Ottawa

Ottawa, Ontario is the capital of Canada. Founded in 1827 as "Bytown," the city was renamed Ottawa when it was incorporated in 1855. It has been the center of Canada's government since the late 1850s, first as capital of "the United Provinces of Canada" (modern Ontario and Quebec), and from 1867 as the capital of the Dominion of Canada. The city is built at the meeting place of the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers, and is separated by the Rideau Canal.

Ottawa is one of Canada's largest and most densely-inhabited cities. Because Canada has two official languages, many inhabitants speak both English and French. Important industries include government, manufacturing, higher education, and tourism. Tourists come to Ottawa to enjoy the city's numerous landmarks and cultural activities. Among the most notable structures is Rideau Hall, home of Canada's Governor-General. Museums, art galleries, scientific establishments abound, as do institutions of higher learning, such as the University of Ottawa.

Landscape

In the twentieth century, Ottawa became part of the National Capital Region, which includes the neighboring city of Gatineau and other surrounding communities. A merger in January 2001 consolidated Ottawa with ten other neighboring municipalities, greatly expanding its land area. Though in a different province, the city of Gatineau, Quebec, is also included as part of the broader census metropolitan area (CMA) and the National Capital Region designation. The Capital Region measures around 4,715 square kilometers (1,820 square miles), much of which is fertile river valley. The region is only around 80 meters (40 feet) above sea level, and is part of the Canadian Shield. Across the Ottawa River rise the Gatineau Hills.

The city of Ottawa itself has two distinct sections: "old Ottawa," built in the nineteenth century, and the more modern "new Ottawa." The old town contains many Victorian-era structures as well as beautiful modern parks and greenways. The downtown area reflects twentieth century redevelopment. Many federal government buildings are located here, including the Parliament Buildings, located on Parliament Hill. The downtown district, the city's business and financial center, is dominated by skyscrapers as well as by complexes such as the Rideau Centre shopping plaza and convention center.

People

The population of Ottawa boomed beginning in the mid-1990s, growing from around 323,000 in 1996 to almost double four years later. In 2016, the population was estimated at 934,243. That year the census found the Ottawa-Gatineau CMA had a population of over 1.32 million. Factors that promoted growth include the rise of high-technology industries and the presence of many universities and other institutions of higher learning.

Ottawa is a well-educated city; around 30 percent of the population over the age of twenty-five has a university degree. Institutions of higher learning include the bilingual University of Ottawa, founded in 1848 by Roman Catholic nuns. Other schools include Algonquin College and Carleton University.

Until after World War II, the population of Ottawa was largely Protestant of British descent, with the remaining population mostly equally divided between French and Irish Roman Catholics. The city has also had small minorities of Italians, Germans, and Jews for around 100 years. The post-war era saw the arrival of African, Asian, and Arabic immigrants, as well as an increase in the black population. The city is still mostly "anglophone," or English-speaking. Over 60 percent of the population claims English as their mother tongue, while about 15 percent is "francophone" or French-speaking and over 21 percent have other languages as their mother tongue. Over 38 percent of the Ottawa population is bilingual, according to Statistics Canada.

Ottawa has produced a large number of notable writers and entertainers whose fame extends not only through Canada but also to the United States and around the world.

Famous writers include Margaret Atwood and the philosopher John Ralston Saul, husband of Canadian Governor-General Adrienne Clarkson. Notable scientific figures include John Tuzo Wilson (1908–1993), the geologist who developed the theory of plate tectonics. Famous athletes include early twentieth-century hockey player Billy Boucher, who played for the Montreal Canadiens and other teams in the 1920s.

Famous entertainers from Ottawa include musician Alanis Morissette, singer Paul Anka, comedians Dan Akroyd and Rich Little, and actors Lorne Greene and Tom Cavanaugh.

Other notable persons born in Ottawa include Princess Margriet of the Netherlands, who was born there during the Dutch royal family's exile in Canada during World War II. The building in which she was born was temporarily declared Dutch territory, so that she would be a native-born Netherlander.

The photographer Yousuf Karsh (1908–2002), a refugee from the Ottoman Empire, became notable for his photographs of famous people, including Albert Einstein and Winston Churchill.

Economy

Ottawa's economy is heavily based on the public sector, high technology, and tourism. Since World War II, the federal government has been the largest employer. In the late twentieth century high technology became an increasingly important sector, and Ottawa earned the nickname Canada's "Advanced Technology Capital" or "Silicon Valley North." Over 1,500 high-tech firms, many of them focusing on telecommunications, electronics, and biotechnology, are located in the area and employ tens of thousands of workers.

The city has the highest per-capita spending on research and development in Canada. Among the research institutes in Ottawa are the National Research Council and Defence Research and Development Canada.

