Canada isn’t in the world’s spotlight very often but most people could tell you where Canada is on a map. (Well, maybe not Miss Teen South Carolina) Ask anyone outside of Canada what the capital of Canada is and you’ll likely be met with a quizzical frown. Why is it that Canada’s capital is such a mystery to non-Canadians? Probably because it’s a mystery to many Canadians as well…

Unlike most capital cities, the city of Ottawa has a relatively low population compared to other major Canadian cities. Prior to 2001, before Ottawa amalgamated many neighboring cities to form a municipality, the Canadian Census estimated Ottawa’s population to be around 350,000 people. If we compare this number to the population of other major Canadian cities it ranks a mere 15th. Compared to countries like Italy, England, India, China, etc. whose capital cities are among the top 3 in terms of population this is somewhat unusual. A low population capital is a distinction shared with other English speaking countries like the United States of America (Washington ranked 27th with a population of 588,292 people) and Australia (Canberra ranked 9th with a population of 339,573 people)

Birth

Prior to being made the capital of Canada, Ottawa was seen by many as just a logging town in the middle of nowhere. In many ways this was true and this is why when the Queen of England decided to make Ottawa the capital of Canada many Canadians were confused. So much so that it was commonly believed that the Queen made the choice because of the beauty of the area based watercolor paintings she had seen. What many Canadians at the time didn’t consider was the political and military reasons behind the choice. Ottawa’s location directly between Canada East (Quebec) and Canada West (Ontario) meant it was an excellent compromise for both the English and French speaking peoples. Ottawa also had an excellent natural geographical defense against potential attack in the form of very dense timber forests. The war of 1812 showed that the major Canadian cities were susceptible to American attack and Ottawa’s location and perceived unimportance would keep the federal government protected from potential attack.

Present

Every Capital city has problems dealing with homeless and drug situations but what makes Ottawa unique is the proximity of the problem to Parliament Hill. It’s not uncommon to see homeless roaming the streets near major federal government buildings. The situation is replete with symbolism: The forgotten homeless roaming the streets of the forgotten capital.

Ottawa’s Industries

Presently Ottawa’s main industry is tourism. Ottawa hosts numerous national and international events throughout the year which brings Ottawa business a steady flow of tourists.

Interesting Facts

1. Ottawa’s original name was Bytown, named after Colonel John By
2. Ottawa is thought by many to be the starting point for what would later be known as the Cold War. A Soviet cipher clerk approached the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) with over 100 papers outlining a major soviet spy network operating in western countries
3. The Nation Hockey League team the Ottawa Senators is the only national sports team Ottawa has.
4. Ottawa is the sister city of Beijing, Buenos Aires, and Catania Sicily