Ottawa, Canada Summary

photo by gusto

The capital of the second biggest country on the planet, OTTAWA struggles with its reputation as a bureaucratic labyrinth of little charm and character. The problem is that many Canadians who aren’t federal employees – and even some who are – blame the city for all the country’s woes. All too aware of this, the Canadian government have spent lashings of dollars to turn Ottawa into “a city of urban grace in which all Canadians can take pride” – so goes the promotional literature, but predictably this very investment is often resented. Furthermore, the hostility is deeply rooted, dating back as far as 1857 when Queen Victoria, inspired by some genteel watercolours, declared Ottawa the capital, leaving Montréal and Toronto smarting at their rebuff.