Westminster in the wilderness

Ottawa – Toronto’s sedate cousin, Canada’s Canberra, the coldest capital in the western world. It was Queen Victoria’s decision to establish the nation’s parliament among this “ramshackle lumber town in the middle of nowhere”, as Tourist Information puts it. Her reason? Invading Americans would likely lose themselves in the surrounding forests. More romantically, Ottawa marks a confluence of communities and ideas: as an important trading route for thousands of years, the first European maps identified the river Ottawa after the Algonquin adawe (‘to trade’), and the city stands at the gateway between English- and French-speaking Canada. Today Ottawa remains understated as the capital of the world’s second largest country, but it has a charm and attractiveness that belie its unglamorous origins, and it’s consistently ranked as the best place to live in Canada.

Mid-February sees Family Day, a statutory (bank) holiday in Ontario so that families can spend time together – but since several time zones separate us from our loved ones, where better for our first excursion outside Toronto than the nation’s heart? Our trip began with a five-hour train journey on Saturday’s earliest VIA Rail service from Union Station – a not unpleasant experience with spacious seats, a glorious sunrise over Lake Ontario, and beautiful views of snow-covered landscapes. Colleagues had warned of the freezing temperatures in Ottawa (even compared to Toronto), but in true Canadian spirit Ottawans embrace each season warmly and we arrived in the midst of winter-related fun. Every year the Rideau Canal becomes the world’s largest skating rink, and the Winterlude Festival which developed from the ‘trotting on ice’ races of the nineteenth century attracts over 700,000 visitors. Children play air hockey on tables made from ice, residents dance enthusiastically to live music in snow boots and ski jackets, and skaters compete for glory – though not always upright, as the annual bed race is keenly contested.

Soon it was time to warm up, so we were pleased (and relieved) to find two superb indoor institutions that offered a real insight into the development of our adopted country. The National Gallery of Canada houses European, American, Canadian and Aboriginal art in a striking glass building overlooking Parliament Hill. Beautiful exhibits highlight key moments in the evolution of Canadian art – James Wilson Morrice, the first internationally renowned Canadian painter; the Group of Seven, who were inspired by the Canadian landscape; the Automatistes, a group of Québécois dissidents – alongside poignant works by Inuit artists that seek to reimagine their tradition through European art forms. On the other bank of the river, in the French-speaking city of Gatineau (or, in English, Hull), stands the Canadian Museum of History. This too combines a sensitive and fascinating portrayal of the First Nations with insights into the development of the modern country, from Great Britain’s acquisition of New France in 1763 to Canada’s role in two world wars and increasing autonomy.

After a long queue outdoors early on Monday morning in somewhat bracing temperatures, we managed to secure free tickets for a tour of the Canadian Parliament, which is so closely modelled on Westminster that even the seats are the same colour. Politicians in the House of Commons (elected) and the Senate (appointed) debate legislation, scrutinise laws in committee, and ultimately submit them for royal assent. With all the original Victorian buildings except the library destroyed in the devastating fire of 1916, today’s complex is heavily influenced by the First World War: paintings of the trenches decorate the walls of the Senate, and the Memorial Chamber honours those who died. At the end of our tour, a quick elevator ride to the summit of the Peace Tower (which houses the Canadian Big Ben) gave us remarkable views of the snowy scene below.

All the culture and cold weather works up an appetite, so we spent lots of time among the stalls, cafes and restaurants that surround ByWard Market, Ottawa’s smaller (but no doubt perfectly formed) version of St Lawrence. Sumptuous Mexican and Italian meals were washed down with gallons of speciality tea and finished with a distinctive Ottawan delicacy, beavertails – dough fried in the shape that the name suggests and covered with cinnamon and sugar. Delicious.

Perhaps hard to believe, this is only a brief overview of Ottawa’s delights – we could have mentioned the starry ceiling at the Basilica of Notre Dame, or the imposing facade of the Supreme Court – and some of the issues raised by our visit we need longer to ponder. Our time in Ottawa helped us gain a greater understanding of where we are now, and a better grounding in the political system, the culture and the geography of our new home. Canada is a complex country, with a rich and at times deeply uncomfortable history. The challenging legacy of European imperialism has left us the beneficiaries, as we settle so quickly into this other Britain thousands of miles from our own. For now, we shall say nothing more than that Ottawa stands as testament to human ingenuity. In the middle of forest, where the land is frozen more often than not, we have built a thriving city, a hub of culture and entertainment, a meeting place for ideas, languages and communities, a capital that when covered in snow and glistening in the evening sun looks as beautiful as any on earth.