The capital of the second-biggest country on the planet, OTTAWA wrestles with its reputation as a bureaucratic labyrinth of little charm and character. The problem is that many Canadians who aren't federal employees – and even some who are – blame Ottawa for all the country's woes. All too aware of thsis, the Canadian government has spent lashings of dollars to turn Ottawa into "a city of urban grace in which all Canadians can take pride" (so the promotional literature runs) and despite the undoubted success of the policy, this very investment is often resented. The innate hostility is deeply rooted, dating back as far as 1857 when Queen Victoria, inspired by some genteel watercolours, declared Ottawa the capital, leaving Montréal and Toronto smarting at their rebuff.
In truth, Ottawa is neither grandiose nor tedious, but a lively cosmopolitan city of over one million inhabitants that boasts a clutch of outstanding national museums, a pleasant riverside setting and superb cultural facilities like the National Arts Centre. Throw in acres of parks and gardens, miles of bicycle and jogging paths, lots of good hotels and B&Bs and a busy café-bar and restaurant scene and you have enough to keep the most diligent sightseer going for a day or three, maybe more. It's here that Canada's bilingual laws make sense: French-speaking Gatineau, just across the river in Québec, is commonly lumped together with Ontario's Ottawa as the "Capital Region", and on the streets of Ottawa you'll hear as much French as English.
