Destinations / The best cities to visit in the world / Ottawa

  

About Ottawa

 

Ottawa is the capital of Canada , the fourth largest city in the country and the second largest city in the province of Ontario . It is ranked the 6th in terms of life in the world. Ottawa is located in the eastern part of Ontario on the banks of the Ottawa River (which is the boundary between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec ) and the Rideau Canal. The Ottawa River is the left tributary of the St. Lawrence River. It has a population of 875 thousand inhabitants, with Gatineau 1148 million (in 2006 ). Together with the neighboring town of Gatineau (Quebec) and several other municipalities, Ottawa is included in the National Capital Region . The City Administration is ruled by the Council of the city headed by, Jim Watson the mayor ,from December 1,2010. The city was founded in 1820. Until 1855 it was named in the honor of Lieutenant Colonel Baytaun John Bai , who led the work on the construction of the Rideau Canal . On December 31, 1857 it was the capital of the colony (province). Ottawa does not exist apart from the so-called Metropolitan Area, where people live, representing the inflorescence of different cultures, customs and languages. The Metropolitan area includes the city itself, as well as parts of Ontario and Quebec and 28 municipalities. The total area is of 4715 square kilometers. The abundance of water and greenery, elegant villas, richly decorated government buildings give this city a very beautiful and tranquil view. In the summer lawns aleyut thousands of poppies and tulips, on sidewalks and tame black squirrels almost run across the streets. In winter, on the ice streams and canals of the Ottawa River, hundreds of employees "run" to work on horses.

 

The History of Ottawa

 

The first European settlers The name of Ottawa in Indian means "exchange."Once this place really served as a point of sales meetings, although in 1800 it was untouched by the Europeans. The French settlers came in Canada in the 18 th century. The Ottawa tribe monopolized the fur trade on the Kichisipi River. Although their monopoly lasted only about 30 years, after which they were expelled to the south on the territory of the Great Lakes, across the river and the terrain to the north of it (now Quebec Ottawa ). The first inhabitants settled in 1800, on the place where the three rivers converge: the Rideau , Ottawa and Gatineau . A native of Massachusetts lumberjack Philemon Wright , his relatives and a handful of friends chose this place for permanent residence. They built log houses and a sawmill. The village was called Wrightstown later Hull , now a part of the Gatineau City. Rideau Canal and Baytaun In 1827, between the Ottawa river and the Ontario Lake, the construction of the Rideau Canal began. This is the shortest route which connects Montreal with the Ontario Lake. The construction of the canal was led by John Bai , so the village was named after the Baytaun builders . By 1832 the canal was completed. At that time Ottawa was a wooden city, boasting more than 10 thousand inhabitants.

 

Capital of Canada

 

In the middle of the XIX century the upper Canada (Ontario) teamed up with Lower (Quebec). There was a question which of them to be capital. Many large Canadian cities fought for the right to obtain the status of the capital. In 1857 Queen Victoria issued a decree under which Ottawa won the right to be the capital of Canada, as the city was at the junction of the two: British and French provinces. The country's parliament and the government offices are situated in Ottawa. In the first third of the 20th century there was a fire and disaster. After it was a period of war .

 

The postwar period or the period of extension (from the 1960's. so far)

 

Throughout its history, Ottawa was continuously absorbed by villages and towns located around . In 1965, Ottawa and the surrounding counties Carleton were merged into the municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. In 2001, the municipality was transformed into a modern city of Ottawa.

 

Geography and ecology

 

The city is located on the northern border of deciduous forests. There are wide landscaping of elm ,ginkgo , honey locust , oak , maple , linden trees . The south of the river along which the city is , a complex of Ordovician dolomites and limestones lie . The Sandy Hill district , adjacent to the territory of the University of Ottawa , is located on a clay buttes, towering above the ancient bottom of the Ottawa River. The terrace of the Ottawa River is another significant element of relief. Among the animals in the city the most common are: the red squirrel , the eastern gray squirrel (gray and black colors), the prairie dog , the rabbit , the skunk , on the outskirts – the raccoon , the baribal , the Canadian beaver . Among the birds – the Canada goose , the mallard , the mute swan , the American crows ,the black trupial , the wandering thrush , and the starling . At the first appearance, Ottawa is characterized by the abundance of water and green checkerboard system of streets associated with a developed system of park roads. Ottawa is separated from the suburbs of Green Belt , which consists of a forest and an agricultural land (including experimental fields). The master plan of the city developed in the 1960s. Its architect is Jacques Grebe .

