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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.

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

  • Elsa Lessard

    5 August 2025 Society News
    We are saddened to learn that long-time HSO member and WWII veteran Elsa Lessard has passed away at the age of 103. A “WREN”, a member of the Women’s Royal Canadian Naval Service, and Bletchley Park “Secret Listener” during WWII, Elsa has been described as a national treasure” by the…

  • HSO Museum Club travels back to the 1920s

    4 August 2025 Special Events
    On the afternoon of Sunday August 3rd, 2025, a number of members of the Historical Society of Ottawa’s Museum Club, along with several members of the Cumberland Township Historical Society, enjoyed a peaceful stroll through a village magically trapped in the 1920s. This village, the Cumberland Heritage Village Museum, located…

  • HSO Museum Club walks through the history of Sandy Hill

    2 August 2025 Special Events
    Thursday, July 24th, 2025 dawned sunny and hot as our Museum Club undertook its walking tour of Sandy Hill and its guided tour of Laurier House. In response to the extreme heat predicted for the day, our organizer, Callie Foster, a summer co-op student, and our walking tour lead, Ben…

  • Museum Club Goes Deep: A Visit to the Diefenbunker

    4 July 2025 Special Events
    Given rising international tensions, sixteen members of the Historical Society of Ottawa’s Museum Club sought shelter in the Diefenbunker, Canada’s Cold War Museum, on the afternoon of Sunday, June 29th, 2025. Our guide informed us that the facility had been commissioned by Prime Minister John Diefenbaker in 1959, though he…
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Upcoming Events

Sep 21 2025
Afternoon Series
1:30PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

My Story As Canada’s “Betsy Ross”

Joan O’Malley

Oct 4 2025
French-language
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, St-Laurent Branch, 515 Coté Street

Jos Montferrand - Roi des forêts de l'Outaouais ou piler de taverne?

Michel Prévost

Oct 19 2025
Afternoon Series
1:30PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

Get On Board… For Songs & Stories from Ottawa's Past

Paul Weber

Nov 23 2025
Afternoon Series
1:30PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

Beneath the Archway – The History of Ottawa’s Chinese Community

Jeff Wang

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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