TOURING QUEBEC AND THE MARITIMES 3

Controller H. H. McIlroy and Rev. -W. W. McNairn ex- tended a hearty welcome to the Capital of the Dominion.

We were then treated to a forty mile drive, ending with a tour of the Parliament Buildings. Our hosts made us all feel that the Capital was just as much our city as theirs—that it belonged to every son and daughter of Canada.

Situated on the banks of two noble rivers—the Ottawa and the Rideau, Ottawa is scenically one of the most beautiful cities on the continent.

The choice of the selection of a Capital city of the Dominion was left in the hands of Queen Victoria, who chose Ottawa, because as the official letter said, “The city of Ottawa combines more advantages than any other place in Canada, for the permanent seat of the future Govern- ment of Canada.”

Three hundred years ago, Samuel de Champlain paddled - up the unknown reaches of the Ottawa River from Mont- real, and was halted by the Chaudiere Falls, the famous battleground where the Indian tribes fought for suprem— acy. He was the first white man to view the glorious pan- orama of hills, rivers and valleys by which the city is sur- rounded, and to set foot on the cliffs, on which now stand the Canadian Houses of Parliament.

As the Capital of Canada, Ottawa is the official resi- dence of the Governor-General. Here, too, are the United States’ Embassy, the homes of Consuls and Ambassadors from all parts of the world, and the residences of digni— taries of Church and State. It is unique among the cities of the Dominion.

At the very doors of the Capital are the great Gatineau Valley, the foothills of the Laurentian Mountains, and the

area of Rideau Lakes, each a paradise for anglers and hunters. '