Ottawa, Ontario

Ottawa is Canada’s capital city, chosen in 1857 by Queen Victoria, she chose it over Quebec City, Montreal, Kingston and Toronto because it was basically in the middle and half English, half French speaking.

The hostel I stayed in was once the Ottawa jail house and the site of Canada’s last hanging, I took the tour to find out about it’s history, I saw the cells, some of them were only 3 ft wide by 9 ft long…I also saw the gallows were they hung three people from death row.

I took a boat trip on the Rideau Canal, which was built between 1826 and 1832 and runs 202km from Kingston to Ottawa. I went to Parliament Hill and up the Peace Tower for an amazing view over the city, the clock faces replicate those of Big Ben and it chimes the same tune.

I walked Sparks Street Mall which is Canada’s first pedestrian mall and the Byward Market which has been running since the 1840`s. I visited Rideau Hall, the main residence for Canada’s Governor General.

I visited the RCMP Musical Ride Stables where all the horses are black to emphasize the red tunics, the horses have to be between 16 and 17.2 hands and only have small white areas on their faces or legs. They are mainly thoroughbreds and black Hanoverian broodmares and stallions so crossing them produces a well tempered horse. There is an auction every two years to sell off any horses that are not acceptable to be in the Musical Ride, there is one happening on October 6th 2007.