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STOP #4
Becoming the Capital, Post Confederation
150 – 100 Years Ago
On New Years Eve 1857, Queen Victoria announced her choice of Ottawa as the new capital of the Province of Canada. This was a remarkable choice in that, just eight years earlier, in 1849, Ottawa (then Bytown) had erupted in violent riots, in protest of the impending visit by the Governor General of the Province of Canada, Lord Elgin.
And yet, it was that same Governor General, Lord Elgin, who would finally visit Bytown four years later in 1853, and recommend Bytown (soon to be Ottawa) to be the new capital…transitioning of a rough and tumble lumber town to new nation’s capital in just a few short years.
While Europeans flourished, Indigenous loss of land was at an all-time high…
In the 1830s, following the conclusion of the Rideau Canal’s construction, Bytown gained notoriety as a tumultuous lumber town marked by violence and disorder. The hostility between Catholics and Protestants, as well as between English and French speakers, was well-documented. Gangs of Irish Catholics, dubbed the “Shiners,” instilled fear among Bytown’s residents for nearly a decade. The pervasive violence and terror prompted one Catholic priest to lament, “There is no God in Bytown.”
1822 – 1840:
Despite their significant contributions alongside the British in the War of 1812, notably at the Battle of Chateauguay, Algonquin warriors faced ongoing land loss due to individual land sales and the influx of British immigrants into the valley. The situation worsened in 1822 when the British convinced the Mississauga near Kingston on Lake Ontario to sell off much of the remaining traditional Algonquin land in the Ottawa Valley. Once again, the Algonquin were excluded from these negotiations and received no compensation, despite never relinquishing their claim to the area.
During the 1840s, additional indigenous land losses ensued as lumber interests extended into the Upper Ottawa Valley. Legislative actions in 1850, coupled with subsequent land acquisitions by the Canadian government, resulted in the creation of nine reserves in Quebec. Another reserve, founded in 1873 at Golden Lake (now Pikwàkanagàn), was designated for Algonquin use and occupation in Ontario. However, these reserves safeguarded only a small portion of the original Algonquin homeland.
In 1848, riots erupted as Tories, incensed by Lord Elgin’s decision to grant royal assent to a bill compensating citizens of Lower Canada for losses during the 1837-38 rebellion, regardless of their allegiances, set fire to the Parliament Buildings in Montreal. This destructive act led to the quest for a new permanent capital for the Province of Canada.
In 1849, Tories, predominantly consisting of the English-speaking Protestant upper class, extended their rebellion to Bytown upon learning of Lord Elgin’s impending visit. The “Stony Monday Riot” erupted as hundreds of armed Tory supporters assembled in the Byward Market, where Reformers, primarily comprising working-class Roman Catholic Irish and French-Canadians, had gathered to organize a reception for Lord Elgin.
What initially started with verbal altercations and attacks using sticks and stones escalated to the use of firearms, resulting in at least one fatality. The unrest persisted throughout the week, reaching a climax with a standoff involving hundreds of armed individuals from both factions across the Sappers Bridge, dividing Ottawa’s Upper and Lower Towns. Following the chaos and violence, Lord Elgin’s visit to Bytown was called off.
1853: Lord Elgin’s visit to Bytown finally took place. Witnessing significant reconciliation among the populace, the Governor General was so impressed by the newfound unity of the townspeople that he recommended Bytown to be selected as the new capital of the Province of Canada. New Year’s Day 1855: Bytown was officially granted city status and underwent a name change to Ottawa — a deliberate effort to distance itself from the town’s tumultuous past. (Coinciding with this milestone, the Bytown & Prescott Railway was inaugurated the previous week, linking Bytown to other major centers, a pivotal move to ensure that Bytown/Ottawa met all the criteria expected of a city vying to become the new capital.)
