Peter Di Gangi, based in Ottawa, is an established expert on Indigenous historical, legal and cultural research, working with Indigenous communities for over 40 years.  

Peter points out that the traditional territory of the Algonquin people has always included the Ottawa Valley and adjacent lands, straddling the border between what is now Quebec and Ontario, but unlike most of Ontario and the Prairies, Algonquin territory has never been dealt with by a land-sharing Treaty and Algonquin title continues to exist.

This article was published in Canada’s History: www.canadashistory.ca/explore/politics-law/algonquin-territory

Lynn Gehl, PhD, author, activist and member of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation, makes the case, in this 2018 article, that historic and current development has betrayed the "Asinabka" vision of the late Chief William Commanda and desecrates what should alternatively be preserved and honoured as our nation's potential "heart of reconciliation":

The Chaudière Falls (Akikodjiwan) and surrounding landscape have long been a sacred place for Algonquin and other First Nations. How has this been impacted over the past two centuries, since the arrival of Europeans in the Ottawa area?

Has the historic and ongoing development of the Chaudière district (Chaudière Falls and Chaudiére, Albert, and Victoria Islands) been emblematic of our nation's disregard for Indigenous rights and jurisdiction?

Akikodjiwan - The Destruction of Canada’s Heart of Reconciliation

Prior to colonization, the Algonquin Anishinaabeg relied on the land and waterways now known as the provinces of Ontario and Quebec and the Ottawa River. Through the gifts they provided, the Algonquin achieved mino-pimadiziwin (the good life).

It was through Nanaboozo’s hardship of living without a father, his process of seeking revenge and learning forgiveness, that human beings understand reconciliation. The Spirit of the West Wind gave the First Sacred Pipe to his son Nanaboozo, instructing him about the rituals of reconciliation that include ceremony and prayer as the practices of reunion between father and son, peoples, and nations.

“During the historic treaty process British officials ignored the Algonquin because our very territory was becoming the heart of Canada.”

While many people think this Nanaboozo story is a romantic belief that lacks rationality, it is much more. Sacred beliefs that value the natural world are far more sustainable and intelligent than the destruction that manifests through the current economic paradigm, resulting in the polluting of our land and waterways with such things as plastic, sewage, chemicals, and radioactive particles.

During the historic treaty process British officials ignored the Algonquin because our very territory was becoming the heart of Canada. Through subjugating the Algonquin, the colonizers were able to appropriate Algonquin territory and centralize their Parliament base.

Many people today think Canada is in a better place with Indigenous nations. This is not so. Through the power gained from pilfering Indigenous land and water rights, Canada continues to divide the Algonquin through practices such as obfuscating and spinning what Canada’s treaty responsibilities are.

“In a world of economic power that lacks an understanding of the importance of preserving what is sacred, Algonquin jurisdiction and human rights continue to be pushed aside.”

Akikodjiwan and Akikpautik (Pipe Bowl Falls), located in the Ottawa River just upstream from Canada’s Parliament, are the very land and waterscapes where Creator placed the First Sacred Pipe. Through colonization Akikpautik was eventually dammed, and the islands that make up the larger Akikodjiwan landscape are now called Chaudière, Albert, and Victoria Islands. It was Grandfather William Commanda’s vision to have this sacred place restored. His Asinabka plan was endorsed and promised by many.

Unfortunately, despite Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s rhetoric of respecting a “nation-to-nation” relationship and calling for “reconciliation,” the current Liberal government is permitting the further desecration of this sacred place. I offer here a timeline of the continued destruction of the ultimate place of reconciliation inscribed by Creator.

1613: Samuel de Champlain records the Anishinaabeg offering tobacco to Akikpautik (Pipe Bowl Falls), also called Asticou meaning “the boiler.” Champlain translates this as “Chaudière.”

1806: Philemon Wright’s lumber industry begins within Algonquin traditional territory in the Ottawa River Valley.

1854: The Government of the Province of Canada approves an Order-in-Council reserving the Chaudière Islands and adjacent area of the Ontario shoreline for public purposes.

1856: Leases are issued so the lumber industry can harness the water’s energy for their sawmills. These lots are on Chaudière, Albert, and Victoria Islands.

1880: J.R. Booth now holds most of the lease interests on the Islands.

1908: A large ring dam is constructed extending from Chaudière Island over the entire span of the falls. Eventually E.B. Eddy takes over its operation for pulp and paper manufacturing purposes.

