 MouseMasterCanadian CornerGrammar CentralCrazy EnglishTerrible TeacherFlashed ESLAmerican Stories
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Instructions: 1. Either print this exercise with the questions and complete them in a traditional fashion, or 2. Press to run a self-marked version of this exercise.   In the beginning, they were two backwoods lumber towns built on opposite banks of the fast-flowing Ottawa River. Over a century later, the settlements once known as Wrightstown and Bytown are more than just a part of local history. Together, they form the heart of Canada's capital region now called Ottawa-Hull.On the southern shore of the river sits Ottawa, Ontario, the Capital City of Canada. This is where you'll find the Parliament buildings, home to Canada's federal government. Across the river to the north lies Hull, Quebec. The two cities are at the centre of a national capital region which covers 4,662 square kilometres of Western Quebec and Eastern Ontario. Nearly 1.05 million French and English-speaking people live in the Ottawa-Hull area, on the border where Canada's two founding European cultures meet. The region has changed a great deal since the days when the Ottawa River was the major travel route of the local Outaouais Indians. The arrival of French explorer, Samuel de Champlain, in 1613, was the first step in Ottawa-Hull's development. But it was American Philemon Wright who first brought prosperity to the region nearly 200 years later. Wright arrived in 1800 in search of timber to supply to European markets. He bought an area called the Township of Hull and began to operate a logging business north of the river. As the settlement grew, it became known as Wrightstown, and by 1826, it had a population of a thousand people. This was the same year Colonel John By arrived in Wrightstown from England. Colonel By was hired to supervise the building of the Rideau Canal, a military project designed to connect the Ottawa River with Lake Ontario near Kingston. The construction took six years and involved thousands of workers, many who built houses on the south shore of the river. This settlement opposite Wrightstown soon became known as Bytown. With many sawmills and paper mills attracting more people to the Ottawa Valley, both Bytown and Wrightstown grew into booming lumber towns. On January 1, 1855, Bytown was renamed Ottawa, and exactly three years later, England's Queen Victoria chose it as the capital city of the Province of Canada. After Canada's Parliament Buildings were completed in 1865, further plans were made to turn Ottawa into a city worthy of being called the nation's capital. Today, the entire region of Ottawa-Hull is alive with enduring symbols of Canada's history. Visitors to the Rideau Canal can enjoy boating in the summer and skating in the winter. A trip along Sussex Drive takes you past the home of Canada's Prime Minister. Museums, art galleries, parklands and historic buildings also help attract millions of tourists each year. Best of all, with its mix of French and English culture, Ottawa-Hull stands as a lasting symbol of Canadian unity. |
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