This talk will explore how a group of young, politically savvy architects promoted modern architecture across Canada and in the Ottawa region during the 1940s through articles, radio addresses, and exhibitions.
 

Update: The book is available for purchase here on our website for $20 including shipping within Canada.

Join Heritage Ottawa as we launch our newest book on December 13 with this special presentation at Dominion-Chalmers United Church by two of its contributors, Shannon Ricketts and Susan Ross.

The fascinating story of how apartment house living emerged in 20th century Ottawa focuses on Centretown,…

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.

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…

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…

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. 

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…

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…

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…

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…

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.

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:…

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…

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…

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…

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.