 

ATTRACTIONS

 

What to say about Ottawa, except that it is the capital of Canada?

It’s a cute cozy city. When you come to it from Toronto, the first thing that catches your eyes is the slow pace of life, the low degree of activity. The compact downtown gives an impression that someone took many things and scooped them all in one heap, huddled around the Parliament. Once flattened in Toronto, you feel as if you went out for a minute from the house to the bakery for bread. This compactness gives the feeling and the lack of skyscrapers - after tearing up Toronto, Ottawa looks like a patriarchal city. This created feeling contributes to the large number of buildings constructed in the pseudo-Gothic style : The Parliamentary complex, The City Council, The Chateau Laurier and the Lord Elgin.

 

The Parliament

 

So, what to do in Ottawa? Surely, start with the buildings of the Parliament. The central clock tower and the tent of the parliamentary library are as recognizable symbols of Canada, as in, say, the CN Tower in Toronto. In addition to the buildings constructed in the pseudo-Gothic style, in the Parliament Hill with statues of prime ministers, queens, Victoria and Elizabeth II, there is a sculptural group dedicated to women's rights activists as well. The Parliament Hill offers a beautiful view on the French side of the complex and the National Gallery of Canada, as well as the monumental building of Hotel Chateau Laurier. The Parliament is situated on a picturesque hill on the banks of the river that bears the same name as the city. Made in the Gothic style, The Parliamentary complex was built in 1922 on the site of the destroyed building of the Parliament of the mid-19th century. From the original buildings survived only the library. The centerpiece of the complex parliamentary building is a tower height of 92.2 meters of the World. The river is the border of the two provinces - Ontario and Quebec. The Parliament, the downtown of Ottawa are situated on the English side. On the other side is the French side –the City of Hull.

 

The Museum of Civilization

 

There is another landmark of Ottawa – the Museum of Civilization. For the people who do not know the specifics of North America, is sometimes difficult to understand the concept of the Canadian cities as a metropolis with a collection of independent administrative settlements. That is sort of a one territory, for example ,Ottawa, but officially - different cities, in addition, and in the case of Ottawa, there are also different provinces. However, the Canadians do not much pay attention to these details, and for them the Museum of Civilization is in Ottawa, not in Hale. Ottawa Museum of Civilization is interesting, to learn about the history of the country. The museum's collections comprise several million items of indigenous culture and history of European colonization of Canada.

 

The Elgin Street

 

Next to the Parliament Hill there is Elgin Street. At its beginning there is a monument to the Canadians who died in the First World War. The Peace Tower was erected in the honor of the Canadians who died during the First World War. Along the perimeter of the tower is a viewing gallery overlooking the entire city. There is also a carillon with 53 bells and a clock. Within the parliamentary buildings of great interest might be the Hall of Confederate Memorial Chamber with a massive book, which listed the names of the Canadians killed during the First and the Second World Wars, and the study's first Prime Minister of Canada John A. Macdonald. Numerous monuments of great personalities are in front of the Parliament, and an area of eternal flame burns.

 

The City Hall

 

There is the same concert hall, and a little further there is the City Council or the City Hall. If you walk from the Parliament Hill towards the bridge, you will take to the streets of Sussex - that there is the night life of Ottawa. Following on, you can go across the bridge and be on the francophone side, to visit the Museum of Civilization. Walking does not take long, since the central part of it is very small, and it is conducive to unhurried promenades.

 

Notre Dame Cathedral

 

The cathedral was built in 1866 on the site of the destroyed wooden church early in the 19th century. Now Notre Dame is the oldest church in Ottawa. It was built in a mixed style with neo-Gothic and neo-classical traits. The interior of the cathedral is decorated with wall paintings and hundreds of sculptures.

 

Music

 

Like any other capital city, Ottawa offers everyone the opportunity to find something to their liking. Music lovers pleasant meetings with the National Arts Centre Orchestra. Ottawa Symphony Orchestra and many other musical ensembles perform classical music. The town is very popular with jazz, rock and roll, blues, country music. Ballet lovers will love the Royal Ballet performances of Ottawa. Fans can visit the National Art places such as the Ottawa Civic Centre, the Congress Centre and the Nepean Sportsplex, which sells and exhibits many wonderful things and works of art. The best known are the exhibition halls of Ottawa: the Byward Market, La Maison du Citoyen, Le Salon des Arts and the Arts Court, where there are many past and present collections of works.

