This summer, Ottawa celebrates 200 years of community, growth, and ambition. Built on the vision and determination of generations of city builders, this community has grown from a frontier outpost into a globally respected centre of government, innovation, and enterprise.
That progress did not happen by chance. It was shaped by people who invested, collaborated, and envisioned what this place could become. They built institutions, advanced ideas, and drove an economic agenda that positioned Ottawa as a city of stability, opportunity, and influence. A city that would become Canada’s Capital. That legacy is ours to carry forward.
A City at a Defining Moment
Global defence investors are assessing Ottawa’s role in sovereign innovation. AI companies are deciding where to locate jobs, capital, and research. Energy demand and population growth is outpacing infrastructure. Downtown is transforming in real time.
These decisions are happening now. And they will define the economic future of Ottawa.
Our capital city has a rare advantage it sits at the intersection of government, academia, and business. All operating within the same geography, drawing from the same talent and increasingly aligned around shared ambition. This creates a unique ability to bring together and move from alignment to action.
That advantage only delivers results when it is activated.
Where Business Leads
The Ottawa Board of Trade is the voice of business in the nation’s capital and a driving force in shaping economic outcomes.
We advance priorities that directly impact growth, including downtown transformation, energy capacity, defence and innovation, infrastructure, and competitiveness. It brings forward the perspectives of business to City Hall, Queen’s Park, and Parliament Hill. It aligns leaders around shared priorities and accelerates progress through collaboration.
Our convening power turns relationships into partnerships, ideas into investment, and priorities into policy.
Strong cities power Canada’s future. The Ottawa business community plays a critical role in that future.
A Call to Action
As Canada’s capital, Ottawa carries a responsibility that goes beyond its borders. This is where national decisions are made, where global relationships are shaped, and where the country looks for signals of confidence, stability, and progress.
Ottawa must lead by example. In innovation. In economic competitiveness. In building a city that is inclusive, sustainable, and positioned for growth.
That leadership does not come from any one institution. It comes from a business community that is engaged, aligned, and prepared to act together.
The Room Where It Happens
On April 28, leaders from across business, government, and the broader community will convene at the 2026 City Building Summit, Capital 200: Owning Our Future.
This gathering reflects a shared understanding that the choices made today will define Ottawa’s next chapter. Conversations will focus on how Ottawa competes in the global race for talent and investment, how it harnesses AI and defence innovation to drive prosperity, and how it builds the energy and infrastructure needed to support growth.
What matters most is not only what is discussed, but what is advanced. Alignment. Partnerships. Clear priorities. The summit connects the people who shape outcomes and creates the conditions to move forward together.
The day will conclude with the Capital 200 Declaration, a shared commitment to the actions that will guide Ottawa’s future.
What Will Ottawa Be Known for in 200 Years?
Our vision is that by 2226, Ottawa will be recognized as a capital that leads in innovation, builds with purpose, and competes globally, and as a city that brings together talent, investment, and leadership to create lasting and inclusive prosperity.
That future is shaped by the decisions made today and by the people who step forward to lead.
The Ottawa Board of Trade only exists to ensure the business community is present, aligned, and influential in those decisions.
Join the Ottawa Board of Trade
OBOT members shape the direction of the city every day. They contribute to policy, engage directly with decision-makers, and participate in the conversations that drive progress. They represent business at the tables where Ottawa’s future is advanced. They influence priorities that impact growth, investment, and competitiveness.
The next 200 years will be built by the people who show up. If you have any vested interest in
Ottawa as an executive, employer, entrepreneur, educator, employee, builder, investor, student, or resident this is the moment to be part of what comes next. To show up.
Become a member at ottawabot.ca.
