Ottawa Architects 150 documents the history of the practice of architecture in Ottawa from 1867 to 2017, marking Canada’s Sesquicentennial and recognizing the contribution of local architects to the development of Canada’s capital.

 

The lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.

Join us at 7pm for three informative talks by recent graduates. Each talk will be 15 to 20 minutes in duration and the audience will have an opportunity to pose questions to the speakers.

 

100 Wellington: The Architecture of the Former U.S. Embassy

This talk will explore how the architecture of the former U.S. embassy in Ottawa served as a physical manifestation of close Canadian-American relations and represented an important achievement in Ottawa’s attempts to position itself as a capital city in the early 20th century, by looking at both its formal characteristics and how the space was actually understood.

Speaker: Meghan Ho recently completed her Master’s degree in Art History at Carleton University, where her research focused on embassy architecture and oral history practices.

 

Willson Carbide Mill: A Culture & Arts Centre to Revive Community Livability

Located on Victoria Island, the Willson Carbide Mill overlooks the Ottawa River and some of the National Capital’s most notable landmarks. The lecture will explore the potential regeneration of this abandoned heritage building that would see it revitalized into a Culture and Arts Centre, offering vibrant and attractive spaces for community events.

Speaker: Nada Abdallah recently graduated from the Bachelor of Interior Design program at Algonquin College and is a 2016 Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition award winner. Nada is currently working as a junior designer at Ottawa’s 4té inc.

 

'Studio & X' Interior Studio and Exhibition Facility: A Holistic Approach to Architecture and Interior Design on Ottawa’s Historic West Chaudière Island

Part of the Zibi development on the West Chaudière Island, Studio & X offers an applied interior design studio and exhibit space. The innovative open-door approach allows the public to explore the world of design through the creator’s lens, enhancing the understanding and interactive process of design. This talk addresses how the site informs the architecture, interior design and programming of Studio & X by reflecting the complex relationship between the Indigenous and Canadian histories of the area.

Speaker: Lovline Marcello is an Honours graduate in the Bachelor of Interior Design program at Algonquin College and was chosen to enter the Steelcase NEXT Student Design Competition. Lovline is currently working as a junior designer at Ottawa’s 4té inc.

Come hear the ‘Next Generation’ on heritage matters, do some networking, and raise a glass!

CLICK HERE for a reading list prepared with the assistance of the Ottawa Public Library to accompany these talks.

 

This lecture event is free and there is no need to pre-register.

 

Celebrating Village Heritage The Sixth Annual Heritage Ottawa Forum

Village of Kars | Saturday, September 30, 2017

9:30 am to 4:00 pm | Doors open at 9:00 am

 

Heritage Ottawa and the Rideau Township Historical Society invite you to Celebrate Village Heritage, an all-day Forum on the special heritage of Ottawa's villages with a focus on how to enhance and protect their unique historical attributes. This informative event will include speakers, a walking tour of the Village of Kars, and an afternoon bus tour of beautiful Rideau Township.

Here are some highlights:

Giulio Maffini, an architect with over 30 years of experience as an entrepreneur, will discuss Manotick's experience with the City Design Guidelines for Rural Villages with a focus on the Falls House in Manotick Village. City of Ottawa Archivist Paul Henry will share details of the Rideau Branch’s 27-year success as an archive “hub,” connecting south Ottawa’s rural communities with a variety of heritage resources. City of Ottawa Heritage Planning staff members Avery Marshall, Adrian Phillips and Amber Polywkan will explain heritage policies with an emphasis on the Heritage Register and Designation. A brief history of Kars will be followed by a guided walking tour of the picturesque village. Jim Mountain, Director of Regeneration Projects at the National Trust for Canada, will share his years of experience training and coaching communities on how to regenerate their Main Streets. A closing Bus Tour with commentary will take participants on a drive through beautiful Rideau Township, stopping at heritage sites along the way including such landmarks as St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, the Thompson Barn, the Rideau Archives, and more.

Lunch and refreshment breaks will be provided.

Presentations will be in English with questions and comments welcomed in both English and French.

The complete FORUM PROGRAM is available for download or printing.

Pre-Registration

Event space is limited so pre-registration is required. The registration fee of $20 per person includes lunch, refreshments, and access to all events.

You can pre-register here on our website by making a $20 donation and entering "Heritage Forum" in the commemorative donation field.

Registrations can also be made by mailing a $20 cheque to our office at:

Heritage Ottawa
2 Daly Avenue
Ottawa, ON K1N 6E2

Please include your name and email address so that we can contact you with any event updates.

If you have any dietary restrictions, please click here to let us know.

We look forward to seeing you on September 30!

Where:

Kars Community Centre, 1604 Old Wellington Street, Kars

Free parking is available.

We are offering display tables upon request, free of charge. If you or your organization would like to take advantage of this opportunity, please click here to contact us.

Please note that tax receipts will not be issued for Heritage Forum registration fees.

 

In the context of the 150th anniversary of Confederation and the recent launch of the Plan for Canada’s Capital 2017-2067, Heather Thomson will discuss what has been and is being conserved as heritage, and the conservation role the National Capital Commission will play in years to come.

