Heritage Ottawa NEWSLETTER Dedicated to Preserving Our Built Heritage Autumn 2002 Volume 29, No. 2 News from the Executive Changes in Executive Carolyn Quinn has resigned her presidency of Heritage Ottawa, and has been replaced by David Flemming on an interim basis until the election of Caroline Quinn officers at the next Annual General Meeting to be held 3 May 2003. Carolyn Quinn has served A Heritage Abuilding Heritage Ottawa well during her term of office, and has done much * By David Bullock to raise and strengthen Heritage “For there is no discrepancy between old I offer two reasons. First, the building Ottawa’s recognition as a leading and new works of art, none whatsoever. will occupy the site of the now-demol- advocacy group. ished Daly Building. The controversy Heritage Ottawa will not be The great works of the past remain about the latter’s preservation generated a totally deprived of Carolyn Quinn’s ‘aesthetically’ distinct and emotionally good deal of heat in the media and in skills and determination to preserve near to us. and all the more if there are heritage circles – justifiably so, in view Ottawa’s Built Heritage, for she has new works constantly arriving to fortify of the dominance of the building and its agreed to serve as Past-President. location at a crossroads of ‘national’ On behalf of the members of Heritage their position. Perhaps we might look at heritage (the ceremonial route) and Ottawa, we thank both Carolyn them ‘in a historical sense’ if this constant that of ‘local’ Ottawa (juxtaposition and David Flemming for their past renovation of art forms could be stopped, with the Chateau Laurier and the old service and wish them well in their because in that case our aesthetic percep- Union Station at the top of the Rideau new positions. Street streetscape). Second, it is an The Chair of the Nominating tion would have come to an end also..” opportunity to remind readers that Committee, Gordon Cullingham George Seferis, Nobel Prize Winner (Literature) Heritage Ottawa considers our future has relinquished that position, which built heritage as well as our past. will be taken over by Past-President, “You may well ask what on earth is an Some people were vehemently Carolyn Quinn. article about an as yet, unbuilt commer- opposed to the demolition of the Daly cially marketed building doing in the Building and the consequent loss of newsletter of a heritage organization?” what had been a good example of the Continued on page 2 Continued on page 2 1 News Continued… A Heritage Abuilding: continued from page 1 Heritage Ottawa will not be totally deprived of Carolyn Quinn’s skills and determination to The building as it will appear from four different aspects. preserve Ottawa’s Built Heritage, she will continue Chicago Style in an early 20th-century Laurier’s service dock and steps between to serve on the Board as department store. Others felt that the the streets. The building is set back extent of ill-designed modifications over from Rideau Street by about 26m, that Past-President. the years had turned the structure into a is, approximately level with the south travesty which would cost a fortune to east corner tower of the Chateau return to even a semblance of the Laurier. H.O. Restructuring Proposal original and which would not be missed. The bottom two floors of the David Flemming has presented to I commend to you the 1950s photograph building consist of potentially two- the Board a reorganisation proposal reproduced in the last issue of this storey commercial spaces, some with identifying objectives to double Newsletter looking down Rideau Street entry-level on Sussex Drive and others membership within three years, from the National War Memorial. It with entry-level on MacKenzie Avenue. broaden membership to outlying areas shows clearly the dominance of the Daly They all will be served from the in the new City boundaries. To achieve Building. For better or worse, it is gone commercial atrium to be entered from these objectives, David recommended and people have become used to the a park-like plaza on Rideau Street. the formation of six new committees open space left by its removal. Above the commercial levels are (Finance, Membership, Newsletter nine floors of condominium apartments, and Publicity, Program, Research being marketed as “700 Sussex” and and Publication, and Community ... it is an opportunity above them roof-top mechanical Advocacy). The Board will meet to remind readers that installations. The residences are laid out quarterly; an Executive Committee roughly in a U-shape around common will meet monthly. Board members Heritage Ottawa considers services while the upper floors lie responded positively to the proposal, our future built heritage as around another atrium