Some posts from local history blogs

Back to the Past and Future - Photo by Arty-chan
courtesy of Flickr  (Creative Commons)

From time to time I like to highlight local blogs that discuss the history of the National Capital Region.  With this in mind, below are some stories that I have come across in the last couple of months.

Urbsite

One of my favourite history-related blogs is Urbsite, which contains a lot of information on our region's past. In late April, the site published a post that looked at a piano manufacturing business that used to exist at the Old Wellington Ward market.  Also in April, it discussed the history of the former Ottawa General Hospital, which stood where the present day Elisabeth Bruyere Hospital exists. Located at 43 Bruyère St, the current hospital services elderly patients, as well as offering palliative care.

In late-May, the blog posted a story on the Preston Street urban renewal project. The post featured several places in the area, and offered an interesting juxtaposition by comparing old pictures with images of the same spot today. Finally, earlier this month, the site published an interesting feature on the history of the Lord Elgin Hotel at 100 Elgin Street.

Ottawahh

I recently discovered a new blog called Ottawahh that contains information on our city's past.  While I haven't had a chance to review it in detail, I plan to do so in the near future.

GlebeSite

People interested in the history of the Glebe should check out the blog GlebeSite. Recent posts include the history on the old Bank of Nova Scotia branch that existed on the corner of Bank and Fourth Avenue, aerial photographs of the Glebe from the 1920s and 1950s, and a photo of the Pinhey House at 237-39 Clemow Avenue that was destroyed by fire in the early 1960s.

Some Ottawa history, (a bit of food, art and music news), and movies by area filmmakers

Photo by Mikey G Ottawa courtesy of Flickr
(Creative Commons)

Now that things have calmed down a bit I can get back to semi-regular blogging. Below are some interesting posts that I have recently come across.

Culinary News

The City Bites blog from Ottawa Magazine has a post on the recent opening of Slice & Co at 399 Elgin Street, Centretown's new pizzeria.  In a Nutshell has a review on the new eatery.

Art and Music News

Peter Simpson of The Big Beat reports that Elaina Martin, who created the great summer music festival Westfest, has won the City of Ottawa's top arts award.

Ottawa Showbox recommends some more local bands who are playing Bluesfest this year.  The post looks at FEVERS, Her Harbour, Iconoclast and Mehdi Cayenne Club.

Coach Assasin notes that FILM NATION will be screening at the ByTowne Cinema at 325 Rideau this coming Thursday, April 25, at 7:00 pm.  Tickets are $12.  The screening will showcase 21 years of the work of The Independent Filmmakers Co-operative of Ottawa Inc., which support Ottawa-based filmmakers.

History

GlebeSite has some great photographs from the 1920s of the Driveway, which shows what it was like to take a drive by the Rideau Canal almost 100 years ago.

Urbsite looks at the history of the Central Post Office on the corner of Sparks and Elign.

Finally, Ottawa Start blog notes that the old schoolhouse on Slack Road in Nepean is for sale for $950,000. (Here's the listing).  According to the post:

A faded stone above the door has a name "S.S. No 13" and a date "1897". It was better known as Merivale Public School, and operated as a one-room schoolhouse until the newer elementary school was built next door in 1955. After that it had a few uses including an Orange Hall and a Bhuddist centre.  There's a bit more about the history of the building here. 

... According to this page it's now owned by Public Works and is used for training by the Canada Border Services Agency.

Photos of Ottawa from 1895 to the 1950s

Photo by jessica courtesy of Flicrk
(Creative Commons)

Several history-related posts have appeared in the local blogosphere.  In a series of new posts, Ottawa Past and Présent compares different parts of the city from 1938 with how they look today (see here, here and here).  For its part, GlebeSite has a photograph of a roundabout at Elgin and Pretoria from August 1938.

Urbsite has also several posts that look back at local history.  There are pictures of the Aylmer Apartments and the Bate Building that are over 70 years old, as well as photographs from several buildings in the 1950s, including 111 Sussex, formerly Ottawa City Hall and now part of Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Other posts contains photos of the Pretoria Bridge traffic circle, as well as a history of the Cecil Hotel, which includes a photo from 1895.

Some history from Vanier, the ByWard Market and the Glebe

Photy by Jamie McCaffrey courtesy of Flickr
(Creative Commons)

If you are interested in the history of Ottawa, then several recent blog posts may interest you.

Vanier Now has a short history about the first sugar shack in Richelieu Park, which was constructed around 1940 by the Society of Missionaries of Africa, known as the White Fathers.  In 1998, volunteers constructed today's sugar shack on the same site.  In another post, Vanier Now tells the story of 159 Montreal Road, currently the home of the Vanier Grill, but which opened originally in the 1880s as only the second general store in Janeville, known as the Durocher Grocery Store (Épicerie Durocher).

Urbsite has a post on the Nepean Point Footbridge, which furnished an elevated walkway between Nepean Point and Majors Hill Park, but which was dismantled by the National Capital Commission in 1958-59.  The story contains numerous captivating photos of what Ottawa used to look like more than half-a-century ago.  A separate post on Urbsite recounts the story of the Union du Canada building in the Byward Market that is slated to undergo major changes.

Finally, GlebeSite has posted pictures of a wedding of a Miss Gwen Clemow that took place at 193 Clemow in the Glebe in September 1910.  You can see a current image of the same house on Google Maps.

Where to Find Posts on the History of Ottawa in the Blogosphere

If you search the local blogosphere you will find posts that chronicle the history of Ottawa.  One blog that is worth reading is GlebeSite, which focuses on the urban design, architecture and history of the Glebe neighbourhood.  A recent post contains a history of the Ordnance Lands, while another has pictures of the area just south of the Glebe before Carleton University and the Bronson Avenue Expressway were built.

The blog HistoricDalhousieWard also contains hard-to-find information, such as the Ottawa Tech high school graduating class from 1943, and the history of Musca Fruit store on Rochester Street that is being torn down, along with other buildings on the block, to make way for new townhomes. 

Urbsite is another good blog for local history enthusiasts.  Recents posts include pictures of downtown Ottawa from 1957 and images of Ottawa that date back to the 19th century.