On New Year’s Eve 1857, a letter was dispatched to the Governor General of the Province of Canada, proclaiming Ottawa as Queen Victoria’s preference for the new capital. This choice sparked astonishment and disbelief across Canada. It wasn’t until 1859 that the legislature officially ratified Ottawa as the new capital, despite protests from representatives of Montreal, Quebec City, Kingston, Toronto, and Hamilton. However, this designation only conferred upon Ottawa the status of capital of the “Province of Canada,” a union of the former provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada (present-day southern portions of Ontario and Quebec).
It wasn’t until 1864 that the “Fathers of Confederation” convened, laying the groundwork for the creation of the “Dominion of Canada,” which would eventually span the continent. As construction on Ottawa’s Parliament Buildings progressed, it became increasingly logical for Ottawa to be designated as the capital of the new Dominion of Canada.
During the late 1800s, the Algonquins of South-Eastern Ontario engaged in fruitless negotiations with government officials, failing to resolve their land claims and petitions for protection. By this time, the Algonquin People had been compelled to forsake their nomadic lifestyle, with some relocating to the Golden Lake reserve in Algona Township. Meanwhile, numerous other “bands” or family groups remained scattered throughout the Ottawa Valley, striving to sustain themselves through hunting and trapping. These Natives, unrecognized by the Indian Department, remained non-status. As land and resources dwindled, many eventually assimilated into the settler population, though they endeavored to preserve their cultural heritage.
The encroachment of timber companies, which received grants to exploit vast tracts of land not yet surveyed for settlement, played a significant role in displacing Indigenous Peoples from their territories. Upon surveying a timber limit, the land would be classified and allocated to these timber companies. For the Algonquins residing in remote areas, addressing the issue of timber squatters establishing operations on their land proved immensely challenging. Forest management fell under the jurisdiction of the government of Upper Canada until 1867, when it was transferred to the provincial government in Toronto. However, provincial governments lacked official authority to intervene in Indigenous affairs, while the federal government had no jurisdiction over logging activities in a given area.
The arrival of sizable contingents of Euro-Canadian men establishing shanties and work camps often served as the initial tangible evidence for Indigenous communities that their land rights were not being respected or recognized by government authorities.
Given that the land bordering waterways was integral to Algonquin livelihood, the timber limit surveys posed a direct challenge to the activities of the Algonquin People, who depended on these waterways for transportation, communication, and sustenance. During fall and winter, the timber cutting zones would be bustling with hundreds of shantymen occupying timber shanties, while in spring, streams and rivers would be filled with logs destined for Quebec City via the Ottawa River.
Colonial practices of mapping and delineating boundaries on paper effectively constrained Indigenous Peoples to specific locations, disregarding their need for a nomadic lifestyle to thrive and failing to recognize their longstanding occupation of the territory. These processes of mapping or remapping the land facilitated the advancement of colonial settlement into Indigenous Territory, as the surveys depicted the land as vacant. Consequently, the process of forcibly assigning Indigenous Peoples to fixed locations essentially alienated them from their Ancestral Lands.
Additional links:
https://todayinottawashistory.wordpress.com/2015/03/28/stony-monday-riot-2
https://todayinottawashistory.wordpress.com/2014/08/21/queen-victoria-chooses-ottawa
Lady Van Eijk
This crimson lady seems to love flaunting its colours. The Lady Van Ejik is known for long lasting flowers with a mid to late spring bloom. Standing at an impressive 60 cm this Lady draws in all the attention so she can represent her Van Ejik family.
Salmon Van Ejik
Like the name implies, the Salmon Van Ejik dazzles with its salmon pink colouring. The Van Ejik family of tulips are Darwin hybrids, a cross between single late tulips and emperor tulips, the Van Ejiks are both tall and large making for a hardy filled out tulip.
Mystic Van Eijk
Rounding out an elegant bed of Van Ejiks is the Mystic Van Ejik. This tulip pairs its coral pink perfectly with the Salmon Van Ejiks salmon pink, both complimenting the red of the Lady Van Ejik, all three tulips coming together to create the perfect Van Ejik bed laid out before you.