Doors Open Ottawa 2025

Doors Open Ottawa 2025 was the most successful engagement activity for the Culture Plan, reaching 679 residents and actively engaging 627 people, by far the busiest!

By bringing cultural planning conversations into an existing city-wide event, The Culture Plan team were able to meet people where they already were. Conversations and activities took place in both urban and rural locations, with venues including the Gladstone Theatre, Dominion Observatory, Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, and Arts Court helping connect residents and communities.

Residents spoke about the importance of free, accessible opportunities for participation and the value of neighbourhood culture. Residents highlighted that local spaces, programs, and events shape everyday experiences and larger city-wide events create a shared sense of culture in Ottawa.

Locations like the Gladstone Theatre and Cumberland demonstrated how familiar and welcoming cultural spaces can encourage meaningful connections.

A sincere thank you to the host venues, the Doors Open Ottawa team, and everyone who took the time to share their perspectives.

Overall, Doors Open Ottawa proved to be a highly effective, low-barrier engagement approach and a strong example of the value of bringing conversations directly into the spaces and events where residents are already gathering.