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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

  • Dare to Test your Knowledge of Ottawa’s History?

    18 February 2025 Society News
    It’s quiz time! Again this year, the Historical Society of Ottawa had the honour of preparing the 2025 “Great Ottawa History Challenge”, published every February during Heritage Week in the Ottawa Citizen. Here’s your chance to see how much you know about Ottawa’s past: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-history-quiz

  • Happy Anniversary HSO Blog!

    8 January 2025 Society News
    The HSO Blog has been live for a year! We launched this platform as an extension of our objective to preserve and increase public knowledge of the history of Ottawa, including its people and places. Our vision was to create a space where the history of the Ottawa area could…

  • Ottawa U Scrapbooking Ottawa History

    9 December 2024 Society News
    On the morning of December 2nd, 2024, eight members of the Historical Society of Ottawa attended the final presentation of the HIS4135 Canadian Digital History Course at the University of Ottawa, The class had taken on the project of digitizing several of the scrapbooks created by our founders, the Women’s…

  • Touring the National Research Council

    23 November 2024 Special Events
    Our final Museum Club outing for 2024 took place on the morning of Wednesday, November 20, and was a private tour of the National Research Council of Canada’s facility at 100 Sussex Drive. Thirteen of our members were greeted by Steven LeClair, Chief Archivist of the NRC. We were surprised…
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Upcoming Events

Feb 22 2025
Afternoon Series
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

Sudden Impact: The 1942 Almonte Train Wreck

Jamie Bramburger

Feb 25 2025
French-language
7:00PM
Online

Philemon Wright and his village

Rick Henderson

Mar 1 2025
French-language
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, St-Laurent Branch, 515 Coté Street

Parcours d'un journaliste: Donner la parole à ceux qui n'en n'ont pas

Michel Picard

Mar 22 2025
Afternoon Series
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

The Peace Tower’s Bells - The Musical Voice of the Nation

Andrea McCrady

View Full Calendar

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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