Confederation Square
Encyclopedia
Confederation Square is an urban square
in Ottawa
, Ontario
, Canada
, and is considered the second most important ceremonial centre in Canada's capital city, after Parliament Hill
. Roughly triangular in area, with Canada's National War Memorial
at its centre and the Valiants Memorial
at its periphery, the square is bounded by Wellington Street
to the north and branches of Elgin Street
to the east and west.
The square was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984. Confederation Square's importance is due not only to its central location in Ottawa and its status as a rare Canadian example of a City Beautiful
-inspired square, but also arises from the landmark buildings that frame the square: the Château Laurier
, the Government Conference Centre
, the National Arts Centre
, the Central Chambers
, the Scottish-Ontario Chambers, the Central Post Office
, the Langevin Block
and the East Block
. Part of the square crosses over the Rideau Canal
, itself a National Historic Site of Canada and a World Heritage Site
.
. Before 1910, today's Plaza Bridge
over the Rideau Canal
had been two separate bridges which were replaced at the time by a single bridge under which rail traffic would pass from the new Union Station past the (also new) Chateau Laurier
. This work was finished by December 1912 and the location was named "Connaught Place" on March 24, 1913.
Two prime ministers had promoted the beautification of the capital city, Wilfrid Laurier
from 1896-1911 and William Lyon Mackenzie King
whose first term began in 1921. By 1927, a commission for improvements named the Federal District Commission was formed out of an earlier effort called the Ottawa Improvement Commission. King invited French architect Jacques Gréber
to help with the design for a square which would include a war memorial.
The area at this time also had five notable structures, most which have been standing for decades. The old post office was located where the current war memorial stands, the Russell House hotel was on the southeast side of Sparks and Elgin, the Russell Theatre (adjoining the hotel) was on the corner of Queen and Elgin, the old City Hall
was on the east side of Elgin between Queen and Albert, and Knox Presbyterian Church
at Elgin and Albert, on the site of today's National Arts Centre
.
King had plans involving widening Elgin Street even by 1927, with hopes of bringing emphasis to the Parliament Hill
. The hotel was destroyed by fire on April 14, 1928. The Russell Theatre, which was also burnt on that date got expropriated for demolition in order to bring about these plans. The Federal District Commission later expropriated the hotel's site. The church was expropriated November 20, 1930. City Hall burned down March 31, 1931.
In 1937, Greber visited Ottawa but disagreed with King on on the placement of the war memorial, for fear of traffic problems.
Ottawa's former Central Post Office had been constructed in 1876. The old post office was demolished in (May and) June 1938 in order to build the square.
Knox Presbyterian Church had also been demolished on June 1938. The Royal Bank of Canada building (once James Hope and Company) at the northwest corner of Elgin and Sparks had been removed (for the new Post Office). By October, the War Memorial had been erected and the Plaza Bridge had been widened. Work was underway for the
building of the new Central Post Office
. Elgin Street was widened in April 1939. and Confederation Square continued to be landscaped while post office was being completed. By this time, the square was renamed Confederation Square for the National War Memorial. It wouldn't be until June 1969 that the National Arts Centre
would be opened. In May 1939, King George VI came to visit Ottawa and formally unveiled the new War Memorial.
Town square
A town square is an open public space commonly found in the heart of a traditional town used for community gatherings. Other names for town square are civic center, city square, urban square, market square, public square, and town green.Most town squares are hardscapes suitable for open markets,...
in 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...
, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, 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...
, and is considered the second most important ceremonial centre in Canada's capital city, after Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
. Roughly triangular in area, with Canada's National War Memorial
National War Memorial (Canada)
The National War Memorial , is a tall granite cenotaph with acreted bronze sculptures, that stands in Confederation Square, Ottawa, and serves as the federal war memorial for Canada....
at its centre and the Valiants Memorial
Valiants Memorial
The Valiants Memorial is a military monument located in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, commemorating fourteen key figures from the military history of the country....
at its periphery, the square is bounded by Wellington Street
Wellington Street (Ottawa)
Wellington Street is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in 1826 Wellington Street (French: Rue Wellington) is an important street in Ottawa, Canada most notable for being one of the first two streets laid out in Bytown in...
to the north and branches of 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....
to the east and west.
The square was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1984. Confederation Square's importance is due not only to its central location in Ottawa and its status as a rare Canadian example of a City Beautiful
City Beautiful movement
The City Beautiful Movement was a reform philosophy concerning North American architecture and urban planning that flourished during the 1890s and 1900s with the intent of using beautification and monumental grandeur in cities. The movement, which was originally associated mainly with Chicago,...
-inspired square, but also arises from the landmark buildings that frame the square: the Château Laurier
Château Laurier
The Fairmont Château Laurier is a landmark hotel in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive designed in the Châteauesque style.-History:...
, the Government Conference Centre
Government Conference Centre
The Government Conference Centre is a government building in downtown Ottawa, Canada, located at 2 Rideau Street. It is situated at the intersection of Wellington Street and the Rideau Canal, just a short distance from the Parliament buildings and Confederation Square, and across the street from...
, the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
, the Central Chambers
Central Chambers
Central Chambers is a building at the corner of Elgin Street and Queen Street in Ottawa that is a National Historic Site. It is located at 42 to 54 Elgin Street and it faces the Canadian War Memorial at Confederation Square. Central Chambers was built between 1890 and 1893 and designed by John...
, the Scottish-Ontario Chambers, the Central Post Office
Central Post Office (Ottawa)
The Central Post Office is a historic building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The building was completed in 1939, replacing a Second Empire style office built in 1876. This original office was located in what is today Confederation Square, and was demolished in order to construct the grand public...
