The City of Ottawa, in collaboration with the Ottawa Art Gallery (OAG), has launched the city’s first Arts, Culture and Entertainment (ACE) District.
This new initiative represents a shared vision to connect Ottawa’s unique downtown cultural and entertainment assets and experiences – supporting a lively, safe, and resilient downtown where culture is visible, every day and for everyone.
Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe and OAG Director and CEO Alexandra Badzak today officially marked the launch at a public event in the ByWard Market, which highlighted downtown’s many cultural assets and spaces and included a tour of new public art installations and pop-up activations.
The ACE District (link is external) encompasses several iconic downtown areas, including the ByWard Market, Rideau Street, Sparks Street, Centretown, LeBreton Flats, and the Bank Street and Elgin Street corridors. It creates a distinct identity that connects the world-class institutions, popular festivals, and diverse local creators and businesses that call downtown Ottawa home.
By introducing a unique brand, creative wayfinding, digital platforms, and new programming and placemaking, the ACE District will make local arts, culture and entertainment easier than ever for residents and visitors to explore and enjoy.
Today’s launch in the heart of the ByWard Market demonstrated the ACE District in action and highlighted three new cultural initiatives:
Residents and visitors can expect to see more cultural and entertainment programming and placemaking initiatives across downtown as the ACE District evolves and becomes more established in the coming years.
The City of Ottawa and its downtown partners recognize that a thriving cultural sector is essential to a healthy city centre. Culture brings people together, drives tourism, supports small businesses, and makes our streets feel safer and more welcoming. The establishment of an ACE District was identified as a catalytic action in the Ottawa Board of Trade’s Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda to support downtown renewal and the creative economy.
As the inaugural ACE District Secretariat, the OAG will steward the day-to-day implementation of the district’s activities supported by the City and an Advisory Table of engaged cultural and business organizations and interest holders.
The City is proudly supporting this work with a $600,000 funding contribution to the OAG, made possible through the $18.5-million allocation for downtown revitalization under the Ontario-Ottawa Agreement.
“Our artists, venues, festivals, and cultural institutions are among the reasons why Ottawa has the best quality of life in Canada. The ACE district is a wonderful new way to celebrate our culture and show it off to visitors and residents. I’m very excited to see the district launched and grateful to our partners who made it happen.”
-Mark Sutcliffe, Mayor of Ottawa
“I’m incredibly excited to see ACE move from an idea, to a framework, to something people can now experience in the streets of downtown Ottawa. At its heart, ACE is about celebrating the extraordinary cultural assets already here — from national institutions to grassroots festivals — and creating new ways for creatives, institutions and businesses to work together so the whole ecosystem can thrive.”
–Alexandra Badzak, Director and CEO, Ottawa Art Gallery / ACE District Secretariat
“The launch of Ottawa’s ACE District is an important milestone in the ongoing renewal of our downtown core. A vibrant city centre depends on more than offices and infrastructure — it depends on people, experiences, and a sense of place. By connecting our cultural institutions, local businesses, festivals, and creative talent under a shared vision, the ACE District will help attract visitors, support economic activity, and create a more dynamic and welcoming downtown for residents and visitors alike. The Ottawa Board of Trade is proud to have championed this initiative through our Downtown Ottawa Action Agenda and looks forward to seeing its impact grow in the years ahead.”
-Sueling Ching, President & CEO, Ottawa Board of Trade
“The ACE District connects downtown Ottawa’s cultural and entertainment assets into a more cohesive and accessible experience. By making it more intuitive to discover and navigate everything from public art to major attractions, it strengthens the appeal of the downtown core and supports increased foot traffic and activity across local businesses. Ottawa Tourism is proud to support the launch of the ACE District and partner with many of the artists and creators helping to bring it to life.”
-Michael Crockatt, President & CEO, Ottawa Tourism
Click here to see more detail about featured ACE District programming:
Open from 10 AM to 6 PM Tuesday and Sunday and from 10 AM to 9 PM Wednesday to Saturday. Closed on Mondays. Admission is always FREE.
