Ottawa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ottawa
Federal capital city
City of Ottawa Ville d'Ottawa  (French)
Centre Block on Parliament Hill Rideau Canal Rideau Hall Château Laurier National Gallery of Canada Downtown Ottawa
Flag Coat of arms Logo
Nickname(s):  Bytown "O-town"
Motto(s):  "Advance-Ottawa-En Avant" Written in the two official languages.
OpenStreetMap
Ottawa Location in Canada Show map of Canada Ottawa Location in Ontario Show map of Ontario Ottawa Location in Southern Ontario Show map of Southern Ontario
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Established	1826 as Bytown
Incorporated	1855 as City of Ottawa
Amalgamated	1 January 2001
Government
• Type	Single-tier municipality with a Mayor-council system
Area
• Federal capital city	2,790.31 km2 (1,077.34 sq mi)
• Land	2,778.10 km2 (1,072.63 sq mi)
• Urban	520.82 km2 (201.09 sq mi)
• Metro	6,767.41 km2 (2,612.91 sq mi)
Elevation	70 m (230 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Federal capital city	1,017,449 (4th)
• Density	365/km2 (950/sq mi)
• Urban	1,068,821
• Urban density	1,954/km2 (5,060/sq mi)
• Metro	1,488,307 (4th)
• Metro density	185/km2 (480/sq mi)
• Demonym	Ottawan
Time zone	UTC−05:00 (EST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−04:00 (EDT)
Postal code span	K0A-K4C
Area codes	613, 343, 753
GDP (Ottawa–Gatineau CMA)	CA$89.9 billion (2020)
GDP per capita (Ottawa–Gatineau CMA)	CA$60,414 (2020)

Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is in the southern part of Ontario, where the Ottawa River and Rideau River meet. Ottawa is right next to Gatineau, Quebec, and together they form the heart of the National Capital Region.

As of 2021, Ottawa had a population of over 1 million people. This makes it the fourth-largest city in Canada. When you include the nearby metropolitan area, the population is almost 1.5 million.

Ottawa is Canada's political hub. It is home to the main offices of the federal government. You can find many foreign embassies here. Important government buildings like the Parliament of Canada and the Supreme Court are also in Ottawa. The official residence of Canada's viceroy, Rideau Hall, is also located here.

The city was first started in 1826 as Bytown. It officially became the City of Ottawa in 1855. Its borders have grown over time. In 2001, many smaller towns nearby joined to form the larger City of Ottawa we know today. The city's government is run by an elected city council and a mayor.

Ottawa has many people who have gone to university. It is home to several colleges and universities. These include the University of Ottawa and Carleton University. The city also has many museums, monuments, and historic sites. Over 11 million people visit Ottawa every year, making it one of Canada's most popular cities for tourists.

What Does Ottawa Mean?

The name Ottawa was chosen in 1855. It comes from the Ottawa River. The river's name comes from the Algonquin word adawe. This word means "to trade." In modern Algonquin, the city is called Odàwàg.

Ottawa's Story

Early Times

The Ottawa Valley became a good place to live about 10,000 years ago. This was after the Champlain Sea naturally drained away. Scientists have found old arrowheads, tools, and pottery here. These show that Indigenous people first lived in the area about 6,500 years ago. They hunted, fished, gathered food, and traded.

Three big rivers meet in Ottawa. This made it an important place for trade and travel for thousands of years. The Algonquin people are a large Indigenous group. They are related to the Odawa and Ojibwe peoples. This early period ended when European settlers arrived in North America.

European Explorers and Early Growth

In 1610, Étienne Brûlé was the first European to travel on the Ottawa River. He passed by the area that would become Ottawa. Three years later, Samuel de Champlain wrote about the waterfalls and meeting the Algonquin people.

The first non-Indigenous settlement was started by Philemon Wright. He was from New England. On March 7, 1800, Wright started a lumber town. It was on the north side of the river, where Hull is today. He also started a farming community called Wright's Town. Wright was a pioneer in the Ottawa River timber trade. This trade became very important. He transported timber down the Ottawa River to Quebec City.

In 1826, the British military planned to build the Rideau Canal. This news led people to buy land and start a community on the south side of the Ottawa River. The next year, the town was named Bytown. It was named after Colonel John By. He was a British military engineer in charge of building the Rideau Waterway.

