By Dave Allston – It has now been nearly ten years since a group of concerned citizens and heritage advocates spoke out about the proposed demolition of an important piece of Westboro history. Their work ultimately saved La Maison Jeanne D’Arc at the corner of Kenwood and Edison. […]
By Dave Allston – One of Westboro’s most impressive structures is located at 330 Churchill Avenue, just south of Scott Street. It’s one of the neighbourhood’s most noticeable buildings, an obvious landmark to the earliest days of Westboro. In fact, it even predates Westboro, when the area was […]
By Dave Allston – As time passes, history begins to fade. The lives and events, the people and places of years gone by begin to disappear in the fabric of time. What can be left behind are an artifact or two, a photograph, or even a structure, a […]
By Dave Allston – For decades during the earliest days of Kitchissippi, there was a small but significant geographic feature that created constant problems for residents. It slowed development, caused major political headaches, ruined new infrastructure, and even led to severe illness and death. Cave Creek was the […]
By Dave Allston – This year marks the 100th anniversary of prohibition in Ontario, a significant era in the perennial saga of liquor and its control. Prohibition did not happen suddenly; it was the result of a long-running temperance movement culminating with evolving social and economic factors of […]
By Dave Allston – To present-day residents of Kitchissippi, Byron Linear Park is a much-appreciated strip of greenspace approximately three kilometres in length where we walk, run or cycle, shop at a farmer’s market, or play at the “School Bus Park” near Mayfair Avenue. However, for previous generations, […]
By Dave Allston – This is the second of two columns about Laroche Park. The first one can be found right here. In 1925, Alderman Gerald Sims pushed hard for the Board of Control to grade and improve Stonehurst Dump, to open an urgently needed playground on the […]
By Dave Allston – Laroche Park has always been a significant part of the lives of local residents, and that importance is only increasing with the recent announcement of the arrival of Westfest and the promised Sens RINK. To the disappointment of many, the rink has been delayed […]
By Dave Allston – One of Kitchissippi’s most important intersections is nearing 100 years in age, and its future is unclear as a battle between developer and community design plan goes into what may be its final round. The OMB will be considering allowing the construction of a […]
By Dave Allston – Light rail will be arriving in Kitchissippi in 2017, changing not only the way the Transitway is used, but also providing expanded and improved transportation in and out of Tunney’s Pasture, a key hub on the forthcoming light-rail line (the western end of the […]
By Dave Allston – Hampton Park is a popular, well-established and upscale neighbourhood and parkspace in Ottawa’s west end, which is exactly how subdivision founder John Charles Brennan envisioned it over 100 years ago. Brennan, along with business associates Andrew Holland and William Scott, purchased the majority of […]
By Dave Allston – Kitchissippi’s most famous gathering place, the Carleton Tavern, turned 80 this year, and was marked with a week of celebrations this summer. A throwback to the city taverns that once dotted the working class neighbourhoods throughout the city, the Carleton is a piece of […]
By Dave Allston – For the past fifty years, the Queensway has been a normal part of life in Kitchissippi. Also known as Highway 417, this 181.4 km highway has grown over the years to accommodate the growing population to the west and east of Ottawa’s core. Now […]
Editor’s note: We asked local historian Dave Allston to come up with a top ten list of “don’t miss” sites to check out during Doors Open Ottawa on June 6 and 7. Make sure you read to the end to find out which sites he’d like to see […]
By Dave Allston – As Westgate Shopping Centre turns 60 years old this week, it is worth celebrating not only the long-standing success of Ottawa’s first and oldest mall, but also of local visionary Harold Shenkman. The land on which Westgate would one day be built was forever […]
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