The former name of Ottawa, Canada. Named in honor of Lt. Col. John By, who was given the task of overseeing the construction of the Rideau Canal, in 1826, and credited with bringing prosperity to the area.

In 1857 the name was changed to Ottawa, after the local Outaouac tribes, and was shortly thereafter named the capital city of the united provinces of Upper Canada and Lower Canada by Queen Victoria, after having seen no more than a few watercolours of the area.

Many city fathers in Montreal, Kingston and Toronto were outraged by this decision, but it remained the capital, and began to grow fairly quickly. By 1860, construction had begun on the Parliament Buildings, and Ottawa's continued place as the Nation's Capital was assured.
