|subdivision_type1 Provinces of Canada |subdivision_name1 |leader_title Mayor |leader_title1 City Council |leader_name1 Ottawa City Council |leader_title2 Member of Parliament (Canada) |leader_name2 |leader_title3 Member of Provincial Parliament (Ontario) |leader_name3 |leader_name Larry O'Brien (Canadian politician) |established_title Established |established_date 1826 as "Town of Bytown |established_title2 Municipal corporation |established_date2 1855 as "City of Ottawa" |established_title3 Amalgamation (politics) |established_date3 January 1, 2001 |area_footnotes |area_magnitude |area_total_km2 2778.64 |area_total_sq_mi 1072.9 |area_land_km2 |area_land_sq_mi |area_water_km2 |area_water_sq_mi |area_water_percent |area_urban_km2 512.29 |area_urban_sq_mi |area_metro_km2 5318.36 |area_metro_sq_mi |demonym Ottawan/Ottavien(ne) |population_as_of 2006 |population_note |population_total 812,129 (List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population |population_density_km2 292.3 |population_density_sq_mi |population_urban |population_density_urban_km2 |population_density_urban_sq_mi |population_metro 1,130,761 (List of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada |population_density_metro_km2 |population_density_metro_sq_mi | population_blank1_title Demonym | population_blank1 Ottawan/Ottavien(ne) |timezone Eastern (EST) |utc_offset -5 |timezone_DST Eastern Time Zone (North America) |utc_offset_DST -4 |latd45 |latm25 |lats15 |latNSN |longd75 |longm41 |longs24 |longEWW |elevation_m 70 |elevation_ft 230 |website http://www.ottawa.ca/ ottawa.ca] |postal_code_type Postal code span |postal_code K0A, K1A-K4C |area_code Area code 613 Area code 343 |footnotes }} Ottawa (or sometimes is the Capital (political) of Canada a List of municipalities in Ontario and the second largest city within the Provinces and territories of Canada of Ontario Located in the Ottawa Valley in the Eastern Ontario portion of Southern Ontario the city lies on the southern banks of the Ottawa River a major waterway forming the local boundary between the provinces of Ontario and Quebec Connected by several List of bridges in Ottawa to its Quebec neighbour, the city of Gatineau on the northern shores of the Ottawa River, the two cities and surrounding areas are designated the National Capital Region (Canada) (NCR). Though governed by separate municipal governments, the federal lands within the region are administered by the National Capital Commission (NCC), a federal crown corporation charged with the responsibility of planning and managing the federal governments interests in the NCR. In 2006, the city of Ottawa had a population of 812,129, making it the List of the 100 largest municipalities in Canada by population municipality in the country and second-largest in Ontario lt;/ref> The Ottawa-Gatineau metropolitan area had a 2006 population of 1,130,761, making it the List of the 100 largest metropolitan areas in Canada census metropolitan area (CMA) in Canada.lt;/ref> The National Capital Region (Canada) which encompasses Ottawa, Gatineau and surrounding suburbs and towns has an estimated population of 1,451,415. In 2009 Ottawa-Gatineaus population was estimated at 1,220,674, making it the fifth-largest CMA in Canada.lt;/ref> Ottawa has the 2nd highest quality of living of any city in the Americas and 14th highest in the world according to the "Mercer Human Resource Consulting Quality of Living Survey".http://www.mercer.com/qualityofliving#top5 Mercers 2010 Quality of Living survey highlights] It is also considered the 3rd cleanest city in the world by Mercers 2010 eco-city ranking.lt;/ref>

