Old Ottawa South
Encyclopedia
Old Ottawa South is an older urban neighbourhood in Ottawa
, Canada
. As of the Canada 2006 Census
, 8,168 people lived in Old Ottawa South, a relatively small and compact neighbourhood, located between the Rideau Canal
(to the north) and the Rideau River
(to the south). The eastern boundary is defined by Riverdale Avenue and Main Street. Bronson Avenue
forms the western border of the residential neighbourhood. Carleton University
is on the other (western) side of Bronson but the campus can be considered to be geographically within Old Ottawa South as the campus is also nestled between the river and the canal.
Today, Ottawa South is a primarily upper middle class area. Proximity to the university has meant that the neighbourhood has been a haven for professors and students, although rising housing prices are driving out the latter. It is also one of Ottawa's more liberally progressive neighbourhoods and has been a stronghold for the New Democratic Party
.
Many neighbourhood businesses line Bank Street
, including several pubs, the Mayfair Theatre
, the Ottawa Folklore Centre (which primarily sells stringed instruments), and some Lebanese stores towards the Southern end. This section of Bank Street is also well known for its antique stores. As part of a 2004 Bank Street redesign, inlaid metal maple leaves were added to the sidewalks inscribed with the names of Canadian folk musicians. Other new features included the removal of over-head powerlines, "traffic calming" measures, and the addition of more brick to the sidewalks.
The area was originally settled around 1814 by American
and British
settlers. In those years, even after the construction of the canal the area was fairly sparsely populated. The larger community south of the Rideau River around the Billings estate exerted more influence over the fledgling community than the city of Ottawa did in those days.
Shortly after Confederation
in 1867 a bridge was built over the canal increasing access from the larger city to the north. The area was tentatively called Rideauville at the time. After the turn of the century the area grew very rapidly. Rideauville was incorporated as a police village
in 1905 and was annexed to Ottawa in 1907. The streetcar tracks
were extended to the area around 1910, again encouraging rapid growth. The old streetcar ran along a route roughly similar to today's bus route #7, turning around in what is now Brewer Park
. Hopewell school was built around this time.
The architectural style is mostly "Craftsman", with many houses in the American Foursquare
style popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these houses have been upgraded and added to over the years, contributing to the area's eclectic style.
Since the 1920s, the streetcars have been replaced by buses, stores have changed, and Carleton University has been constructed on the site of an old garbage dump. Many of the streetscapes and much of the housing has been preserved however.
Notable buildings include Hopewell Public School, Southminster Church, St. Margaret Mary Church, Trinity Church, the Mayfair Theatre, the former Precious Blood Convent (now The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada), and the Old Firehall (currently a community centre).
Around 300 residences and institutional buildings are included on Ottawa's heritage reference list (an inventory of sites & structures potentially considered for legal protection as cultural heritage resources) from the area.
Old Ottawa South, used to be known simply as "Ottawa South". The "old" designation came into use in the 1990s to distinguish the community from newer suburban developments in the south of Ottawa. "Old Ottawa South" is actually quite central and close to downtown by modern (post World War II) standards. The term "Ottawa South" is still in use in some contexts. For example, the community newspaper is The OSCAR, which stands for Ottawa South Community Association Review. Similarly, Old Ottawa South is not to be confused with the parliamentary
constituency of Ottawa South
. Old Ottawa South is currently located in the federal and provincial constituencies of Ottawa Centre
, although Old Ottawa South was within the Ottawa South provincial riding until the 1990s.
In the fall of 2007 leading up to the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Ottawa South to the City of Ottawa on December 16, 2007, a group of local residents founded the Ottawa South History Project (OSHP) to research, document and present facts and anecdotes about the history of the community. The OSHP is an amateur run historical society which regular publishes in The OSCAR and maintains a website. The group is also active in supporting the heritage designation of the Mayfair Theatre, and is a partner in the Friends of the Mayfair Theatre.
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...
. As of the Canada 2006 Census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
, 8,168 people lived in Old Ottawa South, a relatively small and compact neighbourhood, located between the Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
(to the north) and the Rideau River
Rideau River
thumb|Rapids on the Rideau River opposite [[Carleton University]].The Rideau River is a Southern Ontario river which flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is 146 km...
(to the south). The eastern boundary is defined by Riverdale Avenue and Main Street. Bronson Avenue
Bronson Avenue (Ottawa)
Bronson Avenue is a major north-south arterial road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from downtown at Sparks Street in the north through Centretown, past the Glebe and Carleton University and turns into the Airport Parkway, which is an expressway to the Macdonald-Cartier International...
forms the western border of the residential neighbourhood. Carleton University
Carleton University
Carleton University is a comprehensive university located in the capital of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario. The enabling legislation is The Carleton University Act, 1952, S.O. 1952. Founded as a small college in 1942, Carleton now offers over 65 programs in a diverse range of disciplines. Carleton has...
is on the other (western) side of Bronson but the campus can be considered to be geographically within Old Ottawa South as the campus is also nestled between the river and the canal.
