A Capital in the Making

Choice of the Capital

The destiny of Ottawa, the rough lumber town, changed forever when Queen Victoria chose it to be the capital city of the United Province of Canada in 1857.

In the 1840s and 1850s, the location of the capital had been a matter of dispute. It had moved between Kingston, Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City, at great expense and with great disruption. The rivals could not agree on a permanent capital, so the matter was deferred to the young Queen Victoria.

There are many stories about why Queen Victoria made the surprising choice of Ottawa as the Capital. Some cynics suggest she just closed her eyes and randomly selected a spot; others believe she was influenced by some scenic illustrations. More likely, she followed the advice of her senior officials who considered strategic issues such as:

• Ottawa was on the border of the two provinces
• Ottawa had a mixed population of English- and French-speaking inhabitants
• Ottawa was easily reached by water and was in a secure, easily defended position

• Ottawa already had publicly held lands (acquired by Colonel By) available for the construction of government buildings

The choice of Ottawa as capital did not please its rivals and was roundly criticized in the press. Nevertheless, Ottawa was officially named the Capital of the Province of Canada in 1857.

Establishing a Government Presence

Barracks Hill, where Colonel By had housed his soldiers, was quickly identified as the appropriate site for government buildings and construction of the Parliament Buildings began in 1860. It was a hugely ambitious project for its time, eventually costing 4.5 million dollars. The Gothic architecture was chosen to echo the style of the House of Parliament at Westminster and was intended to express Canada’s close links with Great Britain.

The construction of the Parliament Buildings brought people to the Capital — first the architects and skilled craftsmen needed to construct the buildings; then the senators, members of parliament and civil servants who were to occupy the site. The buildings were completed in 1866.

Confederation

The Parliament Buildings for the Province of Canada were completed in 1866, just in time for a new political era — Confederation in 1867.

A few years earlier, in 1864, delegates from the province of Canada had attended talks in Charlottetown where the maritime provinces were discussing a possible union. Out of this historic meeting, and a second conference in Quebec City, came the agreement that the Province of Canada would join New Brunswick and Nova Scotia in a new confederation — the Dominion of Canada.

Ottawa was confirmed as the Capital for the new country, partly because it already had the government buildings needed.

It was fortunate that the buildings were ready because Parliament had important decisions to make almost immediately. The first six years of Confederation (1867 to 1873) were years of nation-building:

1870
Manitoba joined Confederation.

1870
Canada purchased Rupert’s Land (encompassing present-day Northern Quebec, Ontario, Manitoba and parts of Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories).

1871
British Columbia joined Confederation on the condition that a trans-Canada railway be built.

1873
Prince Edward Island joined Confederation.
By 1873, Ottawa was the Capital of a nation that stretched from the Atlantic to the Pacific.

Beautification of the Capital

In the early years of Confederation, Ottawa was not a very impressive place. It was still a rough, industrial city known more for lumbering than for government. But with its new role, Ottawa gradually changed its appearance and its character, becoming a Capital of which Canadians could be proud.

As the country grew, the federal government found it needed office space. Many government buildings were constructed, mostly in the British Revival style, which began to give Ottawa a public face. Still, in 1884, when Wilfrid Laurier arrived in the region, he said, “I would not wish to say anything disparaging of the Capital, but it is hard to say anything good of it. Ottawa is not a handsome city and does not appear to be destined to become one either.”

When Laurier became Prime Minister, he determined to do something about the nation’s capital. In 1899, he created the Ottawa Improvement Commission to beautify the city. The Commission began to beautify parks and to clean up the Ottawa River.

Fire!

The face of the Capital was soon changed, not by formal beautification efforts but by a tragic accident. The Great Fire of 1900 started in Hull, turned into an inferno at the lumber mills and crossed the river into Ottawa. The fire cut a huge swath of destruction, destroying many lumber mills and nearly two thousand buildings.

In 1916, the Capital was again struck by fire — this time on Parliament Hill. Centre Block burned to the ground; all that was left standing was the Library of Parliament.

A Federal District

Centre Block was rebuilt, as were the cities of Ottawa and Hull. By 1927, the 50th anniversary of Confederation, the Capital was ready to grow. The government of Mackenzie King replaced the Ottawa Improvement Commission with the Federal District Commission and expanded its mandate into Quebec to create a more representative Capital. In the period before World War II, the Capital blossomed with parks and driveways, major public buildings, the erection of the National War Memorial and the preservation of forests in Gatineau Park.

World War II put a stop to beautification efforts but focused the nation’s attention on the Capital as it led the war effort. The population swelled with thousands of workers.

The Gréber Plan for the National Capital

In the prosperous period that followed World War II, Prime Minister Mackenzie King brought French architect Jacques Gréber to Ottawa to develop a master plan for the region.

Gréber laid out the blueprint for the Capital we see today with beautiful boulevards, scenic driveways, urban parks and the preservation of natural forests in Gatineau Park. He insisted that the railway lines be removed from the centre of the Capital, creating a more peaceful and beautiful urban environment.

In 1958, the National Capital Act was adopted. The National Capital Region was officially defined as an area of 4,600 square kilometres, bridging Quebec and Ontario and including 27 municipalities, two of which are the cities of Ottawa and Hull. At that time, the National Capital Commission replaced the Federal District Commission as the federal body responsible for the Capital.

The Capital Today

Today, the National Capital Commission has implemented the Gréber Plan to create a scenic, green Capital of which Canadians can be proud. The Capital has become the treasure house of the nation’s heritage and a meeting place for all Canadians.