This is an incomplete list of online sites that focus on Ottawa history. The Historical Society of Ottawa does not necessarily subscribe to the views expressed in these blogs, nor can it attest to their accuracy. The responsibility for the content of the websites remains with their authors.
Britannia, A History
"This site is about the community of Britannia in Ottawa, Canada. It is mostly about the history, but ... [i]t is incomplete and always will be. ... Really it is more like an encyclopedia of Britannia; a collection of articles and information, not a single, continuous story."
Capital Chronicles | History of the National Capital
"The History You Were Never Told" as recounted by Rick Henderson.
Capital History
Carleton’s Centre for Public History explores histories about people, places, and events in Ottawa’s National Capital Region. An ongoing history and heritage project that links Ottawa history with the city’s built environment.
Civic Hospital Neighbourhood
Documenting the community’s transition from forest and farmland to today’s urban environment.
Colin Churcher’s Railway Pages
"Welcome to my home page. I live in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. I have been interested in railways for many years and have been fortunate to pursue a career in railways. In these pages I will be setting out various aspects of my interest."
French Life in the Capital
This exhibition brings to light significant events in the capital’s history where Francophones have helped shape the face of Ottawa.
A History of Ottawa East
"Published May, 2004 by the Old Ottawa East Community Association. Written in part and compiled by Rick Wallace. Technical Direction by David Walker"
House History Ottawa - A project by M.S. Lowell and D. Lafranchise
"M.S. Lowell, (1961-) started doing house histories in 1989. He has conducted 23 various Ottawa House History projects in the past 15 years. Marc is originally from Toronto and is self-taught. Marc has also done work in geneaolgy. He is listed on the Library and Archives Canada Freelance Researchers list. D. Lafranchise (1952-) is a retired Civil Servant from Ottawa who has a major interest in Ottawa History."
The Kitchissippi Museum
A blog about west Ottawa's little-known history, with stories, photos and information covering the fascinating history of the historic Kitchissippi neighbourhoods.
Lebreton Flats Remembered
"Reflections on the history of a vanished community. Our mission, rekindle memories of a lost legacy."
Lost Ottawa
"Lost Ottawa is a Facebook research community devoted to images of Ottawa and the Outaouais up to the year 2000. Anyone can join. Just "Like" the page."
Ottawa's Bygone Buildings
Through the years, Ottawa has seen many buildings come and go. Some were lost to fire, some demolished for the expansion of parkland, roads and other improvements while others were removed to make way for newer buildings.
This project includes an online map showing the outline footprint of buildings which existed in 1912 but no longer exist today. Each footprint contains information and photos of these buildings.
Ottawa Family Tree
"When Jean Cadieux, a locksmith, made his way from Luché, in the Loire Valley of France to Montréal, during 1653, the first of my ancestors set foot upon the North American continent. It was a wild ride .. literally! .. from then, as the fur trader Antoine Cadieux made his way across the rapids of the Ottawa River before settling down with a family in Quyon, QC. This blog pays tribute to these ancestors’ courage and daring under the rubric that every family’s story is worth telling and ought to be passed along! The purpose of this blog is to share across the internet information on the O’Connor, Doyle, Dolan, Killeen, Kelly, O’Callaghan, Cadieux, Frood, Wilson and McEwan families found in researching the family tree."
Ottawahh
A personal blog with many descriptions and historical photographs of Ottawa's past.
Ottawa Past and Present
"A few decades ago, Ottawa was drastically different: Sparks Street was thriving, people were actually living downtown and at LeBreton Flats and a train could bring you to the heart of the city. The narrow and institutionalized vision of bureaucrats, the rapid expansion of car use, and a generalized neglect of architectural heritage changed the urban fabric of the Capital. The Gréber Plan and the NCC transformed Ottawa for the worse. One building at a time. We promote intensification and discourage sprawl. We are not against tall buildings, but we have a lot to say about bad design. This website is not strictly about heritage preservation, but rather what goes down the drain when those older buildings are demolished and streets are denatured."
Ottawa Rewind
"Hello, welcome to Ottawa Rewind, a blog dedicated to stories that I think are pretty cool about Ottawa and the surrounding area. Pull up a chair, grab a drink and enjoy the ride as we rewind some time…"
Ottawa Start: History
"Photographs of Ottawa that capture the way of life up to about 1970. Much of the city has changed over time with growth and loss of heritage and street life"
Sandy Hill Stories
by François Bregha — Sandy Hill has a rich history that can still be seen in many of the mansions that grace the neighbourhood or in street names that recall former activities.
Stanley Brede
Photographer and cinematographer who was stationed at Rockcliffe with the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII and had a long career with Crawley Films, Ottawa.
The Margins of History
A personal ramble through the history of Ottawa.
Today in Ottawa’s History
"The purpose of this blog is to provide readers with a brief account of an interesting or important event that happened in Ottawa’s history on a given day of the year. Ultimately, my objective is to have an article for every day of the year. While I will try to cover the highlights of each event, the brevity of the articles precludes a lot of detail and analysis. If readers wish to explore a topic in more detail, the sources listed at the end of each story will provide a useful starting point for research."
Urbsite
A blog on a variety of Ottawa historical topics.
Vanished Ottawa
A blog on abandoned buildings, fading buildings and buildings long gone from Ottawa.
Vintage Ottawa
"Nostalgic look at Ottawa's past be it buildings, people, events, houses or more."
Workers' History Museum
Dedicated to the development and preservation of workers’ history and heritage in the National Capital Region and Ottawa Valley with a goal to present, promote, interpret, and preserve workers’ history, heritage, and culture.
