Lost Ottawa Facebook 2018
Here are all the Lost Ottawa posts that appeared on Facebook in 2018, starting with the most recent and going backwards.
You can view the posts in various ways. You can read the descriptions on this page and see the initial comments. You can click on the three dots at the bottom of a post to see more comments. You can click on the picture to see a “full screen” version of the picture with comments. You can view the original post on Facebook and leave more comments there.
At the bottom of the page there is a “Get More Posts” link that will load additional posts to the page. We are still working on a way to make the posts searchable.
Steven Keenan shares a piece of Ottawa memorabilia from 1987.
Explains Steven:Since Cobden Road was mentioned last week. Ottawa Nepean Canadian Sports Club 1987 Directory.
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Looking down on Ottawa's lost Lebreton Flats in this great photo shared by Fred Byers.
Writes Fred:The old neighborhood, Lebreton Flats. In 1867 Ottawa was considered one of the most dangerous cities in North America. The Flats, would be the reason for that notoriety.
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Here's an Ottawa panorama looking northeast from Parliament Hill shared by Ben Weiss.
Writes Ben:Thursday's posted photo of the Government Printing Bureau (now site of the National Gallery) prompted me to think about this 1855 panorama of Lower Town, which shows that same spot and the surrounding area.
There's definitely no National Gallery or Government Printing Bureau. But clearly visible on "Sussex Street" is the Notre Dame Cathedral, the early Ottawa General Hospital (which wouldn't leave Sussex Drive until 1980) and the Convent.... all relatively new at the time.
This detailed picture (from the perspective of soon-to-be Parliament Hill) certainly shows the early influence on Bytown of Elisabeth Bruyere and the Grey Nuns and Bishop Guigues and the Oblate Fathers.
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Snowtime is Joytime in Ottawa according to this silent film clip shared from the vaults of the Natonal Film Board.
The clip offers a joytime to historians, at least. You will get to see some great scenes of dowtown Ottawa, the ski train that used to take you to the Gatineau, and number of pictures showing you how skiiing used to be ... and not a tow in sight!
FYI, the clip is a little long -- but it's really worth it, especially the footage of ski jumping in Rockliffe at the end. Bring back the Jump!
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Jay Dorey shares an Ottawa mystery sign, found on a downtown rooftop. Lost *out of* plain sight?
Says Jay:Found this weird sign while working on a roof on wellington street. I bet there is something interesting behind this.
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Came across this small but amazingly-coloured lantern slide of Ottawa from the McCord Museum yesterday.
Taken from the Sappers Bridge sometime around 1896, it shows the canal when it was still a working proposition.
There were still freight forwarders and such on the right side of the Rideau Canal. On the left? Those noisy contraptions that ultimately ruined the canal's financial prospects.
The cars you see there were for J.R Booth's Canada Atlantic Railway and those were the trains sheds passengers used before there was a Union Station.
I also love the view of the earlier Laurier Avenue Bridge in the distance. Imagine driving over that!
(McCord Museum 025-860)
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Here's a Lost Ottawa weekend outing for you ... skiing and tobogganing in Rockliffe Park.
Shared by Ben Weiss who writes:Rockcliffe Park... a great place to strap on skis in the 1920s...
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We research quite a few pics relating to Lost Ottawa Christmas traditions. Here's one from 1959 that got the better of me.
Fancy table cloth, nice candle setting, the fine china, and of course the turkey.
But I don't remember the paper chicken-hats!
(Photo: Malak, LAC 4949751)
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Thomas Mellish shares the cover of his Christmas reading project. What could be better than a nice history of Ottawa!
Writes Thomas:Got this book for Christmas and I'm looking forward to reading it. But I have never heard the term 'City of the Big Ears' used before.
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Maybe you were thinking of heading to the National Gallery in downtown Ottawa over the holidays. Take in a little art? Here's what used to stand there -- the Government Printing Bureau.
Built in the 1890s, this pic shows the Printing Bureau as it was in 1912, when two stories had been added on top.
All government printing used to take place there. The building was demolished circa 1958, when a new printing bureau was established in Hull.
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Here's a special treat for the young ladies of Ottawa's St. Joseph's Orphanage on December 27, 1955.
That's when they got to see Peter Pan as well as Ali Baba and his Forty Thieves, courtesy of La Ligue de la Jeunesse Feminine.
Awesome double bill at the Theatre Francais on Dalhousie Street.
(City of Ottawa Archives CA036091)
16 CommentsComment on Facebook
Ben Weiss shares more skiers in downtown Ottawa.
