The goal of French Life in the Capital is to tell Canadians an untold Ottawa story about the participation of Francophones in building the nation's capital. An outcome of Chantier Ottawa, an initiative coordinated since 2011 by the Centre de recherche en civilisation canadienne-française (CRCCF) with the participation of over fifteen French Canadian specialists, the exhibition presents archival documents of diverse origins about Ottawa’s Francophone population, its institutions, its achievements, and its ambitions at various times in its history.

Join us in exploring the role of the Francophones in early Bytown, with these excerpts from the University of Ottawa’s excellent “Vie française dans la capitale” website:

Bytown and its First French Canadians

https://www.viefrancaisecapitale.ca/espace/bytown_and_its_first_french_canadians-eng

Lowertown’s First Resident

https://www.viefrancaisecapitale.ca/espace/lowertowns_first_resident-eng

From Loggers to Merchants

https://www.viefrancaisecapitale.ca/espace/loggers_merchants-eng

First Families

https://www.viefrancaisecapitale.ca/espace/first_families-eng

Religious Beginnings in Bytown

https://www.viefrancaisecapitale.ca/espace/first_families-eng

A Political Space is Born

https://www.viefrancaisecapitale.ca/pouvoir/political_space_born-eng