The Rideau Canal created a safe route between Montreal and Kingston. This route avoided a dangerous part of the St. Lawrence River. That area was close to New York and could be attacked during the War of 1812.

Colonel By built military barracks where Parliament Hill is now. He also planned the streets of the town. He created two different areas: "Upper Town" west of the canal and "Lower Town" east of the canal. "Upper Town" was mostly English-speaking and Protestant. "Lower Town" was mostly French, Irish, and Catholic.

Bytown's population grew to 1,000 people by 1832, when the Rideau Canal was finished. In 1855, Bytown was renamed Ottawa and became a city. William Pittman Lett was the first city clerk. He helped guide Ottawa's growth for 36 years.

Why Ottawa Became the Capital

Choosing Ottawa as Canada's capital was a big deal. It happened before Canada became a country. The parliament of the Province of Canada voted over 200 times to decide where the capital should be.

In 1841, Kingston was chosen as the capital. But people from bigger cities like Toronto, Montreal, and Quebec City were not happy. In 1842, a vote rejected Kingston. Bytown was considered, but it was not as popular as Toronto or Montreal. In 1844, the capital moved to Montreal.

In 1849, after some violence in Montreal, more votes were held. Kingston and Bytown were again considered. The idea of two cities sharing the capital role was tried. Quebec City and Toronto would take turns hosting the legislature. But this was difficult to manage.

Finally, the Queen was asked to decide. Queen Victoria listened to her governor general, Edmund Walker Head. He looked at proposals from different cities. He chose Ottawa. The Queen sent a letter choosing Ottawa as the capital, effective December 31, 1857. Parliament agreed with her choice in 1859. The move started in 1865, and the first Parliament session in the new buildings was in 1866.

Ottawa was chosen for two main reasons. First, it was in an isolated location. It was surrounded by thick forests and on a cliff. This made it easier to defend from attacks. Second, Ottawa was about halfway between Toronto and Kingston (in Canada West) and Montreal and Quebec City (in Canada East). This made it a good compromise for everyone.

Other reasons included its water transportation access. It could reach Montreal by the Ottawa River and Kingston by the Rideau Waterway. By 1854, it also had a modern railway. This railway connected Ottawa to Prescott on the Saint Lawrence River. Ottawa's small size was also seen as a good thing. It was thought to be less likely to have political violence, which had happened in previous capitals. Also, the government already owned the land that became Parliament Hill. They thought it was a perfect spot for the Parliament buildings.

The first Parliament buildings were built between 1859 and 1866. They were designed in the Gothic Revival style. This was the biggest construction project in North America at the time. The Library of Parliament and the landscaping on Parliament Hill were finished in 1876.

After Canada Became a Country

In the 1850s, business owners called "lumber barons" built huge sawmills. These became some of the biggest mills in the world. Rail lines built in 1854 connected Ottawa to other areas. By 1885, Ottawa was the only city in Canada with downtown streetlights powered entirely by electricity. Public transportation started in 1870 with horse-drawn streetcars. These were replaced by electric streetcars in the 1890s.

The 1900 Hull–Ottawa fire destroyed two-thirds of Hull. It also destroyed about one-fifth of Ottawa's buildings. The fire started in Hull and spread quickly because of the wind. It caused about $300 million in damage (in today's money). About 14% of Ottawa's people lost their homes.

On June 1, 1912, the Château Laurier hotel and the downtown Union Station opened. On February 3, 1916, the Centre Block of the Parliament buildings was destroyed by a fire. Parliament moved to the Victoria Memorial Museum (now the Canadian Museum of Nature) until the new Centre Block was finished in 1922. The new Parliament Buildings feature the tall Peace Tower.

The area that is now Confederation Square was redeveloped in 1938. It became a ceremonial center. The National War Memorial was placed there in 1939.

After World War II

Ottawa's look changed a lot after the 1950 Greber Plan. Prime Minister Mackenzie King hired a French architect, Jacques Greber. He designed a plan to make the National Capital Region more beautiful. Greber's plan included creating the National Capital Greenbelt. It also suggested moving some government offices and removing old buildings downtown.

In 1958, the National Capital Commission (NCC) was created. Its job was to carry out the Greber Plan. The NCC helps manage the capital region.

