Canada’s capital and fourth largest city, Ottawa is situated south of the Ottawa River, at 190 kilometers from Montreal and 400 kilometers from Toronto, two better known cities. Having the highest standard of living in the country, and the lowest unemployment rate, Ottawa has the highest educational level in Canada, being home to important teaching institutions. With a little over 930 thousand inhabitants, the Canadian capital has a temperate climate, with temperatures ranging from -46.1⁰C to 39.5⁰C. While the summers are quite hot and humid, in the autumn and winter the city is covered in ice and snow, being the world’s seventh coldest capital city. But this doesn’t make it less welcoming and attractive to Brazilians.
Ideal for exchange programs, Ottawa is extremely attentive to the education of its people: over half of the population has completed higher education. Many of them are graduates of the country’s two largest public universities: the University of Ottawa and the University of Carleton. Also outstanding public universities are the Algonquin College and La Cite Collegiale, as well as the private Catholic institutions: the Dominican University and the Saint Paul University. Last, but not least, the Ottawa Public Library offers free services to Canadians and foreigners. It is part of Canada’s system of libraries, which has no fewer than 2.3 million items in its collection.
For those seeking jobs, the good news is that the family income of the city’s inhabitants is the highest in the country, although this isn’t reflected in the cost of living, which is lower than in other Canadian cities. Another of Ottawa’s strong points is the low rate of criminality: the city isn’t even included in the list of 20 cities in the ranking of the Index of violent crimes per year. This safety is an invitation for walks and bike rides throughout the city, especially along the margins of the lovely Rideau Canal, a UNESCO heritage site. In the winter, when the canal freezes over, it becomes the world’s largest ice-skating stage.
However, the city’s most important tourist attractions are: Parliament Hill, home to Canada’s parliament, and Peace Tower, one of the largest local constructions, offering a beautiful view of the city. Also worth mentioning is the ByWard Market, which holds a food market for breakfast, and restaurants, bars and clubs for night life. Don’t miss visiting the permanent and temporary exhibitions in the Canadian Museum of History, as well as other important museums, such as the Canadian War Museum and the National Gallery of Canada, an art museum.