, the Langevin Block
Langevin Block
The Langevin Block is an office building facing Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Canada. As the home of the Privy Council Office and Office of the Prime Minister, it is the working headquarters of the executive branch of the Canadian government...
and the East Block
East Block
The East Block is one of the three buildings on Parliament Hill, in Ottawa, Ontario, containing offices for parliamentarians, as well as some preserved pre-Confederation spaces.Built in the Victorian High Gothic style, the East Block is, along with the Library of Parliament, one of only...
. Part of the square crosses over 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...
, itself a National Historic Site of Canada and a World Heritage Site
World Heritage Site
A UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
History
A triangular plaza once located approximately at the site of today's Confederation Square was (originally) named after Governor General ConnaughtPrince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn
Prince Arthur, Duke of Connaught and Strathearn was a member of the shared British and Saxe-Coburg and Gotha royal family who served as the Governor General of Canada, the 10th since Canadian Confederation.Born the seventh child and third son of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of Saxe-Coburg and...
. Before 1910, today's Plaza Bridge
Plaza Bridge (Ottawa)
The Plaza Bridge in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is an automotive and pedestrian bridge that crosses the Rideau Canal just south of the Ottawa locks. It joins Wellington Street and Elgin Street in Centretown to the west with Rideau Street to the east. The Chateau Laurier abuts the bridge at the east...
over 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...
had been two separate bridges which were replaced at the time by a single bridge under which rail traffic would pass from the new Union Station past the (also new) Chateau Laurier
Château Laurier
The Fairmont Château Laurier is a landmark hotel in Downtown Ottawa, Ontario located near the intersection of Rideau Street and Sussex Drive designed in the Châteauesque style.-History:...
. This work was finished by December 1912 and the location was named "Connaught Place" on March 24, 1913.
Two prime ministers had promoted the beautification of the capital city, Wilfrid Laurier
Wilfrid Laurier
Sir 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....
from 1896-1911 and William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King
William Lyon Mackenzie King, PC, OM, CMG was the dominant Canadian political leader from the 1920s through the 1940s. He served as the tenth Prime Minister of Canada from December 29, 1921 to June 28, 1926; from September 25, 1926 to August 7, 1930; and from October 23, 1935 to November 15, 1948...
whose first term began in 1921. By 1927, a commission for improvements named the Federal District Commission was formed out of an earlier effort called the Ottawa Improvement Commission. King invited French architect Jacques Gréber
Jacques Gréber
Jacques-Henri-Auguste Gréber was a French architect specializing in landscape architecture and urban design. He was a strong proponent of the Beaux-Arts style and a contributor to the City Beautiful movement, particularly in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and Ottawa, Ontario.-Early life and...
to help with the design for a square which would include a war memorial.
The area at this time also had five notable structures, most which have been standing for decades. The old post office was located where the current war memorial stands, the Russell House hotel was on the southeast side of Sparks and Elgin, the Russell Theatre (adjoining the hotel) was on the corner of Queen and Elgin, the old City Hall
Second City Hall (Ottawa)
Ottawa, Ontario's second city hall was built in 1877 on Elgin Street between Queen and Albert Streets and next to Ottawa's First City Hall.Built by architects Horsey and Sheard of Ottawa, the Second Empire French and Italian Style had one tall tower and three smaller ones...
was on the east side of Elgin between Queen and Albert, and Knox Presbyterian Church
Knox Presbyterian Church (Ottawa)
Knox Presbyterian Church is a Presbyterian Church in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is named after John Knox, a founder of Presbyterianism in Scotland.It was founded as a result of the split within the congregation of St...
at Elgin and Albert, on the site of today's National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
.
King had plans involving widening Elgin Street even by 1927, with hopes of bringing emphasis to the Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill
Parliament Hill , colloquially known as The Hill, is an area of Crown land on the southern banks of the Ottawa River in downtown Ottawa, Ontario. Its Gothic revival suite of buildingsthe parliament buildings serves as the home of the Parliament of Canada and contains a number of architectural...
. The hotel was destroyed by fire on April 14, 1928. The Russell Theatre, which was also burnt on that date got expropriated for demolition in order to bring about these plans. The Federal District Commission later expropriated the hotel's site. The church was expropriated November 20, 1930. City Hall burned down March 31, 1931.
In 1937, Greber visited Ottawa but disagreed with King on on the placement of the war memorial, for fear of traffic problems.
Ottawa's former Central Post Office had been constructed in 1876. The old post office was demolished in (May and) June 1938 in order to build the square.
Knox Presbyterian Church had also been demolished on June 1938. The Royal Bank of Canada building (once James Hope and Company) at the northwest corner of Elgin and Sparks had been removed (for the new Post Office). By October, the War Memorial had been erected and the Plaza Bridge had been widened. Work was underway for the
building of the new Central Post Office
Central Post Office (Ottawa)
The Central Post Office is a historic building in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The building was completed in 1939, replacing a Second Empire style office built in 1876. This original office was located in what is today Confederation Square, and was demolished in order to construct the grand public...
. Elgin Street was widened in April 1939. and Confederation Square continued to be landscaped while post office was being completed. By this time, the square was renamed Confederation Square for the National War Memorial. It wouldn't be until June 1969 that the National Arts Centre
National Arts Centre
The National Arts Centre is a centre for the performing arts located in Ottawa, Ontario, between Elgin Street and the Rideau Canal...
would be opened. In May 1939, King George VI came to visit Ottawa and formally unveiled the new War Memorial.
See also
- Confederation BoulevardConfederation BoulevardConfederation Boulevard is a "ceremonial and discovery route" in Canada's National Capital Region, running through Parliament Hill and encompassing downtown areas in Ottawa and Gatineau. Some of Canada's most important institutions and landmarks lie along its route. During state visits,...
, ceremonial route - List of National Historic Sites of Canada in Ontario