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The city says bars, restaurants and other approved venues can continue serving alcohol past 2 a.m. on Sept. 26 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Ottawa’s founding.
Venue owners can now apply to the city for a free letter, then to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario for a permit to extend their hours — though by how much hasn’t been specified.
Because each step could take up to 30 days, the city suggests submitting the first application by the end of this month.
Ottawa’s nightlife office is available to help, the city said. Nightlife commissioner Mathieu Grondin made that a focus of his time in Montreal.
The return of the Nuit Blanche art crawl and the quarterly Pique party at Arts Court are two examples of nighttime events on Sept. 26, according to the city.
The Ottawa International Animation Festival, which itself turns 50 this year, is also happening that weekend, along with an Ottawa Art Gallery-led Culture to the Core event.
Ontario allowed alcohol sales to start at 6 a.m. on Feb. 20, the last day of the the 2026 Milano-Cortina Olympics and the men’s hockey final. It’s again extending hours until 4 a.m. from June 11 until July 19 for the FIFA men’s World Cup.