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Lynn Gehl – Algonquin Anishinaabeg of the Ottawa River Valley: Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow
Dave KentThe Historical Society of Ottawa’s Zoom presentation of February 11th, 2026, was the 1 st of a 3 part series on the beginning of the Rideau Canal, (March 28), and the founding of Bytown, (April 25), in recognition of 2026 being the 200 th anniversary of both. We started the series with a look at the effects these events had on the Algonquin Anishinaabeg peoples. We were pleased to welcome Dr. Lynn Gehl, noted academic, author, artist, and advocate. She is a member of the Algonquins of Pikwàkanagàn First Nation . Dr. Gehl holds a Doctorate in Philosophy in Indigenous Studies as well as a Masters in Canadian Studies and Indigenous Studies and an Undergraduate degree in Cultural Anthropology. She is also the recipient of a Governor-General’s award.
The evening’s presentation took a conversation format, with questions being posed by Ben Weiss, long time member of the Historical Society of Ottawa, and Dr. Gehl, both providing specific answers and using the questions as a lead to discuss related issues. To get the full impact of the information and perspective provided by Dr. Gehl, we encourage you to watch the presentation or check out her other works through the links provided below.
Ben Weiss: Can you start off by telling us about your early life?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl started us back with her Great-grandfather, Joseph Gagnon and Great-grandmother Annie Jane. They lived on what was then known as the Golden Lake Reserve, but after returning wounded from the First World War, Joseph was advised by the government to move off the reserve to receive benefits. Dr. Gehl’s father grew up in the area and was a fisherman on the lake. Her mother went to Residential School in the Montreal area. Dr. Gehl is the 5 th of 8 children, and after the breakup of her parents, her mother raised the 8 children in the Toronto area. She suffered through poverty, housing and food insecurity and a series of operations that attempted, unsuccessfully, to correct a medical issue. As a youth, she found reading and writing difficult, both due to a vision impairment and because her focus was, by necessity, more on physical survival than intellectual development. She wanted to share these aspects of her personal story so others would recognize that she is not approaching these issues as a person of privilege.
Ben Weiss: You are now our foremost Indigenous scholar. Could you take us through a bit of your academic journey?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl confirmed that reading is still a burden for her, but she does a lot of it and has what may be the largest Algonquin library existent. At 30, she decided to leave her job monitoring water quality for the Ontario Provincial government to pursue her desire to understand what had happened to the Algonquin people. She started as a part-time student in Psychology, later switching to anthropology that better matched her interests. Her studies in anthropology revealed to her that there are many ways to be a human being and that poverty is often related to the power system in place. For her Masters work, she investigated the question of identity and the way it has been assessed. Are you Indigenous because you look Indigenous? Are you Indigenous as the result of a blood test or are you Indigenous because the government has said you are Indigenous. She was concerned how this assessment, especially when the identity is denied, affects the spirit of the individual. For her PhD, Dr. Gehl switched topics and studied the Algonquin Land Claims Process. Her findings were later converted into a book, The Truth that Wampum Tells: My Debwewin on the Algonquin Land Claims Process – Fernwood Publishing . Unlike most who find the results of her PhD a happy one, Dr. Gehl characterized hers as brutal, as an understanding that Canada has yet to move past its colonial period.
Ben Weiss: Could you tell us about your decades- long struggle around the key issue of unknown or unstated paternity inside the Indian Act, Gehl v Canada ?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl explained that in 1985, the government amended the Indian Act and she thought that they would remove sex discrimination from the Act, which they did not. They instead added additional stipulations that they falsely claimed would bring the definition in line with the Charter. As a result, Dr. Gehl, then 23, approached the Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto to see if they would accept her case challenging the Act. She found herself, one individual taking on the Department of Justice. After much archival research, a dismissal in 2012, a verdict against her in 2014, she finally received a partial victory from the Ontario Court of Appeal in 2017. Dr. Gehl explained that at this time, Sharon McIvor was going through a similar struggle and, in 2010, had petitioned the United Nations Human Rights Commission, who found in her favour in 2019 (McIvor Case | The Canadian Encyclopedia). Dr. Gehl pointed out that though her fight lasted 34 years, her Great-grandmother had written a letter, in 1945, asking about her status following the death of her husband and was informed that she was now a “White Woman”.
