Ottawa is the capital of Canada. The city is situated along the Ontario side of the Ottawa River, opposite Gatineau, Quebec. It is currently the 5th largest city in Canada, and the second largest in Ontario after Toronto.

Unique as a North American capital, the city is bilingual. English is the first language of a majority of the population, but French is the first language of a significant number.

Ottawa is home to many of the worlds cultures as thousands of immigrants from around the world now call Ottawa home. The city is probably best known as the nations capital but has become one of the fastest growing cities in North America owing to the booming high-tech business sector.

Parliament Hill - Tours of the building are available daily with multiple tours (in both official languages) available at staggered times throughout the day. If you have a group of greater than 10 people, you must make a reservation in advance by calling the reservations office. The Centre Block tour is the most popular as it includes inside views of the House of Commons, the Senate, and the newly renovated Library of Parliament. Same-day tickets are free and available on a first-come-first-served basis from 9:00 AM. Tours last from 20 to 60 minutes depending on building activity. If there are no more tickets available, or you have to wait for your time, a fine self-guided walking tour around the grounds of Parliament Hill will keep you busy.

The Centre Block contains the Senate and Commons chambers, and is fronted by the Peace Tower on the south facade, with the Library of Parliament at the buildings rear. The East and West Blocks each contain ministers and senators offices, as well as meeting rooms and other administrative spaces. Gothic Revival has been used as the unifying style of all 3 structures, though the Centre Block is a more modern Gothic Revival, while the older East and West Blocks are of a Victorian High Gothic manner.


The Peace Tower (officially the Tower of Victory and Peace) is a focal bell and clock tower, sitting on the central axis of the Centre Block of the Canadian parliament buildings. The present incarnation replaced the 55 metres (180 ft) Victoria Tower after the latter burned down in 1916, along with most of the Centre Block. It today serves as a Canadian icon, and appears on the obverse of both the Canadian 50-dollar and 20-dollar bills. The Peace Tower was built also to function as a memorial.It thus houses the Memorial Chamber, a vaulted 7.3 m by 7.3 m (24 ft by 24 ft) room directly above the porte-cochere, with stained glass windows and various other features illustrating Canadas war record, such as the brass plates made from spent shell casings found on battlefields that were inlaid into the floor, and bore the name of each of Canadas major conflicts during the First World War.

The Centennial Flame also known as the Eternal Flame is a symbolic flame that forms the central element of a fountain, itself located symmetrically in the walkway between the Queens Gates and the Peace Tower on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario.

Lit by then Prime Minister of Canada Lester B. Pearson on New Years Eve 1967, to officially inaugurate the Canadian Centennial celebrations, the flame is fed by a natural gas jet that sits under a metal dome depicting the centennial year logo: a stylised maple leaf.


Few of the Attractions :

* The Peace Tower, Parliament Hill.
* The National War Memorial
* Sailing up the Rideau Canal.
* Parliament Hill, Canadas house of democracy
* Parliament Hill Sound & Light Show.
* Museum of Civilization, across the river in Gatineau.
* National Gallery of Canada.
* Science and Technology Museum.
* Museum of Civilization - Atrium
* ByWard Market
* a classic beavertail with sugar and cinnamon.
* Chateau Laurier (left) and Parliament Hill overlooking the Ottawa River.
* Supreme Court of Canada
* Royal Canadian Mint
* Canada Aviation Museum
* Bank of Canada Currency Museum.
* Canada Agriculture Museum
* Bytown Museum
* Rideau Hall
* The Ottawa River Parkway
* The O-Train, Ottawas light rail train
* Ottawa River Cruise
* Scotiabank Place, where the Ottawa Senators of the National Hockey League play.

By car, Ottawa
- 4.5 hr from Toronto.
- Montreal is 2 hrs.
- The American border at Ogdensburg, NY is only 45 min south and the border at I-81 is a further west at an additional 1 hr drive.
- 456 km ~ 5 hrs 17 mins from Albany, NY.
- 309 km ~ 4 hrs from Burlington, VT.
- 561 km ~ 6 hrs from Niagara Falls, NY.

>City(s) = Ottawa; State(s) = ON; Country = Canada.
>Title = Ottawa (Parliament Hill, Peace Tower, City and River), ON, Canada - Video.
>Keywords = Ottawa, Parliament Hill, Peace Tower, City River, ON, Pictures, Video, ourtripvideos, our, trip, crlapindfrn, capital, Ontario, Gatineau, Quebec, Toronto, bilingual, French, Centre Block tour, House of Commons, Senate, Parliament Library, Commons chambers, Gothic Revival, Victory Memorial, Centennial Flame, Eternal flame, Canada, Lester Pearson, Prime Minister, National War Memorial, Rideau Canal, Sound Light Show (186)
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