Know the reason why Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the Canadian capital
Know the reason why Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the Canadian capital
Examining why Queen Victoria chose Ottawa as the Canadian capital.
© Library of Parliament (Canada) (A Britannica Publishing Partner)
Transcript
ANDREW: Hi, my name's Andrew, Parliamentary guide. In a moment we will be entering the Library of Parliament, the oldest, and some say, the most beautiful part of the Centre Block of Canada's Parliament Buildings, where I will share with you my favorite story to tell here in Parliament. So please follow me.
Welcome to the Library of Parliament, the only part of the original building not to be destroyed in the fire of 1916. All the wood you see around us-- all original from 1876 when the Library was completed. Made of white pine, cherry, oak, and walnut tree, there are over 1,600 different designs of flowers, masks, and mythical beasts all carved into the wood. In fact, trees have always played an important part of the history of Ottawa.
Originally known as Bytown, Ottawa was once a very small lumber town, very isolated as well. In 1857, when Queen Victoria chose Ottawa to be the new capital of the United Province of Canada, many people in more established cities such as Montreal, Toronto, Kingston, or Quebec were very surprised by her decision. There were even rumors that she played pin the tail on the donkey with a map of Canada.
But Queen Victoria was keenly aware of her Canadian geography. Ottawa is right on the border between what is now Ontario and Quebec, inhabited by both English speakers and French speakers. But more than that, it is relatively far from the American border, with whom Great Britain was at war only 45 years earlier. Not long after Queen Victoria made her decision, the American press reported that Ottawa could not be captured, for even the most courageous soldiers would get lost in the woods trying to find it. And so Ottawa remained in splendid isolation, protected by an army of trees, to develop into a world-renowned capital city.
Welcome to the Library of Parliament, the only part of the original building not to be destroyed in the fire of 1916. All the wood you see around us-- all original from 1876 when the Library was completed. Made of white pine, cherry, oak, and walnut tree, there are over 1,600 different designs of flowers, masks, and mythical beasts all carved into the wood. In fact, trees have always played an important part of the history of Ottawa.
Originally known as Bytown, Ottawa was once a very small lumber town, very isolated as well. In 1857, when Queen Victoria chose Ottawa to be the new capital of the United Province of Canada, many people in more established cities such as Montreal, Toronto, Kingston, or Quebec were very surprised by her decision. There were even rumors that she played pin the tail on the donkey with a map of Canada.
But Queen Victoria was keenly aware of her Canadian geography. Ottawa is right on the border between what is now Ontario and Quebec, inhabited by both English speakers and French speakers. But more than that, it is relatively far from the American border, with whom Great Britain was at war only 45 years earlier. Not long after Queen Victoria made her decision, the American press reported that Ottawa could not be captured, for even the most courageous soldiers would get lost in the woods trying to find it. And so Ottawa remained in splendid isolation, protected by an army of trees, to develop into a world-renowned capital city.