Ben Weiss: Can you take us through the concepts of Indigenous knowledge and the Debwewin Journey?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl explained that when she was completing her Indigenous Studies PhD, she made the decision to do so through Indigenous knowledge and Indigenous ways of knowing and being. She did this by getting as much exposure to Indigenous knowledge as she could, through the literature, ceremonies, talking with Elders and by learning the language. In this process, she learned of the concept of “Heart Knowledge” and gave the example of looking at each other when we talk so we can tell that we are being truthful. Dr. Gehl discovered that truth exists when our “Mind Knowledge (reasoned knowledge) and our “Heart Knowledge” agree. She developed this understanding into a Methodology, the Debwewin Journey .
Ben Weiss: Can you tell us something about Algonquin contact and pre-contact history?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl reminded us that the history of Canada is taught as the French and English being the benevolent founders of the nation. This is obviously untrue. She noted that the Algonquin territory covers some 200,000 square miles, larger than the combined lands of Prince Edward Island, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, yet the Algonquin peoples have little control over this territory. The European historic record dates as far back as 1613, when Champlain documented the control of the territory by the Algonquin. After the British defeated the French to gain control over these lands, they signed a treaty in 1760, vowing to protect Indigenous lands, which they later broke. Dr. Gehl detailed a number of treaties and a Royal Proclamation, that defined Algonquin lands, as far as the governments of the day were concerned, eventually resulting in 2 federally recognized Algonquin First Nations in Ontario and 9 in Quebec, though some actually have no land associated with them. There are also 4 unrecognized Algonquin collectives in Ontario. The Algonquin lands in Ontario were lost through a series of treaties signed by the Mississauga peoples, not the Algonquin. Dr. Gehl noted additional pieces of legislation that granted Algonquin lands to settlers, but not to Algonquin peoples, and remarked that Parliament itself is built on stolen Algonquin land.
Ben Weiss: Do the Algonquin have any land treaties?
Dr. Gehl: No. Dr. Gehl explained that the only treaties that cede their lands are those signed by the Mississaugas. There are, however, Peace Treaties, such as the Treaty of Niagara, which identified the 24 Indigenous nations attending as Nations, but also as Subjects. They were, in fact, allies, of equal status to the British.
Ben Weiss: What is the significance of the Wampum Belt in Indigenous culture?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl explained that a Wampum Belt is a form of symbolic literacy, just like words on a page. Though many believe that only the Haudenosaunee used Wampum Belts, this is not true; Wampum Belts were used by a number of peoples including the Algonquin. Wampum Belt Diplomacy was often used to codify agreements, such as those between Indigenous Nations and the British Crown.
Ben Weiss: Why is it important to understand the significant difference between what Canada calls the Modern Treaty process and the Land Claims process?
Dr. Gehl: It is crucial. Dr. Gehl explained that a Treaty Process is about sharing the land and resources in equal and equitable ways. A Land Claims process is about extinguishing Indigenous Rights. Canada’s Modern Treaty process is simply a Land Claims process. The Canadian government is currently offering the Algonquin Nation only 1.7% of their territory and a one-time buy-out of $800 Million.
Ben Weiss: Can you tell us about the Algonquins of Ontario and the 2016 agreement in principle?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl explained that the Agreement in Principle, which includes transfers of funds, ownership of some lands and jurisdictional rights over resource exploitation, was signed by the Algonquins of Ontario and the governments of Ontario and Canada. She told us that this happened when only 47% of those eligible to vote participated and it was opposed by the Pikwàkanagàn First Nation. Later, a tribunal removed over 2,000 ‘pretendians’ who had been eligible to vote on the Agreement.
