Catch a Lyft in Ottawa

One of North America’s most notable ride-sharing companies is expanding throughout Canada—and the nation’s capital is the next stop.

Lyft has announced that it has expanded operations into Ottawa. It is the second city in Canada so far for Lyft, as they launched in Toronto this past December. To mark the entrance into Ottawa, NHL star Matt Duchene took the very first ride.

“We are thrilled to be operating in Ottawa, and to be available to residents of Canada’s capital. We have an amazing network of Ottawans who are excited to begin driving in this great city,” said Aaron Zifkin, managing director of Canada at Lyft. “We look forward to sharing the Lyft values and services with both the local community and tourists while offering an affordable and reliable transportation service.”

To celebrate the launch into Ottawa, Lyft has partnered with Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). In the next few months, Lyft will add CHEO to their Round Up and Donate feature, which lets riders round up their trip to the nearest dollar and donate the difference to great causes.

“CHEO is proud to partner with Lyft as the company brings its service to Ottawa. We’re excited to be a part of Round Up & Donate, enabling passengers to support the work CHEO does for families across our region,” said Kevin Keohane, president and CEO of the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario Foundation.

“Support from Lyft’s passenger community will go directly to the CHEO Foundation, which provides funds for the purchase of specialized medical equipment, life-saving research, medical and nursing education and assistance for families in crisis.”

Lyft had a very similar campaign when they launched in Toronto, which ended up seeing over $34,000 donated to the city’s SickKids children’s hospital.

The ride-sharing service will launch with the normal four-seat selection, as well as the Lyft Plus, which allows for up to six riders.