Centretown
Encyclopedia
Centretown is a neighbourhood in Ottawa
, Canada
defined by the city as "the area bounded on the north by Gloucester Street and Lisgar Street, on the east by the Rideau Canal
, on the south by the Queensway
Freeway and on the west by Bronson Avenue." Traditionally it was all of Ottawa west of the Rideau Canal
, while Lower Town
was everything to the east. For certain purposes, such as the census and real estate listings, the Golden Triangle and/or Downtown Ottawa
(between Gloucester/Lisgar and the Ottawa River
) is included in Centretown and it is considered part of Centretown by the Centretown Citizens' Community Association as well as being used in this way in casual conversation.
Centretown is marked by a mix of residential and commercial properties. The main streets such as Bank Street
and Elgin Street
are largely commercial, while the smaller ones, notably Maclaren and Gladstone are more residential. Much of the area still consists of original single family homes, but there are newer infill and town house developments and low-rise and high-rise apartment buildings. A construction boom began in the late nineties significantly increased the number of condominiums and other residential and commercial high-rise buildings north of Cooper Street.
Landmarks include the Canadian Museum of Nature
, Dundonald Park
, Jack Purcell Park, the Ottawa Curling Club
, the Sens Mile and the Ottawa Central Bus Station.
. Defined as the area of Ottawa bounded on the west by Bronson, north by Gloucester Street, east by the Rideau Canal and on the south by the Queensway.
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...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
defined by the city as "the area bounded on the north by Gloucester Street and Lisgar Street, on the east by the Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
, on the south by the Queensway
Queensway (Ottawa)
The Queensway is a major controlled-access freeway running through Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, from Kanata in the west to Orleans in the east. It is the primary east-west transportation artery in the Ottawa-Gatineau area....
Freeway and on the west by Bronson Avenue." Traditionally it was all of Ottawa west of the Rideau Canal
Rideau Canal
The Rideau Canal , also known as the Rideau Waterway, connects the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada on the Ottawa River to the city of Kingston, Ontario on Lake Ontario. The canal was opened in 1832 as a precaution in case of war with the United States and is still in use today, with most of its...
, while Lower Town
Lower Town
Lowertown is a district in the central area of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada to the east of downtown. It is bounded roughly by Rideau Street to the south, Sussex Drive and Ottawa River to the north, the Rideau Canal to the west, and the Rideau River to the east...
was everything to the east. For certain purposes, such as the census and real estate listings, the Golden Triangle and/or Downtown Ottawa
Downtown Ottawa
Downtown Ottawa is the central area of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Like other downtowns it is the commercial and economic centre of the city. It is sometimes referred to as the Central Business District and contains Ottawa's financial district. It is bordered by the Ottawa River to the north, the...
(between Gloucester/Lisgar and 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:...
) is included in Centretown and it is considered part of Centretown by the Centretown Citizens' Community Association as well as being used in this way in casual conversation.
Centretown is marked by a mix of residential and commercial properties. The main streets such as Bank Street
Bank Street (Ottawa)
Bank Street is the major north-south road in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs south from Wellington Street in downtown Ottawa, south through the neighbourhoods of Centretown, The Glebe, Old Ottawa South, Alta Vista, Hunt Club, and then through the villages of Blossom Park, Leitrim, South...
and Elgin Street
Elgin Street (Ottawa)
Elgin Street is a street in the Golden Triangle of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Originally named Biddy's Lane, it was later named after Lord Elgin....
are largely commercial, while the smaller ones, notably Maclaren and Gladstone are more residential. Much of the area still consists of original single family homes, but there are newer infill and town house developments and low-rise and high-rise apartment buildings. A construction boom began in the late nineties significantly increased the number of condominiums and other residential and commercial high-rise buildings north of Cooper Street.
Landmarks include the Canadian Museum of Nature
Canadian Museum of Nature
The Canadian Museum of Nature is a natural history museum in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Its collections, which were started by the Geological Survey of Canada in 1856, include all aspects of the intersection of human society and nature, from gardening to gene-splicing...
, Dundonald Park
Dundonald Park
Dundonald Park is in Centretown, Ottawa, Ontario. It occupies a city block, with Somerset Street West to the north, Bay Street to the west, MacLaren Street to the south, and Lyon Street to the east...
, Jack Purcell Park, the Ottawa Curling Club
Ottawa Curling Club
The Ottawa Curling Club is an historic curling club located in downtown Ottawa on O'Connor Street. It is the oldest curling club in Ottawa, established in 1851 by Allan Gilmour as the Bytown Curling Club. The Club first played on the Rideau Canal until 1858...
