PO Box 523, Station B, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5P6
Slide 1 - With Welcome Message - Bottom

Lady and Lord Aberdeen with the National Council of Women at Rideau Hall, shortly before their return to the United Kingdom, October 1898, Topley Studios/Library and Archives Canada, PA-029033

Truss Bridge over the Chaudière Falls, Ottawa River, watercolour by John Burrows, 1828, Library and Archives Canada, I.D. No. 2833217.

Timber raft on the Ottawa River, date unknown, John William Woolsey and family fonds, Library and Archives Canada, I.D. No. 319157.

Welcome

The Historical Society of Ottawa (HSO) is Ottawa’s oldest historical organization.The principal aim of the Society is to increase public knowledge of the history of Ottawa and the surrounding region through meetings, tours, awards, publications, and sponsored research.

Historical Society Articles

  • Paupers, Peddlers, Purveyors and Parishioners - Ottawa’s Jewish Community

    15 April 2024 Speakers Presentations
    In this presentation to the Ottawa Historical Society, historian David C. Martin takes us back to the real beginnings of Ottawa’s Jewish community. At the core of David’s thesis is the notion that the immigrant pioneers of Ottawa’s Jewish community ‘conserved’ and ‘adapted’ in equal measure, bringing with them the…

  • How Immigration Has Shaped Ottawa’s Cultural Mosaic - Part I

    9 April 2024 Speakers Presentations
    On the 6 th of April, 2024, the Historical Society of Ottawa in conjunction with the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library was pleased to present the first of a three part lecture series by noted historian, author, columnist and musician, Phil Jenkins. This is the third such series…

  • Women on Ice: Ottawa’s Own

    26 March 2024 Speakers Presentations
    It was just coincidental, though perhaps entirely appropriate, that the presentation on March 23, 2024, at the Main branch of the Ottawa Public Library titled “Ottawa Women on Ice” took place against the backdrop of the World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal and a game between Ottawa and Toronto in…

  • A Look at Scouting & Guiding in Ottawa

    19 March 2024 Speakers Presentations
    February 22 nd is the birthday of Baron Robert Baden-Powell, (1857-1941), the founder of the Scouting Movement. Coincidentally, it is also the birthday of his wife, Olave (1889-1977), the first Chief Guide. As such, the day has special meaning for Scouts, who call it BP Day, and Guides, who call…
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Upcoming Events

Apr 27 2024
1:00PM - Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

The Karsh Brothers, Canadian Legends of Photography

Paul Couvrette

View Full Calendar

Special Event

20

April

1:00 pm - 3:00 pm

Passage to Ottawa: How Immigration has shaped our City's cultural mosaic

Ottawa Public Library, Sunnyside Branch

View Details

Ottawa Stories

Ottawa has an interesting and varied history.
Enjoy stories from this month in history or discover other Ottawa stories.

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