Located where the Rideau Canal meets the Ottawa River , it took its name from John By , who as Colonel of the British Engineers was instrumental in the construction of the canal. Bytown was incorporated in 1850 and upon incorporation into a city in 1855 , it was given the new name ''Ottawa''. Bytown straddled the canal, with Lower Town on the East side where the current By Ward Market and general area of Lower Town still exists, and Upper Town to the West, situated in the area of the current downtown and Parliament Hill . The history of Bytown is covered in the main article on Ottawa .
|
