Ottawa [89] is the capital of Canada. The city is situated along the Ontario side of the Ottawa River, opposite Gatineau, Quebec. The metropolitan population of Ottawa is 1.4 million as of 2018 and is currently the sixth largest in Canada, and the second largest in Ontario after Toronto.Unique as a North American capital, the city is bilingual. English is the first language of a majority of the population, but French is the first language of a significant number. Staff in most stores and restaurants speak both well and, in general, bilingualism is common.Ottawa is home to many of the world’s cultures as thousands of immigrants from around the world now call Ottawa home. The city is probably best known as the nation’s capital but has become one of the fastest growing cities in North America owing to the booming high-tech business sector. Ottawa started as a humble lumber town, then called Bytown, named after Colonel John By. Colonel By oversaw the construction of the Rideau Canal, now a UNESCO World Heritage site, much of which was done by hand, between 1826 and 1832. Lumber mills were built along the Ottawa River in the mid-nineteenth century and those brought employment and wealth to the growing population. The centre of action then, as now, was the ByWard Market. While it’s still the centre of the city’s nightlife, it has changed appreciably from the rough and tumble early days of brothels and taverns.In 1857, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital of Canada. The choice was controversial, partly because it sidestepped the rivalry between Toronto and Montreal (then, as now, Canada’s largest cities), and partly because the new capital was still a tiny outpost in the middle of nothing much an American newspaper famously commented that it was impregnable, as any invaders would get lost in the woods looking for it.During the latter half of the nineteenth century, the telephone was demonstrated to the Canadian public for the first time and the city was electrified. The first electric streetcar service was started in 1891. A menu from 1892 states that, “the first instance in the entire world of an entire meal being cooked by Electricity” was in Ottawa.Today, the major economic sectors are the public service, travel and tourism and the high-tech industry. Ottawa has proudly remained a green city and is situated at the confluence of three rivers (Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau) as well as the Rideau canal. Many residents make regular use of Ottawa’s parks and green spaces, bikeways and cross country ski trails. Many national attractions are located in Ottawa: Parliament Hill

Airport: YOW Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Cities in Canada

Country: Canada