Whenever I remind myself that the capital of Canada is Ottawa, I think, What the hell is wrong with Toronto? At least people have heard of it. Turtle Fan 10:04, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
- I guess the Canadians thought Ottawa could go all the way. TR 17:21, 4 May 2008 (UTC)
Actually, in 1867 when the Dominion was formed, both Toronto and Montreal competed to be the new national capital. In the end, the minor, mill town of Ottawa, on the boundary of Ontario and Quebec was selected as a compromise. I believe the selection of Washington DC had a similar history. ML4E 00:54, 6 May 2008 (UTC)
- Somewhat similar. A planned city created ex nihilo at what was then a central location, on territory ceded by two states so that no state could claim undue influence over the others by having the capital within it. A compromise between the two bigger cities makes a lot of sense. Turtle Fan 04:30, 6 May 2008 (UTC)