Ottawa is still all about celebrating Canada's 150th, and we're definitely not mad about it.
If you're familiar with the Sound and Light Show on Parliament Hill, you'll love this new sound and light show called Mìwàte on a completely different platform. A waterfall.
For the first time in 100 years, you'll be able to walk the edge of Chaudière Falls, which is part of the Ottawa River. The rushing water makes it look like a mini Niagara Falls, and it's stunning. However, add sound and light to that at night and the celebrations begin!
There is a new viewing platform that gives you the most amazing views of the water, and since public access to Chaudière Falls has been blocked off for years due to industrial reasons, this is a big deal. Guy Laflemme, who is the Ottawa 2017 director, said that this sound and light show is completely different from past ones. He states that he wants it to be a spiritual experience while walking on the platform, while hearing sounds of drumming, flutes, melodic chanting and lights illuminating the falls.
This celebration is a tribute to the Indigenous people, and to get people to see why it's a sacred site for Indigenous people. The city teamed up with Hydro Ottawa to sponsor the light show, which is why it's absolutely stunning. Laflemme said it will also be a completely different experience than Niagara Falls, saying "it will be dynamic".
Chaudière Falls can usually be seen from the Chaudière Bridge, but this time you can get right up to the water to see the beautiful lights, falls, and hear the amazing sounds. Mìwàte begins near the Canadian War Museum and it's a 10 to 15 minute production on a loop. The whole experience of the show and walking the platform takes about 35 to 40 minutes, but you'll most likely want to stay longer.
The light show at Chaudière Falls officially kicks off on October 6th to November 5th, and the show is on from 7 pm to 10 pm. Moment Factory, the same company that brought Kontinuum, the stunning underground light show, to Ottawa also produced Mìwàte. So just by that, we know we're in for a real treat!
