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- Destinations
- North America
- Canada
- Ottawa
Ottawa
The capital of Canada is located on the south bank of the Ottawa
River, opposite the French-speaking city of Gatineau across the
water in the neighbouring province of Quebec. It's location on the
border puts it in the unique position of being truly multicultural
and bilingual, with a harmonious blend of French and English
culture.
Ottawa had humble beginnings as a small lumber town until Queen
Victoria designated it the capital of Canada in 1857. Since then it
has grown into a modern, cosmopolitan city, though it is often
overlooked in comparison to its larger, more glamourous neighbours,
Toronto and Montreal. Its main landmark is the 302ft (92m) high
Peace Tower. The tower surmounts the imposing Parliament Buildings,
which stand in Gothic splendour at the junction of the Ottawa,
Rideau and Gatineau rivers.
The city has a network of waterways and canals that link it to
Lake Ontario and Georgian Bay. The historic Rideau Canal is used
for boating in summer, and for ice sculpting and skating in winter,
by locals and visitors alike. The parliament buildings and other
architectural sites have an old-world European charm, and Ottawa
has numerous top class museums and galleries, and the National Arts
Center, which houses an opera company, theatres, studios and
restaurants.
Information & Facts
Climate
Ottawa has a vast range of temperatures between summer and
winter, and is subject to unpredictable weather conditions. Winters
are generally snowy and icy; statistically Ottawa is the second
coldest capital city in the world after Ulaanbaatar in Mongolia.
Temperatures in winter can drop as low as -25°C (-13°F) at night,
but averages are misleading because days can be much warmer. Ice
storms can occur. Summer weather in Ottawa is warm and humid, with
temperatures exceeding 30°C (86°F) fairly often, sometimes as early
as April and as late as October. Summers are usually short, though,
and spring and autumn are unpredictable, with early or late
snowfalls possible or even unseasonal heat waves.
Getting Around
For sightseeing purposes most visitors to Ottawa enjoy exploring
the compact downtown area on foot or bicycle. However the OC
Transpo company provides a top class integrated public transport
system. Exact change is needed when boarding buses and streetcars,
and sometimes at subway stations, but day passes and discount
tokens can also be bought. A single adult day pass is $6. Taxis are
freely available, but fairly expensive. Rates should be displayed
in the taxi cab and the meter rate should be set at one at the
start of a journey.
Language
The official languages are English and French
(predominantly in Quebec).
Money
The currency used is the Canadian Dollar (CAD), which is divided
into 100 cents. One-dollar coins are also known as loonies (due to
the picture of a loon, a type of bird, on the coin), and two-dollar
coins as toonies. Banks and bureaux de change will change money and
travellers cheques, as will some hotels, but the rate will not be
as good. Major credit cards are widely accepted and ATMs are
plentiful. US Dollars are largely accepted, though due to fraud,
larger notes might not be and change is usually given in Canadian
dollars.
Time
Canada covers six time zones, from GMT 8 in the west to GMT
-3.5 in the east.