History

File:Murphy Gamble 1940.jpg in downtown Ottawa, 1954]] The Ottawa region was long the home of the Odawa people or Odaawaa First Nations people. The Odawa are an Algonquin people who called the river the Kichi Sibi or Kichissippi meaning "Great River" or "Grand River".John H. Taylor, Ottawa, An Illustrated History James Lorimer & Company, Publishers, Canadian Museum of Civilization, National Museums of Canada, Toronto, 1986, p.11. Historical evidence indicates that the Algonquins over time have occupied portions of the lands of the Ottawa River watershed and travelled through surrounding territory as a hunting and gathering society.lt;/ref> The Algonquins of Ontario assert that they never surrendered its territory by treaty, sale, or conquest and have made such claims since 1772. In 1983, the Algonquins of Golden Lake (Pikwàkanagàn) presented to the Government of Canada a claim to Aboriginal rights and title within the Ontario portion of the Ottawa and Mattawa River watersheds.lt;/ref> Negotiations are ongoing. File:OttawaAerial9.JPG (without the Peace Tower , and old Government Conference Centre in the background]] Early European explorers of the St. Lawrence River and Ottawa Rivers sought new territories, claimed lands in the names of their kings and queens, and sought western passages to India and Asia as well as gold and other precious commodities. Among the first of commercial enterprises to evolve in the New World after fishing the fur trade industry, largely influenced by the Hudson Bay Company used the Ottawa River and its tributaries as the local conveyance for the delivery of fur products to Europe through Montreal and Quebec City The first settlement in the region was led by Philemon Wright a New Englander from Woburn Massachusetts who, on March 7, 1800 arrivedDavid Lee, Lumber Kings & Shantymen James Lorimer & Company, Publishers, Toronto, 2006, p.16. with his own and five other families along with twenty-five labourers to start an agricultural Hull, Quebec of the Ottawa River at the portage to the Chaudière Falls Food crops were not sufficient to sustain the community and Wright began harvesting trees as a cash crop when he determined that he could transport timber by river from the Ottawa Valley to the Montreal and Quebec City markets, which also exported to Europe. His first raft of squared timber and sawn lumber arrived in Quebec City in 1806. Liked by many European nations for its extremely straight and strong trunk in heavy construction for shipbuilding and housing as well as for furniture, the white pine (Pinus strobus) was found throughout the Ottawa Valley, soon booming based almost exclusively upon the timber trade.David Lee, Lumber Kings & Shantymen James Lorimer & Company, Publishers, Toronto, 2006, p.21. By 1812, the timber trade had overtaken the fur trade as the leading economic activity in the areaDavid Lee, Lumber Kings & Shantymen James Lorimer & Company, Publishers, Toronto, 2006, p.34. as Ottawa became a centre for lumber milling and square-cut lumber in Canada and North America. In the years following the War of 1812, along with settling some military regiment families (such as the 100th Regiment of Foot (Prince Regent's County of Dublin Regiment) at Richmond, Ontario , the government began sponsored immigration schemes which brought over Irish Catholics and Protestants to settle the Ottawa area, which began a steady stream of Irish immigration there in the next few decades. Along with French Canadian who crossed over from Quebec, these two groups provided the bulk of workers involved in the Rideau Canal project and the booming timber trade, both instrumental in putting Ottawa on the map. The regions population grew significantly when the canal was completed by Colonel John By in 1832. It was intended to provide a secure route between Montreal and Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario by-passing the stretch of the St. Lawrence River bordering New York State (the U.S invasions of Canada in the War of 1812 being a recent memory). Construction of the canal began at the northern end, where Colonel By set up a military barracks on what later became Parliament Hill and laid out a townsite that soon became known as Bytown Original city leaders of Bytown include a number of Wrights sons, most notably Ruggles Wright Nicholas Sparks (Ottawa) Braddish Billings and Abraham Dow were the first to settle on the Ontario side of the Ottawa river. The west side of the canal became known as "Uppertown" where the Parliament buildings are located, while the east side of the canal (wedged between the canal and Rideau River was known as the "Lowertown". Lower Town was then a crowded, boisterous shanty town frequently receiving the worst of disease epidemics, such as the Cholera outbreak in 1832, and typhus in 1847. Bytown was renamed Ottawain 1855, when it was incorporated as a city.lt;/ref>

Ottawa as the capital

Image:Canadian parliament MAM.JPG on Parliament Hill ]] On December 31, 1857, Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom was asked to choose a common capital for the Province of Canada (modern day Ontario and Quebec) and chose Ottawa. While Ottawa is now a major metropolis and Canadas fourth largest city, at the time it was a sometimes unruly logging town in the hinterland, far away from the colonys main cities, Quebec City and Montreal in Canada East, and Kingston, Ontario and Toronto in Canada West. The Queens advisers suggested she pick Ottawa for many important reasons: first, it was the only settlement of any significant size located right on the border of Canada East and Canada West (today Quebec and Ontario), making it a compromise between the two colonies and their French and English populations;second, the War of 1812 had shown how vulnerable major Canadian cities were to American attack, since they were all located very close to the border, while Ottawa was then surrounded by dense forest far from the border; third, the government owned a large parcel of land on a spectacular spot overlooking the Ottawa River. Ottawas position in the back country made it more defensible, while still allowing easy transportation over the Ottawa River to Canada East, and the Rideau Canal to Canada West. Two other considerations were that Ottawa was at a point nearly exactly midway between Toronto and Quebec City ( and that the small size of the town made it less likely that politically motivated mobs could go on a rampage and destroy government buildings, as happened in the previous Canadian capitals. The Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal network meant that Ottawa could be supplied by water from Kingston and Montreal without going along the potentially treacherous US-Canada border. In 1866, the legislature was finally moved to Ottawa, after a few years of alternating between Toronto and Quebec City, Quebec See also Province of Canada#Capitals File:War Memorial Guards Ottawa.jpg ] The original Centre Block of the Parliament Buildings in Ottawa was destroyed by fire on February 3, 1916. French Urban planning Jacques Greber was hired to work on a master plan for the National Capital Region (the Greber Plan .lt;/ref> Jacques Greber was the creator of the Greenbelt (Ottawa) as well as many other projects throughout the NCR. The House of Commons and Senate were temporarily relocated to the recently constructed Victoria Memorial Museum, currently the Canadian Museum of Nature located about south of Parliament Hill on McLeod Street at Metcalfe Street. A new Centre Block was completed in 1922, the centrepiece of which is a dominant Gothic architecture revival styled structure known as the Peace Tower which has become a common emblem of the city. On September 5, 1945, only weeks after the end of World War II Ottawa was the site of the event that many people consider to be the official start of the Cold War A Soviet Union cipher clerk, Igor Gouzenko defected from the Soviet embassy with over 100 secret documents.http://history.cbc.ca/history/?MIvalEpisContent.html&langE&series_id1&episode_id15&chapter_id1&page_id1 Soviet Spy Scandal], from CBCs "Canada: A Peoples History". Retrieved December 22, 2008. At first, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) refused to take the documents, as the Soviets were still allies of Canada and Britain, and the newspapers were not interested in the story. After hiding out for a night in a neighbours apartment, listening to his own home being searched, Gouzenko finally persuaded the RCMP to look at his evidence, which provided proof of a massive Soviet spy network operating in western countries, and, indirectly, led to the discovery that the Soviets were working on an atomic bomb to match that of the Americans. In 2001, the old city of Ottawa (estimated 2005 population 350,000) was amalgamated with the suburb of Nepean, Ontario (135,000), Kanata, Ontario (85,000), Gloucester, Ontario (120,000), Rockcliffe Park, Ontario (2,100), Vanier, Ontario (17,000) and Cumberland, Ontario (city) (55,000), Orleans, Ontario (84,695), and the rural townships of West Carleton Township, Ontario (18,000), Osgoode Township, Ontario (13,000), Rideau Township, Ontario (18,000), and Goulbourn Township, Ontario (24,000), along with the systems and infrastructure of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton, Ontario to become one municipality. Before 1969 and the creation of Ottawa-Carleton, the city of Ottawa was part of Carleton County, Ontario