From the 1960s to the 1980s, a lot of construction happened. Then, in the 1990s and 2000s, the high-tech industry grew a lot. Ottawa became one of Canada's biggest high-tech cities. It was even called "Silicon Valley North." Many big tech companies like Nortel, Corel, and Shopify started here.

In 1991, the governments started talking with the Algonquins of Ontario. This was about their land claim for the land Ottawa is on. These talks are still happening.

Ottawa's city limits have grown over time. On January 1, 2001, many nearby towns joined to form one big city. Bob Chiarelli became the new city's first mayor. The city's growth led to changes in public transportation. In 2001, a diesel-powered light rail transit (LRT) line was started. It was called the O-Train. It connected downtown Ottawa to the southern suburbs. Later, plans were made to expand the O-Train and make it electric.

In 2012, the City Council approved the Lansdowne Park plan. This plan included a new stadium and more green space. In December 2012, the City Council voted to build the Confederation Line. This is a 12.5 km (7.8 mi) light rail line. It opened on September 14, 2019.

Where is Ottawa?

Neighborhoods

Today, Ottawa includes the old main city area. It also has other urban, suburban, and rural areas that joined the city later.

Old Ottawa

"Old Ottawa" refers to the city before it expanded. It includes the former city of Vanier. This area is densely populated and has many French-speaking residents. It also includes Rockcliffe Park, a wealthy neighborhood. The old city has the downtown core and older neighborhoods to the east, west, and south. These areas include busy places like Old Ottawa South and Centretown. There are also tree-lined neighborhoods like The Glebe and New Edinburgh.

Suburbs and Nearby Communities

Modern Ottawa is made up of eleven historic townships. Ten are from Carleton County and one from Russell County. Ottawa's borders are next to other counties in Ontario and Quebec.

The main suburban areas stretch far to the east, west, and south of the city center. These areas include the former cities of Cumberland, Gloucester, Kanata, and Nepean. The towns of Stittsville and Richmond are to the southwest. Barrhaven is also a suburb.

Many rural communities are part of the Ottawa municipality. These include villages and hamlets like Burritts Rapids and Carp. Some towns are in the National Capital Region but outside Ottawa's city limits. These include Almonte and Rockland.

Buildings and Design

Many of Ottawa's buildings are formal and practical. This is because of the many government buildings. But you can also see romantic and picturesque styles, like the Gothic Revival architecture of the Parliament Buildings. Ottawa has single-family homes, semi-detached houses, and apartment buildings. Many older homes in Centretown are made of red brick.

The city has rules about building height. These rules were made to keep Parliament Hill and the Peace Tower visible. The Peace Tower is 92.2 meters (302 feet) tall. Today, some buildings are slightly taller. The tallest is the Claridge Icon at 143 meters (469 feet).

The National Capital Commission (NCC) manages most federal land in the region. The NCC has a lot of power over how the city develops. This is because it controls much undeveloped land.

Weather in Ottawa

Ottawa has four distinct seasons. Summers are usually warm and humid. On average, there are 11 days in June, July, and August where temperatures go above 30°C (86°F). Hot weather often comes with high humidity.

Snow and ice are common in winter. Almost every day in January, February, and March has more than 5 cm (2 inches) of snow on the ground. About 12 days a year see 5 cm (2 inches) or more of snowfall. About 17 days a year have temperatures below -20°C (-4°F).

Spring and fall weather can change a lot. For example, in May, it might freeze at night every other year. But it can also reach over 30°C (86°F) during the day.

Ottawa gets about 750 mm (30 inches) of rain each year. Total precipitation is about 938 mm (37 inches). May through November are the wettest months. February is the driest month.

Ottawa gets about 2,080 hours of sunshine each year. This is about 45% of the possible sunshine. Winds usually come from the west. Winter winds are stronger, often coming from the north during cold spells.

Physical Features

Ottawa is on the south bank of the Ottawa River. The Rideau River and Rideau Canal also flow into it here. The Rideau Canal opened in 1832. It is 202 km (126 mi) long. It connects the Saint Lawrence River to the Ottawa River. The canal has 47 water transport locks.

Ottawa is in a low-lying area. It sits on top of old rock layers. The city has been shaped by glaciers and ancient seas. Ottawa is in an area where earthquakes sometimes happen, but it is usually quiet.