1913: William Commanda is born and becomes a respected knowledge holder and Grandfather. Eventually he has a vision about re-naturalizing Chaudière Falls and the Islands. He wants the sacredness of Akikpautik returned to its natural form and the islands housed with a park, an Indigenous centre, and a peace-building meeting site for all peoples. He calls his plan “Asinabka.”

1936: Prime Minister Mackenzie King commissions Jacques Gréber to create a master plan that will govern the development of the National Capital Region.6 It was completed in 1950. Gréber concludes the most effective improvement will be the central park at the Chaudière Falls.

1958: The National Capital Commission (NCC) is established to implement Gréber’s Master Plan.

1969: The NCC purchases 40 per cent of E.B. Eddy’s operations. As a condition the NCC gains first call on E.B. Eddy’s remaining property.

1990: Plans are announced regarding an Indigenous Centre on Victoria Island.

1998: Grandfather Commanda consults with the NCC, Douglas Cardinal, Algonquin communities in the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, and Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples regarding his Asinabka Plan.

Domtar purchases E.B. Eddy’s operations. This does not mean Domtar purchased the land and waterscape.

2003: Grandfather Commanda asks the NCC and Domtar to produce the deeds to the Islands; nothing materializes.

2004: The Ministry of Canadian Heritage grants Grandfather Commanda $50,000 to further conceptualize his Asinabka Plan.

2006: The NCC endorses Asinabka and allocates $35 million toward it.

Grandfather Commanda prophesizes, “It is a vision for the revitalization of this Sacred Site, Asinabka, at the circular Chaudière Rapids, Akikpautik: The Pipe Bowl Falls.”

Stephen Harper is elected as prime minister and opens the doors for corporate development in respect to the Islands.

2007: Domtar closes their paper mill operation.

2010: The City of Ottawa endorses Grandfather Commanda’s Asinabka Plan.

2011: With great sadness, Grandfather Commanda passes into the spirit world.

2012: Domtar places their interests up for sale. The NCC applies for funds but the treasury board refuses.

Canada permits the transfer of the Ring Dam to Energy Ottawa, a municipally owned power company.

2013: Windmill Development Group publicly announces interest in the Islands, discussing the need for re-zoning for their condominium and commercial development project.

2014: The Circle of All Nations reports that the Service Ontario Land Registry indicates Chaudière Island is not owned by Domtar.

Ottawa City council votes in favour of Windmill’s application to re-zone the islands from “parks and open space” to “downtown mixed use.”

Kitigan Zibi First Nation releases a statement: “Our traditional territory has always been and continues to be, Unceded. We hereby put Canada, Québec and Ontario on notice that [the] status quo, in which our Aboriginal title lands are taken up by governments and industry, is not acceptable.”

Douglas Cardinal, Romola V. Thumbadoo-Trebilcock, Richard Jackman, Larry McDermott, and Lindsay Lambert file an appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board (OMB) regarding the re-zoning.

2015: Windmill re-names their project as “Zibi.”21 Chief Gilbert Whiteduck argues the use of the Algonquin word is cultural appropriation.

May 2015: The City of Ottawa files a motion requesting the OMB dismiss the five appeals regarding the re-zoning due to a lack of planning grounds. This would result in the denial of a full hearing.

June 2015: The OMB pre-hearing begins with member Richard Makuch presiding.

August 2015: The Ottawa Citizen reports that Domtar sells their operations to Windmill. This involves land that Domtar has never proven they own.23 The Service Ontario Land Registry identifies Windmill as leasing the land from Domtar.

The OMB pre-hearing resumes. The appellants argue consultation is required, and that the re-zoning was a departure from the Gréber and Asinabka Plans.

The City and Windmill argue the appellants lack planning grounds, Chaudière Island is no longer an Indigenous cultural site of significance because of the industrial era, and all the land is in private hands. Wolf Lake, Timiskaming, Eagle Village, and Barriere Lake First Nations call for the protection of Akikodjiwan.

November 2015: Makuch dismisses the five appeals on the grounds that the re-zoning conforms to the City’s plan, the appellants failed to raise legitimate planning grounds. He also argues there was adequate consultation with Pikwàkanagàn First Nation and the organization known as the Algonquins of Ontario. In this way he imposes colonial provincial borders on the process of justice thus denying the rights of the larger Algonquin Nation that spans the Ottawa River and includes the Algonquin located in Quebec, both status and non-status Algonquin.