Geography

Image:newottawamap.png Image:CDHowebuilding.jpg ] Image:Carleton University south view 2.jpg the Rideau Canal the Rideau River Colonel By Drive Carleton University Downtown Ottawa and the Gatineau Hills ] Ottawa is situated on the south bank of the Ottawa River and contains the mouths of the Rideau River and Rideau Canal The oldest part of the city (including what remains of Bytown is known as [[Lower Town]] and occupies an area between the canal and the rivers. Across the canal to the west lies [[Centretown]](often just called "downtown"), which is the citys financial and commercial hub. Situated between Centretown and the Ottawa River, the slight elevation of Parliament Hill is home to many of the capitals landmark government buildings, including the Peace Tower, and the legislative seat of Canada. As of June 29, 2007, the Rideau Canal, which stretches to Kingston, Fort Henry and four Martello towers in the Kingston area was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site The City of Ottawa has a main urban area but there are many other urban, suburb n and rural areas within the citys limits. The main suburban area extends a considerable distance to the east, west and south of the centre, and includes the former cities of Gloucester, Ontario Nepean, Ontario and Vanier, Ontario the former village of Rockcliffe Park and the community of Blackburn Hamlet, Ontario (pop. 8,527), the community of Orléans, Ontario (pop. 110,000). The Kanata, Ontario suburban area consists of Kanata, Ontario (pop. 90,000) and the former village of Stittsville, Ontario (pop. 20,000). Nepean, Ontario is another major suburb which also includes Barrhaven, Ontario (pop. 70,000) and the former village of Manotick, Ontario (pop. 7,545). There are also the communities of Riverside South, Ottawa (pop. 8,000) on the other side of the Rideau River Morgan's Grant (pop. 8,000) and Greely, Ontario (pop. 4,152), southeast of Riverside South. There are also a number of rural communities (village and hamlet (place) that lie beyond the greenbelt but are administratively part of the Ottawa municipality. Some of these communities are Burritts Rapids, Ontario (hamlet (place) pop. 300); Ashton, Ontario (hamlet (place) pop. 300); Fallowfield, Ontario (hamlet (place) pop. 600); Kars, Ontario (village pop. 1,539); Fitzroy Harbour, Ontario (village pop. 1,549); Munster, Ontario (village pop. 1,390); Carp, Ontario (village pop. 1,400); North Gower, Ontario (village pop. 1,700); Metcalfe, Ontario (village pop. 1,810); Constance Bay, Ontario (village pop. 2,327) and Osgoode, Ontario (village pop. 2,571) and Richmond, Ontario (village pop. 3,301). There are also a number of town in the National Capital Region (Canada) but outside the city of Ottawa one of these urban area communities is Almonte, Ontario (town pop. 4,649). Across the Ottawa River, which forms the border between Ontario and Quebec lies the city of Gatineau itself the result of amalgamation of the former Quebec cities of Hull and Aylmer together with Gatineau. Although formally and administratively separate cities in two separate provinces, Ottawa and Gatineau (along with a number of nearby municipalities) collectively constitute the National Capital Region (Canada) with a combined population exceeding one million residents, which is considered a single metropolitan area. One federal crown corporation (the National Capital Commission or NCC) has significant land holdings in both cities, including sites of historical and touristic importance. The NCC, through its responsibility for planning and development of these lands, is an important contributor to both cities. Around the main urban area is an extensive Greenbelt (Ottawa) administered by the National Capital Commission for conservation and leisure, and comprising mostly forest, farmland and marshland. Ottawa is a Census divisions of Ontario#Single-tier municipalities meaning it is in itself a census division and has no county or regional municipality government above it. Ottawa is bounded on the east by the Prescott and Russell United Counties, Ontario by Renfrew County, Ontario and Lanark County, Ontario in the west; on the south by the Leeds and Grenville United Counties and the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry United Counties, Ontario and on the north by the Les Collines-de-l'Outaouais Regional County Municipality, Quebec and the City of Gatineau Ottawa is made up of eleven historic townships, ten of which are from historic Carleton County, Ontario and one from historic Russell County, Ontario They are Cumberland Township, Ontario Fitzroy Township, Ontario Gloucester Township, Ontario Goulbourn Township, Ontario Huntley Township, Ontario March Township, Ontario Marlborough Township, Ontario Nepean Township, Ontario North Gower Township, Ontario Osgoode Township, Ontario and Torbolton Township, Ontario

