The Capital Chosen (almost) in Ottawa
In 1857, Queen Victoria shocked everyone by picking Ottawa—a little-known lumber town—as Canada's capital. Other cities like Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, and Quebec City had been clawing at each other for years to claim the capital title. Read more now on canada capital
You’d never know Parliament Hill was nearly not built, if you visited today. The grand Gothic Revival buildings rise up from the landscape like the Canadian Hogwarts. Its carillon bells ring out across downtown every fifteen minutes from the Peace Tower in the center.
Hidden behind those stone walls is a tale stranger than fiction. Back then, Ottawa wasn't exactly first on anyone's wishlist. In fact, it was a sort of backwater lumber town known as "Bytown" after Colonel John By, who had been the engineer on the Rideau Canal.
The capital choice shocked everyone. Toronto was booming, Montreal was bustling, and Quebec City had the legacy. And Ottawa had something else: it was on the border between French and English Canada, a symbolic bridge between the two founding cultures of the nation.
When I think of Parliament Hill, I don’t picture the beautiful campus we have today. The buildings burned down in 1916 in a great fire in which seven men lost their lives. If not for staff sealing the iron doors, even the Library of Parliament would have been lost.
In any capital story, Ottawa’s weather deserves its own chapter. Cold? Try bone-chilling. Winters here aren't for the faint of heart. Thermometers dive to a frosty minus 30 Celsius.
Government is the lifeblood of Ottawa's economy and culture. Almost a sixth of the worker population has a federal job. Around here, there are two constants: snow and construction zones.
Like any capital city, Ottawa is full of contradictions. It is trumpeted by politicians while their funding is slashed. Parliament Hill buzzes with tourists, while local neighborhoods remain quiet.
Ottawa's subtle charms take time to uncover. Across the river, Gatineau Park offers a playground of hiking trails. The Ottawa River hides secret beaches for those in the know.
Ottawa, picked for practicality, evolved into a graceful capital. It's not as French as Montreal, not as English as Toronto, and not as old as Quebec City—but it's 100% Canadian.