Ottawa
On the 7th of March 1800, Philemon Wright established a lumber town on the north side of the Ottawa River. This settlement marked the beginning of European colonization in what is now the capital of Canada. Wright arrived with five other families and twenty-five labourers to create an agricultural community named Wright's Town. The area had been inhabited by Indigenous populations for thousands of years before this date. Archaeological findings show that Algonquin people settled there about 6,500 years ago. They engaged in foraging, hunting, fishing, trade, and travel along the three major rivers meeting within the region. In 1826, news of the British military's construction of the Rideau Canal prompted land speculators to found a community on the south side of the river. Colonel John By laid out streets and created two distinct neighbourhoods called Upper Town and Lower Town. Upper Town was predominantly English-speaking and Protestant while Lower Town was mostly French, Irish, and Catholic. Bytown grew to a population of 1,000 as the canal completed its work in 1832.
Queen Victoria selected Ottawa as the permanent capital effective the 31st of December 1857. This decision came after decades of political debate involving more than 200 parliamentary votes. Kingston served as the capital from 1841 until various cities contested its position. Montreal became the capital in 1844 following Queen's acceptance of a parliamentary vote. An Orange mob burned the Parliament building in Montreal in 1849 which led to further discussions about location. The legislature requested the Queen determine the seat of government due to funding impasses over alternative proposals. Governor General Edmund Head advised the Queen who chose Ottawa for strategic reasons. Its isolated location surrounded by dense forest made it defensible from attack far from the Canada-US border. The city sat on the border between Canada West and Canada East making it an important political compromise. George Brown attempted unsuccessfully to reverse this decision but Parliament ratified the choice in 1859. Quebec served as interim capital from 1859 to 1865 while relocation began in 1865 with the first session held in new buildings in 1866.
The Hull-Ottawa fire of 1900 destroyed approximately 3,200 buildings causing estimated damage worth $300 million in 2020 Canadian dollars. This disaster left 14% of Ottawans homeless and wiped out one-fifth of Ottawa's buildings from Lebreton Flats south to Booth Street. A chimney fire in Hull spread rapidly through wooden structures due to strong winds affecting both sides of the river. Lumber yards were major parts of the economy that burned during this event. Entrepreneurs known as lumber barons built large sawmills starting in the 1850s which became some of the world's largest mills. Rail lines connected Ottawa to areas south beginning in 1854 and later linked to transcontinental networks via Hull and Lachute. By 1885 Ottawa was the only city in Canada whose downtown streetlights were powered entirely by electricity. The government distributed 60 water leases in 1889 allowing industrialists to generate hydroelectric power at Chaudière Falls. Public transportation began in 1870 with a horsecar system replaced by electric streetcars operating until 1959. From the 1960s to the 1980s construction increased significantly followed by high-tech industry growth during the 1990s and 2000s earning the nickname Silicon Valley North.
Prime Minister Mackenzie King hired French architect-planner Jacques Greber to design an urban plan for managing development in the National Capital Region in 1950. The resulting Greber Plan included creation of the National Capital Greenbelt, Kichi Zibi Mikan, and Queensway highway system. It called for moving Union Station to suburbs removing streetcar systems decentralizing government offices relocating industries and eliminating substandard housing from downtown. In 1938 Confederation Square became a ceremonial centre as part of the City Beautiful Movement hosting the National War Memorial since 1939. The square was designated a National Historic Site in 1984. A new Central Post Office constructed in 1939 stood beside the War Memorial after demolishing the original post office building on proposed grounds. Ottawa's architecture tends toward formal functional styles influenced by government structures including Gothic Revival designs seen in Parliament Buildings. Building height restrictions originally kept Parliament Hill visible from most parts though some buildings now exceed Peace Tower height reaching up to certain meters. Public Works Canada manages many federal buildings leading to heritage conservation efforts during renovations like those completed at Senate Building. The city contains one World Heritage Site recognized in 2007, the Rideau Canal, and twenty-five National Historic Sites.
The 2021 Census reported that immigrants comprise 259,215 persons or 25.9% of Ottawa's total population. Top countries of origin included China with 20,320 persons India with 16,200 persons United Kingdom with 14,760 persons Lebanon with 11,900 persons Philippines with 10,505 persons and others totaling significant numbers. Approximately 64.9% identified as white or European while 2.6% were Indigenous and 32.5% were visible minorities higher than national averages. Those identifying English as mother tongue constituted 62.4 percent while French speakers made up 14.2 percent. Regarding bilingual knowledge 59.9 percent knew English only and 1.5 percent knew French only while 37.2 percent knew both official languages. Bilingualism became official policy for municipal business conduct in 2002 making it the largest Canadian city with co-official languages. The median age stood at 40.1 below provincial and national averages as of 2016. Youths under fifteen comprised 16.7% of total population while retirement-age individuals over sixty-five accounted for 15.4%. Religious groups included Christianity representing 528,700 persons or 52.8% followed by Irreligion at 316,740 persons or 31.6%.
Ottawa hosts annual seasonal activities such as Winterlude described as Canada's largest festival alongside Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill. Bluesfest Canadian Tulip Festival Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival International Jazz Festival Fringe Festival Capital Pride CityFolk Festival have grown into some of world's largest festivals of their kind. In 2010 Ottawa received IFEA World Festival and Event City Award for North American cities between 500,000 and 1,000,000 population. The National Arts Centre opened in 1969 housing four stages including Orchestra Symphony Orchestra and Opera Lyra Ottawa. Six of Canada's nine national museums reside here including Agriculture Food Museum Aviation Space Museum Science Technology Museum Nature War Museum Gallery Canada. The Canadian War Museum houses over 3.75 million artifacts moved to expanded facility in 2005. Beaver tails fried dough pastry first created in Ottawa during 1970s remain iconic treats. Shawarma restaurants outnumber any other location in Canada making it considered the city's official dish. Tourism annually attracts estimated 22 million visitors spending about $2.2 billion supporting 30,600 jobs directly.
Common questions
When did Philemon Wright establish the first European settlement in Ottawa?
Philemon Wright established a lumber town on the north side of the Ottawa River on the 7th of March 1800. This event marked the beginning of European colonization in what is now the capital of Canada.
Why did Queen Victoria select Ottawa as the permanent capital of Canada?
Queen Victoria selected Ottawa as the permanent capital effective the 31st of December 1857 for strategic reasons including its defensible location surrounded by dense forest far from the Canada-US border. The city also sat on the border between Canada West and Canada East making it an important political compromise.
What happened during the Hull-Ottawa fire of 1900?
The Hull-Ottawa fire of 1900 destroyed approximately 3,200 buildings causing estimated damage worth $300 million in 2020 Canadian dollars. A chimney fire in Hull spread rapidly through wooden structures due to strong winds affecting both sides of the river leaving 14% of Ottawans homeless.
Who designed the urban plan for managing development in the National Capital Region in 1950?
Prime Minister Mackenzie King hired French architect-planner Jacques Greber to design an urban plan for managing development in the National Capital Region in 1950. The resulting Greber Plan included creation of the National Capital Greenbelt Kichi Zibi Mikan and Queensway highway system.
How many immigrants lived in Ottawa according to the 2021 Census?
The 2021 Census reported that immigrants comprise 259,215 persons or 25.9% of Ottawa's total population. Top countries of origin included China with 20,320 persons India with 16,200 persons United Kingdom with 14,760 persons Lebanon with 11,900 persons and Philippines with 10,505 persons.