2005 Walking Tours

1. Ottawa’s Historic Financial District (May 29)
See the last survivor of the 1880s Banker’s Row on Wellington Street, grand Beaux-Arts and Moderne style banks of the 1920s and 1930s on Sparks Street, imposing insurance company buildings, the 1937 Bank of Canada with its 1978 Arthur Ericsson glass surround, and other modern banks. The work of Canada’s leading architects and 20 surviving buildings span more than a century of the architecture of financial institutions on Ottawa’s historic banking streets.
Guide: David Jeanes, railway and city historian
Meeting place: National Capital Infocentre, Wellington at Metcalfe

2. Lowertown West (June 12)
Visit Notre-Dame Basilica, churches, courtyards and historic buildings of the ByWard Market and Lowertown. This area represents the heart of historic Ottawa since it was here that the canal workers lived and the earliest commercial district began.
Guide: Hagit Hadaya, architectural historian
Meeting place: At the statue of Col. John By, Major’s Hill Park (behind the Chateau Laurier Hotel)
Note: This tour begins at 10:00 am

3. Tour: Central Experimental Farm (June 19)
A two-hour introduction to the built heritage and cultural landscape of the Central Experimental Farm. During the tour the author will spin tales of the farm, its residents, and its history. (Note: bring appropriate footgear if rainy as lawns will be wet.)
Guide: Katharine Fletcher, award winning freelance writer, author, and columnist. Her books include Capital Walks, Walking Tours of Ottawa; Capital Rambles, Exploring the National Capital Region; and Historical Walks, the Gatineau Park Story. (Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 2004.)
Meeting place: Main door of Dominion Observatory, off Carling Avenue

4. The Glebe (June 26)

This tour of the Glebe neighbourhood focuses on the picturesque houses of Werner Ernest Noffke (1878-1964) in the Clemow Avenue development, the urban public schools of Edgar L. Horwood (1868-1957) and the rich collection of early 20th century churches by notable Ottawa architects. Also included is an introduction to the natural topography and public works which shaped development in the Glebe, an examination of some successful modern infill developments and a look at two remarkable exhibition buildings in Lansdowne Park. (More tour info)
Guide: Gouhar Shemdin, conservation architect
Meeting place: Corner of Clemow and O’Connor

5. Centretown (July 24)

Come and explore the historical and architectural diversity of Centretown. Focusing on the Cartier, Elgin and Metcalfe Street core, you will find that there is more to this area than first meets the eye. From stone-cut Gothic to Art Deco ornamentation, the stories of days gone by speak today from the buildings of our past.
Guide: Terry de March, heritage aficionado
Meeting place: 111 Lisgar, the Lisgar Street entrance to City Hall.

6. Beaux Arts Ottawa: August 14
The architectural style of the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris came to the United States and later to Ottawa. The city’s Beaux Arts buildings feature classical exteriors on modern steel frames with symmetrical plans and a progressive arrangement of space. Twelve of Ottawa’s most important Beaux-Arts buildings, designed by leading Canadian and American architects in the first half of the 20th century, plus some additional classical façades, will be seen along Sparks and Wellington Streets.
Guide: David Jeanes, railway and city historian
Meeting place: Conference Centre (formerly Union Station), Confederation Square entrance

7. University of Ottawa Campus: August 28
Discover the rich architecture and historic past of the University of Ottawa, North America’s oldest and most important bilingual university, established in 1848.

Guide: Michel Prevost, Chief Archivist, University of Ottawa

Meeting place: Tabaret Hall, 550 Cumberland Street

8. Sandy Hill East: (Sept. 11)
The beautifully maintained mansions and townhouses of this early Ottawa residential district date from 1870 to the early 20th century. The tour will highlight the positive effect zoning changes in the mid-1970s had on the preservation of buildings in the area.
Guide: Judy Deegan, former LACAC member and long-time resident of Sandy Hill
Meeting place: Laurier House, 335 Laurier Ave. East at the corner of Chapel

9. Village of Hintonburg: Sept. 18
Named for Joseph Hinton, a shopkeeper and civic official, the village of Hintonburg was incorporated in 1893. Lying just beyond the Ottawa city limits at the time, the village extended from about present-day Bayview Road to Island Park Drive and between the two rail lines marked today by Scott Street and the Queensway. The tour will take you through the heart of this interesting, eclectic, heritage rich, and socially varied neighbourhood (copies of the recently published “Hintonburg & Mechanicsville, A Narrative History” will be available at $20.00 per copy).
Guide: Linda Hoad, Heritage Committee, Hintonburg Community Association

Meeting place: Saint-François-d’Assise Parish Church, Wellington Street at Fairmont Avenue

10. Village of Britannia: September 25
Walk through the historic Village of Britannia and discover the story of its emergence as a late-Victorian resort destination. The extension of the city's streetcar tracks westward in 1900 brought Ottawa's leisure seekers, ushering in the golden years before World War I. Much of Britannia retains a village flavour and many former cottages have survived, some still evoking the character of the old summer resort community.
Guide: Carolyn Quinn, historian, former president of Heritage Ottawa

Meeting place: Parking lot at top of hill off Greenview Ave.

11. Village of Westboro - October 2

Once known as Skead Mills, the police village of Westboro was incorporated in 1905. For many years the community was served by the Ottawa Electric Railway tram line which terminated at the summer resort area of Brittania. The walk and bus ride will explore fine heritage buildings adjoining Richmond Road from Island Park Drive in the east to Windermere Avenue in the west.
Guide: Bruce S. Elliott, Professor of History, Carleton University
Meeting place: Loblaws Westboro Store, 190 Richmond Road

12: Rockcliffe Park - October 9

Join us for a walk through picturesque Rockcliffe Park with its mix of architectural styles from stately stone mansions and interesting contemporary designs to remaining summer cottages. Learn about the history of the village and the role the MacKay and Keefer families had in determining its layout and even the design of many of its homes.
Guide: Martha Edmond, historian and author
Meeting place: corner of Sandridge and Hillsdale

13. New Edinburgh - October 16
Once a village lying outside the bounds of Bytown, New Edinburgh was established by industrialist Thomas McKay and comprises both architecturally-rich buildings and simpler stone dwellings built to house 19th century labourers. Walk through one of Ottawa’s most historic neighbourhoods.
Guide: Jennifer Rosebrugh, former president, Heritage Ottawa
Meeting place: 62 John St, near Sussex Drive.