About Ottawa

The capital of Canada, Ottawa is nestled on the banks of the majestic Ottawa and Rideau Rivers. The city  is a world class tourism and convention destination; it is also rich in culture and heritage with its many national institutions, parklands, waterways and historic architecture. 

Ottawa is home to a large number of foreign embassies & is a recognized centre for both academics and professional training. The city offers an open & welcoming environment to cultures from around the world, providing service in English, French, & a host of other languages.        
  

Ottawa Facts

• Population of over 1.2 million. Fourth-largest city in  Canada
• Known as  "Silicon Valley North".
• Home to such high tech giants as Mitel, Alcatel-Lucent, Cisco, Tundra and Research in Motion.
• Home to government organizations such as the Government of Canada, Parliament, the Senate, and the Supreme Court of Canada
• More than 1,800 advanced technology companies employ more than 76,000 people
• Highest-educated workforce in Canada. Ottawa has more engineers, scientists and PhDs per capita than any other city in the country
• With 90 per cent of Canada’s industrial telecommunications research and development conducted here, Ottawa is one of the world's top five sites for R&D 
• Canada's Capital region welcomes over 7.3 million visitors per year, who spend over $1.18 billion
• Families in Ottawa had the highest median incomes of any Canadian city in 2001
• Ottawa ranked 18th in a survey of 200 cities worldwide for best quality of life.
• Ottawa is the least expensive major city in which to live in North America.
• During the winter, 7.8 kms of the Rideau canal is open to skaters, making it the world's largest skating rink 
• Languages spoken : English (50%), French (32%) and a host of other languages including Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese and Arabic 
  
   

     The Ottawa Tulip Festival - A Celebration Founded on Friendship 

The Canadian Tulip Festival has grown into the largest Tulip Festival in the world from a gift of international friendship given six  decades ago. In the fall of 1945, Princess Juliana of the Netherland presented Ottawa with 100,000 tulip bulbs in appreciation of the safe haven that members of  Holland's exiled royal family received during the Second World War in Canada . At the time Queen Juliana was pregnant and to ensure the baby would have Dutch citizenship, the Canadian government officially declared the maternity ward of the Ottawa Civic Hospital (now the Civic Campus)  to be a part of the Netherlands. Juliana gave birth to their third daughter, Margriet, on 19 January 1943. 

To this day, the Dutch royal family  still sends 20,000 tulip bulbs to Ottawa each year and the festival draws people from around the world.  

Relocating To Ottawa
If you are ready to buy your dream home, you can start your search by browsing our featured Ottawa area listings and reading our home buying tips  and moving tips.