Says Ben:A 1920s photo of skiers waiting at the Chateau Laurier. (Waiting for what? A ride to somewhere else? Gatineau Hills maybe?)
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Here's something you can do work off some of that Christmas turkey -- a little cross country skiing along Dow's Lake or the Rideau Canal like these hardy Ottawa folk in December of 1955.
Me? I'm heading to to the "chesterfield," as my dad used to call it. He lay there quite often ... so I'm calling it a family tradition!
(City of Ottawa archives CA035900)
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Winter in Rockledge Terrace in 1955, when the town houses (do you call them that?) there were brand new.
It looks greener now, at least, surrounded by trees. Same developer as Manor Park?
Rockledge Road is in behind Mark Motors, near the corner of St. Laurent and Montreal Road.
( City of Ottawa Archives CA035857-W)
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When skiing or skating outdoors around Ottawa in the old days, there always seemed to be some clankety old boiler you could warm your hands on.
Here's the heater at Camp Fortune where Marion Dunning, Sally Sturgeon, Jay Fripp and Joan Heggtveit are warming up after watching a day of racing in 1956.
(City of Ottawa Archives CA036334)
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The inside of Union Station done up for an Ottawa Christmas circa 1955, featuring a giant tree on the staircase up to Rideau Street.
Below the tree, the famous tunnel to the Chateau Laurier.
(CSTM CN 49923)
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When you get that new tricycle for Christmas, you just don't care how much ice there is in Ottawa ...
(City of Ottawa Archives CA035528)
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Christmas Greetings from Lost Ottawa!
Here's an Xmas postcard from the Tuck postcard company circa 1908 and with plenty of "lost."
On the far left the Russell House Hotel, then the ramshackle stairs that that took you to J.R. Booth's Canada Atlantic Railway station (before there was a Union Station).
Next you have the block of buildings and the Old Post Office where the War Memorial stands today. In front of that, what I always think of as Ottawa's "Bermuda Triangle," which was the huge gap between Sappers and Dufferin bridges, with the Rideau Canal below.
All the best to everyone!
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Santa skips the reindeer on this visit to Ottawa, December 1, 1955.
Instead he arrived at Uplands aboard the "Santa Toy Lift," bringing gifts to kids at the St. Patrick's Home and the St. Jospeh's Orphanage.
(City of Ottawa Archives CA035667)
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Christmas shopping at Ottawa's St. Hubert appliance store sale in December of 1955.
This one caught my eye because TV's were still rather new then -- a great Christmas gift.
But would kids these days even recognize these as TV's? And what do they think we mean when we say "glued to the box?"
As for St. Hubert's, I want to say Rideau Street. Or Eastview?
(City of Ottawa Archives CA036001-W)
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Last day for Ottawa your Xmas shopping at Carlingwood? You might need a cup of tea and a bite to eat ... no, not at the "food court," at the lunch counter!
The original record doesn't say so, but I believe this is the lunch counter in the Carlingwood Woolworth's in 1956, when it was brand new (and I'm guessing Woolworths by the stuff for sale on the tables).
(City of Ottawa Archives CA037442)
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Your Christmas Commute through downtown Ottawa ... I hope not!
Actually, this is the morning puzzler. The year is 1956, and I was thinking this was road down from St. Patrick and Sussex to the Alexandra Bridge.
Then I was thinking it could be coming down Albert from Bronson and swinging around on Commissoner Street to Wellington ...
Wherever it is, all those people out of their cars can't have been too happy.
(City of Ottawa CA037599)
18 CommentsComment on Facebook
Music for an Ottawa Christmas week as found in the CFRA Top 30 for December 20 1969.
I see one Ottawa band on there -- The Marshmallow Soup Group!
Neil Diamond at Number One. Good songwriter, I know, but I never did take a liking to him.
(Shared by Ken Clavette)
28 CommentsComment on Facebook
Is there still time? You could grab your Lost Ottawa Christmas Tree at Carlingwood?
Actually, I think I saw a sign for Christmas trees there the other day ...
(City of Ottawa Archives CA042421-W)
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Sunday Drive through Ottawa's original park in 1898, showing what a winter outing was like back in the day!
This is another silent clip from the NFB archives. Alas, nothing can be done about the ugly watermarks. You learn to look past them!
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Here's a little Ottawa Christmas shopping for you, in what I believe is Freiman's in Westgate, no date.
The first part features ladies at the perfume counter, but the real fun starts about 24 seconds in.
Those ladies with their hats are hilarious!
(NFB Archives 7952)
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Paul Couvrette shares a little piece Ottawa's Holiday Season, as seen on Parliament Hill.