rising to the and discussion followed on potential roof, and planted with gardens open implementation. David Flemming well as our past. towards Rideau Street. suggested membership could be From the point of view of passers- expanded by a series of monthly by, the new building will blend rather lectures, rotated in location in different What will take its place? The build- than stand out or clash with its neigh- parts of Ottawa. An implementation ing, designed by distinguished Montreal bours. Significant to pedestrians will be plan could be presented at the next architect Dan Hanganu, is symmetrical the open plaza and the commercial 3 May 2003 Annual General Meeting. in design on all four elevations and atrium where shops and restaurants constructed of masonry‹yes, a modern have the potential for animation, eleven-storey stone building! The colour adding something of the the street life of the stone has been chosen to weather of the Market and Rideau Street to the Heritage Ottawa to a shade not clashing with other relatively sedate atmosphere surround- adjacent buildings. Like them, it has ing the Chateau Laurier and the old NEWSLETTER strongly defined corners. The windows Union Station. We shall have to come Heritage Ottawa is a non-profit are set-in, giving a discernible shadow back in a half century to judge how the organization dedicated to advocating effect. The overall height is roughly building fits into Ottawa’s heritage, but the preservation, restoration, and equal to the Connaught Building, just to I for one, find it quite promising. adaptive re-use of the National the north, with a gap between allowing Capital’s built and natural heritage. a view of the Chateau Laurier from Editor: James D. Georgiles George Street through the ByWard *David Bullock is a member of the Graphic Designer: Jan Soetermans Market Area. This gap provides for the Board of Heritage Ottawa. Any opinions Printing: Tina & Company entrance to the residences and their expressed in the article are his alone and parking garage as well as to the Chateau likely not shared by other Board members. 2 The Alexandra Interprovincial Bridge By Paul Stumes ith few exceptions all major In 1890 a group of 27 local After careful consideration, the W cities around the globe have businessmen established the H. J. Beemer Company of Montreal developed on the banks of Interprovincial Bridge Company to was given the contract as General rivers or on sea coasts. When settle- promote the construction of a new Contractor of the project. The huge and ments sprang up on a site on one side of bridge between Hull and Nepean Point complex steel structure was manufactured river, it was just a matter of time before in Ottawa. The grandiose proposal by the weII-known Dominion Bridge the opposite side too became populated. suggested that this bridge should have Company. The construction of the Eventually, economic and social reasons a central track for railway and roads for concrete piers started in early 1898. would call for a rapid and safe means of carriages and pedestrians on the two This work was made challenging by up transporting people and goods between sides. The Company collected a starting to 50 ft thick layer of timber debris the two sides, and so arrived the concept capital of $30,000 for the project. which had accumulated on the river- of a bridge. The place where Canada’s The proposal was submitted to the bottom as the waste from the many Capital is located has followed this House of Commons and the Senate by sawmills around the area. course of evolution. the Cities of Ottawa and Hull. The The erection of steel superstructure Where once the loaded canoes had members of the Commons expressed commenced in October 1899. The five to be portaged over the Asticou (now their concern about the expenses and span trusses were together 1,848 feet Chaudiere) Falls on the Kitsisippi (now the Senate questioned the idea of build- long, with a centre cantilever span of Ottawa), settlements, which grew into ing a bridge so close to the Parliament 556 feet. At that time this was the cities sprang up on both shores.; these Hill. Nevertheless, the proposal was fourth longest truss in the world. The cities are Ottawa and Hull. The first accepted with a condition that the work vertical load posts at the long cantilever bridge between the two cities was built must commence by 1892 and the bridge sections were an impressive 95 feet in several sections over the Chaudiere be completed by 1895. The ground was high. The railway tracks on the centre Falls in 1827, followed by several broken with great ceremony on both and roads for general traffic on the improved versions. The second bridge, sides of the river on April 20, 1892. both sides made the bridge 62 feet wide.