On October 20, 1865, Ottawa was designated by proclamation as the permanent seat of government of the Province of Canada. The document was issued by the administrator of the government, Lieutenant-General Sir John Michell, and provided for the next sitting of Parliament to be held in the city.
The date is often cited as the moment when Ottawa became the capital of Canada. Historically, it is more accurate to say that its status as the seat of government of the Province of Canada was finally confirmed then. Ottawa became the national capital after the creation of the Dominion of Canada on July 1, 1867.
The city chosen after a long debate
Before the decision on Ottawa, the government of the Province of Canada moved between several cities. Kingston was the seat from 1841 to 1844, followed by Montreal, Toronto and Quebec City. Between 1859 and 1865, the government again operated from Quebec.
The debate ended when in 1857 Parliament tasked Queen Victoria with choosing a permanent capital. On December 31 of that year, she designated Ottawa. The choice was officially announced in February 1858, and the Legislative Assembly confirmed it in 1859.
The city had several advantages. It is located between the English-speaking and French-speaking parts of the Province of Canada, on the border between present-day Ontario and Quebec. Its location inland from the border with the United States and on a high cliff by the Ottawa River was also considered more defensible in the event of a military conflict.
From the Proclamation to the Dominion's Capital
On October 20, 1865, the Proclamation finally fixed the relocation of the institutions. Parliament began work in Ottawa in 1866, when the new buildings on Parliament Hill were ready to accommodate the legislators of the Province of Canada.
On July 1, 1867, the Constitution Act came into force, creating the Dominion of Canada. It stated: “The seat of government of Canada shall be Ottawa.“ Thus, the decision originally made for the Province of Canada became the basis for the city's status as the capital of the new federation. The first session of the Parliament of the Dominion of Canada in Ottawa began on November 6, 1867.
Sources: pc.gc.ca, canada.ca, ourcommons.ca