Committee approves application for ByWard Market designation

The Built Heritage Committee today approved asking the City to submit the nomination of the ByWard Market as a National Historic Site for its 200th anniversary.

The Built Heritage Committee today approved asking the City to submit the nomination of the ByWard Market as a National Historic Site for its 200th anniversary, which happens in 2027. The designation, through the National Program of Historical Commemoration supported by Parks Canada, recognizes a place, person, or event that has national historical significance. The ByWard Market meets all criteria for designation.

The ByWard Market is Ottawa’s oldest commercial area and the site of one of the city’s first public markets. It led to the first permanent European settlement of Bytown, which would become Canada’s capital. It remains a key gathering spot. Its buildings are 40 years of age and older, boasting a range of design, materials, workmanship and settings that have been maintained for almost 200 years. Many buildings have evolved over time to respond to new uses, tenants and changing demands, which reflects the evolution of economic, social and cultural activity in the area.

The ByWard Market also features the Mile of History, a collection of restored buildings and storefronts from the nineteenth century along Sussex Drive. It is home to two National Historic Sites, three classified and 15 recognized Federal Heritage Buildings Review Office buildings that are deemed to be of national architectural significance. It is also associated with individuals of national significance, such as Colonel John By, Bishop Joseph-Eugène-Bruno Guigues and Mère Thomas d’Aquin.

The Market grew as a bilingual neighbourhood, with a hub of francophone cultural institutions, reflecting the two colonial nations that settled in Canada. It was also associated with the development of Ottawa as Canada’s national capital through its role an entry point, gathering place, home and workplace for many different populations, communities and newcomers to Canada. Its location, adjacent to Lowertown, east of Parliament Hill, near the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers and connected to Sussex Drive links the area to key events and themes in Ottawa’s history, including connections to Indigenous Peoples, the fur and timber trade, the mix of French and English cultures, agricultural history and immigrant stories.

The boundaries for the proposed ByWard Market National Historic Site largely mirror those of the existing ByWard Market Heritage Conservation District, with the addition of:

• The north side of Rideau Street between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street
• The south side of Guigues Avenue between Sussex Drive and Parent Avenue
• The south side of St. Patrick Street and the north side of Murray Street, west of Cumberland Street.

This boundary was chosen to accurately reflect the stories and themes of the ByWard Market through its built heritage.

Committee moves to designate Adult High School

The Committee recommended designating the Adult High School at 300 Rochester Street as a heritage property as it meets five of nine criteria for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. The property was built in 1966 and is comprised of three separate pavilions, integrated by a common building base. It embodies Modernist architectural philosophy through its use of concrete and glass, and its repetitive and rectilinear forms.

It represented an ambitious and complete departure from traditional school architecture. The building spans a city block and features three pavilions. The classroom and library pavilions demonstrate elements of the International Style, emphasizing clean lines and vertical elements. The classroom pavilion features floor-to-ceiling rectangular windows supported by columns. The auditorium pavilion incorporates a large blank façade, reflecting Modernist philosophy. The design was the work of Sidney Lithwick, a prolific twentieth century architect who lived and worked in Ottawa. His firm was also responsible for the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) and designed many secondary schools.

Committee designates rural homestead in Richmond

The Committee moved to designate the Stewart/Hartin House at 6019 Perth Street – a two-storey stone residential building in Richmond that meets six of nine criteria for designation under the Ontario Heritage Act. The current owners support designating the property, which is a representative example of a rural Gothic Revival style house. It displays a high degree of artistic merit through its stone construction and carved wooden detailing.

The house has historical value for its association with the Stewart and Hartin families that were both prominent and well-known in the village of Richmond. James Stewart constructed the existing stone house for his family and used the surrounding land to support his business as an undertaker. He held many community leadership roles, including Reeve of Richmond, elder and trustee of St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church and member of the Goodwood Masonic Lodge. In the 1950s, Dr. Kenneth Hartin, a local veterinarian, purchased the property and used it for his practice. Dr. Hartin was also a community leader, acting as an elder of the St. Andrew Presbyterian Church, a former village Councillor and the first President of the Richmond Lions Club. Dr. Hartin was a descendent of David Hartin – a prominent nineteenth century farmer and businessman in Goulbourn Township. The building was built using local limestone and sandstone from the nearby village of Black’s Corners.

City Council will consider the recommendations for the Nomination of the ByWard Market as a National Historic Site, as well as an application for demolition at 208 Slater Street, on Wednesday, December 10. The remaining items will be considered at the meeting of Wednesday, January 28.