Forward' It'was'very'exciting'for'us'to'be'asked'to'create'an'inventory'of'the'historical'and' commemorative'artefacts'that'we'see'every'day'in'the'Village.'Equipped'with'Martha' Edmond’s'invaluable'Rockcliffe)Park:)A)History)of)the)Village'and'copies'of'the'Rockcliffe' Park'walking'guides'(kindly'supplied'by'Liz'Heatherington),'we'began'by'simply'walking' around'the'Village,'cameras'in'hand'and'eyes'peeled'for'anything'of'interest.'Working' from'the'Official'1993'Plan'of'the'Village,'we'divided'the'neighbourhood'between'us' and'walked'street'by'street,'crossing'off'territory'as'we'progressed.' Later,'we'arranged'visits'to'Ashbury'College,'Elmwood'School,'and'Rockcliffe'Park'Public' School,'which'allowed'us'to'photograph'the'many'fascinating'historic'objects'at'the' locations.'We'very'much'appreciate'the'help'provided'by'Vicky'Wilgress,'X,'and'X'during' this'stage.' We'photographed'benches,'Village'entrance'markers,'commemorative'plaques,'and'just' about'anything'else'we'could'find.'Then'we'used'this'photographic'record'as'the'basis' for'a'detailed'inventory.'' We'then'grouped'each'artefact'into'one'of'six'groups:'Art'U'1;'Benches'U'2;'Paths'and' Walls'U'3;'Plaques'and'Signs'U'4;'Trees'U'5;'and'a'Miscellaneous'category'U'6.'Each'object' was'given'a'four'digit'serial'code;'the'first'digit'corresponded'to'the'group'to'which'the' object'belongs.'' For'example,'a'sculpture'might'have'the'serial'number'1U002;'the'photographs'of'that' item'were'given'the'numbers'1U002U1,'1U002U2,'1U002U3,'and'so'on.' After'numbering'all'the'items'and'photos,'we'added'a'description'of'each'item'and'its' location.'The'result'is'that'every'interesting'object'we'could'find'can'be'visualized'using' its'description,'seen'using'the'images'in'our'picture'inventory,'and'found'using'our' account'of'its'location.' We'then'selected'a'few'of'the'more'interesting'items'for'special'attention.'We' assembled'and'printed'a'full'page'of'photos'and'information'about'each'of'these'items.' Much'of'the'history'that'we'reported'in'these'pages'was'obtained'from'Martha' Edmond`s'Rockcliffe)Park:)A)History)of)the)Village,'and'we'are'most'grateful'for'this' wonderful'resource.'LongUtime'Rockcliffe'residents'Tony'Keith,'Iola'Price,'and'Martha' Edmond'were'also'tremendously'helpful'in'providing'historical'context'for'these'items.' Finally,'we'assembled'the'information'we'had'gathered.'We'placed'the'inventory'and' “interest'pages”'in'a'binder,'separated'by'category,'and'added'a'title'page,'as'well'as' this'“Forward.”' A'key'benefit'of'the'record'we'have'prepared'is'that'it'can'be'used'as'the'basis'for' incremental'improvement'as'new'items'are'placed'in'the'Village'or'as'individuals' identify'items'of'which'we'were'not'aware.'Our'hope'is'that'using'our'inventory'as'a' base,'Village'residents'can'continuously'improve'the'record.' Compiling'this'information'for'the'Friends'of'the'Village'of'Rockcliffe'Park'Foundation' was'truly'an'absorbing'project'and'we'enjoyed'the'task.'However,'it'could'not'have' been'done'without'Board'members'Mike'McIntyre'and'Liz'Heatherington,'and'we'are' extremely'grateful'for'their'support'and'guidance'throughout'the'project.' ' Meredith'Smallwood'and'Fiona'Lane' Item # 1-002 “Regeneration” These large metal pinecones, by Canadian sculptor Floyd Elzinga, were installed in the Village Green in 2009 in honour of Margot Gualtieri. Item #s 4-011 and 4-085 McKay Lake Marker In 1930, the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club placed two markers; designed to look like glacial boulders, but made of concrete. This marker, on Hillsdale Road, reads: “The level of McKay Lake stood at around the level of this marker a few thousand years ago. The white marl formed at that time with its freshwater shells may be seen a few rods southeast of this point.” The other marker almost covered by trees and shrubs; it is difficult to read and almost impossible to find, but a 1931 photograph of it shows that it reads: “The age of McKay Lake dates from the close of the Ottawa Valley marine submergence. Kingsmere and most other lakes in this region date from an earlier event: the end of the glacial period.” Item #6-007 The Birkenfels Gates These ornate gates were originally located at the entrance to the Birkenfels Estate, which stood at the north end of Birkenfels Road. The estate was built by Thomas Keefer in 1864 and demolished in 1991. These gates, which probably date from the construction of the estate, were restored and erected on the Buchan Road entrance to the Village Green in 2007. Item #s 6-003 – 6-006; 6-035-6-037 Corinthian Columns These Corinthian columns once stood at the entrance to Ottawa’s Carnegie Public Library on Metcalfe Street, which was demolished in 1971. They were kept in