Climate

Image:Ottawa River (1).jpg in summer.]] Image:Rideau Canal in winter.jpg in winter.]] Ottawa has a humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfb with a range of temperatures from a record high of 37.8 °C (100°F), recorded July 4, 1913, to a record low of -38.9 °C (-38 °F) recorded on December 29, 1933.lt;/ref> This extreme range in temperature allows Ottawa to boast a variety of annual activities—more notable events such as the Winterlude Festival on the Rideau Canal in the winter and the National Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in July. Ottawa had the fourth coldest temperature recorded in a capital city (after Ulaanbaatar Mongolia Astana Kazakhstan and Moscow Russia . It is the seventh coldest capital in the worldlt;/ref> by annual average temperature, and third coldest capital by mean January temperature. The city experiences four distinct seasons. Summers are warm and humid in Ottawa. The average July maximum temperature is 26 °C (80 °F), although daytime temperatures of 30 °C (86 °F) or higher are commonplace. A maximum temperature of 39.5 °C (103 °F) was recorded in the summer of 2005. During periods of hot weather, high humidity is often an aggravating factor, especially close to the rivers. Ottawa averages many days with humidex (combined temperature & humidity index) between 30 °C (86 °F), and 40 °C (104 °F) annually. The highest recorded humidex was 48 °C (118 °F) on August 1, 2006.lt;/ref> Spring and fall are variable, prone to extremes in temperature and unpredictable swings in conditions. Hot days above 30 °C (86 °F) have occurred as early as March (as in 2002) or as late as October, as well as snow well into May and early in October (although such events are extremely unusual and brief). Average annual precipitation averages around 943 millimetres (37 inches). The biggest one-day rainfall occurred on September 9, 2004 when the remnants of Hurricane Frances dumped nearly 136 mm (5½ inches) of rain in the city. The all-time monthly record is 243.4 mm (13.75 inches) set in July 2009.lt;/ref> There are about 2,060 hours of average sunshine annually (47% of possible). Snow and ice are dominant during the winter season. Ottawa receives about 235 centimetres (93 inch s) of snowfall annually. Its biggest snowfall was recorded on March 3–4, 1947, with 73 centimetre (2.5 Foot (unit) of snow.lt;/ref> The average January temperature is -10.8 °C (13 °F), although days well above freezing and nights below -30 °C (-22 °F) both occur in the winter. The 2007–08 winter season snowfall (432.7 cm / 170.3 inches)lt;/ref> came within 12 cm (5 inches) of the record snowfall set in 1970-1971 (444.1 cm / 174.8 inches).lt;/ref>lt;/ref> High wind chill are common, with annual averages of 51, 14 and 1 days with wind chills below -20 °C (-4 °F), -30 °C (-22 °F) and -40 °C (-40 °F) respectively. The lowest recorded wind chill was -47.8 °C (-54.0 °F) on January 8, 1968. Freezing rain is also relatively common, even relative to other parts of the country. One such large storm caused power outages and affected the local economy, and became known as the North American ice storm of 1998 Destructive summer weather events such as tornado s, major flash flood , extreme heat wave , severe hail and remnant effects from hurricane are rare, but all have occurred in the Ottawa area. Some of the most notable tornadoes in the region occurred in 1978 (F2), 1994 (F3), 1999 (F1), Fallowfield, Ontario Burnstown, Ontario and west end Ottawa 2009 (F0).Dead link|dateJuly 2010}}lt;/ref> lt;/ref> |dateAugust 2010 }}

Seismic activity

Ottawa is occasionally struck by earthquakes, including a 2010 Central Canada earthquake lt;/ref> a magnitude 4.5 earthquake on February 24, 2006,n:Earthquake Hits Ottawa, Canada lt;/ref> and a magnitude 5.2 earthquake on January 1, 2000.lt;/ref>

