Heritage Ottawa's popular Free Lecture Series runs from September to June every year, and features a wide range of interesting speakers and topics relating to Ottawa's history and heritage.
Each February, we present the Phillips Memorial Lecture in honour of Heritage Ottawa’s co-founders, Bob and Mary Anne Phillips, two pioneers of heritage conservation in Ottawa.
Unless otherwise noted, lectures are free and are held at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library, located at 120 Metcalfe Street at the corner of Laurier Avenue. Elevators are available and the room is wheelchair accessible. Lectures begin at 7:00pm, last approximately one hour and are followed by an informal gathering.
There is no need to pre-register. We look forward to welcoming you at our next Heritage Ottawa event!
With the assistance of the Ottawa Public Library, a selection of reading lists has been developed to accompany a number of our lectures. CLICK HERE to access the lists.
Thanks to our Lecture Series sponsors Andrex Holdings and the Ottawa Public Library.
Our 2019—2020 Lecture Series kicks off at the Ottawa Art Gallery on September 24. See the full season schedule below.
Upcoming Lectures
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Omàmiwininì Pimàdjwowin: The Algonquin Way Cultural CentreWednesday, January 22, 2020 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Main BranchOttawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaThe Omàmiwininì Pimàdjwowin mission is to revitalize, reintegrate, enhance and protect the cultural traditions, customs, practices, heritage, language and arts of the Algonquins of Pikwakangan...
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Cultural Landscapes of the LGBTTQ+ Community in OttawaWednesday, February 19, 2020 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Main BranchOttawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaHeritage Ottawa 2020 Phillips Memorial LectureOttawa’s LGBTTQ+ community has an interesting history unique to many other cities. Due in part to the government employee purges during the 1950s to...
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The Changing Architectural Landscape of Vanier: Future Possible AvenuesWednesday, March 18, 2020 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Main BranchOttawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaLe paysage architectural changeant de Vanier : Quelles avenues possibles?This French-language presentation will explore the issues related to the re-development of the neighbourhood of Vanier and...
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Delighting Visitors for Generations: The Restoration of The OpiniconWednesday, April 15, 2020 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaBuilt in the late 1870s on the shore of the lake of the same name in the village of Chaffey’s Lock, The Opinicon’s prime location on the Rideau Waterway attracted locals and tourists alike for...
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Gold, Snakes, and Mother Insurance : The Preservation of the 180 Wellington Building MosaicWednesday, June 17, 2020 - 19:00 to 21:00Orange Art Gallery290 City Centre AvenueOttawa, ON K1R 1C7CanadaBuilt in 1927 as the headquarters of the Metropolitan Life Insurance Company, 180 Wellington Building’s most stunning feature is the dramatic mosaic on the vaulted ceiling inside the main entrance...
Past Lectures
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The Garden of the Provinces and Territories: Almost 50 years along!Wednesday, December 11, 2019 - 19:00 to 21:00Christ Church Cathedral, Great Hall414 Sparks StreetOttawa, ON K1R 0B2CanadaThis presentation will reprise John Zvonar’s presentation at Heritage Ottawa in 2010, which was entitled “Terra Incognita: Ottawa’s Unfamiliar Landscapes.”
More ‘familiar’ these days, the...
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Reevaluation of Modern SitesWednesday, November 20, 2019 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Main BranchOttawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaThe importance of conserving modern heritage has gained increasing prominence in recent years, as many unique sites have come under threat of destruction. Mariana Esponda will describe her...
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Emerging Scholars: Two Talks and a Pub NightTuesday, October 22, 2019 - 19:00 to 20:00Brigid's WellSaint Brigid's Centre for the Arts310 St. Patrick Street, at CumberlandOttawa, ON K1N 5K5CanadaJoin us at 7 pm for two 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.
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Modern History: Preserving Canada’s Legacy of ModernismTuesday, September 24, 2019 - 19:00 to 20:00Ottawa Art Gallery, Alma Duncan Salon (Level 3)50 Mackenzie King BridgeOttawa, ON K1N 0C5CanadaThe architecture of the Modernist movement once spoke of the future. Now the buildings of the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s are past middle age. They need work — and a critical look. This problem of modern...
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Modernism for the MassesWednesday, June 19, 2019 - 19:00 to 21:00Orange Art Gallery290 City Centre DriveOttawa, ON K1R 1C7CanadaDuring the mid-20th century, Ottawa homebuilders introduced modern design to tract housing.
Some embraced the modern ethos wholeheartedly, while others sprinkled touches of it throughout...
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NCC’s Assessment and Rescue of Archaeological Legacy in the Capital Region: Summary of ResultsWednesday, April 17, 2019 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaThe erosion of ancient shorelines along coasts and inland rivers and lakes due to sea level rise, and the increased frequency and severity of flooding has been characterized as a global crisis for...
