What a spectacular and creative way to help chronicle two centuries of Ottawa history!

We were thrilled when the enthusiastic members of the Ottawa Olde Forge Rug Hooking group approached the Historical Society of Ottawa in the fall of 2025, eager to join in answering the call and doing their part for the HSO 2026 Bytown200 Bicentennial Storytelling Challenge.

The history of rug-hooking, dating back to the same era as the birth of Bytown and the start of the Rideau Canal, was launched by creative crafters making use of scrap materials leftover in weaving mills in the UK and eventually here in North America.

The Bytown200-themed projects being artfully crafted by Ottawa Old Forge Rug Hooking members, will be displayed at City Hall on Heritage Day, February 17, 2026, and will be photographed and shared here on the HSO Bytown200 web page.

Below find sneak preview samples of a few of their works-in-progress – ranging from concept to completion.

Joanne Dickert’s project depicting John Ceprano’s rock sculptures along the Ottawa River.

Colonel By hooked rug by Jane Smith

Visit the OOFRH website to learn more about their organization: ottawarughooking.com