ABSTRACT

Ottawa1 was not the fi rst choice as the seat of government of the United Canadas. It was initially located at Kingston, then Montréal and after 1849 moved between Toronto and Québec City. Canadian politicians could not decide on a fi xed site for the seat of government and fi nally asked the Crown in England to make the selection for them. Directed by her advisors, Queen Victoria chose Ottawa, a lumber town on the border between Québec and Ontario.2