Confederation Boulevard () is a "ceremonial and discovery route" in Canada's National Capital Region, running through

Parliament Hill Parliament Hill (), colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern bank of the Ottawa River that houses the Parliament of Canada in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. It accommodates a suite of Gothic revival buildings whose ...

and encompassing downtown areas in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

and

Gatineau Gatineau ( ; ) is a city in southwestern Quebec, Canada. It is located on the northern bank of the Ottawa River, directly across from Ottawa, Ontario. Gatineau is the largest city in the Outaouais administrative region of Quebec and is also p ...

. Some of Canada's most important institutions and landmarks lie along its route. During state visits, Confederation Boulevard is toured by foreign dignitaries. On

Canada Day Canada Day, formerly known as Dominion Day, is the national day of Canada. A Public holidays in Canada, federal statutory holiday, it celebrates the anniversary of Canadian Confederation which occurred on July 1, 1867, with the passing of the B ...

, much of Confederation Boulevard is closed to cars. Confederation Boulevard is an initiative of the National Capital Commission (NCC). The route's name commemorates

Canadian Confederation Canadian Confederation () was the process by which three British North American provinces—the Province of Canada, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick—were united into one federation, called the Name of Canada#Adoption of Dominion, Dominion of Ca ...

Design

Confederation Boulevard is a collection of several streets in Ottawa and Gatineau, forming a loop with several spurs. In order to connect these streets visually, urban designers employed the use of consistent street paving (using pink Canadian granite), lampposts adorned with bronze maple leaves, and distinctive street furniture. Along the route, art exhibits and interpretation panels can also be found. Opposite sides of the Boulevard were designed somewhat differently to emphasize the relationship between the "Town" (normal urban space) and the "Crown" (federal government space). The NCC created annual Confederation Boulevard banners display in 1992 for Canada's 125th birthday celebrations and the development of Confederation Boulevard. Since then, the NCC has commemorated important anniversaries and milestones in Canada's history with banners on the boulevard, including the 400th anniversary of

Acadia Acadia (; ) was a colony of New France in northeastern North America which included parts of what are now the The Maritimes, Maritime provinces, the Gaspé Peninsula and Maine to the Kennebec River. The population of Acadia included the various ...

(2004), the Year of the Veteran and the centenaries of Alberta and Saskatchewan (2005), the 150th anniversary of the

Canadian Museum of Civilization The Canadian Museum of History () is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of Canada, as well as support related res ...

(2006), and the 100th Anniversary of

Parks Canada Parks Canada ()Parks Canada is the applied title under the Federal Identity Program; the legal title is Parks Canada Agency (). is the agency of the Government of Canada which manages the country's 37 National Parks, three National Marine Co ...

(2011).

Attractions

* 24 Sussex Drive (the official residence of the

Prime Minister of Canada The prime minister of Canada () is the head of government of Canada. Under the Westminster system, the prime minister governs with the Confidence and supply, confidence of a majority of the elected House of Commons of Canada, House of Commons ...

) * Byward Market *

Canadian Museum of History The Canadian Museum of History () is a national museum on anthropology, Canadian history, cultural studies, and ethnology in Gatineau, Quebec, Canada. The purpose of the museum is to promote the heritage of Canada, as well as support related res ...

* Confederation Park * National War Memorial (Canada) * Garden of the Provinces *

National Gallery of Canada The National Gallery of Canada (), located in the capital city of Ottawa, Ontario, is Canada's National museums of Canada, national art museum. The museum's building takes up , with of space used for exhibiting art. It is one of the List of large ...

* National Arts Centre *

* Rideau Hall (the official residence of the

Governor General of Canada The governor general of Canada () is the federal representative of the . The monarch of Canada is also sovereign and head of state of 14 other Commonwealth realms and resides in the United Kingdom. The monarch, on the Advice (constitutional la ...

) * Royal Canadian Mint *

Supreme Court of Canada The Supreme Court of Canada (SCC; , ) is the highest court in the judicial system of Canada. It comprises nine justices, whose decisions are the ultimate application of Canadian law, and grants permission to between 40 and 75 litigants eac ...

Awards

Honours for Confederation Boulevard include an award from the American Society of Landscape Architects and the Award of Honour from the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects.

References

External links

''Confederation Boulevard'', National Capital Commission''The NCC Readies Confederation Boulevard for the Summer Season'', OttawaStart
{{coord, 45.42458, N, 75.69564, W, display=title Roads in Ottawa Streets in Gatineau Boulevards National Capital Region (Canada) National Capital Commission State ritual and ceremonies