 

Parks

 

Ottawa is the ideal city in terms of providing recreation. Directly in its line, it boasts excellent parks. The most famous park is the park Gatineau, where you can have a good ski in the winter and good swimming in the pools, cycling and picnics in the summer.

 

Sports

 

The residents of Ottawa are very fond of sport, and excitedly rooting for their favorite teams: the football club "Ottawa Rafrayder" (one of the owners of this club is a famous French toast Wayne), the baseball club "Ottawa Lynx" and the hockey club, "Ottawa Senators". From the east of the Parliament Hill is the Rideau Canal , which connects Ottawa to Kingston town, located on the north shore of Lake Ontario. In the winter section of a length to 7.8 km, passing through the historic center of Ottawa, a skating rink is opened. This is the longest skating rink in the world.

 

The Festival of Tulips

 

Particularly interesting in Ottawa in the spring, is the festival of tulips, which the residents of the city are very proud of. During the Second World War, Ottawa granted asylum to the Dutch royal family. And now every year the royal family sends a gift to the city thousands and thousands of tulips.

 

Vast tracts of forests had contributed to the development of enterprises in wood, which plays a big role in Ottawa today. However, one-third of working capital is a public servant. Most developed here is the pulp and paper, printing, electronic, instrument industry. There is an international airport. The city has 2 universities (English and French) and there also is The Royal Society of Canada Scientific Research Institute of Atomic Energy.

 

The Winterlude Festival in Ottawa

 

The Festival is annually celebrated in Canada. This is a celebration of all things: cold, ice, and distinctly Canadian. Ice sculpture competitions, snow slides, and of course the famous Rideau Canal skating is a cold embrace of the coldest month of the year, a time when most of us would rather be covered up inside. Main hubs are the Winterlude festival Confederation Park, Jacques-Cartier Park and the Rideau Canal, all of which have tons of family oriented activities. The Confederation Park, the Rideau Canal head, is home to the Crystal Garden, where an ice-sculpture international competition takes place. During the Winterlude festival, incredible ice sculptures are on display, and guests can even try their skills with hands-on demonstrations. There is also live music and refreshment stands offering hot chocolate, apple cider, hot dogs, Taffy maple, and Ottawa's most famous address: Beaver tails (a fried pastry dough smothered in your choice of cinnamon, maple butter, chocolate or garlic and cheese).

 

Meanwhile, across the river in Gatineau, Jacques-Cartier Park is home to the Snowflake Kingdom: the largest snow playground in North America. There is snow slide, snow sculptures, a ski bunny hill, sleigh rides horse drawn, rides kicksled (essentially a chair on skis), and some years there is a maze of snow. But the most iconic place is Winterlude. It is the largest skating rink in the world, stretching 7.8 kilometers (just under 5 km) and running through the heart of downtown Ottawa. During the Winterlude Festival, the Rideau Canal is home to art exhibitions, demonstrations of skating, hockey games, and an annual Race Bedzzz Accommodation (which is exactly what it looks like a race where the competitors wheel beds along the canal). The Skateway is also lined with kiosks offering snacks usually treated Winterlude, including the famous beaver tails. If this time out comes to be too much, many Ottawa museums like the Museum of Science and Technology Museum Nature and the Museum of Folk Civilisation, have special displays and winter festival honor the special rates.

 

Finally, when all that sightseeing and winter fun leave you hungry, visit one of the many restaurants of Ottawa Winterlude . It offers a tasty menu. These restaurants have fixed price of the menu or special winter-themed dishes in honor of the festival.

 

Thus, Ottawa is the heart and the major vital center of Canada. In Ottawa, tourists are offered an exciting excursion on the river on an old ship, Ottawa and the Rideau Canal and its locks, which were built in the early 19th century. The cruise on the Rideau Canal, which starts and ends in Ottawa in the town of Kingston is a historic route, because in the era of colonization, these lands were settled by the Europeans among the first, and the British Loyalists who lived later here, left an indelible mark on the culture of the region.

Others The best cities to visit in the world .

Maps of Ottawa

map Canada -> Maps Ontario -> map Ottawa Images of Ottawa