Ottawa was a rough and rowdy lumber town originally named Bytown after Colonel John By. British military engineers under By’s direction built the Rideau Canal a safe distance away from any invading American forces. The canal, linking the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers, opened in 1832.

The many Irish-immigrant canal laborers could not find work after the canal’s completion. French lumbermen had a monopoly on the jobs. The two groups, fueled by the city’s man taverns, turned Ottawa into a brawling cauldron.

Canada’s capital alternated between Montreal and Toronto until Queen Victoria chose Ottawa to the dismay of the larger cities. Ottawa was furthest away from the U.S. border.
By 1867, after the three buildings constituting Parliament were erected, the Dominion of Canada was born.

Ottawa grew slowly. Lumber dominated the economy but Ottawa gradually evolved into a government town. Embassies occupy many old mansions. One exception is Laurier House. Prime Minister Sir Wilfred Laurier willed his home to Prime Minister Mackenzie King. The house is open to visitors.

In 1950, the city hired the architect of Lyons and Marseilles, France to redesign Ottawa. Jacques Greber created Confederation Square. Veterans congregate at the square’s War Memorial every November 11th for Remembrance Day ceremonies. Greber also increased recreational facilities by planning parks and a greenbelt around the city.
In the 1990s, enough high-tech companies opened for Ottawa to proclaim itself “Silicon Valley of the North.” Companies laid off employees when the market dropped but many dot-come entrepreneurs remain.