Justin Trudeau is sworn in as prime minister claiming to respect the “nation-to-nation relationship” and genuine “reconciliation.”

The Assembly of the First Nations of Québec and Labrador pass a resolution to protect Akikodjiwan.

Despite Algonquin and settler opposition, Energy Ottawa begins drilling a water channel deep into the bedrock of Chaudière Island27 for additional hydroelectric generation.

March 2016: The appellants appear in the Ontario Divisional Court (ODC) seeking leave to appeal the OMB decision. Justice Charles T. Hackland dismisses them on the grounds the OMB made no errors of law.

June 2016: In protest, more than five hundred people, both settler and Indigenous, walk from Victoria Island to Parliament Hill.

October 2016: Appellants appeal again to the ODC regarding Hackland’s dismissal. A panel of three judges denies the appellants.

December 2017: Although it is said the Tsilhoqot’in decision ushered in a new paradigm regarding Indigenous rights of consent versus consultations, on December 15, 2017, the Government of Canada approved a series of land transfers between the National Capital Commission, Public Services and Procurement Canada, the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry, and Windmill Dream Zibi for lands on islands in the Ottawa River. This happened without the consent of the larger Algonquin Nation, which includes the status and the non-status in both Quebec and Ontario.

February 2018: As of February 5th, 2018 the Service Ontario Land Registry assigns Windmill Dream Zibi Ontario Inc. parcels of land on Chaudière Island and Albert Island.

Contrary to what the City of Ottawa, Windmill Development, and the Ontario Municipal Board argued, the appellants rested their arguments on legitimate planning grounds: Jacques Gréber’s Master Plan and Grandfather William Commanda’s Asinabka Plan.

Both plans long pre-dated Windmill’s project, yet in a world of economic power that lacks an understanding of the importance of preserving what is sacred, Algonquin jurisdiction and human rights continue to be pushed aside. Clearly the Liberal government’s rhetoric of respecting a nation-to-nation relationship and seeking genuine reconciliation is a bold-faced lie.

Author Lynn Gehl © 2018, Lynn Gehl Ph.D. All rights reserved.
(Published in the Watershed Sentinel)
Reprinted with permission of the author.
 
Lynn Gehl, PhD., is a member of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation. She is the author of two books: 2014’s The Truth That Wampum Tells: My Debwewin on the Algonquin Land Claims Process with Fernwood Publishing; and 2017’s Claiming Anishinaabe: Decolonizing the Human Spirit with the University of Regina Press.

Here is a link to the full article: https://watershedsentinel.ca/articles/akikodjiwan/

Follow this link to view more of Lynn Gehl's work: www.lynngehl.com 

Listen to the February 2026 HSO presentation with Lynn Gehl: Algonquin Anishinaabeg of the Ottawa River Valley: Yesterday Today Tomorrow   

Dr. Gehl recommends these resources as further reading:

Matchewan, J-M. (1992, February 4). Algonquin Nation as Represented by Barriere Lake, Kipawa, Timiskaming and Wolf Lake. Retreived from https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2018/aanc-inac/R5-648-1992-eng.pdf

Di Gangi, P. (2018, April 30). Algonquin Territory: Indigenous title to land in the Ottawa Valley is an issue that is yet to be resolved. Canada’s History. Retrieved from https://www.canadashistory.ca/explore/politics-law/algonquin-territory

Dumont, A. (South Wind). (2013, December 28). The Kettle of Boiling Waters: Chaudière Falls, Algonquin Territory. Albert Dumont.Retrieved from http://albertdumont.com/the-kettle-of-boiling-waters-chaudiere-falls-algonquin-territory/

Gehl, L. (2016, November 15). Deeply flawed process around Algonquin land claim agreement. Policy Options.Retrieved from https://policyoptions.irpp.org/magazines/november-2016/deeply-flawed-process-around-algonquin-land-claim-agreement/

Gehl, L. (2018b, March 8). Akikodjiwan: The Destruction of Canada’s Heart of Reconciliation. Watershed Sentinel. Retrieved from https://watershedsentinel.ca/articles/akikodjiwan/

Huitema, M.E. (2000). “Land of Which the Savages Stood in no Particular Need”: Dispossessing the Algonquins of South-Eastern Ontario of Their Lands, 1760-1930 . Master of Arts thesis, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON. Retrieved from https://iportal.usask.ca/record/6234

Jury, E.M. (1966). Tessouat (Besouat); Tessouat (Le Borgne de l’Île); Tessouat (Tesswehas, Le Borgne de l’Île) Paul. Dictionary of Canadian Biography (Vol. 1) (pp. 638-641). Toronto: University of Toronto Press. Here they are online.

