Mark it down on your calendars: Obama’s coming to Ottawa Thursday February 19, 2009- his first official foreign trip.

This choice is considered an honour as the ex-president Bush had visited Mexico as his first country of choice.

Canadians for Obama will be attending this monumental moment - PLANNED EVENTS NOW CONFIRMED.

EVENTS | BUSES

EVENTS for everyone to attend:

THURSDAY
(1) Canadians for Obama:  A celebration of President Obama’s visit in words and music

Thu. Feb. 19 - 1:15 to 2:15 pm
in the sanctuary of First Baptist Church  140 Laurier Ave. W. (Elgin & Laurier)
Contact Ken Sherman (Canadians for Obama Regional Organizer - Ontario)

(2) A "Yes We Span" bridge walk

Thu. Feb. 19 - 2:15 to 3:15 pm
from Elgin & Laurier east to the bridge across the Rideau Canal
Democrats Abroad Ottawa-Gatineau:  A "Yes We Span" bridge walk from Elgin & Laurier east on Laurier across the bridge across the Rideau
Canal to Nicholas Street/Transitway, with a 10-minute stop at the Human Rights Monument.
Contact: Carl Stieren
 

WEDNESDAY
(1) Canadians for Obama/Democrats Abroad Ottawa-Gatineau: A planning meeting for the "Yes We Span"

Wed. Feb. 18 - 5:15 to 5:45 pm
Metropolitan Brasserie 700 Sussex (Drive corner Sussex Drive)
A planning meeting for the "Yes We Span" bridge walk (see below).
RSVP to Carl Stieren

(2) Environmental Defence Fund:  An Evening of Obama - on the eve of his first international visit, an event to celebrate President Obama’s leadership on the new energy economy

Wed. Feb. 18 - 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Metropolitan Brasserie 700 Sussex
RSVP to Anjali Helferty

(3) CARN (Caribbean and African Radio Network) and the Friends of Sudan Internship Program-uOttawa:  Yes We CAN symposium in Ottawa: BARACK OBAMA is President of the US: Now What? - The impact on African-Canadians.

Wed. Feb. 18 - 6:00 to 8:00 pm
Lounge 140 at 90 University Private, U of Ottawa
Contact Denise

We have two buses (56 places) right now ready to go to Ottawa to welcome US President Obama on his historic first visit to Canada this Thursday. We successfully took 3 buses to DC for the Inauguration and now want to go to Ottawa. We have just learned that Parliament Hill will be open to visitors during the President’s visit. Don’t you want to be there? Sign up now.

 Our Ottawa greeting schedule this Thursday includes:

10 AM – 12 Noon. Presence on Parliament Hill
1 – 2:15 PM. Welcome Rally at First Baptist Church, Elgin & Laurier, with music, poetry, speakers. Sponsored by Canadians for Obama.

2:15 PM - 3:30 PM. Obama Bridge Walk across the Laurier Bridge. Sponsored by Democrats Abroad Canada and its Ottawa-Gatineau chapter.

4:00 PM Buses return from First Baptist Church.

Our Bus #1 leaves Thursday 5 AM from Burlington (Go Station – off Brandt) with pick up at 5:30 AM from Mississauga (Square One – Tim Hortons); 6:15 AM from Toronto (York Mills Metro) and 7 AM from Cobourg (place to be named). This bus hopes to have people at Parliament Hill by 11 AM. Cost is $50 round trip.

 Register now for bus #1 with Ken Sherman. He will give you a TD Canada Trust Bank account number where you can make your registration payment at any TD branch. Your payment will confirm your spot and a receipt will be sent by email.

Bus # 2 leaves the day before on Wednesday 5:30 PM from Kitchener-Waterloo (Auditorium, 400 East St) with a pick up at 7:00 PM from Toronto (York Mills Metro) to arrive in Kanata for a hotel stay. This bus hopes to have people at Parliament Hill by 9 AM the next morning. Cost is $25 round trip plus the hotel stay.

 Let us know which of our departure points works best for you. If we oversubscribe our bus we will try to organize an additional bus. If we can’t fill a bus we will try and rent vans that seat 7 persons.

 We will be asking all who go to Ottawa to sign a liability waiver to protect Canadians for Obama, Democrats Abroad Canada, and Canadian Friends of the US and myself from any negligence that might occur while in Ottawa. Our carrier, Get Away Tours, if a fully insured carrier for such bus trips.

 We are history in the making~

IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO JOIN US PLEASE EMAIL US and we will inform you with further details of where we are meeting and we can provide you with t-shirts, buttons and other C4O items. Please send us:

• your name and affiliation
• city and  phone number
• if you require or willing to provide transportation,
• if you’d like to help organize or volunteer at the event,
• if you’d like a t-shirt and/or button
• a message you’d like to send to president Obama,
• and any other pertinent information you think might be relevant