By Train
The train from Montreal takes just two hours, so instead of flying from there, consider the train (then transfer to the light rail to get to the conference centre and your hotel). The train from Toronto takes just 4.5 hours. Click here for information about the VIA Rail Ottawa station.
Here are directions to get from the Ottawa train station to the Shaw Centre (conference venue).. Turn left as you exit the VIA Rail station and after a few meters you will find the Tremblay light rail station. Take the light rail direction “Tunney’s Pasture”, and get off at Rideau station, which is underground. From here you can exit directly into the Rideau Centre mall. On the second floor you will find a pathway into the Shaw Centre (and another into the Westin Hotel).
The following is a map of train routes.
By Plane
Ottawa airport (YOW) is served by many airlines including Air Canada, Westjet, Porter, Air France, and United.
Travellers from outside North America can travel directly from Paris, or via connections in Montreal, Toronto, Vancouver and other Canadian cities. By conference time there may be other international direct flights (Prior to the pandemic there were direct flights to London, UK and Frankfurt).
Travellers from the United States can also connect through cities like Montreal and Toronto but can directly fly to Ottawa from several airports including Newark, Boston, Washington (Dulles or Reagan), Orlando, and Chicago. When leaving Ottawa you would clear US customs and Immigration directly, saving time at your US destination.
If you first enter Canada at an airport other than Ottawa, remember that you will have to clear customs and immigration at your transfer airport, so ensure you have time to connect. After clearing in Toronto and Montreal you will be able to follow the purple “Connections” signs to your domestic departure. To speed your way through customs and immigration, you should download the ArriveCan app and enter your personal data just before you fly; you then scan your passport on arrival and may not even need to speak to an officer. It is sometimes possible to get through customs and immigration in as little as 10 minutes … but be prepared for longer waits.
If you are arriving in Montreal, you can consider not connecting to another flight, but instead taking the VIA Rail train, a 2-hour journey, from Dorval station (see the section above). You could also take the Orleans Express bus, which also takes 2 hours. The bus drops off and picks up at the VIA Rail train station, but it also stops at the University of Ottawa, which is downtown, near the Shaw Centre.
The following is a map of current flight connections:
