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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

  • Special “HSO Bytown200 Award” to be Presented to Students at 2026 Ottawa Regional Heritage Fair

    25 September 2025 Society News
    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…

  • Exploring History from Home: A Review of the Bytown Museum Virtual Tour

    31 August 2025 Society News
    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…

  • UFOs, a Cursed Box, and Science

    23 August 2025 Special Events
    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…

  • Elsa Lessard

    5 August 2025 Society News
    We are saddened to learn that long-time HSO member and WWII veteran Elsa Lessard has passed away at the age of 103. A “WREN”, a member of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, and Bletchley Park “Secret Listener” during WWII, Elsa has been described as a national treasure” by the…
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Upcoming Events

Oct 19 2025
Afternoon Series
1:30PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

Get On Board… For Songs & Stories from Ottawa's Past

Paul Weber

Nov 1 2025
French-language
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, St-Laurent Branch, 515 Coté Street

Épopée maritime des Raftsmen

Isabelle Regout — Alexandre Pampalon
Musée des Cageux du fleuve Saint-Laurent

Nov 12 2025
Evening Series
7:00PM
Online via Zoom

A Holocaust Testimonial: My Father’s Story

Phil Emberley

Nov 23 2025
Afternoon Series
1:30PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

Beneath the Archway – The History of Ottawa’s Chinese Community

Jeff Wang

View Full Calendar

Ottawa Stories

Ottawa has an interesting and varied history.
Enjoy stories from this month in history or discover other Ottawa stories.

old house

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