Ottawa (city, Ontario)

I

Introduction

Ottawa (city, Ontario), city, capital of Canada, located in the southeastern part of the province of Ontario. Ottawa is the administrative center of Canada and is part of the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. Ottawa and surrounding municipalities form Canada’s National Capital Region, which includes government agencies, parks, and tourist sites. The development and improvement of the National Capital Region are the responsibility of the National Capital Commission (NCC), a major landowner, which has developed significant public works in the area. Ottawa is one of the coldest national capitals in the world. Temperatures in January range from a high of -6° C (21° F) to a low of -16° C (4° F). In July, the temperatures range from a high of 26° C (80° F) to a low of 15° C (59° F).

II

People

According to the 2001 census, Ottawa had a population of 774,072, more than 2.5 times the 1991 figure of 313,987. Its census metropolitan area (CMA), which incorporates adjacent parts of the province of Québec as well as surrounding communities in Ontario, grew from a population of 941,814 in 1991 to 1,102,900 in 2001, making it the fourth largest metropolitan area in Canada. In the city of Ottawa, native English speakers outnumber native French speakers by about a 4 to 1 ratio, but in the CMA, more than one-third of the population are native French speakers. Additionally, the Ottawa area is home to a number of ethnic communities, primarily of European (Italian and German), Middle Eastern (Arabic), and Far Eastern (Chinese) origins. There is also a small population of indigenous peoples.

III

City Landscape

Ottawa is a city of great natural beauty. It is located in the southeastern part of the province of Ontario, on the southern bank of the Ottawa River opposite the city of Hull. Ottawa is situated on a bluff above the Ottawa River, and both the Rideau River and the Rideau Canal flow through the city. Ottawa covers a land area of 110 sq km (43 sq mi) and is surrounded by a 17,000-hectare (42,000-acre) protected greenbelt to the south and west. The land area of the CMA is 5,686 sq km (2,196 sq mi). It is screened on the north by 34,400 hectares (85,000 acres) of wilderness conservation area on the Québec side of the Ottawa River. Within Ottawa’s borders lies the 500-hectare (1200-acre) Central Experimental Farm, the only urban farm in Canada.

The Canadian Parliament buildings are located on Parliament Hill, which overlooks the Ottawa River just west of the Rideau Canal. The Parliament buildings include the Peace Tower, the dominant feature of the complex, and the East, Centre, and West blocks. The East and West blocks house administrative offices. The Centre Block, gutted by fire in 1916, was rebuilt in 1921. Sharing Wellington Street with the Parliament buildings are the Confederation Building, the Supreme Court, the National Library, and the United States Embassy. Sussex Drive, leading away from Parliament toward the municipality of Rockcliffe Park, is also lined with public buildings. To its east lies the Byward Market, a thriving commercial area that features a farmers’ market and is the center of Ottawa’s nightlife.

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The National Gallery of Canada, designed by Israeli-born, Canadian-trained architect Moshe Safdie, is one of 29 museums in Ottawa. It houses the world’s largest collection of Canadian art. Across the Ottawa River in Hull is the Canadian Museum of Civilization, which has extensive displays about the history of Canada and Canadians. Other museums include the National Museum of Science and Technology, which has a large astronomy display complete with a refracting telescope for public stargazing; the Canadian Museum of Nature, housing many exhibits on the natural and physical sciences; and the National Aviation Museum, which has one of the world’s foremost aeronautical collections. The National Arts Centre, opened in 1969, has four performing stages. It houses ballet and theater events, as well as Ottawa’s symphony orchestra.

The Ottawa area is home to two major universities: the bilingual University of Ottawa (1848) and Carleton University (1942). There are also two community colleges, the English-language Algonquin College and the French-language Cité Collégiale.

Over 60 festivals and events take place annually in the city. Every February Ottawa hosts the Winterlude, North America’s largest winter festival, which draws more than 600,000 visitors annually. During the festival, the frozen Rideau Canal becomes filled with ice skaters. It is the longest rink in the world. The Tulip Festival in May celebrates the relationship between Canada and the Netherlands with a profusion of over 3 million tulips. On Canada Day, July 1, the day that marks the founding of the Dominion of Canada, Parliament Hill and its surrounding areas are the site of a giant celebration, which culminates in a spectacular fireworks display.

A professional ice hockey team, the Senators of the National Hockey League, is based in Ottawa. The city also hosts the Ottawa Lynx of baseball’s International League.

IV

Economy

Direct employment in government still accounts for about 1 job in 5 in the Ottawa area, despite downsizing in the public sector in the 1990s, and the region as a whole boasts a high percentage of managerial and professional employees (41 percent of the total workforce). Since the 1970s Ottawa has become a center for high-technology industry, which now accounts for a large part of the manufacturing in the area. The region is home to many computer, research and development, and communications firms, and Ottawa ranks as one of Canada’s leaders in the manufacture of electronics and communications equipment. This sector of Ottawa’s economy comprises more than 700 firms, which employ more than 37,000 people.

Tourism plays an important role in Ottawa’s economy, with over 4 million people visiting the region annually. Ottawa is well connected by road and rail to the major transportation routes that span central and eastern Canada, and further improvements to the highway system are being constructed. Additionally, the Rideau Canal connects Ottawa to Lake Ontario at Kingston, and Ottawa’s Macdonald-Cartier International Airport is one of Canada’s busiest.

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