Capital cities throughout the country are brought together by the annual celebration of Christmas Lights Across Canada.

In Canada’s Capital, the winter landscape glows with over 300,000 multicoloured lights during the holiday season. The festivities begin with an illumination ceremony in early December and continue until early January. Throughout Christmas Lights Across Canada, the lights in Ottawa–Gatineau glow each evening from 4:30 pm to 2 am.

About Christmas Lights Across Canada

The Christmas Lights program was launched in 1985 to brighten the Ottawa winter. At first, the lights were only on Parliament Hill, but over the years the program expanded. Now, Ottawa and Gatineau glow each winter with Christmas lights at over 60 sites along Confederation Boulevard.

The program also grew to include our 13 provincial and territorial capitals, becoming Christmas Lights Across Canada. Throughout the country, Canadians come together each year to brighten their wintery capitals with thousands of holiday lights.

Christmas Lights Across Canada is supported by partners in the national, provincial and territorial capitals of Canada.