|
The local rivers and Rideau Canal, which provided the primary means of transportation for settlers, fur traders, loggers, and the military, defined the early settlement of the region. Most early settlements were along rivers. Extensive logging in the 19th century was followed by development of farms in the lowland areas, and mining, mainly in the Gatineau Hills. In the 20th century, urban areas expanded greatly at the expense of natural areas and agricultural land, so that much of the vacant land within the urbanized area has some form of environmental constraint. Ottawa's growth has also been shaped by the Greenbelt, almost 20 000 hectares of publicly owned lands (farms, forests, wetlands, institutional complexes, and recreational areas) in a rural setting.
|