Ben Weiss: Can you talk about the harmful effect of ‘pretendians’?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl explained that some 2,500 members had been removed as Algonquins from the Pikwàkanagàn / Sharbot Lake communities along with the 2,000 previously mentioned. A CBC investigation discovered that about 1,000 of these had been signed-up through a fraudulent document. This means that at least 4,500 non-Algonquins were corrupting the Land Claim process. Pretendians’ are often in positions of influence, such as university professors, and so control such things as scholarships and research funds. If Indigenous peoples are to have a better world, they don’t need ‘pretendians’ telling them how. The ‘pretendians’ are white people and it should be the responsibility of white people and the government to deal with them, not the Indigenous community, who have many other issues to address.
Ben Weiss: Can you finish off by talking about the important work you’ve been doing regarding Indigenous Women and girls with disabilities?
Dr. Gehl: Dr. Gehl explained that when you are discriminated against by sex, race and disability, your life is “extra extra miserable”. Being oppressed by three layers of structural oppression can, and does, lead to death. Rates of disability are higher in Indigenous communities because they lack housing, lack nutrition, and are frequent victims of sexual violence.
Dr. Gehl then shared some images of various maps that relate to her research, as well as a diagram and a video that help to explain Indigenous Knowledge.
For those interested in reading more, Dr. Gehl is offering her books as a bundle for $100, including shipping within Canada.
This presentation was the most attended of the year, with over 130 participants, and was exceptionally well received.
The full presentation can be viewed at: Lynn Gehl Ph.D. - Algonquin Anishinaabeg of the Ottawa River Valley:Yesterday, Today & Tomorrow.
Dr. Gehl’s website can be found at: Lynn Gehl, PhD, Algonquin Anishinaabe-Ikwe.
On the afternoon of Monday, February 23rd, the Historical Society of Ottawa offered its first English language in-person Speaker presentation for 2026, generously hosted by the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library. That afternoon, we were honoured to welcome Mohamed Ghadban, former member of Tannis Food Distributors and current Vice-President of the Ottawa Muslim Association. He has been recognized by the awarding of the King Charles III Medal for his community work, Mohamed told us the history of the Ottawa Mosque, the oldest Mosque in the City and the second oldest in Canada.
Mohamed Ghadban was born in Lebanon, coming to Canada in 1956, aged 2 ½, with his parents and 11-month-old brother. Some older siblings remained in Lebanon, rejoining the family a couple of years later. Mohamed was one of 8 children, and after the marriage of his eldest sister and the death of his father, his mother raised Mohamed and his 6 siblings on her own. Fortunately, his father had always insisted that in a family all members had responsibilities, so together they managed. It had been Mohamed’s father’s dream that Ottawa have a Mosque and so he sees himself as helping to fulfill that dream.
Mohamed stated that when his family arrived in Ottawa, after a month at sea and a train trip from Halifax, they found themselves in a city with only about 200 other Muslims. The community had been so small that they had initially held their prayer meetings outside in Vincent Massey Park. In 1962, they began renting the basement of the Western United Church, 545 Wellington Street, every Sunday afternoon for these services. The church was expropriated in 1963 and later demolished as part of the National Capital Commission “rehabilitation” of the LeBreton Flats, and a new church was built on Northwestern Avenue, and simply called the Northwestern United Church, which began services in September 1964. Mohamed explained that the Ottawa Muslim Association, which was founded in 1965, decided that they would follow their friends, and so began renting the basement of the Northwestern United Church on Sunday afternoons, for their 500 members, as they had done before.
The dream of a mosque for Ottawa remained, and after considering other sites, Mohamed explained that, in 1967, they decided to purchase the ½ acre lot adjacent to the Northwestern United Church. One of the two old houses on the lot was demolished to make way for the Mosque, while the other was retained and used by the community. Mohamed told us that it was really thanks to the work of the Muslim Women’s Auxiliary, who, from the mid-1960s, undertook much of the required fundraising that the project proceeded. He said that they raised enough to complete the basement, but not the entire $700,000 for the mosque. Many governments of predominantly Muslim countries, notably Pakistan, contributed funds to allow the project to continue and the Mosque to be completed. They continued to hold their services of worship on Sundays until they were able to obtain an imam in the 1990s, who instituted the more traditional Friday observance.