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Meet the Developers: Apartment Building Construction in Ottawa, 1900 to the PresentWednesday, March 20, 2019 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaAlthough developers of Ottawa’s apartment buildings are less well-known than the architects who designed them—after all, it is a building’s appearance that endures—it was these local entrepreneurs...
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The Firestone Collection of Canadian Art: An Evening with Brenda FirestoneThursday, February 21, 2019 - 19:00 to 21:00Ottawa Art Gallery, Alma Duncan Salon (Level 3)50 Mackenzie King BridgeOttawa, ON K1N OC5CanadaHeritage Ottawa 2019 Phillips Memorial LectureO.J. and Isobel Firestone were passionate collectors of Canadian art. In the early 1950s, they embarked upon a collection that would grow to more...
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Modern History: Preserving Canada’s legacy of modernismThursday, February 21, 2019 - 19:00 to 21:00Ottawa Art Gallery, Alma Duncan Salon50 Mackenzie King BridgeOttawa, ON K1N 0C5Canada= POSTPONED =Heritage Ottawa will be announcing a new date for this lecture soon.
The annual PHILLIPS MEMORIAL LECTURE is taking place with a new guest speaker. Please join us at the...
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The Algonquins of PikwàkanagànWednesday, January 16, 2019 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaJoin us for a special evening presentation by Pikwàkanagàn Elder Ron Bernard on the past and present of this vibrant Algonquin community.
Pikwàkanagàn, meaning “a hilly place,” is situated...
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Tempting Values for Early Shoppers: The Birth of Ottawa’s Department StoresWednesday, December 12, 2018 - 19:00 to 21:00Dominion-Chalmers United Church355 Cooper Street ( use entrance on Lisgar Street )Ottawa, ON K2P 0G8CanadaThe department store was the product of an increasingly leisured middle class, a new consumer economy, and architectural innovations like plate glass windows, electric lights and passenger...
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Preserving Canada’s Heritage: The Foundation for TomorrowWednesday, November 21, 2018 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaThe federal government, proud steward of many national historic sites and other designated heritage properties, has an important role to play in the preservation of Canada’s built heritage and...
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Emerging Scholars: Three Talks And a Pub NightTuesday, October 16, 2018 - 19:00 to 20:00Brigid's WellSt. Brigid's Centre for the Arts310 St. Patrick Street at CumberlandOttawa, ON K1N 5K5CanadaJoin 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.
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Flora Hall Brewing: Crafting the Future of a Derelict BuildingThursday, September 27, 2018 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaFor decades, Ottawans have lamented the loss of one structure, or the slow demolition by neglect of another as the city grows and develops—too often leaving history in its wake.
This...
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Carved in stone: The Art of Architectural Stone CarvingWednesday, June 20, 2018 - 18:30 to 21:00Orange Art Gallery290 City Centre AvenueOttawa, ON K1R 1C7CanadaFrom the European guilds of the Gothic era to modern day digitally assisted techniques, John-Philippe Smith will discuss the history of stone carving as well as tales from his journey working as a...
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The Algonquins of PikwàkanagànWednesday, April 18, 2018 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2Canada= CANCELLED =April 16, 2018 — Heritage Ottawa regrets the cancellation of this lecture due to extenuating circumstances. The lecture is rescheduled for January 16, 2019.
Join us for a...
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OMB Reform: Getting Heritage Planning RightWednesday, March 21, 2018 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaWe have all seen the problem. City Council-approved Official Plans, Neighbourhood Plans and Heritage Conservation District Guidelines – developed to safeguard communities’ criteria for density and...
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And after: The consequences of World War 1Wednesday, February 28, 2018 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaHeritage Ottawa 2018 Phillips Memorial LectureAND AFTER: The Consequences of World War 1
In commemoration of the centenary of the First World War, joint Canada-France symposiums were held...
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Cultivating Canadian Modernism: The Architectural Research Group of Ottawa and MontrealWednesday, January 17, 2018 - 19:00 to 20:00Auditorium, Ottawa Public Library120 Metcalfe StreetOttawa, ON K1P 5M2CanadaThis 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,...
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From Walk-Up to High-Rise: Ottawa’s Historic Apartment BuildingsWednesday, December 13, 2017 - 19:00 to 21:00Dominion-Chalmers United Church355 Cooper Street ( use entrance on Lisgar Street )Ottawa, ON K2P 0G8CanadaUpdate: The book is available for purchase here on our website for $20 including shipping within Canada.
A HERITAGE OTTAWA BOOK LAUNCHJoin Heritage Ottawa as we launch...