• https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tessouat_1603_13_1E.html
• https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tessouat_1636_1E.html
• https://www.biographi.ca/en/bio/tessouat_1654_1E.html

Matchewan, N. (2008). Blockades: Algonquins of Barriere Lake Defend the Forest, 1989-2008. In First Nations Strategic Bulletin. Volume 6, Issue 1, September – October 2008. (pp. 28-29). Retrieved from https://epe.lac-bac.gc.ca/100/201/300/first_nations_strategic_bulletin/2008/v06n02.pdf

Pasternak, S. (2009, October 26). They’re Clear Cutting Our Way of Life: Algonquins Defend the Forest. Upping the Anti. Retrieved from https://uppingtheanti.org/journal/article/08-theyre-clear-cutting-our-way-of-life/

Pugliese, K. (2005). ‘So, where are you from?’ Glimpsing the history of Ottawa-Gatineau’s Urban Indian Communities. Master’s thesis, Carleton University, Ottawa, ON. Retrieved from https://repository.library.carleton.ca/concern/etds/0v838113m

Sarazin, G (1992). 220 Years of Broken Promises. In B. Richardson (Ed.), Drumbeat: anger and renewal in Indian country (pp. 167-200). Toronto: Summerhill Press. (original work published 1989)

Whiteduck, K. (2009). Our Majestic Forests: An Aboriginal View of Algonquin Park. In D. Euler & M. Wilton (Eds.), Algonquin Park: The Human Impact (pp. 36-54). Espanola, ON: OJ Graphix Inc.

http://muskratmagazine.com/celebrating-canadas-150th-featuring-the-desecration-of-an-indigenous-sacred-place/

http://www.asinabka.com/geninfo.htm

https://qshare.queensu.ca/Users01/gordond/planningcanadascapital/greber1950/

https://ricochet.media/en/101/ottawa-city-council-approves-rezoning-sacred-algonquin-site

http://rabble.ca/news/2016/06/condominium-development-threatens-protection-algonquin-sacred-site

James Powell is the author of the blog Today in Ottawa's History giving  a day-by-day account of local history.

The Anishinabek
For thousands of years before the Rideau Canal and Bytown, the Ottawa Valley was home to the Anishinaabe Algonquin people and remains their unceded land. James Powell explores the story of the Algonquin people and the devastating impact that European settlement had on their lives and livelihoods: The Anishinabek, Time Immemorial, 7 October 1783

James Powell, Allison Margot Smith and Lynn Gehl will be our guest speakers as we mark the 200th anniversary of the start of the Rideau Canal and Bytown – and also explore the impact both had on the Algonquin people, for whom the Ottawa Valley has been home for millennia.

Wednesday, February 11, 2026 @ 7 p.m.
Algonquin Anishinaabeg of the Ottawa River Valley: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Guest Speaker: Dr. Lynn Gehl
(Via Zoom)

Saturday, March 28, 2026 @ 1:30 p.m.
The Rideau Canal
Guest Speaker: Allison Margot Smith
Ottawa Public Library Main Branch Auditorium

Saturday, April 25, 2026 @ 1:30 p.m
The Era of Bytown
Guest Speaker: James Powell
Ottawa Public Library Main Branch Auditorium

 The HSO Bytown200 initiative has been made possible, in part, thanks to the generous legacy bequeathed to the Historical Society of Ottawa by the late Ms. Vivian Lawrence.

At the 2026 Ottawa Regional Heritage Fair – to mark this year's bicentennial – the Historical Society of Ottawa, founder and patron of the ORHF, will present the “HSO Bytown200 Award” to the top student project specifically pertaining to Bytown, the Rideau Canal, or the impacts of Bytown and/or the Rideau Canal on the Indigenous people for whom the Ottawa area has been their traditional home.

Each year we also present the “HSO Indigenous Sacred Chaudiere Falls Award” for a student project that reflects and celebrates Indigenous history, culture and traditions in the Ottawa region, or that looks at the impact of settler colonial policies on Indigenous peoples of the Ottawa region.