Mohamed showed us a photo of the ceremony in September 1973, at which two children, Basher Ghadban and Yasmine Ismaily, broke ground for the mosque, at 251 Northwestern Avenue, as G. K. Chaudhry, the then president of the Ottawa Muslim Association looked on. The Ottawa Mosque began offering prayer services in the basement in the fall of 1975, with the upper portions being completed in the spring of 1977. He then gave us a brief description of the Mosque. Its three levels, including the basement, can accommodate about 1,000 people, the main hall itself with room for 700. Its large dome is copper clad and is supported by 16 wooden beams. Its minaret, the only one in the city, stands some 35M (115ft) in height and has, on occasion, been used to call the faithful to prayer. Since its construction, some upgrades have been made including the addition of air conditioning and enhancements to the parking lot. During the Covid 19 lockdown, when all other mosques were closed, the Ottawa Mosque was able to conduct its prayer services, the worshipers sitting in their cars in their parking lot, where by great fortune, all the parking spots faced to the east.
Declining attendance at the United Church in the early 2000s, led to the amalgamation of three neighbouring congregations, those of Kingsway, Westboro and Northwestern United, which was decommissioned in 2016 – see: A farewell to Northwestern United Church . Rather than seeing the church which had befriended them and supported them in the early years demolished, the Ottawa Mosque purchase the Northwestern United Church, preserving it for the community, and has renamed it as The Hall of Peace. It provides many of the social services offered by the Ottawa Muslim Association and is used for overflow on major services.
The Ottawa Mosque follows the teachings of Sunni Islam, but welcomes all Muslims to come and join them in prayer. There are now over 150,000 Muslims in Ottawa, almost 15% of the population, and there are now many mosques in the city, though the Ottawa Mosque is considered to be the Mother Mosque.
The Ottawa Mosque received heritage status in 2025 and the Ottawa Muslim Association invites all members of the public to come and visit, not only at Doors Open, but on any day.
Barbara Ann Scott, Queen of the Ice, was the subject of the Historical Society of Ottawa’s first Zoom presentation of 2026, which was held on the evening of January 14, 2026. We were joined that evening by Ryan Stevens, an award-winning author and noted figure skating historian. Ryan runs the Skate Guard Blog, has written for a number of leading skating magazines and his expertise are sought out by both journalists and museums. Ryan is the author of a number of books, including: Barbara Ann Scott: Queen of the Ice .
Ryan gave us a wonderful account of Barbara Ann’s life and her many accomplishments.
Barbara Ann was born on May 9, 1927, in Ottawa, the daughter of Clyde Rutherford Scott and Mary (née Purves). She asked Santa Claus for her first pair of skates when she was 3. Receiving a pair of double runner skates, not what she was hoping for, she begged for real skates, and on getting them, loved them so much that she took them to bed with her.
She began her formal skating at the Minto Skating Club on Waller Street, under the guidance of Melville Rogers, himself an Olympic skater and Otto Gold, a Czechoslovakian coach.Ryan gave us a quick timeline of her early career: 1939 - youngest skater at the Minto Skating Club to pass the Canadian First Class test; 1940 – Canadian Junior Ladies Champion; 1941 – Canadian Senior Ladies Silver Medalist; 1944 – Canadian Senior Ladies Champion; 1945 - North American Champion; 1947 was her breakthrough year internationally.
Barbara Ann won the European Championship in 1947. She followed this soon after by winning the World Championship in Stockholm. The competition was held on outdoor ice, a disadvantage for Canadians who did most of their training indoors. It was the first World Championship after the Second World War and Barbara Ann was the first North American skater to win the World Championship. She was welcomed by a huge crowd on her return to Ottawa, was the first skater honoured by the House of Commons and was presented with a canary yellow Buick convertible, with the license “47-U-1”, by the City of Ottawa. Barbara Ann had to return the car to retain her amateur status and so be eligible for the 1948 Olympics.