City Design

In winter, the Ottawa section of the canal becomes the world's largest skating rink. It is 7.8 km (4.8 mi) long. People use it for fun and to travel downtown. In 2007, the Rideau Canal became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The older part of the city is called Lower Town. It is between the canal and the rivers. Across the canal to the west are Centretown and Downtown Ottawa. These areas have busy streets like Elgin and Bank.

Centretown is next to downtown. It has many government buildings. The legislature works in buildings on Parliament Hill and downtown. Important buildings for the executive branch are also here. The Supreme Court of Canada building is in this area too.

Across the Ottawa River is Gatineau. Ottawa and Gatineau are separate cities in different provinces. But they form the National Capital Region. This is seen as one big metropolitan area. The National Capital Commission (NCC) owns a lot of land in both cities. The NCC helps plan how the city develops. Around the main urban area is a large greenbelt. The NCC manages it for nature and recreation.

Who Lives in Ottawa?

Historic Population
Year	Pop.	±%
1901	101,102	—
1911	123,417	+22.1%
1921	152,868	+23.9%
1931	174,056	+13.9%
1941	206,367	+18.6%
1951	246,298	+19.3%
1956	287,244	+16.6%
1961	358,410	+24.8%
1966	413,695	+15.4%
1971	471,931	+14.1%
1976	520,533	+10.3%
1981	546,849	+5.1%
1986	606,639	+10.9%
1991	678,147	+11.8%
1996	721,136	+6.3%
2001	774,072	+7.3%
2006	812,129	+4.9%
2011	883,391	+8.8%
2016	934,243	+5.8%
2021	1,017,449	+8.9%
Note: Population figures are extrapolated for current municipal boundaries Sources: Chart format

In 2021, Ottawa's population was 1,017,449 people. This was a 9% increase from 2016. The city covers 2,788.2 square kilometers (1,076.5 sq mi). This means there are about 365 people per square kilometer.

The Ottawa-Gatineau metropolitan area had a population of 1,488,307 in 2021. This area covers 8,046.99 square kilometers (3,106.96 sq mi).

Ottawa's median age is 40.1 years old. This is younger than the average for Ontario and Canada. In 2016, 16.7% of the population was under 15. People aged 65 and older made up 15.4%.

In 2021, about 25.9% of Ottawa's population were immigrants. This means they were born outside Canada. The top countries of origin for immigrants were China, India, and the United Kingdom.

Backgrounds and Cultures

As of 2021, about 64.9% of Ottawa's people were white or European. About 2.6% were Indigenous. About 32.5% were visible minorities.

Religions

In 2021, about 52.8% of people in Ottawa were Christian. About 31.6% said they had no religion. Other religions included Islam (9.9%), Hinduism (2.0%), and Buddhism (1.1%).

Languages

Ottawa has an official policy of bilingualism for city business. This means both English and French are used. In 2016, 37.6% of the population could speak both languages. This makes Ottawa the largest city in Canada with both English and French as official languages.

About 62.4% of people speak English as their first language. About 14.2% speak French as their first language. Overall, 37.2% of people know both official languages. The Ottawa–Gatineau area has more French speakers because Gatineau is mostly French-speaking.

About 20.4% of the population speaks a language other than English or French as their first language. These include Arabic, Chinese, and Spanish.

How Ottawa Makes Money

As of 2015, the Ottawa-Gatineau region has the sixth-highest household income in Canada. Ottawa's unemployment rate has been low since 2006. In 2019, Mercer ranked Ottawa as the third-best Canadian city for quality of life. It was also rated the second cleanest city in Canada.

Ottawa's main employers are the Public Service of Canada and the high-tech industry. Tourism and healthcare are also growing. The federal government is the city's biggest employer. It employs over 116,000 people in the National Capital Region. Many federal government offices are in Ottawa. The National Defence Headquarters is also here.

Tourism is very important to Ottawa's economy. This is especially true after Canada's 150th anniversary, which was celebrated in Ottawa. The National Capital Region attracts about 22 million tourists each year. They spend about $2.2 billion and support 30,600 jobs.

Ottawa is also a major technology center. In 2015, its 1,800 tech companies employed about 63,400 people. This is why the city is called "Silicon Valley North." Most of these companies work in telecommunications and software development. Big tech companies like Nortel, Corel, and Shopify started here. Many tech companies are in the western part of the city, in what used to be Kanata.

