Heritage Day 2026 celebrates 200 years of Ottawa’s stories

Ottawa City Hall will host the annual Heritage Day celebration on Tuesday, February 17

The upcoming Heritage Day 2026 will be a once-in-two-hundred-years celebration. It will highlight the milestone of 200 years since the founding of Bytown and the start of construction on the Rideau Canal. 

This year’s theme, Voices of a City: Celebrating Two Centuries of Collective Histories and Local Heroes in Ottawa, reflects the stories, people and places that have shaped Ottawa’s history and continue to shape our future. Residents are invited to participate in Heritage Day celebrations on Tuesday, February 17 from noon to 2 pm in Jean Pigott Place at Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Avenue West.

Every year, Heritage Day brings together residents and heritage organizations to share achievements, educate and raise awareness about the importance of preserving and promoting our regionally significant historic, architectural, natural and scenic heritage. It also honours the dedicated staff, volunteers, educators and knowledge keepers who work every day to ensure our stories are preserved and shared. 

To highlight this year’s theme, Albert Madularu and Mathew Hilton – two 12-year-old grade 7 students from the Westboro International Academy Private School – will be acknowledged for their history project, entitled L’histoire de la ville d’Ottawa.

When asked about the project and how they chose their subject matter, Albert and Mathew said they had visited many local landmarks and places like parks, museums and historic buildings. “These experiences made us curious about how Ottawa started and how it became the city it is today,” they said, adding, “Learning about Ottawa’s history helps us better understand where we live and appreciate it even more.” 

The Bytown Museum, Ottawa’s oldest community museum, is the 2026 recipient of the Heritage Day Proclamation. Mayor Mark Sutcliffe will present this year’s proclamation to the museum in recognition of their work to reflect Indigenous, multicultural and diverse histories, with a strong commitment to inclusive, representative and decolonized storytelling.

As part of Ottawa’s 200th anniversary, an entire year’s worth of innovative programming is being planned. Residents are encouraged to visit ottawa200.ca regularly to see what’s happening throughout our big year.

The Bytown Museum will also present a series of new exhibitions and experiences throughout 2026 as part of this bicentennial. 

After the Heritage Day ceremony, Capital Heritage Connexion and other local heritage groups will be present at the Heritage Showcase, offering visitors a chance to connect with regional history and the people and organizations working to preserve and promote local legacies.