Hull is a former municipality in the Province of Quebec and the location of the oldest non-Indigenous settlement in the National Capital Region.

[4] Ottawa was founded later, as the terminus of the Rideau Canal, built under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John By as part of fortifications and defences constructed after the War of 1812.

Nothing remains of the original 1800 settlement; the downtown Vieux-Hull sector was razed by a destructive fire in 1900 which also destroyed the original pont des Chaudières (Chaudière Bridge), a road bridge which has since been rebuilt to join Ottawa to Hull at Victoria Island.

[6] An official inquiry in the 1940s found that gambling houses and illegal bars in Hull were receiving protection from corrupt local politicians, who also encouraged police not to arrest prostitutes.

[7] During World War II, Hull, along with various other regions within Canada, such as the Saguenay, Lac Saint-Jean, and Île Sainte-Hélène, had Prisoner-of-war camps.

A large office complex known as Place du Portage began construction in the 1970s, uprooting many businesses along what was once the town's main commercial area, and displacing some 4,000 residents.

[6] By 1985, Hull had the highest crime rate in Quebec,[7] with offences in the bar district including murder, drug dealing, rowdiness, violence, noise, vandalism and drunkenness.

[6] The Canadian Museum of History relocated nearby in 1989, and politicians in Hull expressed concern about the city's image.

Soon, police in Hull were aggressively towing illegally parked cars, and individuals caught urinating in public were fined as much as $400.

This resulted in a 75 percent drop in crime in the former bar district from 1994 to 2000, and the main street "was no longer attracting large crowds looking for a fight".

Mayor Yves Ducharme expressed a desire to attract residents back to downtown Hull, and encouraged the construction of studio and bachelor apartments on Promenade du Portage, across from the federal government buildings.

[11] Former Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney wrote of Hull: The town [Ottawa] visibly sagged by ten at night, just in time for residents seeking relief from the stifling boredom to cross the bridge to Hull, Quebec, where nightclubs, dancehalls, bars, and a few great restaurants provided sanctuary and stimulation.

Hull is also the home to the Casino du Lac-Leamy and to the Canadian Museum of History directly opposite Parliament Hill.