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OTTAWA, Ontario
 “Nestled on the banks of the majestic Ottawa, Rideau and Gatineau Rivers, Ottawa is one of the most beautiful G8 capitals in the world. A thriving international technology and business centre and world class tourism and convention destination, Ottawa is also rich in culture and heritage with its many national institutions, parklands, waterways and historic architecture. It is home to a large number of foreign embassies and is a recognized centre for both academics and professional training.
The city offers an open and welcoming environment to cultures from around the world, providing service in English, French, and a host of other languages. The city’s residents enjoy an enviable quality of life that is recognized around the world.”
Visit: www.ottawa.com | www.ottawa.ca/visitors/index_en.html
CHELSEA, Quebec
“In 1875, the territory that became the Municipality of Chelsea was carved out of part of the Township of Hull. Its name until 1990 reflected that origin: "Le Municipality of the West Part of the Township of Hull" (La Municipalité de la partie ouest du Township de Hull), and its territory stretched from Ironside to Farm Point. On April 28, 1990, it became the Municipality of Chelsea, reflecting the two major villages at its centre.
 Although its waters and hills were well known to indigenous peoples and fur traders before the nineteenth century, it was only in 1800 that the first settlers arrived and began to take up land in Hull Township. During the next threequarters of a century its land was broken into farms, the native white pine harvested as a cash crop, and small and larger businesses began to thrive.
When the Municipality's first council met on March 1, 1875, it was at the house of Charles Kingsbury, later owned by the O'Neils, on what is now Route 105 in Chelsea. The first mayor, Timothy Moffatt, had arrived from Ireland in 1822; his fellow Council members included Henry Crilly, Michael Burke, Martin Fleming, Joseph Nadon, James McClelland and Luther Edey. Timothy Moffatt and Michael Burke had both served on earlier Township Councils; other Chelsea residents who served from the 1840s up to 1875 on local and regional Councils included Gardner Church, James Reid, Josephus Hudson, Thomas Reid, and Josiah Chamberlin.
The 1875 Municipal valuation roll listed 819 "taxable persons," mainly farmers, but it also included one each of bakers, butchers, cabinet makers, doctors and shoemakers, more than one hotel-keeper and storekeeper, more tavernkeepers (eight) than civil servants (six), and one fiddler! There were also several schools and churches, which, of course, did not pay taxes. Methodists and Presbyterians had churches in the village of Chelsea, and the Roman Catholic Church was located in Old Chelsea. The Anglican pastoral charge of Chelsea was also established in that year and their building erected by 1877. Today the Methodists and Presbyterians have combined to become a United Church, the Anglican and Roman Catholic churches have continued in Chelsea and Old Chelsea, and another Roman Catholic church is located in Farm Point. Both English and Frenchlanguage elementary schools now serve Chelsea's children, who later attend high schools in nearby Hull.
Chelsea's cemeteries are a rich resource of community history dating back to the nineteenth century. Two of them have been recognized as historical monuments and are closed to further burials, while St. Stephen's Roman Catholic Cemetery has several tombstones dating to the 1840s and 1850s and continues as an "active" cemetery. History buffs can find in Old Chelsea's "Protestant Burial Ground" the earliest grave monument in the National Capital region, in memory of Thomas Wright, who died in 1801. In the small "Pioneer Cemetery," off Route 105 in Chelsea, visitors will find the grave of Private Richard Rowland Thompson, whose Boer War heroism was recognized by the Queen's "scarf of honour," one of only eight in the world, crocheted by Queen Victoria herself.
The Municipality's first town hall was built in 1876, and this 36 by 24foot onestory building in the heart of Old Chelsea served the community until 1956 when a combined fire hall and municipal office was constructed. In 1988 the Municipality purchased a house dating from the 1830s to house its administrative services and the Mayor's office, while other services continued to be housed in the older municipal building. Since 1997, Chelsea's municipal services have been located at 100, Old Chelsea Road.
