Confederation Square, National historic site in Somerset Ward, Ottawa, Canada.

Confederation Square is a triangular plaza in central Ottawa with the National War Memorial positioned at its center, framed by Wellington Street and two branches of Elgin Street. The space connects several national heritage buildings across the Rideau Canal.

A triangular plaza named Connaught Place on March 24, 1913, after Governor General Connaught, stood here; the Plaza Bridge over the Rideau Canal was completed by December 1912. Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King invited French architect Jacques Gréber to design a square with a war memorial. The old Central Post Office and Knox Presbyterian Church were demolished in June 1938, Elgin Street was widened in April 1939, and King George VI unveiled the National War Memorial in May 1939, when the square was renamed Confederation Square.

The square's name comes from the National War Memorial at its centre, unveiled by King George VI in May 1939, after which the renamed plaza took its title. The Valiants Memorial around the edge, added later, marks figures from Canada's military past. Look for the memorial's granite arch and bronze figures, and the Château Laurier's copper roofs across Wellington Street.

The square sits at the northern end of Elgin Street and is easily accessible by public transportation, making it a central hub for national ceremonies. The grounds are walkable and host official events and commemorations throughout the year.

Part of the square crosses over the Rideau Canal, a World Heritage Site, on the Plaza Bridge. Before 1910 the site had two separate bridges; they were replaced by a single span finished by December 1912, carrying rail traffic from the new Union Station past the Château Laurier.