36 Hours In Ottawa

Photo: Yannick Grandmont for The New York Times

Sunday, August 26, 2007

THE NEW YORK TIMES, by Katie Arnold

OTTAWA has always had image problems. Back in 1857, when it beat out its rivals Toronto and Montreal in a bid to become Canada's national capital, the Governor General bemoaned Parliament's move to what seemed a frontier outpost on the Ottawa River as an “exile to wilderness.” Since then, this city of 1.2 million has been written off as a staid hub of government. But beneath Ottawa's buttoned-up, civil-servant demeanor lies a surprisingly vibrant community, with enough green space, trails and water within city limits to satisfy the most hyperactive of travelers. (Go ahead, call it the San-Francisco of eastern Canada — it's worthy.) This summer, as the unlikely capital celebrates its 150th anniversary, Ottawa is embracing its wilder side.

Read the full story here at The New York Times