Mobile apps help us with so much these days, from saving money on shopping trips to meeting our fitness goals and keeping track of the weather. Taking advantage of mobile technology can be a huge asset during the moving an settling in phases of your relocation to Ottawa – they can keep you informed, find your way, and even meet up with other locals. We’ve put together a list of five great Ottawa mobile apps that could be a big help as you get comfortable living in Canada’s capitol city.
Ottawa Nav
Newver go hungry in Ottawa again! No matter how you get around Ottawa – bus, car, bike, or foot – Ottawa Nav app provides up-to-the-minute, realtime traveler information that comes directly from city officials. If there’s construction, special events, or accidents on your route, Ottawa Nav will let you know about it, so you can make smart, informed decision about your travels. The app as different “modes.” When the app is in driver mode, you get spoken information about unplanned detours, special events and other traffic-related information. On passenger mode, you have access to more than 200 of the city’s traffic cameras. Download Ottawa Nav at Google Play or the Apple AppStore. Your stomach will thank you for downloading this pick on our list of essential Ottawa mobile apps.
Ottawa Street Food App
There’s something just so fun about ordering a top notch, delicious meal right out of a convenient food truck. The Ottawa Street food app makes finding the best that Ottawa has to offer even more convenient – you’ll get a daily schedule of the food trucks, where they will be and when they’ll be open for business. The app also provides you with links to food trucks’ websites and directions that will get you right to the food truck’s window by auto, bike or on foot. For even quicker access, you can “favorite” your top picks. Your stomach will thank you for downloading this pick on our list of essential Ottawa mobile apps.
MyTransit
Are you proud to navigate Ottawa via public transportation? Make the experience even more efficient by downloading OT Transpo’s official app. The app gives you GPS maps that can tell you the nearest stops and routes, and provide live updates about cancellations, detours, and other route changes. Another feature allows you to mark bus routes and stops that you use most frequently, and create timed reminders for a given route+stop combo. You can subscribe to get push notifications and live updates about cancellations, detritus, and trouts for both buses and the O-Train.
OPL Mobile
Book lovers can stay connected to the Ottawa Public Library’s huge collection of books, music, DVDs and other content thanks to the OPL Mobile App. Download this app to stay search for items of interest and use a geo-locator to find their closest locations within the library system. On the app, you can also manage your public library account, including renewing items, placing holds and viewing your list of checked out books. The OPL Mobile App also has a great feature that allows you to read reviews of books from other local readers.
Ottawa Sun App (and other news apps)
As a newcomer, one of the easiest ways to get to know Ottawa is to stay tuned in to the news and current events happening in the city. When you download news source apps, like the Ottawa Sun’s mobile app, you can read local headlines when riding the bus to work, on your lunch break, or whenever you have a few minutes to kill. Most media sources offer free apps, with a limited about of free article viewing per month. If you want unlimited access to the most up-to-date news stories, there’s usually a fee involved.
Look for these and other great Ottawa mobile apps that can help you settle in!
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