, the Sens Mile and the Ottawa Central Bus Station.
Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 CensusCanada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
. Defined as the area of Ottawa bounded on the west by Bronson, north by Gloucester Street, east by the Rideau Canal and on the south by the Queensway.
- Population: 20,513
- Change (2001–2006): -3.1%
- Total Private Dwellings: 14,040
- Land Area: 2.1 km².
- Population density: 9768.1 per km².
Mid-Centretown Design Study
The city of Ottawa has launched a Mid-Centretown Community Design Plan study. It covers the areas roughly bounded by "Elgin Street on the east, the 417 on the south, Kent Street on the west and the Central Area boundary/Gloucester Street on the north". The design plan is targeted for completion in March 2011. Further information is available at http://ottawa.ca/midcentretownMembers of Parliament
The area was represented by two members from 1872 to 1935- Joseph Merrill CurrierJoseph Merrill CurrierJoseph Merrill Currier was a Canadian member of parliament and businessman.He was born in North Troy, Vermont in 1820 and moved to Canada in 1837, where he began work in the timber trade. Around 1850, he set up a sawmill and gristmill operation at Manotick, Ontario with Moss Kent Dickinson...
, Liberal-Conservative (1867–1882); Ottawa (City of)Ottawa (City of)Ottawa was a federal electoral district in the province of Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1867 to 1935.It was created by the British North America Act of 1867. It consisted of the city of Ottawa... - John Bower LewisJohn Bower LewisJohn Bower Lewis, QC was the second mayor of Bytown in 1848, the first mayor of Ottawa from 1855 to 1857, and a member of the 2nd Canadian Parliament from 1872 to 1873....
, ConservativeConservative Party of Canada (historical)The Conservative Party of Canada has gone by a variety of names over the years since Canadian Confederation. Initially known as the "Liberal-Conservative Party", it dropped "Liberal" from its name in 1873, although many of its candidates continued to use this name.As a result of World War I and the...
(1872–1874); Ottawa (City of) - Pierre St. JeanPierre St. JeanPierre St-Jean was a Canadian doctor and politician.He was born in Bytown in 1833. During the 1840s, he established a French language literary society there with J.B. Turgeon. He studied medicine at McGill College in Montreal and received his license to practice medicine in 1855...
, LiberalLiberal Party of CanadaThe Liberal Party of Canada , colloquially known as the Grits, is the oldest federally registered party in Canada. In the conventional political spectrum, the party sits between the centre and the centre-left. Historically the Liberal Party has positioned itself to the left of the Conservative...
(1874–1878); Ottawa (City of) - Joseph TasséJoseph TasséJoseph Tassé was a Canadian writer, translator, and parliamentarian.Born in L'Abord-à-Plouffe Lower Canada , Tassé as a young man studied the Classics at the Collège Bourget. Upon graduation he articled in law offices in Montreal, Plattsburgh, New York, and Ottawa...
, Conservative (1878–1887); Ottawa (City of) - Charles H. MackintoshCharles H. MackintoshCharles Herbert Mackintosh was a journalist, mayor of Ottawa from 1879–1881, represented Ottawa City as a Liberal-Conservative in the Canadian House of Commons from 1882 to 1887, and from 1890 to 1893, and served as Lieutenant Governor of the Northwest Territories from 1893 to 1898.-Parentage and...
, Conservative (1882–1887); Ottawa (City of) - W. G. Perley, Conservative (1887–1890); Ottawa (City of)
- Honoré RobillardHonoré RobillardHonoré Robillard was a Liberal-Conservative Member of the Canadian House of Commons for Ottawa City from 1887 to 1896 and a provincial Conservative Member of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario for Russell from 1883 to 1886...
, Liberal-Conservative (1887–1896); Ottawa (City of) - Charles H. Mackintosh, Conservative (1890–1893); Ottawa (City of)
- James Alexander GrantJames Alexander GrantSir James Alexander Grant, KCMG was an Ontario physician and political figure. He represented Russell in the Canadian House of Commons as a Conservative Party of Canada member from 1867 to 1874; he also represented the City of Ottawa in the federal parliament from 1893 to 1896.He was born in...
, Conservative (1893–1896); Ottawa (City of) - William HutchinsonWilliam HutchinsonWilliam Hutchinson was a judge of the Colony of Portsmouth on the island of Aquidneck, also known as Rhode Island . Sailing from England to New England with his large family in 1634, he became a merchant in Boston and served as both Deputy to the General Court and selectman...