 

This lecture will present the early histories of Bytown, Rochesterville and Nepean with an exposé woven from the Rochester, Cole, Baillie and McDougall families whose collective signature is on much early development of Ottawa and the Ottawa Valley.

With the arrival of John Rochester Senior to Bytown in 1827, the establishment of breweries, tanneries, sawmilling and mining became part of this fascinating fabric. 

 

Read more about the Cole and Rochester families at Heritage Ottawa's  50 Years | 50 Stories: Maplelawn.

 

The extraordinary built heritage of Ottawa’s Laurier Avenue East, historically home to seven Fathers of Confederation and eight Prime Ministers, will be transformed into Canada’s first street museum and more by this unique and innovative initiative.

 

The lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.

 

The Canadian National Vimy Memorial, centred on the evocative design of Walter Allward's beautiful monument and the surrounding landscape, evokes tremendous emotion and provides incredible opportunities to learn about and connect with Canada's First World War history. The site's preserved trenches and tunnels and the battle-scarred landscape, embedded with the remains of the fallen, provide a constant reminder of the true cost of war.

Designing the site's new Visitor Education Centre within this highly sensitive cultural landscape posed a difficult task. The challenge was to find a way to help visitors weave together multiple readings of memory and commemoration, while still allowing them to remain firmly connected with the memorial and surrounding landscape.

 

Speaker: Robert Martin is an Architect and principal at Robertson Martin Architects Inc. in Ottawa.

The Lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.

 

UPDATE: To follow the progress of the Vimy Visitor Education Centre as it nears opening day on April 10, 2017, visit the Vimy Foundation website. 

 

 

 

 

HERITAGE OTTAWA 2017 PHILLIPS MEMORIAL LECTURE

UPDATE: This lecture is available on YouTube courtesy of our partners at the Global Centre for Pluralism.

Order of Canada architect Shirley Blumberg will speak about the repurposing of 330 Sussex Drive, formerly the Canadian War Museum and the Dominion Archives of Canada, which is soon to open as the new Global Centre for Pluralism. This presentation will explore the aspirations, highlights and challenges of the renewal of this significant Capital landmark.

This special lecture event takes place at the Delegation of the Ismaili Imamat.

Please note that registration for this event is now closed.

Join us for a lively review of the past and future of local heritage as we gear up to celebrate a milestone anniversary year!

Councillor and Chair of the Built Heritage Subcommittee Tobi Nussbaum will be our keynote speaker. 

Former Heritage Ottawa presidents Carolyn Quinn and David B. Flemming will provide a serious and not-so-serious look back at Heritage Ottawa’s advocacy battles over the past 50 years.

 

The lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.

 

This talk presents the fascinating story of Jacques Gréber’s vision and plan for Canada’s capital, with a look at what worked and what we might do differently today.

From his 1950's lens, Gréber's perspective reveals some surprising insights into legacy practices still being applied today with respect to urban planning, roadway design and even architecture.

The speaker's book "Transforming Ottawa" will be available for purchase at the event.

 

This seasonal event will be held at the special venue of Dominion-Chalmers United Church.

The lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.

 

Archival Photo of 1938 Plan Model via Alain Miguelez

 

A marvel of Canadian engineering built under duress during the unknown threats of the Cold War era, the massive structure now known as "The Diefenbunker" demanded the development of a number of remarkable made-in-Canada design and construction innovations.
 

The lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.
 

Join us at 7pm for three informative talks by recent graduates. Each talk will be 15 to 20 minutes in duration and the audience will have an opportunity to pose questions to the speakers.

 

A New Face of Southam Hall: Proposed Interior Renovation at The National Arts Centre

This talk will present a hypothetical approach to the renovations of Southam Hall, the largest of four performing halls in the National Arts Centre (NAC). The proposed design is based on four elements: functionality, accessibility, aesthetics, and sustainability, and was informed by the speaker's research thesis on interior theatre design and the history of the NAC.

Speaker: Yasaman Tehrani is a recent honours graduate of the Interior Design program at Algonquin College where she focused on the study of theatre interiors. She is currently works as a junior designer at an Ottawa firm.

 

Post-War School Design in Ontario

This talk will examine the development of the postwar public elementary school including reviews of several plans and built examples. Special attention will be paid to Don Mills as an exemplar, where civic forces partnered with commercial parties in order to implement an ideal model of the modern Canadian elementary school.

Speaker: Jessie Gamarra is a Master's student in Art History at Carleton University, where she recently completed the Honour's BA program.

 

Master-Servant Relations in Laurier House and Munross Mansion

This talk will explore the developing servant-master relationship in 20th century Ottawa through an analysis of the interior spaces of the Laurier House and the Munross Mansion. Examinations of space planning, staircases and other thresholds will be presented, along with a close look at the diaries of William Lyon Mackenzie King.

Speaker: Michelle Duong is a graduate of architectural studies from the University of Waterloo School of Architecture. She recently completed her degree in History and Theory of Architecture at Carleton University.

