Why Is Ottawa the Capital of Canada?

# Why Is Ottawa the Capital of Canada?

Ottawa is the capital of Canada — and the answer to one of the most commonly asked questions on the citizenship test. But why Ottawa? Why not Toronto, Montreal, or Vancouver? Here is the story.

Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the capital in 1857. The Province of Canada (the pre-Confederation union of Upper and Lower Canada) could not agree on a capital, so they asked the Queen to decide. She chose Ottawa because:

1. Location — Ottawa sits on the Ottawa River, which forms the border between Ontario (English-speaking) and Quebec (French-speaking). This made it a compromise between the two linguistic communities.
2. Safety — Ottawa was farther from the American border than Toronto, Kingston, or Montreal, reducing the risk of attack (the War of 1812 was still in living memory).
3. Neutrality — Neither Toronto (capital of Upper Canada) nor Montreal (capital of Lower Canada) would accept the other as capital. Ottawa was a fresh choice.
4. Growth potential — Ottawa was a booming lumber town at the junction of three rivers (Ottawa, Rideau, Gatineau), with good transport links.

Before Queen Victoria's decision, the capital of the Province of Canada moved several times:

• Kingston (1841–1844)
• Montreal (1844–1849) — moved after the Parliament building was burned in the 1849 riots
• Toronto (1849–1852)
• Quebec City (1852–1856)
• Toronto again (1856–1858)

This instability is exactly why the Province asked the Queen to make a permanent choice.

Ottawa was originally called Bytown, named after Colonel John By — the British engineer who oversaw the construction of the Rideau Canal in the 1820s and 1830s. The canal connected Ottawa to Kingston and was built as a military supply route in case the St. Lawrence River was cut off by an American attack.

The city was renamed Ottawa in 1855, after the Ottawa River (itself named after the Odawa people).

Ottawa is a city of about 1 million people (metro area). It is home to:

• Parliament Hill — where federal laws are debated and passed. See [Parliament Hill and the Peace Tower](/blog/parliament-hill-peace-tower-canada).
• Rideau Hall — the official residence of the Governor General.
• 24 Sussex Drive — the official residence of the Prime Minister (currently under renovation).
• The Supreme Court of Canada — the highest court.
• National museums — Museum of History, National Gallery, War Museum, Science and Technology Museum.
• The Rideau Canal — a UNESCO World Heritage Site; in winter, it becomes the world's largest skating rink.

The National Capital Region spans both sides of the Ottawa River — Ottawa (Ontario) and Gatineau (Quebec). Many federal buildings and departments are in Gatineau.

Common citizenship-test questions:

• What is the capital of Canada? *(Ottawa)*
• Which province is Ottawa in? *(Ontario — on the Quebec border)*
• Where does Parliament meet? *(Parliament Hill, Ottawa — see [How Canadian Parliament Works](/blog/how-canadian-parliament-works))*

Try our [free practice test](/practice-test) — it includes capital-city questions in the same format you will see on test day.