, Liberal (1896–1900); Ottawa (City of) - N. A. Belcourt, Liberal (1896–1907); Ottawa (City of)
- Thomas BirkettThomas BirkettThomas Birkett was mayor of Ottawa, Canada in 1891 and a member of the Canadian House of Commons representing Ottawa City from 1900 to 1904....
, Conservative (1900–1904); Ottawa (City of) - Robert StewartRobert Stewart (Canadian politician)Robert Stewart was a Canadian politician.He was born in Ottawa, Ontario, the son of William Stewart and Sarah Jane Donaldson, migrants from Northern Ireland...
, Liberal (1904–1908); Ottawa (City of) - J. B. T. Caron, Liberal (1907–1908); Ottawa (City of)
- Sir Wilfrid LaurierWilfrid LaurierSir Wilfrid Laurier, GCMG, PC, KC, baptized Henri-Charles-Wilfrid Laurier was the seventh Prime Minister of Canada from 11 July 1896 to 6 October 1911....
, Liberal (1908–1910); Ottawa (City of) - Harold B. McGiverin, Liberal (1908–1911); Ottawa (City of)
- Albert AllardAlbert AllardAlbert Allard was a Canadian politician and store owner. He was elected in 1910 as a Member of the Canadian House of Commons for the riding of the City of Ottawa, Ontario, and a member of the Liberal Party...
, Liberal (1910–1911); Ottawa (City of) - Alfred Ernest FrippAlfred Ernest FrippAlfred Ernest Fripp was a Canadian lawyer and politician.Born in Ottawa, Ontario, the son of Sidney Bowles Fripp, he was first elected to the Canadian House of Commons in the riding of Ottawa in the 1911 federal elections. A Conservative, he was re-elected in 1917 but was defeated in 1921...
, Conservative (1911–1921); Ottawa (City of) - John Léo ChabotJohn Léo ChabotJohn Léo Chabot, PC was a Canadian parliamentarian and surgeon.Born in Ottawa, the son of Pierre-Hyacinthe Chabot and Margaret Ethier, he was educated at the University of Ottawa and McGill University and practised medicine in Ottawa.Chabot was defeated in his attempt to win election as a...
, Conservative (1911–1921); Ottawa (City of) - Harold B. McGiverin, Liberal (1921–1925); Ottawa (City of)
- Edgar Rodolphe Chevrier, Liberal (1921–1925); Ottawa (City of)
- Stewart McClenaghanStewart McClenaghanStewart McClenaghan was a Conservative member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Oxford Mills, Ontario and became a clothing retailer....
, Conservative (1925–1926); Ottawa (City of) - John Léo Chabot, Conservative (1925–1926); Ottawa (City of)
- Edgar Rodolphe Chevrier, Liberal (1926–1935); Ottawa (City of)
- Gordon Cameron EdwardsGordon Cameron EdwardsGordon Cameron Edwards was a Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was born in Thurso and became a lumber merchant....
, Liberal (1926–1930); Ottawa (City of) - Thomas Franklin Ahearn, Liberal (1930–1940); Ottawa (City of) to 1935. Ottawa WestOttawa WestOttawa West was a federal and provincial electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that was represented in the Canadian House of Commons from 1935 to 1997 and in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1908 to 1926 and from 1955 to 1999. It covered the western part of the Ottawa area.-Federal...
from 1935 - George McIlraithGeorge McIlraithGeorge James McIlraith, PC , QC was a lawyer and Canadian Parliamentarian.The son of James McIlraith and Kate McLeod, he was educated at Osgoode Hall and practised law in Ottawa...
, Liberal (1940–1972); Ottawa West to 1968. Ottawa CentreOttawa CentreOttawa Centre is an urban federal electoral district in Ontario, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1968...
from 1968 - Hugh PoulinHugh PoulinFabian Hugh Poulin is a former Liberal party member of the Canadian House of Commons. He was a lawyer by career....
, Liberal (1973–1978); Ottawa Centre - Robert de CotretRobert de CotretRobert René de Cotret, PC was a Canadian politician.Robert de Cotret was an economist and corporate executive before being elected to the Canadian House of Commons in a 1978 by-election...
, Progressive ConservativeProgressive Conservative Party of CanadaThe Progressive Conservative Party of Canada was a Canadian political party with a centre-right stance on economic issues and, after the 1970s, a centrist stance on social issues....
(1978–1979); Ottawa Centre - John Evans, Liberal (1979–1984); Ottawa Centre
- Michael CassidyMichael CassidyMichael Morris Cassidy is a Canadian politician. He served in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario from 1971 to 1984, and in the Canadian House of Commons from 1984 to 1988...