New Democratic Party
The New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
.
Many neighbourhood businesses line Bank Street
Bank Street (Ottawa)
Bank Street is the major north-south road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs south from Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa, south through the neighbourhoods of Centretown, The Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, and then through the villages of Blossom Park, Leitrim, South...
, including several pubs, the Mayfair Theatre
Mayfair Theatre
The Mayfair Theatre is Ottawa's oldest active movie theatre, operating since 1932. It operates as an independent repertory cinema. The theatre's programming includes independent, second-run and classic films....
, the Ottawa Folklore Centre (which primarily sells stringed instruments), and some Lebanese stores towards the Southern end. This section of Bank Street is also well known for its antique stores. As part of a 2004 Bank Street redesign, inlaid metal maple leaves were added to the sidewalks inscribed with the names of Canadian folk musicians. Other new features included the removal of over-head powerlines, "traffic calming" measures, and the addition of more brick to the sidewalks.
The area was originally settled around 1814 by American
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
settlers. In those years, even after the construction of the canal the area was fairly sparsely populated. The larger community south of the Rideau River around the Billings estate exerted more influence over the fledgling community than the city of Ottawa did in those days.
Canadian Confederation
Canadian Confederation was the process by which the federal Dominion of Canada was formed on July 1, 1867. On that day, three British colonies were formed into four Canadian provinces...
in 1867 a bridge was built over the canal increasing access from the larger city to the north. The area was tentatively called Rideauville at the time. After the turn of the century the area grew very rapidly. Rideauville was incorporated as a police village
Police village
A police village was a form of municipal government used in the province of Ontario, Canada, beginning in the early 19th century. It was used in cases where the finances or population of the area did not permit the creation of a village....
in 1905 and was annexed to Ottawa in 1907. The streetcar tracks
Ottawa Electric Railway
Ottawa Electric Railway Company was a streetcar public transit system in the city of Ottawa, Canada, part of the electric railway streetcars which operated between 1891 and 1959...
were extended to the area around 1910, again encouraging rapid growth. The old streetcar ran along a route roughly similar to today's bus route #7, turning around in what is now Brewer Park
Brewer Park
Brewer Park is a municipal park in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located on the Rideau River at Bronson Avenue and Carleton University.The park is very popular, attracting many different types of people. In the winter, Brewer park houses a world-class speed skating oval, two smaller-sized hockey...
. Hopewell school was built around this time.
The architectural style is mostly "Craftsman", with many houses in the American Foursquare
American Foursquare
The American Foursquare or American Four Square is an American house style popular from the mid-1890s to the late 1930s. A reaction to the ornate and mass produced elements of the Victorian and other Revival styles popular throughout the last half of the 19th century, the American Foursquare was...
style popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these houses have been upgraded and added to over the years, contributing to the area's eclectic style.
Notable buildings include Hopewell Public School, Southminster Church, St. Margaret Mary Church, Trinity Church, the Mayfair Theatre, the former Precious Blood Convent (now The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada), and the Old Firehall (currently a community centre).
Around 300 residences and institutional buildings are included on Ottawa's heritage reference list (an inventory of sites & structures potentially considered for legal protection as cultural heritage resources) from the area.
Old Ottawa South, used to be known simply as "Ottawa South". The "old" designation came into use in the 1990s to distinguish the community from newer suburban developments in the south of Ottawa. "Old Ottawa South" is actually quite central and close to downtown by modern (post World War II) standards. The term "Ottawa South" is still in use in some contexts. For example, the community newspaper is The OSCAR, which stands for Ottawa South Community Association Review. Similarly, Old Ottawa South is not to be confused with the parliamentary
Parliament of Canada
The Parliament of Canada is the federal legislative branch of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in the national capital, Ottawa. Formally, the body consists of the Canadian monarch—represented by her governor general—the Senate, and the House of Commons, each element having its own officers and...
constituency of Ottawa South
Ottawa South
Ottawa South is a federal electoral district in Ottawa in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is represented in the Canadian House of Commons by David McGuinty, brother of Ontario Premier and Ottawa South MPP Dalton McGuinty. The riding was created in 1987 from parts of Ottawa—Vanier, Ottawa...
. Old Ottawa South is currently located in the federal and provincial constituencies of Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre
Ottawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
, although Old Ottawa South was within the Ottawa South provincial riding until the 1990s.
In the fall of 2007 leading up to the 100th anniversary of the annexation of Ottawa South to the City of Ottawa on December 16, 2007, a group of local residents founded the Ottawa South History Project (OSHP) to research, document and present facts and anecdotes about the history of the community. The OSHP is an amateur run historical society which regular publishes in The OSCAR and maintains a website. The group is also active in supporting the heritage designation of the Mayfair Theatre, and is a partner in the Friends of the Mayfair Theatre.