St. John's has been an active parish in the community for over a century. In 1889 a small group from St. George's Church commissioned architect J. Hames to construct a church at the corner of Elgin and Somerset. The cornerstone was laid in 1890. Five months later the building was completed and consecrated as Grace Church. In 1912, after a fire destroyed St. John's on Sussex Drive, St. John's and Grace Church joined to form the Church of St. John the Evangelist. The interior of the building is unique, being constructed entirely of wood. The sombre interior accentuates the beauty of the many stained glass windows, each of which were donated by members of St. John's congregation. Today, St. John's remains an active part of the Centretown community, hosting meetings, artistic gatherings and a variety of chamber music concerts.

St. Andrew's, situated on the corner of Kent and Wellington streets, has been a distinguished feature of the heart of the National Capital's ceremonial area. The original church of 1828 was built for a Protestant congregation by Lt. Colonel By's stone masons who were brought from Scotland to build the Rideau Canal. It was replaced in 1872 by the larger Neo-Gothic structure that exists today. Some of the many colourful stained glass windows were designed by Eleanor Milne who also designed the stained glass windows in the Senate chambers and the House of Commons. St. Andrew's has always actively participated in downtown Ottawa community events as well as in many national events. To commemorate Canada's 125th birthday the Lobed Windows over the Wellington Street entrance were installed. Over the years St. Andrew's has boasted many illustrious parishioners, including Princess Juliana of the Netherlands, whose daughter Margriet was baptized there. St. Andrew's remains an active host to many different musical events including regular performances by Thirteen Strings.

In 1832, Nicholas Sparks donated the Bytown site of the first Christ Church to those of the faith of the Church of England. The congregation was formally organized in 1833, and the first service took place on July 21st of that year. By 1841, due to the rapid growth of Bytown, it was recognized that the small church could not adequately meet the needs of the growing congregation. By 1843, enlargements were completed, the church was consecrated and given its name - Christ Church. In 1872 it was decided that a new church be constructed on the site of the old church, and a cornerstone was laid with a time capsule containing artifacts and monetary denominations. In 1897, it was formally announced that Christ Church would become the Cathedral of the new Diocese of Ottawa. The completion of the new chancel in 1932 marked 100 years since the establishment of the first church in Bytown.

Last year St. Matthew's celebrated its centennial year of serving the Glebe community. The original church of 1889 was a wooden structure of gothic-style architecture, designed by John Watts who later designed mansions for leading Ottawa citizens, including lumber baron J.R. Booth. The church provided seats for 260 parishioners and Sunday school classes in the basement. By the 1920's, the decision was made to erect a new church to accommodate the growing congregation. Despite complications caused by the stock market crash of 1929, the new church was complete in time for Christmas of 1930. The present structure is an English Gothic-style building made of limestone, designed to hold 1200 parishioners and a choir of 60. St. Mathew's is characterised by its strong tradition of choral music, which began in the 1950's with the men's and boys' choir, backed by a 2,770-pipe organ. The choir, which now includes a women's and girls' choir, includes pieces by Handel, Bach, Haydn and contemporary composers in their repertoire.

The First Baptist Church, as the name suggests, was the first organized Baptist church to be built in Ottawa. The Church first gathered in 1857 in a private home with a small congregation of only six women and three men. The first church was built on Queen Street in 1863 but was quickly outgrown. To accommodate the larger congregation, a new church was constructed on the corner of Elgin Street and Maria Street (now Laurier Avenue). The corner-stone was laid in 1877 by Prime Minister Alexander MacKenzie. The building was completed the next year. The silver trowel presented to Prime Minister MacKenzie at the laying of the corner-stone was later donated to the church by MacKenzie's grandson and is now mounted in the church. The colourful stained glass windows are fine examples of nineteenth century art and craftsmanship embodying designs and techniques that go back hundreds of years. Today, First Baptist helps out the community by offering food vouchers and giving assistance to one of Ottawa's food banks as well as providing a meeting place for the elderly.

Usually a lonely, silent place at night, the car park behind Friday's Roast House will come alive with the sound of opera the way many festival-goers have never heard it before. In a special benefit concert on the grounds where the proposed Community Concert Hall will stand, the East Village Opera Company is planning a show that will knock the socks off opera lovers and newcomers to classical opera alike. The site straddles the point at which the Parliament Hill quarter ends and the night life on Elgin Street begins: a fitting location for a Community Concert Hall that will be designed to host musical events of every genre.

All Saints was the dream and creation of Sir Henry Newell Bate, the owner of a nineteenth-century wholesale grocery business and Chairman of the Ottawa Improvement Commission. The building, completed in February 1900, is Gothic in style, with three-foot limestone walls and heavy buttresses supporting inside arches. The bell tower houses an unusual carillon of nine bells, cast by Mears and Stainbank. Prime Minister Sir Robert Borden worshipped there and the church has a stained glass window dedicated to his memory. Today the parish plays an active role in the Sandy Hill community. It runs a shelter for homeless women and started up the now-independent Hospice of All Saints.

Rideau Hall has been the official residence of the Governor General since before confederation. It was built in 1832 by its original owner Thomas MacKay, a stonemason and contractor who also built the entrance to the locks on the Rideau Canal. The stately building is set on an expansive 88 acres which include magnificent gardens and a wide assortment of trees planted by each Governor General at the start of his or her term and by official guests of Rideau Hall. This ceremonial tree planting tradition began in 1906. Since then, a total of 83 ceremonial trees have been planted by such distinguished guests as Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Queen Juliana of the Netherlands, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, Secretary General of the United Nations, as well as many heads of state from around the world. On each tree, a plaque indicates the type of tree, the name of the illustrious planter and the date it was planted.