, NDPNew Democratic PartyThe New Democratic Party , commonly referred to as the NDP, is a federal social-democratic political party in Canada. The interim leader of the NDP is Nycole Turmel who was appointed to the position due to the illness of Jack Layton, who died on August 22, 2011. The provincial wings of the NDP in...
(1984–1988); Ottawa Centre - Mac HarbMac HarbMac Harb is a Canadian Senator and former Member of the House of Commons.-Life and career:Harb was born in Chaat, Lebanon and immigrated to Canada to study at the University of Ottawa. He subsequently worked as an engineer at Northern Telecom and a professor at Algonquin College in Ottawa...
, Liberal (1988–2003); Ottawa Centre - Ed BroadbentEd BroadbentJohn Edward "Ed" Broadbent, is a Canadian social democratic politician and political scientist. He was leader of the federal New Democratic Party from 1975 to 1989. In the 2004 federal election, he returned to Parliament for one additional term as the Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre.-Life...
, NDP (2004–2005) - Paul DewarPaul DewarPaul W. Dewar is a Canadian politician currently serving as the Member of Parliament for the riding of Ottawa Centre.Dewar is a member of the New Democratic Party and was first elected to the House of Commons in the 2006 federal election...
, NDP (2006–present)
Centretown churches
- Centretown United Church
- Church of St. Barnabas, Apostle and Martyr
- First Church of Christ, ScientistFirst Church of Christ, Scientist (Ottawa)First Church of Christ, Scientist is a Christian Science church in Ottawa, Canada. The church was first organized in 1899 and its current home in Centretown was opened in 1914. The Classic Italian Style structure was designed by J.P. Maclaren, and is one of only a few such buildings in Ottawa. The...
- First United ChurchFirst United Church (Ottawa)First United Church is a United Church of Canada congregation in Ottawa, Canada. One of Ottawa's oldest congregations, the church formed in 1846. In the middle of the 19th century, that church was the site of the first mixed race marriage in Canada. It was originally Congregationalist, but joined...
- Holy Korean Martyrs Parish
- Metropolitan Bible ChurchMetropolitan Bible ChurchThe Metropolitan Bible Church is a church located in Nepean, Ontario, Canada, at West Hunt Club Road & Prince of Wales Drive.-History:...
- Salvation Army Gladstone Community Church
- St. George's Anglican Church
- St Patrick's BasilicaSt. Patrick's Basilica (Ottawa)St. Patrick's Basilica, located at 281 Nepean Street , is the oldest English-speaking Roman Catholic Church in Ottawa, Ontario.-History:The parish was founded in 1855...
Centretown embassies
- Embassy of the Czech Republic in OttawaEmbassy of the Czech Republic in OttawaThe Embassy of the Czech Republic in Ottawa is the Czech Republic's embassy in Canada. It is located at 251 Cooper Street in Ottawa, the Canadian capital...
- Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Ottawa
- Embassy of the Hellenic Republic in Ottawa
- Embassy of the Republic of Croatia in Ottawa
- Embassy of Iran in OttawaEmbassy of Iran in OttawaThe Embassy of Iran in Ottawa is the embassy of Iran in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located at 245 Metcalfe Street in the Centretown neighbourhood of Ottawa, across the street from the Booth House, currently home to the Laurentian Leadership Centre...
- Embassy of Iraq in OttawaEmbassy of Iraq in OttawaThe Embassy of Iraq in Ottawa is the embassy of Iraq in Ottawa, Canada. It is located at 215 McLeod Street in the Centretown neighbourhood across the street from the Canadian Museum of Nature.-History:...
- Embassy of the Republic of Madagascar in Ottawa
- High Commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in Ottawa
- Embassy of the Republic of Rwanda in Ottawa
- Embassy of the Republic of Zimbabwe in Ottawa
- Embassy of the Republic of Hungary in Ottawa
- Embassy of El Salvador in OttawaEmbassy of El Salvador in OttawaThe Embassy of the Republic of El Salvador in Ottawa, is the embassy of the Republic of El Salvador in Canada.- Overview :It is located at 209 Kent Street in Ottawa...
- Embassy of Ukraine in OttawaEmbassy of Ukraine in OttawaThe Embassy of Ukraine in Ottawa is Ukraine's diplomatic mission in Ottawa, Canada. Canada was the first western nation to recognize Ukraine's independence on December 2, 1991. The existence of a large Ukrainian-Canadian community has led to continued close relations between the two nations. The...