Demographics

In 2006 the population of the city of Ottawa was 812,129,lt;/ref> the Census Metropolitan Area was 1,130,761,lt;/ref> and the National Capital Region (Canada) was 1,451,415. The "Ottawa-Gatineau Urban Area", which includes only the contiguous built-up areas at the core of the CMA, had a population of 860,928, and a density of 1680.5 persons per km2(city), and 197.8 (metro).lt;/ref> The population of the pre-amalgamated city was 337,031 at the 2001 census, and fell to 328,105 at the 2006 Census. In 2001 females made up 51.2 percent of the population. Youths under 14 years of age number 19.3 percent of the total population, while those of retirement age (65 years and older) make up 10.8 percent resulting in an average age of 36.6 years of age. Foreign-born residents of Ottawa made up 22.3 percent of the population. Many of these came from China Lebanon North Africa Iran and the Balkans lt;/ref> Members of visible minority groups (non-white/European ethnic groups constituted 20.2 percent, while those of Aboriginal peoples in Canada origin numbered 1.5 percent of the total population. The largest visible minority groups were people of Black Canadians (4.9%), Chinese Canadian (3.8%), South Asian (3.3%) and Arab (3.0%) ancestry. Because Ottawa is the core of an urban area extending into French-speaking Quebec the city is very bilingual. Those who identified their mother tongue as English language constitute 62.6 percent, French language 14.9 percent, and both 0.85 percent. An additional 21.6 percent list languages other than English and French as their mother tongue. These include Italian language Chinese language Arabic Somali language Spanish language German language Persian language Urdu language and many others. When questioned on their knowledge of Canadas official languages, 59.9% of the population reported speaking only English; 37.2% reported speaking both English and French; 1.6% spoke only French; and 1.3 percent spoke neither official language. As expressed in 2001 census, the most popular religion is Christianity as 79.3% of the population described themselves belonging to various Christian denominations. The largest denomination is Catholicism which claimed 54.2% of city residents. Members of Protestantism churches formed 21.9%, Eastern Orthodox Church were 1.7%, and 1.6% belonged to other Christian groups, including Jehovah's Witness s and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Non-Christian religion practiced in Ottawa included Islam (4.0%), Judaism (1.1%), and Buddhism (1.0%). Those professing no religion formed 13.3% of the population. Ottawa enacted official Bilingualism in Canada policies in 2002, making all municipal services available in both of Canadas official languages. 314,000 people, or roughly 40% of Ottawas population, are able to speak both languages, with rates approaching 80% in the age category under-25 due to wide-scale education programs.http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/Details/Page.cfm?LangE&Geo1CSD&Code13506008&Geo2PR&Code235&DataCount&SearchTextOttawa&SearchTypeBegins&SearchPR01&B1All&GeoLevel&GeoCode3506008 2006 Community Profiles - Census Subdivision] As such it is the largest city in Canada with both English Language and French Language as co-official languages.

Government

Image:Ottawa Normal School2.JPG Ottawa is governed by a 24-member city council consisting of 23 councillors each representing one Ward (country subdivision) and the mayor, currently Larry O'Brien (Canadian politician) lt;/ref> elected in a citywide vote. As a single tier municipality, Ottawa has responsibility for all municipal services, including fire, ambulance, police, parks, roads, sidewalks, public transit, drinking water, stormwater, sanitary sewage and solid waste. Along with being the capital of Canada, Ottawa is politically diverse in local politics. Most of the city traditionally supports the Liberal Party of Canada although only some parts of the city are consistent Liberal strongholds. Perhaps the safest areas for the Liberals are the ones dominated by Francophones especially in Vanier, Ontario and central Gloucester, Ontario Central Ottawa is usually more Left-wing politics leaning, and the New Democratic Party can win ridings there as government unions and activist groups are fairly strong. Some of Ottawas suburbs are swing areas, notably central Nepean, Ontario and, despite its Francophone population, Orléans, Ontario The southern and western parts of the old city of Ottawa are generally moderate or slightly left of centre but periodically swing to the Conservative Party of Canada The farther one goes from the city centre into suburban fringes like Kanata, Ontario and Barrhaven, Ontario and rural areas, the voters tend to be increasingly conservative, both fiscally and socially. This is especially true in the former Townships of West Carleton Township, Ontario Goulbourn Township, Ontario Rideau Township, Ontario and Osgoode Township, Ontario which are more in line with the staunchly conservative areas in the surrounding county However not all rural areas support the Conservative Party. Rural parts of the former township of Cumberland Township, Ontario with a large number of Francophones, traditionally support the Liberal Party, though their support has recently weakened. Ottawa became the legislative capital of the Northwest Territories when it reverted to 1870 constitutional status, after Alberta and Saskatchewan were carved out in 1905. From 1905 to 1951 almost all the council members were civil servants living in Ottawa. From 1951 to 1967 the territory alternated legislative sessions with various List of communities in the Northwest Territories Ottawa only held legislative sessions of the council. Fort Smith, Northwest Territories became the administrative centre and officially housed the civil service from 1911 to 1967.

