Confederation Park

Confederation Park is a downtown park in Ottawa, Canada. It is bordered on the south by Laurier Avenue and Ottawa City Hall; on the east by the Rideau Canal; on the north by the MacKenzie-King Bridge, the Rideau Centre and the National Arts Centre; and, to the west, by Elgin Street and the Lord Elgin Hotel.

The park was originally the site of the Roxborough Apartments, a luxury apartment complex that had once been home to many Ottawa elites, such as Prime Ministers William Lyon Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent. A number of buildings were expropriated and demolished by the federal government to build a museum in 1965. The museum plan fell through, and in 1967 the area was turned into a park, named to commemorate the Canadian Centennial (the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation).

Many events are held in this park due to its central location and its proximity to most public transit lines. The Ottawa International Jazz Festival's main events are often held here, as well as other festivals that spill over from the neighbouring plaza in front of Ottawa City Hall.

In addition to the trees and benches that characterize many urban parks, Confederation Park also contains a central fountain (built to honour Colonel John By), a totem pole (donated to the City of Ottawa to commemorate British Columbia's 1971 centennial), the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument and the South African War (Boer War) memorial statue. The park serves as a common shortcut for pedestrians heading from Elgin Street and/or Centretown to destinations to the north and east(the National Arts Centre, Rideau Street, Sussex Drive, the Rideau Centre and/or the Byward Market), since it is a more direct route than walking uphill on Elgin and Wellington Streets.