| description: | Bytown (On The Ottawa River) As Seen From Parliament Hill. Bytown Was Later Named Ottawa. Note The Sail Boats And The Buildings In The Left Background. The Ottawa River Was A Highway From Quebec To The Interior For Indians, Traders, And Explorers. In 1800 When Lumbering Became Important, Philemon Wright Set Up A Sawmill Settlement At Chaudiere Falls Which Later Became Hull. Across The River, No Construction Took Place Until Colonel By Arrived With His Royal Engineers In 1826 To Construct The 131 Mile Rideau Canal To Kingston. The Community (Shown In This Image From The Painting By J.D. Kelly) Which Arose Was Named Bytown After Colonel By. On January 1, 1855, It Was Named Ottawa. The United Canada Had Alternated Its Capital Between Key Cities Until 1858. Queen Victoria Decided That Ottawa Represented The Two Basic Cultures Of English And French And Named Ottawa (Formally Bytown) As The Capital. It Has Remained The Capital Since Then. Canada'S Capital Region Now Covers 1,800 Square Miles And Extends Beyond Ottawa In The Province Of Ontario And Adjoining Hull In The Province Of Quebec |