Home- About Canada’s Capital
- What's So Special About the Capital Region
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The Parliament Buildings of Ottawa form one of the most recognizable skylines in Canada. They stand at the top of a limestone escarpment that looms over the Ottawa River. The limestone was laid down thousands of years ago, when the whole of this valley lay at the bottom of the ancient Champlain Sea. Over the centuries, the sea retreated, the river gradually cut through the layers of limestone to form high cliffs, and great forests of red and white pine grew up. Today, the Ottawa River (the most important tributary of the St. Lawrence) runs like a spine through the Capital Region from west to east, forming the boundary of Ontario and Quebec. The Gatineau and Rideau rivers, and the Rideau Canal, attach like ribs from the north and south respectively.
To the North...
The Ottawa River parallels the rocky edge of the Canadian Shield, one of the world's oldest mountain ranges, now eroded into a low, softly rounded massif.
You can experience the Canadian Shield in Gatineau Park,
To the South...
Lies part of the flat, fertile Ottawa Valley, with its rich soils and wetlands.
You can see this landscape and learn about Canada's rural heritage by visiting the Greenbelt, a 20,000-hectare expanse of fields and forests in the southern part of the urban Capital.
Accessible Nature
In Canada's Capital, there is an extraordinary commitment both to preservation of the natural landscape and to finding ways to make it accessible to the public for recreation. The National Capital Commission (NCC) — federal steward and custodian of the Capital Region — has created an impressive portfolio of parks and green spaces.
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