Page created on : October 8, 2002
Last updated : November 3, 2002

As the link between Montreal and the interior for early fur-trading voyageurs, the Ottawa River has been a highway for Canadian commerce for over 300 years. It was also famous for its log-driving runs, supplying timber for colonists to build the new nation. Its strategic location, joining Ontarion and Quebec, led to the decision to designate a town on its banks as the capital of the new Dominion. White-water rafting has replaced timber rafting on the river, and is an important contribution to Ottawa's status as a world-class tourism destination.