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Ottawa

The Smart City

The intellectual prowess of Canada’s capital city is in large part due to its exceptional post-secondary options, including the largest university in the world to offer a fully bilingual English and French program. Around half of Ottawa’s adult population has a post-secondary education, a large percentage of Ottawans work in creative, science or digital industries. (sourceicons.external-link-icon)

Ottawa by the Numbers

10,000

Guest rooms

1.3M

Square feet of meeting space

192,000

Square feet of the Shaw Centre

16,600

Square feet of the biggest hotel ballroom

The Capital of Canada

To and from Ottawa

Canada’s capital is just a couple of hours drive from the US border and easily accessible from many international airports. For an out-of-town retreat, go north from Ottawa into French Canadian cottage country and the 50+ Gatineau Lakes. (sourceicons.external-link-icon)

In Ottawa

The Rideau Canal becomes the world’s longest skating rink in winter. Along its banks, you’ll find the House of Parliament (home of the federal Canadian government) and the National War Memorial. Across from the canal’s northern entrance, you’ll see the iconic Canadian Museum of History, the country’s most visited museum and home to the largest indoor collection of totem poles. (sourceicons.external-link-icon)

Weather in Ottawa

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Spring

-3°C to 11°C

26.6°F to 51.8°F

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Summer

11°C to 25° C

51.8°F to 77°F

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Fall

2°C to 13°C

35.6°F to 55.4°F

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Winter

-16°C to -5°C

3.2°F to 23°F

Shaw Centre

Sectors

Per capita, Ottawa’s digital industry sector is larger than Silicon Valley’s. One reason for this is the diversity of expertise in the city that has existed since it was known as Oddawa, “traders” in the language of the Anishinaabe Algonquin people who inhabit this land. Today it trades in life sciences, software development, communications, aerospace defence systems, cyber security, smart mobility and retail technology — Ottawa was the birthplace of Shopify. (sourceicons.external-link-icon)

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