The health sector is another big employer. It employs over 18,000 people. Business, finance, and sales jobs are also common. The City of Ottawa is the second-largest employer. It has about 2,100 police officers and 13,300 other employees.

Ottawa has the largest rural economy among Canada's major cities. The rural economy adds over $1 billion to the city's economy. Farming alone brings in $400 million. Rural jobs grew by 18% from 1996 to 2001.

News and Media

Ottawa has three main daily newspapers. Two are in English: the Ottawa Citizen and the Ottawa Sun. One is in French: Le Droit. The city also has local TV and radio stations.

Ottawa is home to several national media operations. These include CPAC, which broadcasts Parliament. Many major news organizations have offices here. The head office of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation is also in Ottawa.

Learning in Ottawa

Schools

Ottawa has four main public school boards. These are for English, English-Catholic, French, and French-Catholic schools. The English-language Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) is the largest, with 147 schools. Ottawa also has many private schools.

The Ottawa Public Library started in 1906. As of 2008, it had 2.3 million items. In 2020, people borrowed about 9.5 million items.

Universities and Colleges

Ottawa is known as Canada's most educated city. Over half of its people have graduated from college or university. Ottawa has the most engineers, scientists, and people with PhDs per person in Canada. The city has two main public universities and two main public colleges.

• Carleton University started in 1942 for soldiers returning from World War II. It is now a highly-ranked university. Its main campus is between Old Ottawa South and Dow's Lake.
• The University of Ottawa (originally "College of Bytown") was the first university in the city, founded in 1848. It is now the largest English-French bilingual university in the world. Its main campus is in the Sandy Hill neighborhood.
• Algonquin College is a college of applied arts and technology. It was founded in 1967. Its main campus is in the City View neighborhood.
• Collège La Cité is the largest French-language college in Ontario. It was founded in 1989. Its campus is near the Aviation Parkway.

Other colleges and universities are in nearby Gatineau. These include the University of Quebec in Outaouais.

Hospitals and Health

Ottawa has six main hospitals: The Queensway Carleton Hospital, The Ottawa Hospital (Civic, General, and Riverside campuses), Montfort Hospital, and Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario. There are also special hospitals like the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

Ottawa is home to many major medical organizations. These include the Canadian Red Cross and Health Canada.

Culture and Daily Life

The ByWard Market, Parliament Hill, and the Golden Triangle are important cultural areas. Streets like Wellington Street and Elgin Street have many shops, museums, theaters, and restaurants.

As Canada's capital, Ottawa has hosted many important events. These include the first visit of King George VI in 1939. VE Day was celebrated here in 1945. Canada's new national flag was first raised here in 1965. Queen Elizabeth II was in Ottawa in 1982 for the Constitution Act.

Famous Places

Ottawa has one World Heritage Site, the Rideau Canal. It also has 25 National Historic Sites of Canada. These include the Château Laurier and the Parliament of Canada. Many other buildings have special "heritage elements."

Arts and Performances

The Ottawa Little Theatre is Ottawa's oldest community theater. It started in 1913. Since 1969, Ottawa has been home to the National Arts Centre. This is a big place for performing arts. It has four stages and is home to the National Arts Centre Orchestra.

The Great Canadian Theatre Company specializes in Canadian plays. Ottawa is special because it has six of Canada's nine national museums. These include the Canada Agriculture and Food Museum and the National Gallery of Canada. The Canadian War Museum moved to a bigger building in 2005. The Canadian Museum of Nature was built in 1905 and was renovated between 2004 and 2010.

Local Foods

Ottawa has some unique local dishes. Since it has French-Canadian roots, you can find poutine everywhere. Many people think shawarma is Ottawa's official dish. The city has more shawarma restaurants than any other city in Canada.

Ottawa also has its own "Ottawa-style" pizza. This pizza usually has a thicker crust and slightly spicy sauce. The toppings are baked under a lot of cheese. BeaverTails, a fried dough pastry, were first made in Ottawa in the 1970s. Le Cordon Bleu has a cooking school in Ottawa.

