Canada’s national capital, Ottawa is full of grand buildings, museums, and monuments. Just as Washington, D.C. lures tourists from across the United States and abroad, Ottawa is a major attraction for Canadian and international visitors.

While the government is the major employer, education and high-tech provide lots of jobs here. Perhaps because the federal government is officially bilingual, Ottawa is one of Canada’s most bilingual cities, with many residents moving easily between English and French.

Ottawa is a well-educated city, too. Maclean’s listed Ottawa as one of Canada’s smartest cities, perhaps because the region’s workforce has the highest percentage of university graduates in Canada, and (tied with Boston) the highest concentration of PhDs in North America.

Ottawa’s cost of living consistently ranks as the least expensive of any Canadian metropolitan area. With about one million residents, it’s a livable, family-oriented city. While Canada’s capital is full of ceremony and pomp, just a short distance from the Parliament buildings are comfortable residential neighborhoods, and in less than an hour’s drive, you can be out in the wilderness.

Ottawa relocation resources:

• Ontario Immigration: Everything you need to know about immigrating to Ontario
• Ottawa Tourism: The city’s official guide for visitors, with information about sights, hotels, and restaurants. Their “What’s On and What’s New” page gives you the scoop on happenings around town.
• Live in Ottawa: A useful guide to living and working in the capital region, produced by the City of Ottawa
• Ottawa Real Estate Board: Real estate listings and market news
• OCRI Global Marketing: Economic development organization promoting business and entrepreneurship in the Ottawa region
• iWIN Ottawa: Provides links to a variety of Ottawa job search and employment sites. For more job search resources, see Finding a Job.
• Ontario Health Insurance Plan: How to apply for health insurance in Ontario
• Ottawa schools: Ottawa-Carleton District School Board, Ottawa-Carleton Catholic School Board, Ontario independent schools
• Ottawa colleges & universities: Carleton University, University of Ottawa, Algonquin College
• Getting around Ottawa: OC Transpo
• Ottawa media: Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa Sun, Ottawa Xpress, Ottawa Magazine, Moving to Ottawa magazine

– Excerpted (in part) from the book, Living Abroad in Canada. To read more, buy the book.

Ottawa Parliament building photo ©Carolyn B. Heller