McLeod-Stewarton United Church is an amalgamation of Stewarton United (formerly Presbyterian) and McLeod Street United (formerly Methodist). The congregation was formed in 1888, and the present building was constructed in 1907. Its architecture is Gothic in style, and was built with Canadian limestone by the Scottish stonemasons brought to Canada to work on the Parliament Buildings. The congregation has always supported a tradition of superb music and hosted the National Sunday Evening Hour in the 1950s. The late Bernice Oak, an Ontario adjudicator and the head of the music department at the Ottawa Board of Education, was a strong supporter of music in the church and played a large role in the restoration of the organ. Today, McLeod-Stewarton enjoys a fine choir led by four soloists and a concert series of diverse music. It is also recognized as an active participant in the community for its outreach programmes through Centre 507 (a drop-in centre for the homeless) and a food bank.

The National Arts Centre is Canada¹s pre-eminent showcase for the performing arts and the catalyst for the performing arts nationally - nurturing and supporting artists and arts organizations in communities across the country. The NAC is home to the internationally acclaimed National Arts Centre Orchestra, and is a leader in the presentation of classical music, dance, English and French theatre, variety and community programming. It is at the forefront of youth and educational activities, supporting programs for young and emerging artists, programs for young audiences, and producing resources and study materials for teachers.

Dominion-Chalmers United Church traces its origins to the early 19th century in the fledgling community then known as Bytown. The cornerstone of the current building, originally constructed as Chalmers Presbyterian Church, was laid in 1912. Montreal architect Alex C. Hutchison's design was said to reflect the Romanesque architecture of southern France. The sanctuary's ceiling line is highlighted by capped columns, stained glass windows and grand arches that provide a vaulted effect to the central hexagonal roof dome. Recent renovations have updated the building while respecting its historic significance and classic design. The magnificent 5,157-pipe Casavant organ, installed in the Byzantine sanctuary in 1965, is also often heard on CBC broadcasts. While looking forward to a promising future, the congregation also takes pride in the church's history, honouring the generations that worshipped and worked together in a spirit of caring and sharing. www.dc-church.org

Celebrating its 125th anniversary in 2005, the National Gallery of Canada is located on one of the most spectacular sites in Ottawa, near Ottawa's historic ByWard Market, overlooking the Ottawa River and the Parliament Buildings. Its award-winning architecture, featuring the luminous Great Hall, spacious galleries, and interior gardens and courtyards, is in itself worth a visit. The National Gallery is the permanent home of the world's most comprehensive collection of Canadian art, including Inuit art, making it the country's finest art museum. Its European and modern American collections are considered among the best in the country. In the permanent collection are masterpieces by such artists as the Group of Seven, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Emily Carr, Alex Colville, Claude Monet, Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso, Jackson Pollock, Louise Bourgeois, etc. http://national.gallery.ca

All CBC/Radio-Canada's Ottawa production staff is now under one roof right in the heart of the capital, bringing together national and regional, French and English, radio, TV and New Media. Being together provides maximum opportunity to work together to deliver the best possible programming to audiences and listeners. The downtown location also gives greater visibility and more possibilities to invite the public in for activities in Studio 40, or to bring shows right out into the Sparks Street Mall. Studio Sparks is Eric Friesen's popular midday program. On occasion, as now during the Ottawa International Chamber Music Festival, Studio Sparks brings artists and public together in production of a live broadcast. www.cbc.ca/studiosparks

The Canadian Museum of Civilization, Canada's largest and most visited museum, presents a wide array of exhibitions on the culture and social history of both Canada and the world. With striking curved lines, this architectural gem is located less than five minutes from downtown Ottawa. Canada's rich culture reveals itself as you travel through 1,000 years of history in life-sized settings; marvel at the world's largest indoor collection of totem poles; and discover the customs and accomplishments of the country's First Peoples. Other features include world-class special exhibitions, the Canadian Children's Museum, the Canadian Postal Museum and the IMAX® Theatre. Now showing at the Museum until October 28, Treasures from China, a must-see exhibition on the splendour of Chinese civilization, its history and its contributions to humanity, presents 120 of China's finest masterpieces. www.civilization.ca

Located right on campus, Freiman Hall is used not just by music students at Ottawa University's Faculty of Music, but also provides much needed performance space for other musical events. It is named after philanthropist and businessman Lawrence Freiman. A man who was heavily involved in the arts, and was able to transfer his commercial acumen acquired operating department stores and shopping malls to academe. Freiman, who served both the original and reorganized University of Ottawa as a regent and governor, died in Florida at age 77. Freiman Hall is a fitting legacy to a music and theatre lover who played such a major role in the University's development.

The stately Bank of Canada building frames this downtown Ottawa Plaza on two sides, with the Houses of Parliament to the north, and Sparks Street pedestrian mall to the south. But the dominating factor is a large bronze sculpture called, simply, 'Flight'. From the collection of the Bank of Canada, this ethereal bronze was commissioned by the Pavillion of Canada for Expo '67. Located just steps away from St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, the Plaza will be the venue for El Viento Flamenco - Hot Summer Flamenco on July 31 at noon. The Plaza's flagstones will sizzle, if not under the noon-day sun then with the dry, hot heat of Flamenco music.

Rain or shine, Plaza Bridge (West Arch) is open for performance art all day long. Located just east of Canada's War Memorial and juxtaposed between the Rideau Canal and the Chateau Laurier hotel, it is also an ideal meeting point for Festival-goers. During Chamberfest '07 - as part of the National Capital Commission's Noon Under the Bridge series of mini concerts and theatrical vignettes - it will reverberate with music from Italy and Argentina when Duo Similia plays for Chamberfest on July 24.