Our History Today: How Ottawa Became Canada’s Capital: Mathew Giagnorio on Canadian History

Mathew Giagnorio is an Italian-Canadian journalist, writer, researcher, and founder of A Further Inquiry, a multimedia publication and podcast. Based in Niagara, Ontario, he studies human rights, religion, secularism, history, politics, national security, counterterrorism, illiberal movements, freedom of expression, and the cultural power of narrative in contemporary civic life today.

In this interview, Scott Douglas Jacobsen and Mathew Giagnorio examine how Ottawa emerged from a modest lumber town into Canada’s permanent capital. They discuss competing claims from Toronto, Montreal, Kingston, and Quebec City, Queen Victoria’s 1857 decision, military concerns involving the United States, linguistic and political compromise, Parliament Hill’s development, and Confederation. Giagnorio argues that Ottawa ultimately embodied a distinctly Canadian form of symbolic neutrality, balancing geography, culture, security, and national identity.

Scott Douglas Jacobsen is the Lifestyle and Finance Writer and Editor for A Further Inquiry with more than 400 published articles in the outlet. He is the Founder and Publisher of In-Sight Publishing (ISBN: 978–1–0692343; 978–1–0673505) and Editor-in-Chief of In-Sight: Interviews (ISSN: 2369–6885). He writes for International Policy Digest (ISSN: 2332–9416), The Humanist (Print: ISSN, 0018–7399; Online: ISSN, 2163–3576), Basic Income Earth Network (UK Registered Charity 1177066), Humanist Perspectives (ISSN: 1719–6337), Vocal, Medium, The Good Men Project, The New Enlightenment Project, The Washington Outsider, rabble.ca, and other media. His bibliography index can be found via the Jacobsen Bank at In-Sight Publishing. He has served in national and international leadership roles within humanist and media organizations, held several academic fellowships, and currently serves on several boards. He is a member in good standing in numerous media organizations, including the Canadian Association of Journalists, PEN Canada (CRA: 88916 2541 RR0001), Reporters Without Borders (SIREN: 343 684 221/SIRET: 343 684 221 00041/EIN: 20–0708028), and others.

Photo by Scott Douglas Jacobsen

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