Transportation

Image:Ottawa River Parkway interchange.jpg a scenic route towards downtown along the Ottawa River]] Image:O Train over Rideau by Wilder.JPG Ottawas light rail train servicing a portion of Ottawas public transit system]] Image:Tulips in downtown Ottawa from the 2006 Tulip Festival.JPG

Inter-city services

Ottawa is served by a number of airlines that fly into the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport as well as two main regional airports Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport and Ottawa/Carp Airport The city is also served by inter-city passenger rail service at the Ottawa Train Station by VIA Rail and inter-city bus service operating out of the Ottawa Bus Central Station

Highways, streets and roads

The capital city of Canada is also served by a network of freeways, the main one being provincial Highway 417 (Ontario) (called Queensway (Ottawa) , Ottawa-Carleton Regional Road 174 (formerly Provincial Highway 17), and Highway 416 (Ontario) connecting Ottawa to the rest of the 400-series highways (Ontario) network in Ontario. Highway 417 is also the Ottawa portion of the Trans-Canada Highway The city also has several scenic parkways (promenades), such as the Ottawa River Parkway Rockcliffe Parkway and the Aviation Parkway (Ottawa) and has a freeway connection to Quebec Autoroute 5 and Quebec Autoroute 50 in Hull, Quebec

Public transit

The public transit system is operated by OC Transpo a department of the city. An integrated hub-and-spoke system of services is available consisting of: (1) regular buses travelling on fixed routes in mixed traffic, typical of most urban transit systems; (2) a bus rapid transit (BRT) system - a high frequency bus service operating on the Ottawa Rapid Transit - a network of mostly grade-separated dedicated bus lanes within their own right-of-way and having full stations with Park & Ride facilities further supported by on-road reserved bus lanes and priority traffic signal controls; (3) a light rail transit (LRT) system known as the [[Ottawa O-Train|O-Train]]operating on one north-south route; and (4) a door-to-door bus service for the disabled known as ParaTranspo. Both OC Transpo and the Quebec-based [[Société de transport de lOutaouais]] (STO) operate bus services between Ottawa and Gatineau. A transfer or bus pass of one is accepted on the other without having to pay a top-up fare on regular routes.

Navigable waterways

Ottawa sits at the confluence of three major rivers: the Ottawa River the Gatineau River and the Rideau River The Ottawa and Gatineau rivers were historically important in the logging and lumber industries, and the Rideau as part of the Rideau Canal system connecting the Great Lakes and Saint Lawrence River with the Ottawa River. The Jock River runs through the southern portion of the city, East through Richmond, and pours into the Rideau River near Manotick. It is a small tributary and is popular for canoeing and kayaking. The Rideau Canal which starts in Kingston, Ontario winds its way through the city. Just past Mooneys Bay the waterway splits into two separate channels. The western channel is a navigable canal which flows through the core of the city and terminates at a large and dramatic set of locks between Parliament Hill and the Chateau Laurier Hotel. The Eastern channel is kept in a natural state and meanders through the eastern side of downtown, terminating at the beautiful Rideau Falls after which the river itself was named. Rideau is a French word that means Curtain in English, and the falls resemble a curtain, hence the name. During the winter season the navigable West canal is usually open and is a form of transportation downtown for about 7.8 kilometres (4.8 Mile for ice skaters (from a point near Carleton University to the Rideau Centre and forms the http://www.canadascapital.gc.ca/bins/ncc_web_content_page.asp?cid16297-16299-10080&lang1 worlds largest skating rink].

Bicycle and pedestrian pathways

There is a large network of paved multi-use pathways that wind their way through much of the city, including along the Ottawa River, Rideau River, and Rideau Canal. These pathways are used for transportation, tourism, and recreation. Because most streets either have wide curb lanes or bicycle lanes, cycling is a popular mode of transportation in the region throughout the year. There are over 220 kilometeres of paths located throughout the Ottawa-Gatineau region.lt;/ref> There are also some downtown streets that are restricted to only bicycle or pedestrians.

Transportation Master Plan

The citys summarizes expansion and improvement plans for: * * * * and *

Landmarks and notable institutions

Image:lc johnby.jpg ] Ottawa is home to a wealth of national museums, official residences, government buildings, memorials and heritage structures. Federal buildings in the National Capital Region are managed by the Public Works and Government Services Canada while most of the federal lands in the Region are managed by the National Capital Commission or NCC; its control of much undeveloped land gives the NCC a great deal of influence over the citys development. In 2006, the National Capital Commission completed work on the long-discussed Confederation Boulevard a ceremonial route linking key attractions in National Capital Region, on both sides of the Ottawa River, in Ottawa as well as Gatineau Quebec lt;/ref> The Ottawa skyline has remained conservative in skyscraper height throughout the years due to a skyscraper height restriction. First installed to keep Parliament Hill visible from most parts of the City, that initial restriction was changed to a more realistic law many years later. The restriction allows no building to overwhelm the skyline, keeping almost all the downtown building around the same 25-30 story range. Other cities with building height restrictions like Ottawas include Washington, D.C. USA Belfast Northern Ireland and Saint Petersburg Russia amongst others.

