Ottawology

by Tonya K. Davidson

Ottawa is often understood only as the seat of the federal government, marked by the neo-Gothic parliament buildings on the hill, and the many government office buildings. Lively, erudite and exciting, Ottawology offers a unique and radical approach to studying the city, injecting it with intrigue and verve, and expanding collective, narrow understandings of Canada’s capital city. Tonya Davidson takes readers on a wide-ranging journey through a city populated not only by power brokers, but also workers, students, seniors, trees, eels, turtles, skaters and rabble rousers. Davidson applies her prodigious sociological imagination to critically explore an essential, but little understood, city.

Davidson’s Ottawa offers a fascinating template for how to scrutinize the interactions between the weight of history and the effervescent motion of everyday life in a city. She draws surprising connections, from the role of the civil service to the acceleration of suburban sprawl, and the one-time incredible success of the city’s bus-rapid transit system, to stories of nightlife, policing, play, libraries, rivers, and malls. Davidson traverses the city’s streets and hidden histories to show how social structures, sustainability, and social life intersect, creating an elegant chronicle of the city’s rich and fraught social life.

Genres: Nonfiction

234 pages, Paperback

Published October 30, 2025

Reviews

[Chester Hansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever since I read “City of Quartz” I’ve been itching for similar books about cities I’ve lived in or am curious about. This somewhat scratched the surface of that itch. A lot of fascinating history is revealed about a city that often gets overlooked or reduced to “Parliament + Canal + Boring.” Places I’d walked by dozens of times growing up suddenly took on a whole new meaning which was really interesting. It’s especially heartbreaking to read about things that have been lost (architecture, streetcar tracks, forests etc.)

There were almost too many topics and not enough depth for my liking but it is a great overview of a lot of elements of Ottawa’s history and sociology.
I will certainly check out some of the other books the author referenced.

[Johanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great bits of Ottawa history.

[Patti · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, good bits of Ottawa history but written for a post secondary classroom. Not what I was hoping for or expecting.