Both awards consist of a certificate and $300. The ORHF will take place on Tuesday, April 28, 2026 at the Canadian Museum of History.

Educators interested in enhancing their students knowledge of local Ottawa area history should explore the opportunities of our HSO Resource List for Schools as well as our Student Corner HSO Blog.

Check out the stories we've gathered about Bytown and the Rideau Canal to help celebrate the Bytown Bicentennial.

These transcriptions of Dr. Christie’s travel writings (1830-1833) along the Ottawa River and Rideau Canal provide a unique perspective into that early era.

From the HSO Bytown Pamphlet series:

107. Ottawa River Settlements in 1833 as described by Dr. Alexander J. Christie

Travel writings from 1833 by Dr. Alexander Christie. Reflecting on current events, Dr. Christie describes the settlements, land quality for agriculture, and lumbering and mineral resources of townships adjacent to the Ottawa River between Pointe-Fortune in the lower Ottawa River Valley and the McNab and Clarendon/Bristol settlements upriver. Transcriptions by George A. and Iris M. Neville.

072. Rideau Canal & Bytown Memoranda by Dr. A.J. Christie, Physician to the Rideau Canal Works

Memoranda of a journey from Kingston to Bytown made along the Route of the Rideau Canal, in February 1830. Written by Dr. A.J.Christie. Transcribed by George A. Neville & Iris M. Neville.

(Historical Language Advisory:  Certain parts of the HSO pamphlet series may contain historical language and content that some may consider offensive, for example, language used to refer to racial, ethnic, and cultural groups. These items, their content and descriptions, reflect the time period in which they were created and the viewpoint of their author. The items are presented with their original text to ensure that attitudes and viewpoints are not erased from the record.)

Chloe Dennis is Exhibitions and Collections Manager for the Bytown Museum.

After the completion of the Rideau Canal, it was actively used by transport steamers until the 1870s when a rail line between Ottawa and Kingston was introduced. The Rideau Canal then began to be used more for passenger traffic in the 1880s, and took off exponentially at the turn of the century. It quickly became the central tourism destination and attraction for this area during the summer.

Luxury passenger steamboats were introduced by Daniel Noonan and the Rideau Lakes Navigation Company to serve this new industry; the Rideau Belle was the first in 1885 and the Rideau Queen in 1900.

The Rideau Queen was a large steamboat with lavish interiors serving 300 passengers on its journey between Kingston and Ottawa that took less than a day. The steamboat made stops along the way and attracted spectators as it went on. It ran from June to September, leaving Kingston on Monday and Thursday. The fare was $5 for a return trip, or $3 for one way. Riders could purchase meals for 50 cents, and reserve rooms between $1 and $5.

The First World War brought changes to the steam travel industry, and the Rideau Queen stopped its route in 1915 and was used for freight service until 1933.

Andrew King tells us more about lost luxury steamboats of the Rideau Canal: https://ottawarewind.com/2025/04/16/steamships/

Callie Foster, an HSO member and high school student, commends the Bytown Museum’s Virtual Tour as an excellent example of how technology can make history more fully accessible to all, and can contribute to preserving these important stories for generations to come.

In the age where technology is able to connect us more than ever before, we now see history made accessible through virtual experiences. The Bytown Museum’s Permanent Gallery online tour offers a captivating way to explore Ottawa’s rich past without leaving your home. This resource is so valuable when it comes to understanding the importance of accessible history, especially in a world where technology is deeply integrated into nearly every aspect of life.

The Bytown Museum virtual tour takes visitors through the museum’s historic building room by room, with detailed views of artifacts, and informative descriptions. From early settler history to development of Ottawa as Canada’s capital, each display is thoughtfully curated. The navigation tools are simple to use, similar to that of Google maps. You can explore the building at your own pace, deciding which objects pique your interest, and clicking on the buttons that display more information. Even from behind a screen, the atmosphere of the museum is present. Walking through the virtual tour feels just like walking through the real thing, yet at the tip of your fingers.

For many, visiting in person isn’t always an option. Whether it's due to mobility challenges, distance, scheduling conflicts, or other circumstances, virtual tours ensure that history remains open and accessible to everyone. Virtual options benefit teachers, students, those with mobility challenges, researchers, tourists, those without transportation, and many others. This incredible resource is especially important for history lovers who may otherwise never get the chance to step inside the Bytown Museum. We are living in a world where everyone is able to explore the rich history of Ottawa, and it's important to recognize how special that is.