In 1948, Barbara Ann became the first Canadian woman to win a gold medal at the Winter Olympics in any sport.She was “Canada’s Sweetheart”, adored by the nation. On her return to Ottawa her train was met by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Mayor Stanley Lewis. Over 150,000 well-wishers, about 2/3 the population of the city, packed her parade route. She had also had tea with Princess Elizabeth at Buckingham Palace and would later meet President Truman in the White House. She got her car back, this time licensed “48-U-1”.
Ryan explained that this fame came with a dark side.She was in the papers almost daily, rumours were reported as fact, nothing getting in the way of a good story. Unbelievable today, her address and phone number were published in the newspaper, leading to stalking incidents and police assistance being required.Barbara Ann had no manager or media training. She and her mother were left to the wolves.
Following her Olympic victory, Barbara Ann turned professional, making her debut in December 1948. A charitable organization had been set up as her employer and a large portion of her earnings went to the St. Lawrence Foundation for Crippled Children. Later she led the Skating Sensations of 1950 tour that played across Canada, not only in the major cities but in many small towns that had never experienced such a performance.
There was, of course, merchandizing associated with Barbara Ann. The most famous of these was the Barbara Ann Scott doll, produced by the Reliable Toy Company between 1948 and 1955. Each year featured a different skating costume, shoes as well as skates, and a letter from Barbara Ann. They quickly became collector’s items.
She retired from skating in 1955, married Tommy King, a retired basketball player & businessman, and moved to Chicago. She was a torch bearer at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics, marking the 40thanniversary of her Gold Medal performance. She also participated in the ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. She continued her life-long association with figure skating, frequently serving as a judge and always encouraging younger skaters. She was also an experienced equestrian. Barbara Ann died on September 30, 2012 at age 84, having received many honours including being a member of the Order of Canada.
Ryan’s presentation, which includes film clips of Barbara Ann skating, can be viewed on our YouTube channel. The presentation was followed by many interesting questions and personal memories that are well worth hearing.
On the evening of November 12, 2025, the Historical Society of Ottawa held its first Zoom presentation of the season. In partnership with The Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship - Ottawa (CHES), we were pleased that night to welcome Phil Emberley, who told us of his father whosurvived the Nazi Holocaust of the Second World War.
Mina Cohn, current Chair of CHES gave us some background on her organization before introducing Phil. CHES is an Ottawa-based volunteer organization which has, for the past 10 years, helped to sharethe memories of Holocaust survivors and their children, run educational programs,combat antisemitism and racism and promote Human Rights. One of their projects is a bilingual multi-media interactive AP that enhances visits to the National Holocaust Memorial. The HSO Museum Club is planning such a visit in spring 2026.
Phil Emberley is a pharmacist by profession and a long-time member of CHES.
Phil began his presentation with an overview of the Holocaust, recognizing that those attending would likely have different levels of knowledge. Following the First World War, the reparations demanded from Germany through the terms of the Treaty of Versailles lead to economic collapse, which was further intensified by the Great Depression. The economic failure and general despair proved to be fertile ground for political extremism.In 1933, Adolf Hitler, leader of the Nazi Party, became Chancellor of Germany. The Chancellor was then granted extended powers, under the pretext of an emergency, which Hitler used to suppress democracy and establish a dictatorship.
Phil described the main points of the antisemitic Nuremberg Laws which came into effect in 1935.
These were:
The Protection of German Blood and German Honour – which disallowed Jews from having relations or marrying German citizens;
Only those who were German, (i.e. not Jewish) could hold Reich citizenship;
The law also contained complicated provisions for establishing who were Jews.
There were also provisions that barred Jews from any role in management or ownership of German companies.
