Got back on Saturday evening from a 9 day trip up to see friends in Ottawa and for us to take a quick trip up to Winnepeg to see a concert that got cancelled on us at the last moment. Despite that and horrible weather the first few days I was there, it was a grand trip, and renewed my love for the Great White North (although right now it’s probably the ‘sort of brown and damp North’.
Y’all are nice folks 
I’ve got to ask. What was your impression of Ottawa? You see, I live in the west rural part of the amalgamated city. I don’t get downtown very often, but from all accounts the downtown has become a drug-infested shit hole with panhandlers and used needles lining the streets. I don’t see much of a change at all from my experiences downtown. There are homeless, as in all large cities. Some of the social assistance programs we have are being blamed for the drug problems: free needle and crack pipe programs, if you can believe it.
Anyway, did you think Ottawa was all that bad? Are the media here playing up the problems downtown? Will you come back to Ottawa? Recommend it?
You didn’t get far enough west for it to be the Great White North. Here in Calgary, we had north winds that brought us probably a foot of snow over the weekend. So, yes, below-freezing temps, even colder wind chills, and snow, snow, snow. We just tell ourselves that spring will arrive…maybe in June. 
Glad to hear you enjoyed your trip!
Yeah, every trip my wife and I have taken into Canada has been great. These have been trips to Toronto, Banff/Jasper area, Circle Tour around Lake Superior and day trips to the Thunder Bay area while camping in northern Minnesota. (All different trips of course!) Great people, great experiences.
We have some Bob and Doug McKenzie action figures that accompany us on our Canadian treks, sitting on the dashboard protecting us.
I hope to do a polar bear sightseeing trip to Churchill one of these years. (Soon before global warming gets worse.)
You’re entirely welcome 
Canada is great.
I was fortunate enough to have two (two weeks each) business trips to Belleville, Ontario last year. The people were very hospitable and the food was quite good. I hope to come back this year or next for vacation.