OTTAWA, July 8, 2025 — As part of its Capacity Building Cohort which enlisted a few dozen of Ottawa’s tourism operators into a six-month program to build the tools to elevate accessibility within their offerings, Ottawa Tourism is proud to announce the allocation of funding for ten projects through its Tourism Accessibility Fund. Piloted in April 2024, the Tourism Accessibility Fund provides funding to eligible visitor-facing businesses to improve the accessibility of their visitor experience and address specific gaps in the destination’s visitor experience.
For the 2025 iteration of the program, the projects are funded with one-time grants of up to $20,000, depending on the scale of the projects, to improve or retrofit the accessibility of facilities. In total, over $100,000 is awarded through the Tourism Accessibility Fund and will be completed by fall 2025:
- Andaz Hyatt Byward Market: Installation of an automatic push-button door in the lobby’s accessible washroom.
- Brookstreet Hotel: Installation of automatic door openers in accessible guest rooms to improve barrier-free access.
- Capital Pride: Investments to accessible infrastructure for its festival grounds, including viewing platforms, accessible portable washrooms and hiring ASL interpretation services and Whimble for support services.
- Fairmont Château Laurier: Enhancements to washroom accessibility, including automatic doors, emergency buttons, and lowered amenities.
- Holiday Inn Express & Suites Ottawa East Orleans: Installation of a portable stairlift and retrofit to select guest rooms, upgrades to restrooms and elevators and enhanced accessible furnishings in guest rooms and meeting spaces.
- Let’s Go Cargo!: Purchase of a Black Iron Horse electric cargo bike to improve accessible mobility options for visitors in Ottawa’s core.
- Mahal Tanjore: Accessibility upgrades to the restaurant’s main entrance, washroom, seating, and signage to meet current accessibility standards.
- OSEG (TD Place): Accessibility upgrades to changerooms at TD Place, including wider doorways, handrails, foldable shower seats, and a ramp installation to meet current standards.
- Saunders Farm: Installation of wheelchair-accessible pathways across key areas of the property, inclusive seating upgrades in the pavilion and improved signage to clearly mark accessible routes and amenities.
- The Bytown Museum: Addition of a new accessible parking space, a compliant entrance ramp, and a dual-height visitor services desk.
“Ottawa Tourism is committed to building a destination that welcomes everyone,” says Michael Crockatt, President and CEO of Ottawa Tourism. “Through initiatives like the Tourism Accessibility Fund and our Capacity Building Program, we are bringing businesses together to remove barriers and create more inclusive experiences from our accommodations to our restaurants and our attractions. These efforts are not only the right thing to do, they also strengthen our tourism economy and reinforce Ottawa’s capacity to welcome and accommodate visitors of all abilities.”
“There’s a whole community of people who are eager to explore and enjoy local attractions but too often face barriers that make it difficult or impossible,” explains Mark Saunders, Director of Fun at Saunders Farm. “This funding helps us open our doors wider to welcome more families and more visitors. Beyond accessibility, it’s about unlocking untapped potential and making sure everyone feels like they belong.”
About Ottawa Tourism
Through its values of inclusivity, trust, collaboration, and innovation, Ottawa Tourism pursues its vision to be one of Canada’s most visited, sustainable, vibrant, and appealing urban destinations, as well as the tourism authority for key economic development and city-building decisions in Ottawa. Canada’s capital welcomes an estimated 9.8 million visitors annually who spend $2.6 billion in the community.
For more information, please contact:
Jérôme Miousse
Director, Public Affairs
corporate@ottawatourism.ca
