Taken along the banks of the Ottawa River in Gatineau, Quebec. The image depicts the Ottawa side of the river with the iconic Chateau Laurier hotel and the final series of locks of the Rideau River in the centre of frame.

“The name Ottawa is derived from the Algonquin term adawe (“to trade”). The name was given to the tribe which controlled the trade of the river. The name was first applied to the river and then to the city. The French form of this name is Outaouais. The Ottawa River was formerly known as Kichi Sibi, La Grande Rivière or the Grand River.” [1]

“At 1,271 km (from source to mouth) in length, the Ottawa River is Canada’s eighth largest river and the chief tributary of the St. Lawrence. Beginning in the Laurentian Mountains, it flows west before turning southeast to form a portion of the border between Ontario and Quebec. It drains an area twice the size of New Brunswick. The volume of water in the Ottawa River is equivalent to the volume of water in all of western Europe.

As the traditional territory of the Algonquin people, a key route in the fur trade and the site of a 19th-century timber boom, the Ottawa River has played an important role in Canada’s history and economy. Its diverse ecosystems, which are currently the focus of several conservation efforts, are home to rich plant and animal life. The river also sustains urban areas along its shores, the largest being the Ottawa-Gatineau area.” [2]

Sources: [1] <a href="https://www.ottawariverkeeper.ca/watershed-fact/" rel="nofollow">www.ottawariverkeeper.ca/watershed-fact/</a>