Ottawa is a cosmopolitan city that offers a wide variety of sights and activities. Each year, tourism draws millions of visitors and injects considerable money into the local economy. Visitors come for the cultural attractions, such as world-class theater, music events, and art museums, as well as for business travel.

To promote growth, the Ottawa city government has developed comprehensive economic plans to supports innovation. For example, a major initiative in the early 2000s sought to increase broadband Internet access to more citizens. The city also established a film office in a joint venture with neighboring Gatineau, to promote television and film production in the area.

Landmarks

As the nation's capital, Ottawa is home to some of Canada's most famous landmarks. Among the most famous are Rideau Hall (home of the Governor-General), 24 Sussex Drive (home of the Prime Minister) the Parliament Buildings, and the National Defence Building. Historic sites include the Billings House, home to one of Ottawa's earliest settlers; the nineteenth century First Baptist Tabernacle, one of the oldest churches in the city; and the Interprovincial Bridge.

Ottawa is home to many museums. Art museums include the National Gallery of Canada. There are several institutions dedicated to scientific and technical matters, including the Canadian Science and Technology, the Canadian Museum of Nature, and the Canadian Aviation Museum. The Canadian War Museum commemorates the nation's military history.

The city's numerous parks include Confederation Square, named in honor of the 1867 agreement which created the Dominion of Canada. Rideau Canal, which flows through the city, becomes "the world's longest skating rink" when it freezes over in the winter.

The city has a variety of professional sports teams, both at the major-league and minor-league levels, as well as college sports. Major-league teams include the Ottawa Senators hockey team, part of the National Hockey League (NHL), and the Ottawa Redblacks football team, part of the Canadian Football League. The junior league Ottawa 67's hockey team is part of the Ontario Hockey League.

History

Human settlement in the Ottawa area began around 6,000 years ago, when aboriginal groups settled in the Ottawa River Valley. The French settled the region in the early seventeenth century, and Gatineau was established on the river's north shore.

Ottawa was established in 1826 as "Bytown," a town that housed the British military engineers and construction workers who were building the Rideau Canal. The community was named for Lieutenant Colonel John By (1779-1836), who supervised the canal project.

The community soon became an agricultural and industrial hub, with a thriving timber industry. Within 30 years, it was a major population center. Bytown was incorporated as a town in 1850. The town was renamed Ottawa and incorporated as a city on January 1, 1855.

Despite Ottawa's growth, many people were surprised when, in 1857, it was chosen to become the capital of the "United Province of Canada" (present-day Ontario and Quebec). The city was relatively distant from the United States border, at a time when memories of American invasion during the War of 1812 were still fresh in Canadians' minds. The provincial government built the Parliament Buildings between 1859 and 1866. The following year, the Canadian provinces joined as the Dominion of Canada, and Ottawa was named the federal capital.

Ottawa expanded during the late nineteenth century, though Toronto remained the nation's financial and business center. During the twentieth century, Ottawa's importance grew dramatically as a result of the federal government's expansion in response to two world wars, and the greater complexity of national and international issues. The city was the site of the so-called Ottawa Agreements, a meeting of all British Empire dominions and colonies in 1932 on the subject of the Great Depression. The National Capital District was established in 1945 in order to manage federal properties in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

Ottawa became part of a regional municipality in 1969, with the establishment of "Ottawa-Carleton"; this merged Ottawa with the former Carleton County. This arrangement lasted until 2001, when the Ontario provincial government amalgamated this and ten other municipalities into a new, larger Ottawa.

In 1986, Ottawa hosted the First International Conference on Health Promotion, which led to the development of the Ottawa Charter for Health Promotion. In 1997, dozens of nations were represented in Ottawa for the signing of the "Ottawa Treaty" against land mines.

Ottawa is the capital of Canada, while Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario. The city has a mayoral form of government.

Trivia

• The city is known as Canada's high-technology capital.
• The Rideau Canal is nicknamed "the world's longest skating rink."
• The name "Ottawa" comes from the Outaouak or Ottawa First Nations people, a part of the Algonquian language family.

Bibliography

"About Ottawa." Ottawa: Canada's Capital, Ottawa Tourism and Convention Authority, 2021, www.ottawatourism.ca/discover/about-ottawa/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

City of Ottawa, 2021, ottawa.ca/en. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

Haig, Robert. Ottawa: City of the Big Ears: The Intimate, Living Story of a City and a Capital. Haig and Haig, 1975.

Taylor, John. "Ottawa." The Canadian Encyclopedia, 11 Mar. 2019, www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ottawa-ont/. Accessed 11 Nov. 2021.

Young, Carolyn A. The Glory of Ottawa: Canada's First Parliament Buildings. McGill-Queen's UP, 1995.