OTTAWA____A lumber town becoms the nation's Capital

Ottawa is the Capital of Canada. Situated on Ontario's eastern boundary with Quebec, the city is a blend of French and English cultures.

Ottawa began as a lumber town in the early 1800s. Today, it is a centre of government and high-technology industry. It is also a major tourist destination, with more than five million visitors a year.

Ottawa's main attraction is Parliament Hill--the heart of Canada's government. The Parliament Buildings sit majestically on a cliff overlooking the Ottawa River. The city's many museums, historic buildings, and monuments are also popular with visitors.

Surrounded by beautiful parks, Ottawa is one of the greenest capitals in the world. With an average winter temperature of -10 Celcius, it is also one of the coldest.

EARLY DAYS

The Ottawa region's early history and economy depended very much on the mighty Ottawa River. The river was a water highway for native peoples for thousands of years. When the Europeans arrived, they used the river as a route for the fur trade. Later, the river transported logs to Ottawa's booming lumber industry.

The first European to come to the Ottawa region was the French explorer, Etienne Brule, in 1610. Almost two hundred years later, Philemon Wright set up a lumber mill on the north shore of the Ottawa River in 1806. This site is now the city of Hull, Quebec.

In 1826, Colonel John By started the construction of the Rideau Canal. His camp on the south shore of the Ottawa River became the village of Bytown. The 202-kilometre canal was completed in 1832. It created a link to Kingston on the St. Lawrence River. It also brought more settlement, trade, and expansion of the lumber industry. In 1855, the region was a major lumber producer. Bytown had a population of 10,000, and its name was changed to Ottawa.

In 1857, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa to be the capital of the United Provinces of Canada. Her decision created a controversy. Cities like Kingston and Toronto were very upset. In their opinion, Ottawa was a backwoods town with a reputation for drinking and fighting. Ten years later, Ottawa became the capital of the new country of Canada.

FACTS & FIGURES

Ottawa's population is 323,000. The population of the region is about 1,000,000. It is Canada's fourth largest metropolitan area.

Almost half of Ottawa's residents are bilingual (English and French).

The average household income is about $56,000 a year.

The average cost of a house is $133,084.

The average temperature in the winter is -10 Celcius. In the summer, it's 21 Celcious.

"Ottawa" comes from an aboriginal word that means "to trade".

Construction of the Parliament Building was finished in 1866. In 1916, a fire destroyed most of the buildings. They had to be rebuilt.