Victoria Island (Ottawa River) facts for kids
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Native name:
Asinabka
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 Victoria Island
Location in Southern Ontario
Victoria Island
Location in Canada
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| Geography | |
| Location | Ottawa River |
| Coordinates | 45°25′15″N 75°42′46″W / 45.42083°N 75.71278°W |
| Area | 5.6 ha (14 acres) |
| Length | 724 m (2,375 ft) |
| Width | 205 m (673 ft) |
| Highest elevation | 54 m (177 ft) |
| Highest point | Booth Street |
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Canada
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| Province | Ontario |
| Census Division | Ottawa |
| Ward | Somerset Ward |
Victoria Island (also called Île Victoria in French, and Asinabka by the Algonquin people) is an island in the Ottawa River. It is located in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The island is about 1 kilometer west of Parliament Hill.
Victoria Island is very important to the local Algonquian peoples. They use the island for special ceremonies and sometimes for peaceful protests. It is part of a group of islands below Chaudière Falls. Other islands in this group include Chaudière Island and Albert Island.
Two bridges, the Portage Bridge and the Chaudière Bridge, cross Victoria Island. These bridges connect Ottawa, Ontario, to Gatineau, Quebec, across the river. Currently, people cannot visit the island easily. This is because a big cleanup project is happening there. This project is expected to finish in 2025.
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History of Victoria Island
Indigenous people have lived in this area for a very long time, possibly up to 9,000 years ago. They used Victoria Island for carrying boats around waterfalls (called portaging) and for trading goods. The nearby Chaudière Falls was a sacred place. It was used for ceremonies, important meetings, and as a burial site.
Industrial Past of the Island
In the 1800s, Victoria Island started to be used for factories and businesses. There was a sawmill, ironworks, and other manufacturing companies. In 1900, the Wilson Carbide Mill was built on the island. This mill was named after Thomas Willson, who invented a way to make calcium carbide and acetylene gas.
The mill was a four-story stone building that made calcium carbide. It is now recognized as an important historical building. However, years of industrial use left the land polluted. This pollution was discovered in 2017 when soil samples were taken. They showed that the soil and water on the island had ashes, lead, zinc, and fuel oil.
The National Capital Commission (NCC) bought most of the island in the 1960s. They bought the rest of it in 2018. Now, they are working to clean up the island.
Why Do People Protest on the Island?
Victoria Island has a long history of being a place for Indigenous protests. In 1974, a group called "The Native People's Caravan" stayed at the Carbide Mill. In 1995, another group, the Aboriginal Defence League, also used the mill to make their voices heard.
In 1988, the Algonquins of Barriere Lake set up tents on the island. They were protesting how their land was being treated by the governments. They came back in 1990 to show support for the Mohawk people during the Oka Crisis. In 2013, Attawapiskat First Nation chief Theresa Spence stayed on the island to protest against the Government of Canada.
What Will Happen Next?
After the big cleanup project is finished, the National Capital Commission plans to work with the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation. Together, they will create a plan for the island's future. The goal is to make the island open to the public again.
