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PO Box 523, Station B,
Ottawa, ON, K1P 5P6

PO Box 523, Station B, Ottawa, ON, K1P 5P6
Slide 1 - With Welcome Message - Bottom

Lady and Lord Aberdeen with the National Council of Women at Rideau Hall, shortly before their return to the United Kingdom, October 1898, Topley Studios/Library and Archives Canada, PA-029033

Truss Bridge over the Chaudière Falls, Ottawa River, watercolour by John Burrows, 1828, Library and Archives Canada, I.D. No. 2833217.

Timber raft on the Ottawa River, date unknown, John William Woolsey and family fonds, Library and Archives Canada, I.D. No. 319157.

Welcome

The Historical Society of Ottawa (HSO) is Ottawa’s oldest historical organization.The principal aim of the Society is to increase public knowledge of the history of Ottawa and the surrounding region through meetings, tours, awards, publications, and sponsored research.

Historical Society Articles

  • Museum Club Visit to Manotick

    22 August 2024 Special Events
    Under threatening skies, the Museum Club visited Dickinson Square in Manotick on Sunday, August 18, 2024, for a guided tour of Watson’s Mill and Dickinson House. Eighteen of the twenty registered participants took the chance and were rewarded with a wonderful experience. After we gathered and were welcomed by our…

  • Museum Club Visit to Merrickville

    23 July 2024 Special Events
    The third Museum Club outing took place on Thursday, July 18, 2024, when a dozen registered participants, and two “foundlings” received a guided tour of the Merrickville Blockhouse Museum from our host, Jane Graham, who is the President of the Merrickville & District Historical Society (MDHS).  Jane explained that the…

  • The Final Demise of the Last Remnant of Dow’s Great Swamp

    23 June 2024 Society News
    Most of us think of “Dow’s Swamp” as having disappeared during the construction of the Rideau Canal, two centuries ago, leaving us with what we know today as “Dow’s Lake”. But did you know that a remaining southern portion of Dow’s Swamp continued to thrive until Ottawa’s ever-expanding urban footprint…

  • Paul Couvrette and the Karsh Brothers

    17 May 2024 Speakers Presentations
    A record crowd of 130 came to hear Paul Couvrette’s Historical Society of Ottawa presentation on the Karsh brothers which was held at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library on the afternoon of April 27, 2024. Paul, a celebrated Ottawa photographer, was both a professional colleague and family…
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Upcoming Events

Oct 26 2024
Afternoon Series
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

Gateville & Beyond

Stephen McKenna

Nov 2 2024
French-language
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, St-Laurent Branch, 515 Coté Street

Château Laurier: If The Walls Could Talk

Dominique Lajoie

Nov 23 2024
Afternoon Series
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

8,000 Years of History - The Algonquins of the Ottawa Valley

Alanis King

Dec 7 2024
French-language
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, St-Laurent Branch, 515 Coté Street

The Secret Society Founded in Ottawa

Hugues Théorêt

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Ottawa Stories

Ottawa has an interesting and varied history.
Enjoy stories from this month in history or discover other Ottawa stories.

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