 

This lecture event is free and there is no need to pre-register.

 

Image Credits: LEFT: Rendering by Yasamin Tehrani, CENTER: Archival Photo: Overland Drive Public School in Don Mills via Jessie Gamarra RIGHT: Archival Photo, Library and Archives Canada PA-112769

 

The Event is Full and Pre-Registration is Now Closed.

Join us for this informative afternoon of presentations and practical information focusing on How Heritage Works in Ottawa. Hear and share stories of heritage challenges and successes while learning about the various tools available to individuals and communities interested in protecting their local heritage.

In partnership with Action Sandy Hill, this year's forum will be held at the former All Saints Anglican Church, a designated heritage building now known as allsaints. 

Our keynote speaker will be Leanne Moussa, president and founder of All Saints Development Inc. who led the community effort to purchase and repurpose the building for community use.

City of Ottawa heritage staff will make a presentation about the current Heritage Inventory Project, a city-wide survey and evaluation of built structures to identify those which contribute to Ottawa's cultural and built heritage. When completed, the project will result in an easily accessible, online map-based inventory of Ottawa's heritage resources that replaces the outdated Heritage Reference List.

Stuart Clarkson of the City of Ottawa Archives will present a talk on Researching the History of Your Ottawa Property.

An optional walking tour highlighting Prime Minister's Row, another exciting heritage initiative in Sandy Hill, precedes the Forum. The walking tour is led by François Bregha and departs at 11:00am from 317 Chapel Street.

 

Pre-Registration is Now Closed

Event space is limited so pre-registration is required. The registration fee of $10 per person includes the optional walking tour, a light lunch and refreshments.

 

For more information, please contact info@heritageottawa.org or call 613-230-8841.

We look forward to seeing you on October 15!

 

Date and Time

The Forum takes place on Saturday, October 15 from noon to 4:30pm in the main area of the former church located at 317 Chapel Street. 

Please note that the optional walking tour of Prime Ministers' Row begins one hour earlier at 11:00am.

 

Venue

allsaints is located in the former All Saints Anglican Church located at 317 Chapel Street at the corner of Laurier Avenue East. The event takes place in the main area of the former church.

Limited on-street parking is available.

If using Public Transit, OC Transpo's Bus Number 5 Bus stops at the corner of Laurier Avenue East and Chapel.

 

Between the post-World War II housing crisis and the dawn of the condo era, Ottawa witnessed successive waves of apartment building construction - good, bad, and indifferent.

This illustrated talk looks at dozens of examples and at the private-sector developers, architects and public officials who delivered both mass-produced towers and some exceptional landmark buildings.

 

The lecture is free and there is no need to pre-register.
 

The National Arts Centre was the federal government’s centennial project to commemorate Canada’s 1967 celebration of Confederation. The project fulfilled a long-held national dream to create a Canadian Centre for the Performing Arts in the Capital. Formally opened in 1969, the NAC plays an important urban role.  Its “polite brutalist” architecture has been an object of both curiosity and respect.

The lecture will examine the urban and historic context of the NAC as plans are being prepared for its rejuvenation to be completed in 2017.

Brick was an uncommon building material in the Ottawa area until the building boom that crested in the early 1870s.

Brickworks for the Ottawa market mostly developed along the banks of the Rideau Canal and River in Ottawa, Nepean and Gloucester where suitable clay was available in abundance and the canal itself facilitated transportation into town. Due to the rising cost of lumber, bricks were increasingly used for house construction by the early 20th century. Building contractors and local capitalists expanded the industry and even began to tap the Montreal market, but never approached the productive capacity of the largest Toronto or Quebec firms. The local yards eventually were bought out by external interests or were expropriated by the federal government. 

During World War ll, an Examination Unit was installed in a Victorian mansion in Sandy Hill to carry out top secret code breaking activities. This lecture will examine how the Unit came to be set up, who was involved, what it accomplished, and its post war legacy.

Saving Heritage: Preserving History in the Developing World

Please note that PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED for this lecture.

Harnessing the culture and history of a region can be a powerful driver of development and progress – but protecting and restoring historic sites and artefacts continues to be challenging in unstable and vulnerable parts of the developing world. Despite these barriers, the Aga Khan Trust for Culture (AKTC) works to revitalize culture and protect heritage, including projects to restore historic structures; create and rehabilitate public spaces, parks, and gardens; and support community-based projects to spur social, economic, and cultural development. 

In this lecture and Q&A, Christophe Bouleau of AKTC’s Historic Cities Programme will discuss historic sites in the context of development, how AKTC works with communities, and how an integrated development approach could be beneficial in Canada. 

BEFORE AND AFTER FREDERICK TODD

The park at the centre of Macdonald Gardens commemorates the graveyards of four congregations from 1845 to 1873.

This lecture will reveal how landscape architect Frederick Todd designed the park as part of capital landscape planning in 1912, while 1970s urban renewal reshaped the larger community. Today this evolving neighbourhood in Lowertown East remains a uniquely diverse illustration of the city’s landscape, housing and institutional history.