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

HSO Articles

  • HSO Facebook Post Goes Viral

    26 December 2021 HSO News
    From small acorns do mighty oaks grow, the saying goes. And this is certainly true for the HSO’s Facebook page. It was almost four years ago that Karen Lynn Ouellette, our President, and Jen Seltzer, HSO Director, met to discuss the feasibility of using social media to promote the Historical…

  • Capital History Kiosk Project

    28 November 2021 Speakers Presentations
    They’re easy to spot when you’re walking along any of Ottawa’s busy streets. They’re designed to be recognized. Our October 13, 2021 presentation is about the traffic control boxes at many of Ottawa’s intersections; not of the drab utility boxes themselves, but about the colourful history lessons that have been…

  • Mapping the Ottawa Valley’s Ancient Indigenous Trails

    21 November 2021 Speakers Presentations
    HSO Presentation Wednesday, November 17, 2021 Imagine going online 500 years ago to find something on Google Maps. You’d see no grid of streets with familiar, mostly British names; no array of colourful icons directing you to coffee shops or LRT stations. What you’d have seen then is a vast…

  • Tunney’s Pasture - The Story Behind Ottawa’s Field of Dreams

    2 October 2021 Speakers Presentations
    If there’s one area of Ottawa that seems devoid of history, it’s easy to imagine Tunney’s Pasture being that place, but our September 29th guest speaker, Dave Allston managed to add some humanity to the story of an area famous for its dehumanizing buildings and wide, vacant parks. Tunney’s Pasture…

Upcoming Events

Jan 26 2022
7:00PM - Online via Zoom

On Field and Ice: Sporting Vignettes from Old Ottawa

James Powell

Feb 9 2022
7:00PM - Online via Zoom

We are the Children: Coming to Terms with our Past

June Girvan

Feb 23 2022
7:00PM - Online via Zoom

The Barber Family: Our Proud Place in Ottawa's History

Thomas Barber

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Special Event

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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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Contact Info

The Historical Society of Ottawa

Box 523, Station "B",

Ottawa, ON

K1P 5P6

info@historicalsocietyottawa.ca

historicalsocietyottawa.ca

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