The former name of
Ottawa,
Canada. Named in honor of
Lt. Col. John By, who was given the task of overseeing the construction of the
Rideau Canal, in
1826, and credited with bringing prosperity to the area.
In
1857 the name was changed to
Ottawa, after the local
Outaouac tribes, and was shortly thereafter named the
capital city of the united
provinces of
Upper Canada and
Lower Canada by
Queen Victoria, after having seen no more than a few
watercolours of the area.
Many
city fathers in
Montreal,
Kingston and
Toronto were outraged by this decision, but it remained the capital, and began to grow fairly quickly. By
1860, construction had begun on the
Parliament Buildings, and Ottawa's continued place as the
Nation's Capital was assured.