Bytown Museum
Encyclopedia
The Bytown Museum is a small museum in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

 located on the lower locks of the Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...

 at the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...

 just below Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...

.

The museum's exhibits follow the early history of the city, originally known as Bytown
Bytown
Bytown is the former name of Ottawa, Canada's capital city. It was founded on on September 26, 1826, incorporated as a town on January 1, 1850, and superseded by the incorporation of the City of Ottawa on January 1, 1855. The founding was marked by a sod turning, and a letter from Governor General...

, and the construction of the Rideau Canal. The museum is housed in a stone building designed by Thomas McKay
Thomas McKay
Thomas McKay was a Canadian businessman who was one of the founders of the city of Ottawa, Ontario. He was born in Perth, Scotland and became a skilled stonemason...

 and built in 1827.

It was investigated by the Girly Ghosthunters
The Girly Ghosthunters
The Girly Ghosthunters was a 30-minute Canadian paranormal TV series. It was first broadcast on Friday, January 14, 2005, on the Canadian SPACE speciality channel. The thirteenth and last episode was broadcast April 15, 2005. The show featured four young women visiting alleged and/or documented...

 for any paranormal activity within its walls. It was shown as the fourth episode, of thirteen, of the named show in 2005.

History

The museum was opened in 1917 by the Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa (WCHSO) to house the collection of artifacts that the society had amassed since its founding in 1898. In 1951, the Bytown Museum moved to its current location, a building that was used as a treasury and storehouse during the construction of the Rideau Canal.
An Ontario Historical Plaque was erected by the province to commemorate the Commissariat Building's role in Ontario's heritage. The Commissariat Building's structure is the oldest existing stone building in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...

, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....

.
A Celtic Cross was erected by the Rideau Canal Celtic Cross Committee at the Ottawa Lockstation "In Memory of 1000 workers & their families who died building this canal 1826 - 1832."

External links

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