Home - The Historical Society of Ottawa

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

Working to preserve Ottawa's past
for future generations.

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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.

HSO Articles

Charlotte Gray: Murdered Midas
11 April 2021 Speakers Presentations
Our March 31st guest speaker shares an interest history’s darker side. Author of nine award-winning books on Canadian history, Charlotte Gray published Murdered Midas: A Millionaire, His Gold Mine, and a Strange Death on an Island Paradise in 2019 to tell the story of the rise to wealth, and the…
Andrew King: What’s Ottawa Hiding?
8 April 2021 Speakers Presentations
The Historical Society of Ottawa went underground for our March 10th presentation, following author Andrew King on a journey to some of the hidden secrets of Ottawa’s past. In 2019, Andrew wrote Ottawa Rewind: A Book of Curios and Mysteries. This was a collection of stories Andrew had written individually…
HSO Community Project Chosen
8 March 2021 HSO News
The Society’s Board of Directors is delighted to announce that it has approved a pledge of $5,000 towards a project to construct a replica gazebo at Strathcona Park. This project was proposed by HSO member, François Bregha. At last year’s Annual General Meeting, members agreed to allocate funds to finance…
Kettle Island: A Bridge to Ottawa's Past by Randy Boswell
29 December 2020 Speakers Presentations
If you missed our virtual Speaker Series presentation "Kettle Island: A Bridge to Ottawa's Past" with Randy Boswell, or you'd just like to watch it again, you can view this presentation online. Here's a link to the recorded video of Randy's talk. Enjoy!

Upcoming Events

Jun 16 2021

7:00PM

Project 70,000: Canada Welcomes the Refugees of Southeast Asia 1975-1980

Michael Molloy & Robert Shalka, plus Rivaux Lay

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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.

old house

Television Arrives in Ottawa
2 June 1953 By the late 1930s, commercial television broadcasting was ready for “prime time”…
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The Rise and Fall of the Daly Building
14 June 1905 One of the greatest heritage battles in Ottawa’s history was fought over…
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