Britannia (Ottawa)
Encyclopedia
Britannia is a neighbourhood and also a street in the west end of Ottawa
, on the Ottawa River
across from Aylmer
.
It was once a small cottage town to the west of Ottawa, but rapid growth in all directions during the 20th century meant that it was soon surrounded by the western suburb
of Nepean
. Larger, modern houses were built in between cottages. Nowadays it is simply an out-of-the-way part of west end of Ottawa, featuring among other things a dog-washing business, an elementary school, a movie theatre complex, a nature trail (Mud Lake), a beach
, and a water filtration plant
.
The neighborhood has a mix of low and high income housing. The lower income areas of the neighbourhood are closer to Richmond Road and the more affluent areas are located near the yacht club
at the north end of Britannia Road.
Britannia retains some of its early cottage flavour, with a yacht club at the end of the road, and many older cottages living on as bungalow
s. The way it is surrounded by water, forest, and steep hills means that, with a bit of wildlife-conservation, Britannia will probably keep its reclusive appeal for many more years.
The neighbourhood has a perhaps one of its kind 1967 EXPO style dome covering a local children's hockey rink that made it to the top 500 architecturally significant buildings in Canada in 2002 as voted by CIRA, and, is the former home of the Ottawa Folk Festival
at Britannia Park. Its history includes a very large and popular canoe club from the turn of the century, which became the Britannia Yacht Club. Canada's only Gold medal winner from the 1936 Summer Olympics
, Frank Amyot
, paddled these waters in the 1920s and 1930's.
The area became popular at the turn of the century because the Ottawa Gas and Electric company extended the trolley line and created an amusement park at Britannia beach to encourage users of the trolley system to use the system on weekends. A cottage and beach community resulted.
Winding its way through the river front area is a bike path, which extends from Britannia some 12 kilometers to the Parliament buildings downtown. Today, there is probably no neighbourhood in Ottawa more mixed than Britannia forming a contrast with many of the homogenized satellite communities that have become Ottawa.
Ottawa
Ottawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
, on the Ottawa River
Ottawa River
The Ottawa River is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. For most of its length, it now defines the border between these two provinces.-Geography:...
across from Aylmer
Aylmer, Quebec
Aylmer is a former city in Quebec, Canada. It became a sector of the City of Gatineau on January 1, 2002. Located on the Ottawa River and Route 148 it is a part of the National Capital Region. The population in 2006 was 41 882 — approx. 16% of Gatineau...
.
It was once a small cottage town to the west of Ottawa, but rapid growth in all directions during the 20th century meant that it was soon surrounded by the western suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Nepean
Nepean, Ontario
- Recent quantity of snow :- History :Nepean Township, originally known as Township D, was established in 1792 and originally included what is now the central area of Ottawa west of the Rideau River. Jehiel Collins, from Vermont, is believed to have been the first person to settle in Nepean...
. Larger, modern houses were built in between cottages. Nowadays it is simply an out-of-the-way part of west end of Ottawa, featuring among other things a dog-washing business, an elementary school, a movie theatre complex, a nature trail (Mud Lake), a beach
Beach
A beach is a geological landform along the shoreline of an ocean, sea, lake or river. It usually consists of loose particles which are often composed of rock, such as sand, gravel, shingle, pebbles or cobblestones...
, and a water filtration plant
Water purification
Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, materials, and biological contaminants from contaminated water. The goal is to produce water fit for a specific purpose...
.
The neighborhood has a mix of low and high income housing. The lower income areas of the neighbourhood are closer to Richmond Road and the more affluent areas are located near the yacht club
Yacht club
A yacht club is a sports club specifically related to sailing and yachting.-Description:Yacht Clubs are mostly located by the sea, although there are some that have been established at a lake or riverside locations...
at the north end of Britannia Road.
Britannia retains some of its early cottage flavour, with a yacht club at the end of the road, and many older cottages living on as bungalow
Bungalow
A bungalow is a type of house, with varying meanings across the world. Common features to many of these definitions include being detached, low-rise , and the use of verandahs...
s. The way it is surrounded by water, forest, and steep hills means that, with a bit of wildlife-conservation, Britannia will probably keep its reclusive appeal for many more years.
The neighbourhood has a perhaps one of its kind 1967 EXPO style dome covering a local children's hockey rink that made it to the top 500 architecturally significant buildings in Canada in 2002 as voted by CIRA, and, is the former home of the Ottawa Folk Festival
CKCU Ottawa Folk Festival
The Ottawa Folk Festival is a major Canadian folk music festival. The organization presents a four-day weekend festival in September, as well as an evening benefit concert series throughout the year....
at Britannia Park. Its history includes a very large and popular canoe club from the turn of the century, which became the Britannia Yacht Club. Canada's only Gold medal winner from the 1936 Summer Olympics
1936 Summer Olympics
The 1936 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event which was held in 1936 in Berlin, Germany. Berlin won the bid to host the Games over Barcelona, Spain on April 26, 1931, at the 29th IOC Session in Barcelona...
, Frank Amyot
Frank Amyot
Francis Amyot was a Canadian sprint canoer who competed in the 1930s.Born in Thornhill, Ontario, he won Canada's only gold medal at the 1936 Summer Olympics in the C-1 1000m canoeing event. This proved embarrassing to Canadian officials who had refused to pay his way...
, paddled these waters in the 1920s and 1930's.
The area became popular at the turn of the century because the Ottawa Gas and Electric company extended the trolley line and created an amusement park at Britannia beach to encourage users of the trolley system to use the system on weekends. A cottage and beach community resulted.
Winding its way through the river front area is a bike path, which extends from Britannia some 12 kilometers to the Parliament buildings downtown. Today, there is probably no neighbourhood in Ottawa more mixed than Britannia forming a contrast with many of the homogenized satellite communities that have become Ottawa.
External links
- Ottawa Neighbourhood Study Wiki! http://137.122.133.36/neighbourhoodstudy.ca/pmwiki/pmwiki.php?n=Main.BritanniaVillage