Ottawa Valley

The Ottawa Valley is the valley surrounding the Ottawa River for the west-east portion of its path through the Canadian Shield from Mattawa to Ottawa. The valley is narrow at its western end, then becomes increasingly wide (mainly on the southern Ontario side of the river) as it progresses eastward.

Related Topics:
Ottawa River - Canadian Shield - Mattawa - Ottawa - Ontario

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Near the city of Ottawa, the Ottawa Valley merges with the St. Lawrence Valley to the south to create a delta of flat farmland stretching unbroken from the Ottawa River to the St. Lawrence River as far east as the island of Montreal, where the two rivers meet. This area is sometimes referred to as the "Lower Ottawa Valley", in contrast with the "Upper Ottawa Valley" west of Ottawa, but the name is not common, and most people think of the Ottawa Valley only as the upper portion.

Related Topics:
St. Lawrence Valley - St. Lawrence River - Montreal

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Because the Canadian Shield comes nearly to the Ottawa River on the north (Quebec) side of the valley, most settlements and transportation routes are on the southern Ontario side. From west to east, the major Ottawa Valley communities are Mattawa, Deep River (with nearby Chalk River, the site of Canada's nuclear reactor program), Petawawa (a major Canadian military base), Pembroke (where Samuel de Champlain landed briefly), Renfrew, Arnprior, and Ottawa (the nation's capital). All but Renfrew are on the south shore of the Ottawa River and are also connected by the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 17) and a Canadian Pacific Railway line.

Related Topics:
Quebec - Deep River - Chalk River - Petawawa - Pembroke - Samuel de Champlain - Renfrew - Arnprior - Trans-Canada Highway - Canadian Pacific Railway

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