Ottawa's business and community leaders swapped their usual meeting rooms for riverbanks on August 5, as the Garden Party on the Rideau returned for another summer edition. The relaxed evening event has become a fixture on the capital's social calendar, and this year's gathering was no exception, bringing together a wide cross-section of the city's professional and civic circles for an evening that felt more like a backyard get-together than a networking mixer.
A Manotick Backdrop
The party was hosted at the home of Jayne and Steve Lowell in Manotick, a village that's technically part of Ottawa but feels a world away from downtown's office towers. With the Rideau River as a backdrop, guests wandered through a garden setting designed for lingering conversation rather than rushed small talk. It's the kind of setting that makes Manotick a quiet favourite for Ottawa residents looking to escape the city core without actually leaving city limits.
Cocktails, Cruises, and Catching Up
True to its name, the evening leaned into its garden-party roots: cocktails flowed, food was plentiful, and the Rideau River itself became part of the entertainment, with guests taking turns on leisurely boat cruises along the water. For many attendees, the boat rides were as much about the scenery as the socializing, a reminder of just how much of Ottawa's charm comes from its waterways, from the Rideau Canal downtown to the river's quieter stretches out toward Manotick.
