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PO Box 523, Station B,
Ottawa, ON, K1P 5P6

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.

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

  • A Holocaust Testimonial: My Father’s Story

    3 February 2026 Speakers Presentations
    On the evening of November 12, 2025, the Historical Society of Ottawa held its first Zoom presentation of the season. In partnership with The Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship - Ottawa (CHES), we were pleased that night to welcome Phil Emberley, who told us of his father whosurvived the…

  • Marking Bytown's 200 Anniversary

    13 January 2026 Society News
    Many thanks to CTV Ottawa and CFRA iHeart radio for highlighting our bicentennial celebrations planned for 2026. Watch HSO spokesperson Ben Weiss on CTV Ottawa Morning discuss the Historical Society's bicentennial plans. And stay tuned to the end of the clip to see a 100-year old relic from the centennial celebrations…

  • “Unceded” Land: Understanding the Historic Land Claims of the Anishinaabe Alqonquin People

    29 December 2025 Society News
    When we acknowledge that, here in the Ottawa Valley, we are on the “unceded” and “unsurrendered” land of the Anishinaabe Algonquin people, what does that really mean? A preliminary understanding of the history behind the land claims of the Anishinaabe Algonquin peopleis offered in a “Report on the Algonquins of…

  • Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa – Season #2!

    16 November 2025 Society News
    Beginning on November 26, 2025, subscribers to Rogers TV will be able to enjoy a brand new season of our series, “Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa”, a collaboration between Rogers TV and the Historical Society of Ottawa. Each week's new episode will air Wednesday @ 7:30 p.m.…
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Upcoming Events

Feb 7 2026
French-language
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, St-Laurent Branch, 515 Coté Street

Avant Bytown: La région sous le Régime français

Feb 11 2026
Evening Series
7:00PM
Online via Zoom

Algonquin Anishinaabeg of the Ottawa River Valley: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow

Lynn Gehl, Ph.D

Feb 23 2026
Afternoon Series
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

The Ottawa Mosque (and the Ottawa Muslim Association)

Mohamed Ghadban

Mar 7 2026
French-language
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, St-Laurent Branch, 515 Coté Street

L'influence de Bytown dans le développement du Canton de Templeton

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Ottawa Stories

Ottawa has an interesting and varied history.
Enjoy stories from our Bytown and Rideau Canal Bicentennial collection or discover other Ottawa stories.

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