Primary industries

Ottawas primary employers are the Canadian federal government and the high-tech industry. Ottawa has become known as "Silicon Valley North."lt;/ref>

Sports

Image:Scotiabankplaceottawa.JPG where the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League play.]] Ottawa is home to both the National Hockey League Ottawa Senators who play out of Scotiabank Place located in the westend suburban community of Kanata, Ontario and the Ontario Hockey League Ottawa 67's who play out of Lansdowne Park Ottawa Civic Centre The city also has a professional womens hockey team, the Ottawa Senators (CWHL) Ottawa recently hosted the 2009 World Junior Hockey Championships and hosts the annual Bell Capital Cup tournament. Ottawa was home to a minor league professional baseball team, the Ottawa Voyageurs of the Canadian-American Association of Professional Baseball which played at the Ottawa Baseball Stadium The Voyageurs were formerly known as the Ottawa Rapidz The Voyageurs/Rapidz folded after only one year. Ottawa was also home to a AAA minor league baseball team, the Ottawa Lynx of the International League The team was sold in 2006 and the Lynx left Ottawa following the 2007 season, moving to Allentown, Pennsylvania In 2010, the Inter-County Baseball League awarded Ottawa a franchise, the Ottawa Fat Cats and the team is set to begin play during the 2010 season. Ottawa also is home to one of the largest amateur senior baseball leagues in Canada, the National Capital Baseball League officially formed in 1990. The league consists of 35 teams in 4 "Tiers" from around the Ottawa Region including Kingston, Winchester, Gatineau and Aylmer. Ottawas two major universities, Carleton University and the University of Ottawa both have athletic associations; the team names are the Carleton Ravens and the Ottawa Gee-Gees respectively. The Ravens are nationally ranked in basketball The Gee-Gees are nationally ranked in Canadian football Image:Southsidefcs.JPG ] Ottawa had a significant presence in the Canadian Football League with the Ottawa Rough Riders Canadian football team and an attempted revival with the Ottawa Renegades (established 2002 - suspended operations in 2006, due to financial difficulties and poor fan attendance). Football was played at Frank Clair Stadium at Lansdowne Park On March 25, 2008, CFL commissionner Mark Cohon awarded a conditional franchise to a group led by 67s owner Jeff Hunt. Ottawa is also home to a semi-professional football team in the Empire Football League the Ottawa Demon Deacons and 3 Major Junior Football teams in the QJFL and CJFL the Ottawa Junior Riders Ottawa Sooners and the Cumberland Panthers Ottawas top association football team is the Ottawa Fury who play in the womens W-League and the mens USL Premier Development League Harness racing and Horse racing can be found at Rideau Carleton Raceway off Albion Road (Ottawa) and auto racing can be found at the Capital City Speedway off Highway 7 (Ontario) The Rideau Canoe Club located at Hogs Back Park on the Rideau River produces and supports many national- and international-level paddlers. The city also supports many casual sporting activities, such as skating on the Rideau Canal or curling in winter, cycling and jogging along the Ottawa River Rideau Canal, and Rideau River in summer, playing Ultimate (sport) all year round (especially through the Ottawa-Carleton Ultimate Association , skiing and hiking in the Greenbelt and the nearby Gatineau Park, and sailing on Lac Deschenes, part of the Ottawa River or golfing on many of the golf courses in the Ottawa area. During the coldest parts of winter there is ice fishing on the Ottawa river. Ottawa has many cricket clubs for people of all ages. Eastern Ontarios top Rugby Union players are members of the Ottawa Harlequins which competes each summer in the Rugby Canada Super League

Media

There are three main daily local newspapers printed in Ottawa: two English newspapers, the [[Ottawa Citizen]]and the [[Ottawa Sun]] with 900,197 and 274,628 weekly circulation respectively, and one French newspaper, [[Le Droit]]with 215,579 weekly circulation.lt;/ref>

Education

Image:UOttawa-Tabaret Hall-2008-05-05.jpg ]] Ottawa has the highest per capita concentration of engineer , scientist , and residents with PhD in Canada.lt;/ref> It is known as the "most educated city in Canada"lt;/ref> with over half the population having graduated from College and/or university. *Algonquin College *Carleton University *Dominican University College *La Cité collégiale *Saint Paul University *University of Ottawa

Items of interest

Image:Canada Day 2000 Wellington.jpg ]] *The National Research Council of Canada s shortwave time signal station, CHU (callsign) is located in Ottawa. *The Ottawa ankle rules were developed in, and named after the city. *List of attractions in Ottawa *List of Ottawa cinemas *Beaver tail (pastry) *Byward Market *The August Ontario Public holidays in Canada#The August Civic Holiday which is called Simcoe Day in Toronto and Peter Robinson Day in Peterborough, Ontario is named John By Day in Ottawa. *In Isaac Asimovs "I, Robot , Ottawa served as the capital of the Northern Region, one of the four Global Regions. There will be a Rideau Canal Festival going on from July 30 to August 2, 2010.