These laws created an environment where spying on your neighbour was encouraged and Jews were routinely arrested with little evidence or cause. Jews, who had always considered themselves to be Germans, were shocked at these changes. By 1941, Hitler enacted his Final Solution to the Jewish question, which meant an organized attempt to imprison, and eventual murder, all Jews within Germany’s grasp.
Phil told us that his father’s family name was Eger and that they had lived in the Frankfurt and Main area of Germany for many centuries. His father,Dieter, was born on November 11, 1925, the only child of Berthold, the Managing Director of a company that sold supplies to butchers. and his wife Mina, who was an accountant. Phil described how the applications of the laws and the resulting attitudes affected his family. Poverty, the lack of food and fuel, restrictions to education and activities, and physical intimidation were all part of family life.
On the night of 9/10 November 1938, Jewish homes, businesses and synagogues were vandalized and,in many cases, totally destroyed in what has been known as Kristall Nacht, but is now becoming known as the November Pogrom or the Reich Nacht Pogrom. The pretext for this night of terror was the shooting of a German diplomat in Paris by a 17 year old German Jew on the 7 th of November, the diplomat dying of his wounds on the 9th. Some 30,000 Jews were arrested, including Berthold, who was shipped to Buchenweld Concentration Camp, where he was held for 10 days before being released, as he was a decorated German veteran of the First World War.
After this, life in Germany got even worse for Jewish families, and Phil explained how it directly affected his own family and their attempts, like many other Jewish families to find some way to escape from Germany. Though this proved impossible for Berthold and Mina, Dieter was more fortunate. The British government, at the urging of U.K.based Jewish and Quaker groups, created a scheme whereby they would waive normal immigration requirements to allow unaccompanied children aged 4 to 17 to enter England. The scheme, known as the Kinder Transport, eventually allowed some 10,000 children to find safety in England.
Phil told us that Dieter left Frankfurt by train on the 24 th of August 1939, one week prior to the outbreak of war. He was one of 81 children on this trip that took them first to the Netherlands and from there by ferry to England. Dieter spent the next 3 months in a children’s refugee camp, learning little about life in England.
Many of the younger children were formally adopted, becoming part of their new English family, and many were converted to Christianity. Dieter, who was older, was fostered by a retired British military officer who enrolled him in Dulwich College, a private boy's school. Though no doubt well intentioned, Dieter’s lack of previous formal education and rudimentary knowledge of English must have posed difficulties, as he only stayed at the College for 2 terms.
In 1944 Dieter joined the British army and was posted back to Germany as part of the forces of occupation. In 1947, he officially changed his name to Denis Walter Emberley, maintaining the initials of his original name. In 1948, he became an officer in the Canadian army and while serving in Germany in 1953, met his future wife, Ursula Warmbier. In 1975 Major Denis Emberley was awarded the Order of Military Merit, one of the highest honours bestowed by the Canadian Armed Forces. In 1990 he was made a Member of the British Empire, (MBE).
With the exception of one uncle, Denis was the only member of his family to survive the Holocaust. His parents, Berthold and Mina were deported to Poland in October 1941 and were murdered, while his grandmother, who had lived with the family, was murdered in 1943. Though he escaped their fate, he did not escape the trauma, which remained with him until his own death in 2006 at age 80.
Phil noted that at age 55, his father began to write a journal, which included many short exerts that detailed his early life that had been unknown to the family. In the journal and in their discussions, Denis repeatedly emphasized two points: that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it; and that democracies are fragile and we must be vigilant and prepared to protect them. Good lessons for our own time.
Watch Phil's presentation on the HSO YouTube channel.
Many thanks to CTV Ottawa and CFRA iHeart radio for highlighting our bicentennial celebrations planned for 2026.
Watch HSO spokesperson Ben Weiss on CTV Ottawa Morning discuss the Historical Society's bicentennial plans. And stay tuned to the end of the clip to see a 100-year old relic from the centennial celebrations in 1926 to compare civic festivities of yesteryear! Link to Ottawa turns 200 this year video.
