Hull Things to Do Tips by johngayton

Lac (Lake) Leamy is a popular local summer attraction for Hull/Gatineau residents with its supervised beach, changing rooms, children's play area, canoe & kayak rentals, BBQ area and etc. Yep, pretty much all the outdoor fun things for a family day out around the water.

In the winter though, with temperatures well below zero, the lake offers a different set of pleasures - one of which is relative solititude even on a beautifully clear Sunday afternoon when the summer masses are replaced by a few "in-the-know" skaters and cross-country skiers getting away from the more crowded resort areas and enjoying the traffic-free level pathway around the lake.

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Phone: 1-800-465-1867
Address: Boulevard Fournier, Hull, Gatineau
Directions: Tucked in the corner where the Gatineau River joins The Ottawa - follow the signs for the casino!!
Website: www.bonjourquebec.com/qc-en/fiches/en/attraits/8141712.html

The Canadian Museum of Civilization, or seeing as we are here in Hull/Gatineau: Le Musee Canadien des Civilizations, is situated on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, adjacent to The Alexandra Bridge. However whatever your choice of language and whichever city you happen to be visiting here in Canada's National Capital Region this museum is deservedly Canada's most popular.

Architecturally, the building (designed by the Meti-descended Douglas Cardinal and completed in 1989) has a very subtley imposing visual prescence, both externally and internally, with its linear curvatures creating spaciousness without attempting dominance by sheer scale. What the architect here has attempted to convey is the physical fluidity of Canadian Natural History along with the country's cultural development from The Nation's First Peoples to the present day - the lack of angled corners leaving nowhere for the evil spirits of either past or present to lurk.

The museum's exhibits cover 4 floors with the two main galleries being the Grand Hall/First Peoples Hall on level 1 and The Canada Hall on level 3 - see following tips for more detailed info.

The 2nd floor houses the Canadian Postal Museum and The Children's Museum as well as the special exhibitions galleries. The 4th floor has a new exhibition entitled "Face to Face" which introduces visitors to some of Canada's historical characters (some better known than others).

As well as the exhibitions the building also houses an IMAX Theatre, a couple of cafes and the usual souvenirs shops.

Details of opening times and admission charges are on website and it is certainly worth noting that admission is free on Thursday evenings when the museum is open until 9pm!!

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Phone: 1 800 555-5621
Address: 100 Rue Laurier, Gatineau
Directions: Quite literally a 15 minute walk across the Alexandra bridge from downtown Ottawa or a 2 minute walk from downtown Hull. Check STO or OCTranspo sites for bus details.
Website: www.civilization.ca

The main entrance to The Museum of Civilization from Rue Laurier brings the visitor in on Level 2 where the information booth, ticket office and cloakroom all are. This immediate area also has a couple of souvenir shops and a cafe and is publicly accessible without charge (useful if you are in the area and need to use a WC!!).

Level 2 overlooks the canoe-shaped Grand Hall with its 2-storey picture windows illuminating the museum's collection of Totem and House Poles and their backdrop of what the museum claims to be the largest colour photograph in the world. This room also contains a set of exhibits from the West Coast Aboriginal Peoples based around reconstructions of typical homes before leading on to The First Peoples Hall whose entrance is just after Bill Ried's plaster cast of his sculpture "The Spirit of Hiada Gwaii". (Just visible at the far end of the main pic!)

The First People's sets of exhibits introduce the life and culture of the various Canadian Aboriginal Peoples both before and after the influx of the Europeans and especially highlights the sophistication of the native civilization before the advent of the modern settlers and do indeed provide much to think about.

To really do justice to this part of the museum (and the same is true of The Canada Hall) I personally would allow at least half a day (or of course a whole Thursday evening when entry is free!!).

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Phone: 1 800 555-5621
Address: 100 Rue Laurier, Hull/Gatineau
Directions: Over the river from Parliament Hill, a couple of minutes from downtown Old Hull
Website: www.civilization.ca

The Canada Hall exhibition here at Le Musee covers Canadian History from a settlers East to West perspective over the last 1,000 or so years beginning with the early Viking visits at the turn of the first millenium.

The exhibits in this section give an idea of the parallel settlement of both the English and French colonists around the 17th and 18th centuries and the various attractions of Canada for each and continues to relatively recent immigrations from Asia and Eastern Europe. This is all presented as a sort of "living museum" and by all accounts there are regular live performances by the Museum's own theatre company "Dramamuse" to add touches of life to the displays.

This part of Canada's history is all presented in a very non-judgemental fashion and should definitely be preceded by a visit to the Grand and First People's Halls just to put a little native perspective on the history.

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Phone: 1 800 555 5621
Address: 100 Laurier Street, Hull/Gatineau
Directions: Just before The Alexandra Bridge coming from downtown Hull or just after if coming from downtown Ottawa.
Website: www.civilization.ca

OK its a bit shorter than the 7.8 Km of the world's largest skating rink but here at Lac Leamy you can still get your skates on. The lake itself isn't groomed for ice-skating but the car park in the correct conditions can work just as well!!

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Address: Lac Leamy, Hull
Directions: At the bottom of Boulevard St Raymond (Rue de Casino) heading towards the Alexandra Bridge
Website: http://www.outaouais-travelguide.com/Gatineau/Parc-Lac-Leamy/