Historical Ambience of Ottawa – The Canadian Political Capital

The Capital city of Canada, Ottawa is situated on the southern banks of Ottawa River in the province of Ontario.  It is the fourth-largest city in Canada with a population exceeding over a million and an estimated metropolitan population of 1.4 million people. Ottawa was founded in 1826 by the name of Bytown, later changed to Ottawa in 1855. The city was named after the “Ottawa River”, whose given name was derived from the Algonquin “Odawa”, meaning “To Trade”. It is marked as the region of most literate residents among all the Canadian Cities. Ottawa houses many significant points of interests for all sorts of visitors including the National Gallery, National Arts Centre, and several other national museums, cultural institutions, research centers, and fine galleries.  This city enjoys a humid continental climate with a maximum temperature of 26.6 degree Celsius and a minimum temperature of -14.4 degree Celsius. It is greatly admired by the visitors as it offers a number of outdoor and indoor activities with tons of places to explore which have deep and interesting historical backdrop as their legacy. Some of the most prominent cultural landmarks incorporate Parliament Hill, Golden Triangle, and the famous ByWard Market. Ottawa is host to several special events, parties, and festivals, proving its visitors with entertainment and cultural scenes throughout the year. Vacationers can experience the Winterlude festival, Bluesfest, Canadian Tulip Festival, Ottawa Dragon Boat Festival, Ottawa International Jazz Festival, Fringe Festival, and Folk Music Festival.

What Not to Miss in Ottawa?

• Canadian Museum of Nature: Formerly known asNational Museum of Natural Sciences, Canadian Museum of Nature is Canada’s finest natural national museum, built in Gothic revival architecture. It houses a total of eight permanent galleries, with the Fossil Gallery (exhibits the original fossils of dinosaurs, marine reptiles, and other extinct mammals, which dates back to over 80 million years), and the Earth Gallery (showcases the geological forces and how our planet has shaped over time. Minerals and other rare rocks are also exhibited) being the most popularized among all the eight galleries.
• National Gallery of Canada: If you are willing to view Canada’s visual arts treasures within Ottawa, pay a visit to the National Gallery of Canada, the finest and top-ranking art gallery in Canada. The building was designed by Moshe Sadie, in glass and granite architecture. It houses a diversity of paintings, drawings, sculptures, and photographs, as well as historic inscriptions and documentation, attracting millions of visitors per annum.

Canada Aviation & Space Museum: It is Canada’s national Aviation Museum which contains Canada’s Aviation history. The museum was established in 1964 at RCAF Station Rockliffe. Its collection contains an array of military and civilian aircraft, revealing the historical backdrop of Canadian Aviation dating back to the era before the First World War to the present day. The Avro Arrow interceptor (from the late 1950s) is the most famous exhibit in the museum. With an assortment of most comprehensive aviation collection, it is also observed as the finest aviation museums in the world.