Although Sandy Hill is one of Ottawa’s oldest neighbourhoods, it is not reallyold. Yet, it is surprising how many Sandy Hill streets have disappeared or changed names over the past hundred and fifty years. They are clearly not the permanent … Read More
The Ottawa Little Theatre (OLT) has stood at the corner of King Edward Ave. and Besserer St. since 1928. Originally housed in a former church, it was forced to build the current facilities after a destructive fire in 1970. … Read More
This impressive eight unit stone row at 363-383 Daly Ave. was built in 1874 by Honoré Robillard in the Norman style, a style more reminiscent of buildings in old Québec City and Montreal than Ottawa. It is one of only … Read More
The Rideau Canal is North America’s oldest continuously-operated canal and marks Sandy Hill’s western boundary. It is no exaggeration to say that Ottawa owes its birth to the Canal as there was no settlement in the area before its construction … Read More
St Alban’s, at 454 King Edward Ave. is one of the oldest churches in Ottawa. Built in 1867 on a lot purchased for $600 by H.N. Bate from L.T. Besserer on what was then the edge of town, it was … Read More
January 28, 1931 was a typical cold winter day in Ottawa. In the late afternoon, kids were skating or playing hockey at the Sandy Hill rink. Twelve-year old Munroe Dingwall was skiing with friends down Somerset Ave. E. Most men … Read More
What has been Ottawa’s worst disaster? The 1998 ice storm? The 1957 Byward Market Fire? The Great Fire of 1900? In terms of human lives lost, its worst disaster by far happened a hundred years ago when it, and … Read More
The 15 acres of land that now form the park saw several uses in the 19th Century before being designated as a park. The park started as a swampy pasturage for the cows belonging to Sandy Hill residents and then … Read More
Ottawa is a safe city. However, in 1931, one of the city’s three homicides that year became a public sensation that dominated newspaper headlines for several weeks. It involved two families, the Horwitzes who lived at 80 Stewart St. and … Read More
The University of Ottawa occupies a large space in Sandy Hill, both physically and figuratively. The University traces its roots to 1848 when the Oblate Order founded the College of Bytown as a bilingual catholic school. The College was initially … Read More