an NCC storage yard until Rockcliffe Park architect and resident discovered them; the NCC made them available and four segments were placed in the Jubilee Garden for its official opening in 1980. The NCC subsequently placed other segments in the Rockeries. Item # 1-001 “Birds and Chipmunks” This bronze sculpture of birds and animals was created by Art Price and donated by the children of Wilson and Henrietta Southam (Margaret, William, Ethel, John, Donald, and G.) to the children of Rockcliffe Park, upon the opening of the Village Green in 1967. Item #s 1-004 and 1-005 Stained Glass Window Located on the north wall of the Chapel at Ashbury College, the window consists of three parts. The left window is dedicated to Alfred Beaufort Belcher; the design includes the crests of the Royal Military Academy and a few lines of one of Belcher’s poems. The right window is dedicated to the memory of Michael F. A. Ney, and includes the crests of the Royal Roads Military College and of Trinity College at the University of Toronto. Item # 4-014 Rockeries Acknowledgement Tucked out of the way, just west of the path through the Rockeries, lies a tribute to two men who greatly influenced the development of the park. The area had been a streetcar line (until 1932) and roadway (until 1937), but the FDC obtained land from several people, including the Southams, and at the Southam brothers’ suggestion, developed a set of rock gardens next to the Southams’ own rock gardens. The Southam brothers encouraged the FDC to develop the rock gardens still further, in the hopes of creating a tourist attraction similar to Victoria’s Butchart Gardens, but the FDC did not pursue this seriously. In 1949, the Southams decided that their gardens were becoming too difficult to maintain; at the suggestion of Wilson’s son Hamilton, the Southam brothers donated their rock gardens to the FDC. This bronze plaque was erected at that time to remember the Southams’ generosity. Item # 1-006 Woolcombe Memorial Window This memorial window, located on the north wall of the chapel in Ashbury College, was created by artist Leonard Pike in 1961 to honour Canon Woollcombe, the founder and first headmaster of Ashbury College. The three large windows depict Woollcombe as a teacher, preacher, and counsellor. At the top of the window are seven designs: from left to right, a crown and palm for wisdom, ivy for fidelity, a vine for the blood of Christ, a sheaf of wheat for the body of Christ, oak leaves for strength, and a cross and wreath for peace. There are also the crests of four academic institutions to which Woollcombe was affiliated: Bishop’s, Oxford, and McGill Universities and Ashbury College. Text along the bottom of the window reads “To the glory of God and in loving memory of Canon G. P. Woollcombe, M.A., L.L.D., 1867-1951. Founder and Headmaster of Ashbury College, 1891-1933.” (See items 1-004 and 1-005 for map reference.) Item #s 6-013 and 4-012 Queen Juliana Cornerstone When Germany invaded the Netherlands in 1940, Crown Princess (later Queen) Juliana fled from Holland with daughters Beatrix and Irene. She arrived in Canada and moved into a house in Rockcliffe Park. Princesses Beatrix and Irene attended Rockcliffe Park Public School during their years in Ottawa (Princess Margriet, born at the Ottawa Civic Hospital in 1943, was too young). Crown Princess Juliana lived in the Village until they moved to England in 1944 (returning to Holland after the Liberation in 1945), and the ties between Canada and Holland were strengthened considerably by the years that the Royal Family spent in Rockcliffe Park. Queen Juliana laid the cornerstone for the Queen Juliana Hall, which was added to RPPS in 1952, and in 2005, Princess Margriet supervised the moving of the cornerstone to the south side of the building. Item # 3-025 Drystone Wall Drystone walls are constructed only of stone, without any mortar holding the pieces together. This technique is quite unusual in Canada, as it requires a certain amount of skill to properly construct a drystone wall. The Village of Rockcliffe Park is lucky enough to have in its boundaries several beautiful drystone walls (though many have been topped with concrete since they were built). One of the finest examples of drystone is the wall that surrounds 400 Acacia Avenue, along Acacia Avenue, Buena Vista Road, and Crescent Road. Item #s 4-001 -- 009 Village Entrance Markers In the year 2000, the Village Council placed bronze plaques (cast in Merrickville) on boulders (taken from the area of the Village Green) and positioned them at the nine principal entrances to the Village. Sandridge Rd. and Birch Ave. Birch Ave. and Hemlock Rd. Hemlock Rd. and Lansdowne Rd. S. Princess Ave. Acacia Ave.