Working to preserve Ottawa's past
for future generations.
Since September 2020, the Historical Society of Ottawa has presented a virtual speakers series using Zoom. A full recording of those presentations is available on the HSO YouTube channel and shown here as well.
The Historical Society of Ottawa does not necessarily subscribe to views expressed in these videos, nor take any responsibility for their content.
Pamphlets
If you interested in having a more in-depth knowledge of Ottawa rich and diverse history, the HSO’ s Bytown Pamphlet series is for you!
Since the early 1980s, the Society has regularly published monographs on various aspects of Ottawa’s history. These monographs are available free to members and through the Ottawa Public Library, Library and Archives Canada, and the City of Ottawa Archives. We are currently in the process of scanning and digitizing all of our pamphlets to make them more accessible to the general public.
The first introductory pamphlet produced by the Historical Society of Ottawa contains excerpts from an address on the history of the Historical Society given by E.M. Taylor before the Ontario Genealogical Society (Ottawa Branch) on March 22, 1976.
Pamphlet Series
A number of the Society's pamphlets are available in digital format to download free of charge.
Books
On occasion, the Society publishes substantive research in the form of a book.
Prices of books vary — as shown below — and the cost of postage is extra.
To order, please contact the Historical Society of Ottawa by mail or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
| Title | Author | Date Published | Member Price | Non-member Price | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
Introducing William Pittman Lett, Ottawa's First City Clerk and Bard, 1819-1892 | Bryan Cook | 2015 | $15.00 | $20.00 |
 |
To Be Continued . . . A Short History of The Historical Society of Ottawa | Dave Mullington | 2013 | $10.00 | $15.00 |
 |
Controversy, Compromise and Celebration: The History of Canada’s National Flag (bilingual) Controverses, compromis et célébrations : L’histoire du drapeau national du Canada (bilingue) |
Glenn Wright | 2017 | $10.00 | $15.00 |
Looking for more local history books? Check out these titles available from the Cumberland Township Historical Society.
Meetings of the Historical Society of Ottawa
All are welcome, admission is free.
We have returned to our regular in-person Speaker Series in the auditorium of the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, 120 Metcalfe Street, at 1:00 pm on a Saturday afternoon of each month (except in July, August, and December). The Main Branch auditorium is fully accessible via an elevator with priority seating for those needing special accommodation.
We plan to continue to present our evening Speaker Series via Zoom, due to the enormously positive response we have had to this virtual format, at 7 p.m. on the last Wednesday of each month (except for June, July, August, and December). The virtual Speaker Series will be conducted online using the Zoom software platform.
In addition, we conduct an Annual General Meeting (AGM), normally in May, an occasion for the board of directors to account for their conduct during the preceding year and offer an insight to plans for the future. All members are eligible to vote for individual candidates for the board of directors.
Upcoming Meetings
 Guest Speaker: Guy Badeaux
|
 Guest Speaker: Jamie Bramburger
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View the full calendar
Past Meetings Reports
Publications Policy
The Society shall publish reports in its Bytown Pamphlet Series on research which meets the Society’s objectives, and is either required of students under awards supported by the Society, or unsolicited from members or non-members, subject to passing an editorial review process approved by majority vote of the Board and to priorities dictated by the Society’s objectives and resources.
One copy of each report shall be distributed to each member in good standing as of its date of publication; others may buy copies at a price to be determined by a majority vote of the Board. Two copies of each published Bytown Pamphlet shall be sent to Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario for legal deposit and registration under ISBN and ISSN. Two copies shall be deposited in the Historical Society of Ottawa holdings at the City of Ottawa Archives.
All manuscripts should be submitted to the Director for Publications or the Publications Committee. In accordance with the Copyright Act (R.S.C. 1970, c C-30, s.5), ownership of this intellectual material remains with the author for life plus 50 years, unless signed away to someone else. HSO published formats are copyright of the HSO and shall only be reproduced with the consent of the Director for Publications or the Publications Committee. A copyright release, as follows and also available from the Publications Committee, shall also require authors to assume responsibilities to verify the copyright status of quotations and illustrations which they have provided for use in their reports, and to ensure appropriate citation of sources.
For inquiries regarding publications, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Copyright Release
The Historical Society of Ottawa
Publications Committee
The Historical Society of Ottawa,
Postal Box 523, Station B, Ottawa, Ontario K1P 5P6
E-mail: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Contributor’s Certification
Manuscript Title ________________________________________________________
Publication Title ________________________________________________________
I certify that:
I have acquired permission to reproduce any previously copyrighted material which I have provided for use in my manuscript including, inter alia , sources, quotations and illustrations for which I have given accurate citation in the manuscript;
I agree to transfer to The Historical Society of Ottawa (HSO) publishing rights to the manuscript: that is, without relinquishing my proprietary rights as author, I transfer to HSO the rights to reproduce and distribute the article in HSO format, including figures and graphic reproductions, and the right to adapt the manuscript to conform to HSO publishing standards; and
(Please strike out one):
I agree that the article may be reprinted or copied for non-profit use by individuals and organizations without my written permission, providing proper credit is given to the source of the item
or
I require that the article should be accompanied by the copyright symbol (©) denoting that
the article may not be printed or copied without my written permission.
Signature: ____________________________________
Printed Name: ____________________________________
Date: _______________________
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