OTTAWA IS THE CAPITAL OF CANADA. IT IS IN THE SOUTEASTERN PART OF ONTARIO PROVINCE, AND STANDS ON THE HIGH SOUTHERN BANK OF THE OTTAWA RIVER NEAR ITS JUNCTION WITH THE RIDEAU RIVER. WEST OF THE RIDEAU CANAL, SOME 48 METRES (155 FEET) UP ON A ROCKY CLIFF OVERLOOKING THE OTTAWA RIVER, ARE THE PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS OF GREY STONE WITH GREEN COPPER ROOFS. THEY HAVE A TOWER 90 METRES (295 FEET) TALL CONTAINING A BEAUTIFUL WAR MEMORIAL CHAMBER AND A CARILLON OF 53 BELLS, (A CARILLON IS A SET OF BELLS ON WHICH TUNES CAN BE PLAYED).
THE CITY’S MAIN BUSINESS IS THE GOVERNMENT OF THE COUNTRY. UNLIKE WASHINGTON, THE CAPITAL OF THE U.S., AND CANBERRA, THE CAPITAL OF AUSTRALIA, OTTAWA IS NOT SITUATED IN A FEDERAL DISTRICT. THE CITY HAS A MUNICIPAL GOVERNMENT. IT ELECTS MEMBERS TO THE ONTARIO LEGISLATURE AND TO THE CANADIAN HOUSE OF COMMONS. THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF CANADA LIVES AT RIDEAU HALL NEAR THE EASTERN END OF THE CITY.
OTHER IMPORTANT BUILDINGS IN OTTAWA ARE THE CHATEAU LAURIER HOTEL, THE ROYAL MINT, THE NATIONAL MUSEUM, THE ART GALLERY, THE NATIONAL CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS, AND THE OBSERVATORY. THERE ARE TWO UNIVERSITIES AND TWO CATHEDRALS. A NUMBER OF PUBLIC PARKS AND A SCENIC DRIVEWAY ADD GREATLY TO THE BEAUTY OF THE CITY. TO THE NORTH, THE PICTURESQUE VALLEY OF THE GATINEAU RIVER DESCENDS FROM THE BLUE LAURENTIAN MOUNTAINS AND TO THE SOUTH IS THE MAIN AIRPORT AT UPLANDS.
OTTAWA IS A PRODUCER OF WOOD PULP AND PAPER, AND IT ALSO MANUFACTURES MANY OTHER GOODS. ELECTRICITY FOR THE FACTORIES IS MADE BY WATER POWER OBTAINED FROM THE CHAUDIERE FALLS A SHORT DISTANCE UP THE OTTAWA RIVER. SAMUEL DE CHAMPLAIN IN 1613 WAS PROBABLY THE FIRST EUROPEAN EXPLORER TO VISIT THE SITE OF THE PRESENT CITY OF OTTAWA (AN INDIAN WORD MEANING “TO TRADE”).
IN 1800, PHILEMON WRIGHT STARTED THE FIRST SETTLEMENT ON THE NORTH SIDE OF THE OTTAWA RIVER. FOR SOME YEARS THE HIGH CLIFFS ABOVE THE RIVER DISCOURAGED SETTLERS ON THE SOUTH SIDE, ALTHOUGH IN ABOUT 1820 A FARM WAS CLEARED BY NICHOLAS SPARKS IN WHAT IS NOW THE HEART OF OTTAWA. THEN THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT DECIDED TO JOIN LAKE ONTARIO WITH THE OTTAWA RIVER BY A CANAL, COMPLETED IN 1832, PART OF WHICH FOLLOWED THE COURSE OF THE RIDEAU RIVER. THE VILLAGE AT THE NORTH END OF THE CANAL WAS CALLED BYTOWN AND BECAME PROSPEROUS AS THE TIMBER AND FUR TRADE DEVELOPED. IN 1854 ITS NAME WAS CHANGED TO OTTAWA. POLITICAL RIVALRY BETWEEN TORONTO AND QUEBEC, AND MONTREAL AND KINGSTON LED CANADIAN LEADERS TO ASK QUEEN VICTORIA TO ESTABLISH A NEW CAPITAL. IN 1858 QUEEN VICTORIA NAMED OTTAWA AS THE CAPITAL OF THE PROVINCE OF CANADA, WHICH CONSISTED OF WHAT IS NOW QUEBEC AND ONTARIO. IN 1867, WHEN THE CONFEDERATION OF CANADA WAS FORMED, OTTAWA BECAME ITS CAPITAL. HAD OTTAWA NOT BEEN MADE THE CAPITAL OF CANADA, IT MIGHT HAVE REMAINED A SMALL TOWN. THE PRESENCE OF THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT IN THE CITY GREATLY SPURRED ITS DEVELOPMENT. IN 1937 PRIME MINISTER WILLIAM MACKENZIE KING HAD THE CAPITAL DISTRICT REDEVELOPED. THE POPULATION OF THE METROPOLITAN AREA IS AROUND 850,000, THE FOURTH LARGEST IN CANADA.