station right next to the Via station.

 

[quartz]

I'd be taking a VIA train to Ottawa - I'd want to stay at a hotel as close to the arena as possible. I'm fine taking a bus, as long as there is a direct line from hotel to arena. Walking distance, even better!

 

[skategal]

I’d totally go if it wasn’t Halloween weekend.

My kid wouldn’t be impressed if I missed Halloween plus my husband usually is away on a work trip at that time of year.

 

[Vash01]

I have never been to Ottawa. This could be my opportunity.

 

[victorskid]

I'd be taking a VIA train to Ottawa - I'd want to stay at a hotel as close to the arena as possible. I'm fine taking a bus, as long as there is a direct line from hotel to arena. Walking distance, even better!

The VIA station is just to the east of downtown - there is easy taxi, bus and LRT service from there to the downtown core where most hotels are located. When choosing a hotel, you might want to check bus routes to the arena which is on the east side of Bank Street in an area of the city called the Glebe - it's between Bank Street and the Rideau Canal. There really are no hotels in that area but it is pretty easy to get to and has lots more around it than the Canadian Tire Centre in the west end of town. As mentioned above, I believe you can get free transport on the buses with an event ticket - I hope that's still so in 2020.

I'd suggest bringing up a Google map to help you get some orientation

 

[uandmfan]

I believe transit to Landsdowne is also free if you show your TD Place event ticket.

Only for events where transit is included. Not all are and they don't always run special busses. When I went to nationals they didn't put extra busses ok at the end of the night. At that time they ran every 30 minutes. my husband came to get me. I was shocked. I even called them to ask if extra busses would run at the end of the event and they said no.

Sorry, jaded OCTranspo user......but I'd like to be aware that the bus may not run as expected if I was from out of town.

 

[kwanfan1818]

 

[MR-FAN]

AAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!! I can’t believe I’ll go to Worlds AND Skate Canada in the same year

 

[clairecloutier]

It sounds like a great location, but yeah, I'm not sure that I could get away with missing Halloween. My kids are young enough that it's still a fairly big deal for them. Hmmm.

 

[JasperBoy]

Glad to know that transport from the train station has improved in recent years. And there is an O-train...rapid transit into the city, I think. I was last in Ottawa in July 2015 but flew in and then walked everywhere.

 

[RoseRed]

Only for events where transit is included. Not all are and they don't always run special busses. When I went to nationals they didn't put extra busses ok at the end of the night. At that time they ran every 30 minutes. my husband came to get me. I was shocked. I even called them to ask if extra busses would run at the end of the event and they said no.

Sorry, jaded OCTranspo user......but I'd like to be aware that the bus may not run as expected if I was from out of town.

Well, the RedBlack games for example (that I think they do special buses for) have average attendance of above 25 000 people per game, whereas the TD Place arena only holds 9000+ people. So I'm not shocked that they wouldn't do special buses for a skating event. I'm pretty sure they don't for any of the OHL games.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Back in the day I went to Ottawa to see the 1992 World Junior Championships in Hull (which was just over the river in Quebec).

From memory, I took the wrong bus back to town and ended up at Landsdowne Park.

Hopefully, with a name change the Civic Centre has been renovated. I believe that at the 2006 Canadian Championships, bits of the ceiling were crumbling and falling on the ice.

 

[manhn]

Hmmmm.... that sounds interesting. I haven't been to Ottawa in ages.

 

[RoseRed]

Back in the day I went to Ottawa to see the 1992 World Junior Championships in Hull (which was just over the river in Quebec).

From memory, I took the wrong bus back to town and ended up at Landsdowne Park.

Hopefully, with a name change the Civic Centre has been renovated. I believe that at the 2006 Canadian Championships, bits of the ceiling were crumbling and falling on the ice.

Yes, as I said, it was renovated a few years ago. The major junior hockey team that plays there spent two seasons using the NHL arena while it was being renovated. I've been to an OHL game there to see Connor McDavid back in 2015. It was fine.

 

[uandmfan]

Well, the RedBlack games for example (that I think they do special buses for) have average attendance of above 25 000 people per game, whereas the TD Place arena only holds 9000+ people. So I'm not shocked that they wouldn't do special buses for a skating event. I'm pretty sure they don't for any of the OHL games.

As a former regular user of OCtranspo, I am just trying to warn people who want to rely on public transit that it may not work the way they expect.

Even if only 3000 people take the bus at the end of the event, 1 bus every 30 minutes isn't helpful. The lines after nationals were insane and it was basically impossible for me to get where I needed to go (a major transit station outside of the core) in a reasonable time.

Now I always drive to an event at Lansdowne and park offsite. It's not worth the hassle of using the bus for me.

If I was visiting here I'd rather be prepared for the worst and have a happy surprise than expect good bus service and to be frustrated and disappointed.

 

[victorskid]

Glad to know that transport from the train station has improved in recent years. And there is an O-train...rapid transit into the city, I think. I was last in Ottawa in July 2015 but flew in and then walked everywhere.

The Confederation Line of our brand new LRT has a stop at the VIA rail station

 

[skategal]

I believe that at the 2006 Canadian Championships, bits of the ceiling were crumbling and falling on the ice.

I was at the one with the crumbling ceiling bits floating to the ice.

It might be changed now but Bus Route 1 went right to Landsdowne.

That was also the time we ended up with free porn on the TV at our hotel (the Old Delta).

We didn’t order it but when we got back from skating it was on the TV.

Good times.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

That was also the time we ended up with free porn on the TV at our hotel (the Old Delta).

We didn’t order it but when we got back from skating it was on the TV.

Good times.

Reading this, I suddenly had a moment and imagined Rod Black and Debbi Wilkes doing commentary.

 

[skategal]

Reading this, I suddenly had a moment and imagined Rod Black and Debbi Wilkes doing commentary.

I have all my skating trips categorized by "that time when...."

Examples: "that time when we had free porn", "that time when the faucet broke in the bathroom of our hotel room and spurted water on the ceiling", "that time when I thought I ordered a glass of wine but ordered a bottle."

Good times....