Who chose Ottawa as the capital in 1857?
- King George III
- Lord Durham
- Queen Victoria
- Sir John A. Macdonald
Answer: Queen Victoria
Queen Victoria, the great-great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, chose Ottawa as the capital in 1857. Earlier, the Duke of Wellington had chosen Bytown (Ottawa) as the endpoint of the Rideau Canal, part of a network of forts to prevent the U.S.A. from invading Canada again.
Learn more: Ottawa and the capital cities
- Ottawa is the capital of Canada. Queen Victoria, great-great-grandmother of Queen Elizabeth II, chose it in 1857.
- Ottawa is Canada’s fourth largest metropolitan area. The Duke of Wellington chose Bytown (Ottawa) as the endpoint of the Rideau Canal.
- The National Capital Region (4,700 km² around Ottawa) preserves the area’s built heritage and natural environment.
- Atlantic capitals: St. John’s (Newfoundland and Labrador), Charlottetown (P.E.I.), Halifax (Nova Scotia), Fredericton (New Brunswick).
- Central capitals: Québec City (Quebec) and Toronto (Ontario).
- Prairie capitals: Winnipeg (Manitoba), Regina (Saskatchewan), Edmonton (Alberta).
- West Coast capital: Victoria (British Columbia).
- Northern capitals: Whitehorse (Yukon), Yellowknife (Northwest Territories), Iqaluit (Nunavut).