If you’ve driven down Carling Avenue, chances are you’ve passed the Dominion Observatory. Its Romanesque Revival is hard not to notice. It stands as a symbol of Ottawa’s history and time lost to the past.
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault announced on Jan. 15 that it would be designated a national historic site.
“The Dominion Observatory Complex was an important centre of research and collaboration in the fields of astronomy, geophysics, seismology and gravitational studies,” said Guilbeault. “The precision of its master clock was also instrumental in setting official time standards across the country.”
According to Canadian scientists Randall Brooks and Calvin Klatt, the observatory’s construction began in 1902 as the federal government made commitments to science and research institutions in the National Capital. The government committed $350,000 to the project, which would likely be equivalent to $10 million in 2024.
Canada wanted a primary astrological reference point for surveyors, astrology, and timekeeping in the country, like the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, United Kingdom. The observatory would be the primary longitudinal reference point for Canada and be able to provide precise time to government departments and railroads across the country.
The observatory provided the information for CBC’s time signal broadcast until 1970. The national broadcaster would transmit a tone just before 1 p.m. every day, ending precisely on the hour, providing a time to set clocks. Surveyors and cartographers also needed precise geographic information as Canada’s population grew and areas further west developed.
The sandstone building was designed by chief government architect David Ewart—the same man who designed much of the Royal Military College and the Royal Canadian Mint. It took three years to build and included a four-storey octagonal tower topped with a retractable copper roof. Telescope equipment was ordered from the U.S., and clocks from Paris.
Additional buildings were later added to the complex, like a residence for the chief astronomer. Seismology equipment was installed in the observatory’s basement in 1906, and a dedicated geophysics building was constructed in the 1950s.
The building led research in astronomy, the sun and seismology for over 50 years until it closed in 1970.