Check out our Bytown 200 story collection: www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/resources/bytown-200
“Unceded” Land: Understanding the Historic Land Claims of the Anishinaabe Alqonquin People
Ben WeissWhen we acknowledge that, here in the Ottawa Valley, we are on the “unceded” and “unsurrendered” land of the Anishinaabe Algonquin people, what does that really mean?
A preliminary understanding of the history behind the land claims of the Anishinaabe Algonquin peopleis offered in a “Report on the Algonquins of Golden Lake Claim” prepared for the Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat in 1993.
The following is the text of the report’s “Executive Summary”.
Here is a link to the full report, residing on the Government of Canada website: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2018/aanc-inac/R32-492-1993-1-eng.pdf.
This report was authored by Joan Holmes & Associates, Inc. Joan Holmes has a Master’s Degree in Northern and Native Issues from the Institute of Indigenous and Canadian Studies at Carleton University (1983) and over the past 40 years has been widely called upon as an expert in the field of Indigenous land claims and litigation.
REPORT ON THE ALGONQUINS OF GOLDEN LAKE CLAIM
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Prepared by Joan Holmes & Associates, Inc. for Ontario Native Affairs Secretariat October 30, 1993
Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa – Season #2!
Ben WeissBeginning on November 26, 2025, subscribers to Rogers TV will be able to enjoy a brand new season of our series, “Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa”, a collaboration between Rogers TV and the Historical Society of Ottawa.
Each week's new episode will air Wednesday @ 7:30 p.m. and then be rebroadcast Friday at 5:30 p.m. and the following Tuesday @ 10:00 a.m. on Rogers TV Channel 22.
Here is the schedule of episodes and our featured presenters:
Wednesday, November 26, 2025 @ 7:30 p.m. - Call To Arms: The Fenian Threat with Phil Gurski
Wednesday, December 3 @ 7:30 p.m. - Canada’s Historic Beechwood Cemetery with Nick McCarthy
Wednesday, December 10 @ 7:30 p.m. - John Egan: Pine, Politics & the Ottawa Valley with Michael McBane
Wednesday, December 17 @ 7:30 p.m. - The History of Ottawa’s 2SLGBTQ+ Community with Glenn Crawford
Wednesday, January 7, 2026 @ 7:30 p.m. - Play Ball! The History of Baseball in Early Ottawa with Steve Rennie
Wednesday, January 14 @ 7:30 p.m. - The Château Laurier (If These Walls Could Talk!) with Dominique Lajoie
Wednesday, January 21 @ 7:30 p.m. - Under the Archway: A History of Ottawa’s Chinese Community with Jeff Wang
All episodes were recorded at the Beechwood Cemetery pavilion. After initial exclusive broadcast on Rogers TV, the series will be made accessible on the HSO website, where you will also find our great episodes from Season #1.
HSO Releases a new film “Two Wars, Three Watersheds, a Slew of Surveys and a Canal” by Allison Margot Smith
Ben WeissInitial surveys of the Rideau corridor had been carried out as early as 1783, in the wake of the American Revolution.
It wasn’t until after the War of 1812, however, that increased concern over the possibility of renewed American attacks led to further surveys of the land between the Ottawa and St. Lawrence Rivers, with a view to building a canal that would bypass the exposed American border along the St. Lawrence.
In this fascinating new film, produced especially for the “HSO 2026 Bytown200 Bicentennial Storytelling Challenge” by film maker Allison Margot Smith, we travel back to those years of crucial planning and exploration that led ultimately to the construction of the historic Rideau Canal:
Would you like to contribute to the HSO 2026 Bytown200 Bicentennial Storytelling Challenge? Follow this link to learn more:
www.historicalsocietyottawa.ca/hso-news/the-hso-2026-bytown200-bicentennial-storytelling-challenge
Special “HSO Bytown200 Award” to be Presented to Students at 2026 Ottawa Regional Heritage Fair
Ben WeissAt 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.
Exploring History from Home: A Review of the Bytown Museum Virtual Tour
Callie FosterCallie 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/
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