Metcalfe Street
Encyclopedia
Metcalfe Street is a downtown arterial road
in Ottawa
, Canada
. It is named for Charles Theophilus Metcalfe
, a nineteenth century Governor General of the Province of Canada. It is a north-south route, operating one way northbound, providing a key thoroughfare from Highway 417
(the Queensway
). In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, it was one of the most prestigious addresses in Ottawa being home address of Ottawa's mayor Thomas Birkett
(306 Metcalfe, Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Ottawa), Canada's lumber and railroad baron John Rudolphus Booth
(252 Metcalfe, Booth House), inventor Thomas Willson
a.k.a. Carbide
Willson, and Sir Alexander Campbell, law partner of Sir John A. Macdonald (236 Metcalfe).
The southern terminus is at Monkland Avenue in The Glebe
neighbourhood. It proceeds north as a minor residential street until the Queensway interchange (exit 119). As it continues north to downtown Ottawa, Metcalfe Street detours to the east of the Canadian Museum of Nature
between Argyle Street and McLeod Street, then continuing straight until Wellington Street
where the road ends at Parliament Hill
.
Arterial road
An arterial road, or arterial thoroughfare, is a high-capacity urban road. The primary function of an arterial road is to deliver traffic from collector roads to freeways, and between urban centres at the highest level of service possible. As such, many arteries are limited-access roads, or feature...
in Ottawa
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is named for Charles Theophilus Metcalfe
Charles Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe
Charles Theophilus Metcalfe, 1st Baron Metcalfe, Bt, KCB, PC , known as Sir Charles Metcalfe, Bt between 1822 and 1845, was a British colonial administrator...
, a nineteenth century Governor General of the Province of Canada. It is a north-south route, operating one way northbound, providing a key thoroughfare from Highway 417
Highway 417 (Ontario)
King's Highway 417, also known as Highway 417 and the Queensway through Ottawa is a 400-series highways in the Canadian province of Ontario which connects Montreal with Ottawa. It is the backbone of the transportation system in the Ottawa region, where it forms part of the Queensway along with...
(the Queensway
Queensway (Ottawa)
The Queensway is a major controlled-access freeway running through Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from Kanata in the west to Orleans in the east. It is the primary east-west transportation artery in the Ottawa-Gatineau area....
). In the late 19th century and the early 20th century, it was one of the most prestigious addresses in Ottawa being home address of Ottawa's mayor Thomas Birkett
Thomas Birkett
Thomas Birkett was mayor of Ottawa, Canada in 1891 and a member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Ottawa City from 1900 to 1904....
(306 Metcalfe, Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Ottawa), Canada's lumber and railroad baron John Rudolphus Booth
John Rudolphus Booth
John Rudolphus Booth was a Canadian lumber and railway baron. He controlled logging rights for large tracts of forest land in central Ontario, and built a railway to extract his logs; and from Ottawa through to Vermont to export lumber and grain to the United States and...
(252 Metcalfe, Booth House), inventor Thomas Willson
Thomas Willson
Thomas Leopold "Carbide" Willson was a Canadian inventor.He was born on a farm near Princeton, Ontario in 1860 and went to school in Hamilton, Ontario. By the age of 21, he had designed and patented the first electric arc lamps used in Hamilton...
a.k.a. Carbide
Carbide
In chemistry, a carbide is a compound composed of carbon and a less electronegative element. Carbides can be generally classified by chemical bonding type as follows: salt-like, covalent compounds, interstitial compounds, and "intermediate" transition metal carbides...
Willson, and Sir Alexander Campbell, law partner of Sir John A. Macdonald (236 Metcalfe).
The southern terminus is at Monkland Avenue in The Glebe
The Glebe
The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Ottawa's downtown area, with its northern border being demarcated by the Queensway highway. It is bounded by the Rideau Canal to the south and east. Many maps show the western edge as Bronson Avenue, but some also...
neighbourhood. It proceeds north as a minor residential street until the Queensway interchange (exit 119). As it continues north to downtown Ottawa, Metcalfe Street detours to the east of the Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature is a natural history museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its collections, which were started by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1856, include all aspects of the intersection of human society and nature, from gardening to gene-splicing...
between Argyle Street and McLeod Street, then continuing straight until Wellington Street
Wellington Street (Ottawa)
Wellington Street is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in 1826 Wellington Street (French: Rue Wellington) is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in...
where the road ends at Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
.
Major intersections
(from North to South):- Wellington StreetWellington Street (Ottawa)Wellington Street is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in 1826 Wellington Street (French: Rue Wellington) is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in...
- Sparks Street
- Albert StreetAlbert Street (Ottawa)Albert Street is one of the main east-west roads in downtown Ottawa, Canada. Albert is one way going west. It carries the westbound portion of the transitway through downtown, with Slater Street just to the south carrying the eastbound portion...
- Slater Street
- Laurier AvenueLaurier Avenue (Ottawa)Laurier Avenue is a central east west street running through Ottawa, Canada. Originally known as "Maria Street" and "Theodore Street" , it was renamed in honour of Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier...
- Somerset StreetSomerset Street (Ottawa)Somerset Street is a street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is divided into Somerset Street East and Somerset Street West by the Rideau Canal.-Somerset Street East:...
- Gladstone AvenueGladstone AvenueGladstone Avenue is a street in Ottawa running east from the Rideau Canal west to Parkdale Avenue. It is a historically residential street running just south of the downtown core, with a number of small houses in the downtown section now converted to commercial uses.-Landmarks:* Gladstone Avenue...
- Catherine Street
- Highway 417Highway 417 (Ontario)King's Highway 417, also known as Highway 417 and the Queensway through Ottawa is a 400-series highways in the Canadian province of Ontario which connects Montreal with Ottawa. It is the backbone of the transportation system in the Ottawa region, where it forms part of the Queensway along with...
(QueenswayQueensway (Ottawa)The Queensway is a major controlled-access freeway running through Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from Kanata in the west to Orleans in the east. It is the primary east-west transportation artery in the Ottawa-Gatineau area....
) - Isabella Street
- Monkland Avenue
See also
- Embassy of Argentina in OttawaEmbassy of Argentina in OttawaThe Embassy of Argentina in Canada is Argentina's primary foreign mission in Canada. It is located at 81 Metcalfe Street in Ottawa, the Canadian capital. Arturo G. Bothamley serves as Ambassador .The other Argentinian foreign mission offices in Canada are consulates in Toronto and...
(at 81 Metcalfe) - Metcalfe Station (OC Transpo)Metcalfe Station (OC Transpo)Metcalfe Station is a bus station on OC Transpo's Central Transitway. There are two parts of the station, as the Transitway runs on two parallel streets. The north station serves westbound traffic, and is found on Albert Street, and the south station serves eastbound traffic, and is found on...
(at AlbertAlbert Street (Ottawa)Albert Street is one of the main east-west roads in downtown Ottawa, Canada. Albert is one way going west. It carries the westbound portion of the transitway through downtown, with Slater Street just to the south carrying the eastbound portion...
and Slater streets)