Experiencing the virtual tour of the Bytown Museum gave me a deeper appreciation for the role technology plays in heritage preservation and education. As a high school student, I can vouch for the fact that homework has been primarily online as of late. Accessing an online tour of the Bytown Museum that allows you to tour whenever and wherever you want is so groundbreaking. This resource has benefited me, and I’m sure it will benefit many students like me in years to come. Not only do these virtual platforms help us share knowledge widely, they also serve as a bridge between past and present, encouraging curiosity and engagement in ways that traditional visits sometimes can’t.

As a part of my co-op with the Historical Society of Ottawa, this project reminded me that making history accessible isn’t just a nice bonus, it's a responsibility. If it is possible, why not make it happen? The Bytown Museum’s virtual tour is an excellent example of how we can meet that responsibility, bringing local stories to a global audience and ensuring they are preserved for generations to come.

Visit the Bytown Museum’s virtual tour: https://bytownmuseum.ca/en/exhibitions/virtual-tours/

You might be wondering what UFOs, a cursed box, and science have to do with each other. The answer: all can be found at the National Research Council of Canada on Sussex Drive. In mid-August, Steven Leclair, chief archivist at the NRC, kindly hosted a second group of HSO members on a tour of the NRC’s Sussex Drive facility. Leading us through this remarkable neoclassical structure built to the exacting specifications of Henry Marshall Tory in the 1930s, he pointed out its many architectural and design features. Most importantly, its offices can be easily converted into laboratories and back depending on need. They are also safely isolated from each other in case of an explosion! In fact, so well designed is the building that its laboratories continue to be used for scientific research today, more than 90 years after the building opened for business.

All was quiet in the building when we visited. Our footsteps provided the only sound as we passed down its yellow brick corridors. There was none of the usual hustle and bustle found in your typical office building. The only evidence of anybody working were white-coated scientists visible through glass-panelled doors. Signs posted beside each entrance provided scant clues to what was happening within. Truly this building is a “Temple of Science,” a moniker given to the NRC years ago by a visiting British dignitary.

In addition to the tour, Steve provided a wonderful lecture on the early years of the NRC. He talked about some of the inventions developed at the site, including an early voltage-controlled synthesizer called the Electronic Sackbut by Hugh Le Caine in the 1940s—the forerunner of the Moog synthesizer.

The last stop of the tour was Steve’s “holy of holies”—the archives. Up in his light-filled office on the top floor, Steve showed us treasures seldom seen by the public. This included a mysterious padlocked box. Recently rediscovered, the box had been hidden decades ago by an eccentric researcher who erroneously though he had made an important nuclear discovery. Fearful that his findings might fall into the wrong hands, he hid them in the box, saying that they could only be accessed by the NRC’s archivist when there was world peace. Any breach of these conditions would lead to a curse being placed on the opener. So far, Steve has withstood the temptation to peek inside.

Steve also told us that UFOs give him a lot of grief as the NRC is the repository of all Canadian reports of unidentified flying objects. So far, the NRC has been able to provide plausible explanations for the sightings. No sign of extraterrestrials has been found…yet.

Finally, Steve took the opportunity to tell us that the NRC’s archives are open to the public free of charge. All one need do is ask. Already, tens of thousands of documents and photographs have been digitized and are available on-line. Thanks to Steve’s efforts, these include documents and blueprints related to the fabled Avro Arrow aircraft, the acme of Canadian technical sophistication of the 1950s.

Thank you, Steve, for such an informative and engaging presentation and tour.

What vast history existed here in the Ottawa area, long before the establishment of Bytown and the Rideau Canal? Renowned archaeologist/anthropologist Dr. Jean-Luc Pilon helps us reveal our area’s past.

In this episode of the HSO/Rogers TV series, "Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa", Dr. Jean-Luc Pilon shares "An Archaeologist's Perspective: Uncovering the Ottawa Area's Ancient Past": https://www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/resources/videos/time-travelling-with-jean-luc-pilon-an-archaeologist-s-perspective-uncovering-the-ottawa-area-s-ancient-past

In this fascinating 45-minute video, “Paddling through the Past”, Dr. Pilon leads us on an inspiring exploration of the clues that are all around us: https://youtu.be/uBUP6OXNd08?si=LT990dWPkTdcEakd