Writes Paul:
This content isn't available right now
When this happens, it's usually because the owner only shared it with a small group of people, changed who can see it or it's been deleted.14 CommentsComment on Facebook
Following up on the Ottawa Wendy's that burned down at Lincoln Fields ...
Here's shot from Friday, shared by Mike Maxsom.
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The Freiman's Santa Claus parade was a huge deal back in the '50s and '60s. Here's two shots of the parade coming out of Little Sussex Street (and the back door of Union Station).
First two Elves, the majorettes and a marching band, then Santa and his reindeer on a float. Santa would have just come to the station by train after arriving in Vars by helicopter.
Date would be appear to be 1956. The City Archives has a picture of an identical-looking float for that year -- which was the first year of Santa's Mystery Special.
(Vanier Museopark MVM.2016.P.0008.0001.D)
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Dennis Lloyd shares this memory of an Ottawa corner store:Last time I saw a small paper bag this size was at Ernie's Sundries, Cobden Rd. at Iris St., 1960s:
"Umm...yeah...I'd like 2 mint leaves, 2 licorice pipes, 1 jawbreaker, 3 jujubes, 1 wax lips, 4 black balls - the good ones with the rainbow centres...oh, and a candy necklace for my little sister --- here's my quarter."
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Here's a short film clip shot in Ottawa, taken from the NFB's online archive of silent footage.
It depicts the Duke of Devonshire arriving on Parliament Hill for the Opening of Parliament in 1920 -- which the Duke did by sleigh.
Everybody, including the horses, look cold.
Check out the massive fur coats of the sleigh drivers. Standard winter driving apparel in those days!
(Clipped from NFB Archives No. 6097)
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Here's a nifty Lost Ottawa vehicle!
Shared by Rick Paquet, who writes:This is how Dr. Harold Geggie did house calls in 1930 up in Wakefield !
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Ben Weiss shares one of those dreams we have during an Ottawa Winter ... of summer on the beach at Britannia.
Writes Ben:Generations of us have enjoyed our summers playing and picnicking on the beaches and grounds of the west end's BRITANNIA PARK (seen here circa 1910). Did you know that we have Ottawa's own turn-of-the-century dynamic duo, AHEARN & SOPER to thank?
THOMAS AHEARN & WARREN SOPER thrust Ottawa into the modern era of ELECTRIC STREET CARS when they introduced the city to their state-of-the-art OTTAWA ELECTRIC RAILWAY in 1891.
However, they urgently needed to maximize ridership on this new mode of transportation (both during the week as well as on weekends) so they came up with the idea of providing families with exciting new destinations -- developing grand parks, including BRITANNIA & ROCKCLIFFE, that have brought joy to Ottawans for over a century now.
In addition, these clever innovators formed the OTTAWA LAND ASSOCIATION (partnering with other speculators) to subdivide land and create the first SUBURBS along their street car routes, especially in the west end.
(Their Bank Street street car line inspired the local landowner to subdivide his family farm, launching the GLEBE neighbourhood.)
The enterprising duo didn't stop there. The same year AHEARN & SOPER began the Ottawa Electric Railway they also created a subsidiary, the OTTAWA CAR COMPANY, with its plant at Kent & Slater, converting William Wylie's carriage building operations to build street cars for themselves and for cities right across Canada.
This subsidiary produced over 1600 vehicles (including military vehicles and weapons, ambulances and Howitzer guns during the Boer War and WWI) and was eventually renamed OTTAWA CAR & AIRCRAFT LIMITED in 1937, having outgrown its downtown location and expanded to Bowesville Rd where it's WWII activities directly led to the establishment of the first major airfields at Uplands and Rockcliffe, producing wartime aircraft for Armstrong and Avro and parts such as bomb doors, flaps and elevators for Lancaster bombers.
DID YOU ALSO KNOW?
- It required 10 cents and 30 minutes to ride the street car from downtown to BRITANNIA at the turn of the century.
- Ahearn & Soper's street cars were launched BEFORE TORONTO & MONTREAL had theirs, customized for Ottawa winters with the innovation of special snow-clearing rotating brushes.
- Ahearn & Soper's street cars were the FIRST IN THE WORLD TO BE ELECTRICALLY HEATED, featuring Ahearn's patented invention of an electrically-heated water system.
- In 1878 Thomas Ahearn unknowingly infringed on Alexander Graham Bell's patent by making Ottawa's FIRST LONG DISTANCE PHONE CALL using handmade sets from cigar boxes he constructed after reading an article in Scientific American. Subsequently the recently formed Bell Telephone Company hired Ahearn, at the age of 25, to run their Ottawa operation in 1880.
