Top 10 Crazy Facts About Ottawa

Are you new to Canada's National Capital or a long-time Ottawan that wants to more about this beautiful city? Look no further, we've got you covered.

Here are 10 funny and weird facts that prove just how unique and interesting Ottawa is!

1. Though Ottawa has that small city charm, with a population of over 935 000 people, it’s actually the fourth largest city in Canada.
2. Hollywood mega star Tom Cruise lived in Ottawa in the early 70s! The Cruise family moved to the Beacon Hill neighbourhood when his father took a job with the Canadian Armed Forces and young Cruise attended Robert Hopkins Public School for fourth and fifth grade and Henry Munro Middle School for sixth grade. He also took part in local youth drama productions while living in the city.
3. If Ottawa’s winters feel brutal to you, you’re not crazy. It is the 7th coldest capital city in the world. Brrrrrrrr!
4. The statue of French explorer Samuel de Champlain, located at Nepean Point, is holding his astrolabe, a navigation device, upside down. The sculptor of the statue didn’t know what it was and how it was used and therefore situated it incorrectly when carving it–whoops!
5. Ottawa's got brains! The city has the highest per capita rate of scientists, engineers and PhD holders in the entire country!
6. Ottawa is a gorgeous representation of Canada’s multiculturalism! Approximately one quarter of the city’s residents were born outside of Canada and about half of the residents’ mother tongues are languages other than English. French, Mandarin and Arabic are just a few of the many languages spoken by Ottawans.
7. Ottawa is nice and clean! In a rank of 300 major cities done by Forbes, Ottawa ranked as the fourth cleanest city in the world!
8. Like farming? Well you live in the right city. Ottawa has more farmland than any other Canadian city.
9. Talking about farms, Saunders Farm, a popular Ottawa attraction, holds the world’s largest collection of hedge mazes. If you haven’t already, you should definitely book a visit there during the fall season.
10. As of this year, Ottawa holds the Guinness World Record for the world’s largest scavenger hunt! Just last month, 2, 733 participants successfully completed a city-wide scavenger hunt hosted by Escape Manor as part of the Ottawa 2017 celebrations.