Ottawa diplomatic missions and relations

Sister cities of Ottawa

* Seoul South Korea (1997) * Beijing China (1999) * Buenos Aires Argentina * Catania Sicily Italy (2003) * Campobasso Molise Italy

See also

*Ottawa City Council *Ottawa (City of) defunct electoral district *Ottawa municipal election, 2003 *Ottawa municipal election, 2006 *Architecture of Ottawa *1900 Hull-Ottawa fire *1929 Ottawa sewer explosion *City of Ottawa (municipal government) *City of Ottawa Act *Dominion Arboretum *List of communities in the Ottawa area *List of Ottawa churches *List of Ottawa mayors *List of Ottawa parks *List of Ottawa media outlets *List of people from Ottawa *Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton *List of bridges in Ottawa *List of Ottawa buildings *List of Ottawa schools *List of tallest buildings in Ottawa-Gatineau *List of embassies and high commissions in Ottawa *List of designated heritage properties in Ottawa *List of crossings of the Ottawa River#From the Lake of Two Mountains upstream *Eastern Ontario *Southern Ontario

Panorama

Alexandra Bridge ·}} National Gallery of Canada ·}} Byward Market ·}} Fairmont Château Laurier ·}} Rideau Canal LocksParliament Hill with Library of Parliament and Peace Tower ·}} Downtown Ottawa towersSupreme Court of Canada]] }}

Notes

References

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Sources

* Statistics Canada http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/home/Index.cfm 2001 Census of Canada], retrieved October 10, 2006.

External links

* * http://www.ottawa.ca/ City of Ottawas website] * http://www.ottawatourism.ca/ Ottawa Tourism] * http://www.ncf.ca/~dw413/area_map.htm National Capital Freenet - Directory of Ottawa and Environs] * http://collections.ic.gc.ca/bytown/ Musée Bytown Museum] * http://www.canadiangeographic.ca/magazine/so05/indepth/ Interesting Facts About Ottawa from Canadian Geographic] * http://www.ottawakiosk.com/hill_cam.html Parliament Hill Webcam] * http://www.ontariopics.com/Ottawa Ontario Photos, Ottawa] * http://www.ogwa-hydrog.ca/ Ottawa-Gatineau Watershed Atlas (OGWA)] * http://www.civilization.ca/cmc/exhibitions/cmc/archeo/kichisibi/welcome.shtml The Canadian Museum of Civilization - Ancient history of the Ottawa Valley] Category:Ottawa Category:Capitals in North America Category:High-technology business districts Category:Populated places established in 1800 Category:Ontario communities with large francophone populations ace:Ottawa af:Ottawa als:Ottawa am:ኦታዋ ang:Ottawa ar:أوتوا an:Ottawa roa-rup:Ottawa frp:Ottawa bn:অটোয়া zh-min-nan:Ottawa be:Горад Атава be-x-old:Атава bo:ཨོ་ཏ་ཝ། bs:Ottawa bg:Отава ca:Ottawa cv:Оттава cs:Ottawa co:Ottawa cy:Ottawa da:Ottawa pdc:Ottawa de:Ottawa et:Ottawa el:Οττάβα es:Ottawa eo:Otavo (Ontario) ext:Ottawa eu:Ottawa fa:اتاوا hif:Ottawa fo:Ottawa fr:Ottawa fy:Ottawa ga:Ottawa gd:Ottawa gl:Otava - Ottawa ko:오타와 hy:Օտավա hr:Ottawa io:Ottawa id:Ottawa ie:Ottawa iu:ᐊᑐᕚ/atavaa os:Оттавæ is:Ottawa it:Ottawa he:אוטווה kl:Ottawa ka:ოტავა kw:Ottawa sw:Ottawa ht:Otawa ku:Ottawa la:Ottava lv:Otava lt:Otava ln:Ottawa lmo:Ottawa hu:Ottawa mk:Отава ml:ഓട്ടവ mr:ओटावा mzn:اوتآوآ mn:Оттава nah:Ottahua nl:Ottawa (stad) ja:オタワ no:Ottawa nn:Ottawa nov:Ottawa oc:Ottawa pa:ਓਟਾਵਾ pnb:اٹاوہ pap:Ottawa pms:Ottawa nds:Ottawa pl:Ottawa pt:Ottawa ro:Ottawa rm:Ottawa qu:Ottawa ru:Оттава sah:Оттава sc:Ottawa sq:Ottawa simple:Ottawa, Ontario sk:Ottawa sl:Ottawa sr:Отава sh:Ottawa fi:Ottawa sv:Ottawa tl:Ottawa ta:ஒட்டாவா th:ออตตาวา tr:Ottawa, Ontario uk:Оттава ur:اوٹاوا ug:Ottawa vi:Ottawa vo:Ottawa war:Ottawa yi:אטאווא yo:Ottawa zh-yue:渥太華 zh:渥太華