Canada's Capital National Historic Event
© Parks Canada / André Guindon
Canada’s Capital was designated as a national historic event in 1976.
Commemorative plaque: Wellington Street, Ottawa, OntarioFootnote 1
Canada's Capital
After the union of Upper and Lower Canada in 1841, Kingston, Montréal, Toronto, and Québec were in succession the seat of government. In the 1850s, these cities contended for the title of permanent capital of Canada. Called upon to resolve the issue in 1857, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa. In 1867 the Fathers of Confederation reaffirmed this choice, and Ottawa became the capital of the new Dominion of Canada.
The National Program of Historical Commemoration relies on the participation of Canadians in the identification of places, events and persons of national historic significance. Any member of the public can nominate a topic for consideration by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
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