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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

  • Museum Club Goes Deep: A Visit to the Diefenbunker

    4 July 2025 Special Events
    Given rising international tensions, sixteen members of the Historical Society of Ottawa’s Museum Club sought shelter in the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum, on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29th, 2025. Our guide informed us that the facility had been commissioned by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1959, though he…

  • The HSO 2026 Bytown200 Bicentennial Storytelling Challenge

    1 June 2025 Society News
    Let’s hear your stories about Bytown and the Rideau Canal as we begin to mark 2026, the 200th anniversary of the beginning of both! All contributions are welcome. Selected submissions will be shared on a special webpage on the HSO website for all to access, including educators. Eligible contributions can…

  • HSO Representative Addresses National Rotary Club Youth

    26 May 2025 Society News
    The HSO’s Ben Weiss was honoured to be invited to address the 200 or so Rotary Club youth gathered in Ottawa on May 25, 2025, for the opening day of the Rotary Club’s annual Adventure in Citizenship conference. The day also included a visit to the House of Commons by…

  • HSO/Rogers TV Series - Time Travelling

    17 May 2025 Society News
    For those with a passion for history, delving into the past becomes an exciting adventure in “Time Travelling”! These new 30-minute episodes of “Time Travelling… with the Historical of Ottawa”, recorded in collaboration between the HSO and Rogers TV, provide a phenomenal opportunity to sit back and enjoy some wonderful…
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Upcoming Events

Jul 24 2025
Special Events
10:15AM

Free Walking Tour: Sandy Hill

English-language tour

Aug 3 2025
Special Events
1:00PM
2940 Old Montreal Road, Cumberland ON K4C 1G3

HSO Museum Club: Cumberland Heritage Village Museum

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Aug 12 2025
Special Events
5:30PM

Free Walking Tour: Chief William Commanda Bridge

English-language tour

Sep 21 2025
Afternoon Series
1:30PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

My Story As Canada’s “Betsy Ross”

Joan O’Malley

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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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