Chelsea has become a prime destination for outdoor enthusiasts who enjoy summer and winter sports activities…. Swimming, nature walks, biking, hiking and skiing are just some of the leisure activities which draw people to our community. Each autumn, Chelsea unveils its spectacular colours and local artists welcome many visitors to their studios.
Throughout the years, Chelsea has kept its natural charm and has taken steps to protect the environment in which we live in.” Visit: www.chelsea.ca
GATINEAU PARK, Quebec
 Gatineau Park encompasses roughly 35,000 hectares in Quebec's Gatineau Hills, an oasis of wilderness, run by the National Capital Commission, on the doorstep of Canada's National Capital. The hills themselves are roots of the ancient Laurentian Mountains. These forests are home to a remarkable diversity of wildlife, including deer, bears, and even timber wolves, yet they are also the backyard playground for a metropolitan population of over one million people, five minutes away. The park itself contains a large number of skiing and hiking trails, many cottages, public beaches, and government retreats past and present (including the Prime Minister's retreat, and the site of the infamous Meech Lake accord). In the summer months, you can enjoy cycling, mountain biking, camping, swimming, rockclimbing, inline skating, running and more. Winter activities in the park include snow shoeing, crosscountry skiing, camping, hiking and more.
Geologically, this area is part of the Canadian Shield, and the northern extension of the Appalachian mountains, an ancient mountain range rounded by glaciers. Historically, this area was home to Algonquin Indians, although there were no settlements in what is Gatineau Park today. The park was explored by Europeans in the 1600s, namely by Samuel de Champlain, and settled in the 1800's largely by Irish, English, and Scottish immigrants. The area was a base for the logging industry, which continued up to recent times.
Today, the Gatineau Hills are a beautiful forested area, with many small lakes that is very accessible to the public. The trails are well maintained by the NCC, and are very peaceful and quiet. Autumn draws people by the thousands to the area, especially to the lookouts over the Eardley Escarpment.
The fall colours are incredible. Ottawa and Gatineau are very fortunate to have an area like this only a few minute's drive away. Those who live among the Gatineau Hills are even luckier.
Visit: www.capcan.ca/gatineau/index_e.asp
IQALUIT
 Iqaluit is the Capital City of Canada’s newest territory, Nunavut, created in 1999 after many years of negotiations between the Government of Canada and the Inuit of the Nunavut area. The boundaries of Nunavut are based on the largest aboriginal land claim in history – an area of almost 2 million square kilometers. As Capital of Nunavut, Iqaluit houses the Legislative Assembly and many Government of Nunavut offices. We also have responsibility for representing all 28 communities in Nunavut, the 28,000 people and diverse cultures of the territory, not just our 6,000 residents.
We enjoy a life here that combines the rich traditions of the past and the conveniences of modern technology. Iqaluit’s diversity makes us unique among cities, with a very young population, a majority of which are Inuit but with a significant Francophone resident base as well. When you fly into Iqaluit on one of the several flights a day, you may see some of us traveling on the bay by dog team (if in winter of course) or in kayaks in summer, as we have for thousands of years. You can research your visit on the internet as you are now and communicate with us by e-mail. When you get here, make sure to order caribou or arctic char at one of our local restaurants.
Visit: www.city.iqaluit.nu.ca also, www.gov.nu.ca also, Nunavut Maps, information etc)
POND INLET
Pond Inlet, in the ancestral homeland of the North Baffin Inuit, is a rich area for Thule culture archaeological sites. The inlet was named after John Pond, Astronomer royal, by John Ross in 1888. The settlement’s Inuktitut name, Mittimatalik, means “the place where Mittima rests”. The Mittima referred to may be the Inuk, Mittimak, who ran the Sabellum Company trading post at Singiyok c. the 1930’s. From 1880 to about 1900, whalers and free traders frequented Albert Harbour, 27 km east of the present site. In 1921, the Hudson’s Bay Company established a post, as did the RCMP.
‘FLOE EDGE’
Floe-edge is the name given to the area in the spring where the frozen Arctic Ocean meets the open Arctic Ocean.
Visit: Floe Edge Information Service
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