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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

  • Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa

    16 May 2025 Society News
    Beginning on April 2, 2025, subscribers to Rogers TV will be able to enjoy a fascinating new weekly series, “Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa”, a collaboration between Rogers TV and the HSO. Each week's new episode will air Wednesday @ 7:30 p.m. and then be rebroadcast Friday…

  • Every City’s History is Written in its Ashes

    16 May 2025 Special Events
    The Historical Society of Ottawa’s Museum Club began its 2025 season on Friday May 2nd, 2025. On that afternoon, fifteen members and guests received a private guided tour of the Bytown Fire Brigade Historical Society facility at 2880 Sheffield Road, by their President, Peter McBride. Peter kept us all enthralled…

  • HSO/Rogers TV Series - Time Travelling

    16 May 2025 Society News
    For those with a passion for history, delving into the past becomes an exciting adventure in “Time Travelling”! These new 30-minute episodes of “Time Travelling… with the Historical of Ottawa”, recorded in collaboration between the HSO and Rogers TV, provide a phenomenal opportunity to sit back and enjoy some wonderful…

  • Through the Lens of a Non-Fiction Author

    13 May 2025 Speakers Presentations
    On the afternoon of April 26th, 2025, members of the Historical Society of Ottawa, along with many members of the general public, gathered at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library for the presentation of the 2024 / 2025 François Bregha Storyteller awards. Following the ceremony, the large crowd,…
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Upcoming Events

Jun 11 2025
Evening Series
7:00PM
Online via Zoom

HSO Annual General Meeting

Jun 16 2025
Afternoon Series
1:00PM
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch Auditorium

A Life of John Buchan Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps

Ursula Buchan

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

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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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