Striptease Ottawa

Maybe it’s got something to do with this town being filled with normally buttoned-down businessmen and government types who need a “ahem” release valve now and again, but Ottawa has a lot to choose from in the way of strip clubs (or exotic dance bars, if you must). Some of Ottawa’s old standards (that I still recommend) include Barbarella’s Diamond Cabaret (340 Queen St., 234-8709), Barefax (27 York St., 562-1313), and Fanny’s Cabaret (128 York St., 241-0445). With 40 dancers daily, pool tables, catering, and full handicap accessibility, the nuDen (1560 Triole St. and 1595 St Laurent Blvd) even offers complimentary cover charge and coat check with any hotel room key from the Ottawa area.

Ottawa, Den of Vice

If gambling is more your style, cross one of our inter-provincial bridges to get to Casino Du lac-leamy (1 Boul. du Casino, 819-772-2100) in Gatineau, whether for the casino itself, which includes 64 gambling tables and 1,8 0 slot machines, or for one of their many shows in le Theatre du Casino (recent performances include Cathy Gauthier, the Led Zeppelin Experience, Marie-Chantal Toupin, and André-Philippe Gagnon). How often do you get to spend an evening drinking in a lounge that has its own heliport? They even have docking facilities for 20 boats and complete banking services, including a foreign exchange office. Come for the sound and light shows, stay for the gambling, but leave all your bankcards at home (to avoid temptation). Dress code in effect. Shuttle buses are available from downtown hotels.

Karaoke Ottawa

To unleash your inner Avril, there are a number of bars and other establishments in Ottawa that offer karaoke. One of the best is Dog & Pony Sound which takes its show to various establishments around town. Currently, you can find them at the Royal Britannia Pub (Mon. and Thu. nights; 1475 Richmond Rd., 820-5050), the Bytown Tavern (Wed. nights; 292 Elgin St., 231-3888), the Cock & Lion (Thu. nights; 202 Sparks St., 233-0080), Puzzles Sports Bar (Fri. nights; 344 Richmond Rd., 728-3024), and O’Brien’s Eatery and Pub (Fri. and Sat. nights; 1146 Heron Rd., 731-8752). As mentioned in “Gay Ottawa,” they also do a show regularly at Swizzles (Sun., Tue., and Fri. nights; 246 Queen St., 232-4200), Go Go’s Bar and Lounge (Sun. nights; 349 Dalhousie St., 789-1624).

Heave Hi, Heave Hi Ho

French-Canadian Ottawa Valley folk hero Big Joe Mufferaw (based on real-life 19th-century figure Joseph Montferrand) was lionized for his exploits as a mighty woodsman. He was also celebrated as a protector of French interests and opponent of the combative Irish Shiners. Big Joe was even immortalized in song (“Heave hi heave hi ho / The best man in Ottawa was Mufferaw Joe”) by that inveterate Canadian mythmaker, folk singer Stompin’ Tom Connors. Over the years, tales of Montferrand’s physical feats in the Ottawa Valley, including an epic, bloody battle in which he fought 150 Shiners, turned him into a Paul Bunyanesque character. The building on Rue Laurier in Gatineau that currently houses the Palais de Justice is named for this local hero.