Festivals and Events

Ottawa hosts many yearly events. These include Winterlude, which is Canada's largest festival. There are also Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill. Other big festivals include Bluesfest, the Canadian Tulip Festival, and the Ottawa International Jazz Festival. In 2010, Ottawa won an award for being a "World Festival and Event City."

Sports in Ottawa

Professional Teams

Sports in Ottawa have a long history, going back to the 1800s. Today, the city has six professional sports teams. The Ottawa Senators are a professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League. The Senators first started in Ottawa in 1883. They won the Stanley Cup eleven times by 1927. They play their home games at the Canadian Tire Centre. In 2023, the Ottawa Charge became one of the first six teams in the Professional Women's Hockey League (PWHL). They play at TD Place Arena.

The Ottawa Redblacks are a professional Canadian Football team. They play in the Canadian Football League. The professional soccer club, Atlético Ottawa, plays in the Canadian Premier League. Both the Redblacks and Atlético Ottawa play at TD Place Stadium. The Ottawa Blackjacks are a professional basketball team. They play in the Canadian Elite Basketball League at the TD Place Arena. The Ottawa Titans play professional baseball in the Frontier League.

University Sports

The University of Ottawa and Carleton University have sports teams that compete in U Sports. Algonquin College and Collège La Cité teams compete in the OCAA.

The Carleton Ravens are nationally ranked in basketball and soccer. The Carleton men's basketball team is considered one of the best ever. They have won 17 of the last 20 national championships. The Ottawa Gee-Gees are also nationally ranked in basketball and soccer.

Other Sports

Many non-professional teams also play in Ottawa. These include the Ottawa 67's junior ice hockey team. The city also has many amateur sports teams. These include soccer, basketball, baseball, and curling. Popular recreational activities include skating, cycling, tennis, and skiing.

Starting in 2025, a new Ironman Triathlon will begin in Ottawa.

Getting Around Ottawa

Public Transit

Ottawa's public transit system is run by OC Transpo. OC Transpo has a Rapid Transit system that includes:

• The O-Train light rail system. This system has two lines already running and two more being built.
  • Line 1, the Confederation Line, goes east-west. It travels under the downtown area.
  • Line 2, the Trillium Line, goes north-south. It connects the south end of Ottawa to Line 1.
  • Line 3 is a new line being built that will go west.
  • Line 4 is a new 4 km (2.5 mi) line that will connect the Trillium Line to the Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport.
• A large bus rapid transit (BRT) system. This system uses special bus-only roads called the Transitway. It connects Ottawa's suburbs to the city center.
• Over 190 local bus routes. These use regular, articulated, and double-decker buses. Both OC Transpo and the Quebec-based Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) run bus services between Ottawa and Gatineau.

Airports

The Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport is the city's main airport. There are also three other regional airports: Gatineau-Ottawa Executive Airport, Ottawa/Carp Airport, and Ottawa/Rockcliffe Airport.

Travel Between Cities

Ottawa station is the main train station for travel between cities. It is run by Via Rail. It is about 4 km (2.5 mi) east of downtown. The city also has another train station, Fallowfield station, in the southwest.

Bus services between cities are provided by several companies. These include Megabus and Ontario Northland.

Roads and Highways

Ottawa has over 12,200 km (7,581 mi) of roads. The main highways are Highway 417 (the Queensway) and Highway 416. Highway 417 is part of the Trans-Canada Highway. Highway 416 connects to other major highways. From downtown, you can also connect to highways in Gatineau.

The city also has several scenic parkways. These include the Kichi Zibi Mikan and Colonel By Drive. The National Capital Commission manages special routes that connect important places on both sides of the Ottawa River.

Biking and Walking

Many paved multi-use trails run through Ottawa. They follow the Ottawa River, Rideau River, and Rideau Canal. These paths are used for travel, tourism, and fun. Many streets have wide bike lanes. Because of this, up to 2.5% of people bike to get around, even in winter. This is the highest percentage in any major Canadian city. As of 2015, Ottawa had over 900 km (559 mi) of biking paths.

Some downtown streets are only for pedestrians. Sparks Street became a pedestrian mall in 1966. On Saturdays, Sundays, and some holidays, other streets and parkways are also closed to cars. In 2021, the city council approved a plan to make the Byward Market area more pedestrian-friendly.

Famous People from Ottawa

See Also

In Spanish: Ottawa para niños