- Ahearn & Soper installed the PARLIAMENT BUILDINGS' FIRST TELEPHONE SYSTEM in 1882.
- In 1892 Thomas Ahearn invented, patented and demonstrated purportedly the world's FIRST ELECTRIC OVEN, preparing the world's first meal cooked completely by electricity at Ottawa's Windsor Hotel, at the northeast corner of Queen & Metcalfe, and introduced it to the world at Chicago's 1893 World's Fair.
- Ahearn & Soper started up the first of their light & power businesses in 1887, eventually evolving them into the OTTAWA LIGHT, HEAT & POWER COMPANY by 1908, providing decades of private sector competition for Ottawa Hydro.
- In 1899 Ahearn was the FIRST IN OTTAWA TO DRIVE AN AUTOMOBILE (it was electric).
- In 1901 Ahearn & Soper received accolades when they magnificently electrically lit up PARLIAMENT HILL, MAJORS HILL PARK and the ALEXANDRA BRIDGE for the visit of the future KING GEORGE V and QUEEN MARY.
- Ahearn & Soper introduced electric lighting to industries such as lumber mills, dramatically increasing productive time for Ottawa area enterprises.
- Ahearn had close relationships with prime ministers WILFRID LAURIER and MACKENZIE KING, helping with the purchase of LAURIER HOUSE and installing the electrical wiring for King's cottage at KINGSMERE.
- King appointed Ahearn CHAIRMAN of the OTTAWA IMPROVEMENT COMMISSION (predecessor of the NCC) in the 1920s where Ahearn spearheaded improvements to the DRIVEWAY, ISLAND PARK DRIVE, and the building of the CHAMPLAIN BRIDGE.
- King also appointed Ahearn to the PRIVY COUNCIL and the National Advisory Committee on the ST LAWRENCE WATERWAY.
- An avid inventor, Ahearn eventually held over TWO DOZEN CANADIAN AND U.S. PATENTS.
- Ahearn's son, Frank, eventually ran his father's businesses and was FIRST OWNER of the NHL-era Stanley Cup winning OTTAWA SENATORS and, in the 1930s was elected to Parliament.
- Ahearn's daughter, Ethel, married Harry Southam, long-time publisher of the OTTAWA CITIZEN and founding Chancellor of CARLETON COLLEGE (UNIVERSITY) 1952-1954.
- The city purchased the Ottawa Electric Railway in 1948 and it became the OTC, and later OC TRANSPO.
- The LAST OF THE STREET CARS came to a stop in 1959.
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Advertisement for Santa's Workshop at Ottawa's Westgate Shopping Centre in December of 1955.
The picture is not too clear, but you get the idea.
The workshop was in a log cabin, placed in the corner of the parking lot near Handy Andy's and ... Kresge's?
(From the Ottawa Citizen)
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Our friends at the Bytown Museum share an Ottawa outing.
Asks the Bytown:What does your office Christmas party look like? 🤣
The Duke of Connaught and friends - including his wife Princess Louise, and daughter Princess Patricia - at Rockcliffe Cabin in the winter of 1913.
[Bytown Museum, P3143]
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Christine Stinson shares a photo of herself at Ottawa favourite department store -- Freiman's!
Says Christine:This photo was taken of me by my Mom at Freiman’s Department Store December 1957 on Rideau Street Ottawa. They always had a Magical Christmas display in their windows. Santa spoke to you through the Microphone He moved his arms.
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Folks walks through the winter desolation of Confederation Square circa 1959-60, when it functioned as a traffic circle.
Way over on the right there's someone in denial about about Ottawa winters, still driving their British sports car.
The Chateau really needed a cleaning in those days after so many years of locomotives going by ...
(LAC e999906018-u.jpg)
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We had some Ottawa hockey players drinking their milk the other day. Here's what looks like the cap to a jug from Ottawa's Plante Dairy ... well RR #4 Ottawa anyway.
Love the phone number! TA for Talbot? Taylor?
Shared by Glen Conway.
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Ottawa kids peer into the store windows at what I'm thinking is a Freiman's Department Store, December 13, 1955.
Santa looks like he's too busy playing with the train set to pay attention to no kids!
(City of Ottawa Archives CA035873)
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You never know what you'll find ... and in some cases you might be able fill out your own certificate for the Great Ottawa Snow of 1970-71!
Shared by Mark Rehder:Came across this in a stack of unused paper I’d found in a desk in my new place. Looks like the previous tenant just filed it away and it has sat ever since.
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