detail from: KRK Art dizajn

OTTAWA - MY CITY

SIMO JELACA, Ph.D.

I visited Ottawa for the first time in 1981, when I was leading a group of businessmen from Serbia, during which we researched new technologies in the food industry. On that occasion, we stayed in Ottawa for a short time, only two days, and we visited only the Parliament and the surrounding area. At that time, it never crossed my mind that I would ever become a citizen of Ottava, and Ottawa my city. And that's what happened.

Ottawa's Parliament Hill stands high above the Ottawa River and is graced by the Neo-Gothic style. Parliament buildings had been built in the last half of the 19th century. The most prominent feature is the Peace Tower that divides the House of Commons and the Senate on either side. In front of the Parliament buildings is the Centennial Flame, lit in 1966 to commemorate the centenary of the Canadian Confederation, and behind the buildings is a sculpture garden. In the summer, the Changing of the Guard takes place on the front lawn of the Houses of Parliament, if weather permitting. Below Parliament Hill, a lovely walk runs alongside the Ottawa River.

In Ottawa join two rivers, River Ottawa coming from west and River Rideau joining her from the right. In Ottawa there are many parks and recreation places. One of the best and biggest is Mooney’s Bay Park, which is located on the right side of River Rideau, with the city’s sandy beach. River’s level is regulated by gates, such a way that at summer level is high, while at winter it is very low. In the summer, while water level is high at Mooney’s Bay Park, a Canadian kayak competition. During those days hundreds of big camps were opened for selling souvenirs and food. Thousands of visitors enjoy spectacles and music bands. Below the river gates are waterfalls, an attraction for numerous visitors. Water murmur pleases everybody’s ear, while hundreds of birds are chirping on all trees which surpass the rocks and river. From falling water rising millions of drops through which is light breaking in a view of the rainbow. Children enjoy it. Through the parallel gates water is regulated into the Rideau Canal, which freezes in winter and thousands of people enjoy skating. This skating rink is over seven kilometers long and is one of the longest in the world. Many students are coming to the university at winter time on skates.

Ottawa is a city of about one million habitants, composed of most of all world nations. It is very nice to live in Ottawa, even at winter time when snows are deep and temperatures fall even down to -40°C. Streets are cleaned the same day as the snow falls and people are properly dressed. School buses usually run on time.

Ottawa is the national capitol and a cosmopolitan city. Main industry in Ottawa is the federal government, and centerpiece is Parliament Hill. Otherwise, Ottawa is a cultural center and a really beautiful place for life and visits.

Ottawa is the seventh coldest capital in the world. There are more than 14 museums in Ottawa, but the Canadian Museum of Civilization and Aerospace Museum are the most visited museums in Canada. There are 35 major festivals in Ottawa. The Canadian Tulip Festival, held every May, is one of the most famous. The beautiful Château Laurier was built by Charles Melville Hays, the president of the company who died on the Titanic, 12 days before the hotel's opening.

Ottawa's history isn't without devastation. There were two big fires. The first was the Great Fire of 1900 which destroyed hundreds of buildings and lumber mills. The second fire was in 1916 when a fire broke out on Parliament Hill in the Centre Block. The only part left standing was the Library of Parliament.

English and French are the main languages spoken in Ottawa. You will also hear many other languages, as Ottawa is a diverse, multicultural city, and about 25 percent of its residents are from other countries.

Ottawa is a joy for outdoor enthusiasts. As well as being home to the Government of Canada, Ottawa is a high-technology center, and boasts more engineers, scientists and PhD graduates per capita than any other city in Canada. It's a great place to bring up a family and a fascinating city to visit. Ottawa is a multilingual city. Approximately 50% of people speak English, 32% French and the rest a mix of other languages including Chinese, Arabic, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, German, Russian, Serbian and others.

The Ottawa Capital region welcomes more than 8 million visitors annually. Ottawa is the fourth cleanest city out of 300 major cities ranked around the world. There are seven downhill ski resorts within easy driving distance of Ottawa.

The National Gallery of Canada,Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography, Laurier House, Royal Canadian Mint, Library and Archives Canada, Currency Museum of the Bank of Canada, Canadian Museum of Nature, Canadian War Museum, Canadian Science and Technology Museum, and the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum are Canadian treasures of science and arts.

The Indian Ottawa tribe is related to the Chippewa tribe (also known as the Ojibwa tribe.) The Chippewa’s and Ottawa’s have similar customs and speak dialects of the same language, just like Americans and Canadians speak English with different accents. Most Ottawa Indian (Indigenous) people live in their original homeland in southern Ontario. There are over 15,000 Ottawa Indians today. Each Ottawa Indian community lives on its own reservation (or reserve, in Canada). The political leader of an Ottawa band is called a Chief (in the Ottawa/Ojibway language). Many Indian Ottawa children like to go hunting and fishing with their fathers. Ottawa women wore long dresses with detachable sleeves and usually wore leather moccasins on their feet. Back in the 1800's, some Ottawa men began wearing long headdresses like their neighbors the Sioux. Other Ottawa men wore their hair in the Mohawk style. Today, some Ottawa people still wear moccasins or a beaded shirt, but they also wear modern clothes like jeans and they only wear feathers in their hair on special occasions like a dance. There are lots of traditional Ottawa legends and fairy tales. Storytelling is very important to Ottawa Indian culture.

Typical Indian Wigwam

SHARE THIS PAGE ON: