Second City, Second Metro: Charlotte Whitton Takes the Stage. Twice.

Charlotte Whitton with Robert Campeau, a developer she would frequently do battle with. Image: Dominion Wide / LAC Acc. 1979-203 NPC, Box 04438.

Given the combination of her knowledge and personality, it perhaps should not come as a surprise that former Mayor Charlotte Whitton had a whole lot to say on the topic of regional governance. Perhaps more so than any other participant in the process, Whitton considered the issue more fully and on a systemic basis.

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Second City, Second Metro: Bill Teron Highlights the March Ridge Development

Bill Teron, looking pretty chuffed in 1959. Image: Ted Grant / LAC Accession 1981-181 NPC Series 59-0323.

Unlike others, Bill Teron decided to make a lengthy oral presentation to the Commission. Atop his mind were the needs of his proposed March Ridge Development in South March. His presentation was as much an advertisement for March Ridge as it was an expression of needs and concerns, but some of them, such as hoping that it would not be necessary to incorporate March Ridge separately, were quite interesting.

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Second City, Second Metro: The City of Ottawa Will Steamroll Democracy In Nepean

Nepean City Hall as it appeared in 1966 in Bells Corners. Image: City of Ottawa Archives, Item CA025332-W.

Derek O. “Doc” Campfield’s shadow loomed large in Nepean Township. After having purchased land in Lynwood Village in Bells Corners, he quickly became involved in local municipal affairs and became a staunch defender of the rapidly-growing township municipality’s interests.1For more detail about Campfield and  the growth of Nepean, see Bruce S. Elliott. The City Beyond: A History of Nepean, Birthplace of Canada’s Capital, 1792-1990. Nepean: City of Nepean, 1991.

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Notes

Notes
1 For more detail about Campfield and  the growth of Nepean, see Bruce S. Elliott. The City Beyond: A History of Nepean, Birthplace of Canada’s Capital, 1792-1990. Nepean: City of Nepean, 1991.

Second City, Second Metro: No Change for Bell’s Corners Property Owners’ Association

Bells Corners from above in 1965. Image: geoOttawa.

Next to submit a brief to Commissioner Murray Jones was the Bell’s Corners Property Owners’ Association.

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Second City, Second Metro: All Systems Go in Crystal Beach

Crystal Beach and Crystal Bay. Satisfied with its wagon being hitched to Nepean Township in 1965. Image: Google Maps.

In 1965, Crystal Beach was a new community. Constructed by Minto, marketing for the subdivision commenced in the Winter of 1961 and was advertised alongside the builder’s other major projects of the time: Parkwood Hills (Meadowlands) and Hawthorne Meadows (Smyth  & Russell).

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Jacques Gréber: “What is a City Green Belt?” (1952)

You’ve likely seen it: Yousuf Karsh’s well-known portrait of Jacques Gréber. Image: Yousuf Karsh / Library and Archives Canada, Acc. 1987-054 NPC, Item e008293327.

The so-called “Green Belt” was, at its inception, incredibly contentious. Even today, Ottawa’s greenbelt is not free from controversy or conflict and those elsewhere in Ontario can be even more of a lightning rod.

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Second City, Second Metro: Cumberland Village Sues for the Divorce of Cumberland Township from Prescott and Russell County

Though architecturally satisfying, the County Court and Jail at L’Orignal were simply too far away from Cumberland. Image: Goad’s Atlas, 1908.

Next up in the Submissions was another voice hailing from Cumberland anxious to leave the relationship with Prescott and Russell and open new horizons with Carleton.

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Ottawa Housing Statistics, 1961

An unnamed census enumerator poses for National Film Board cameras in 1961 at the Carleton Lodge. Image: Rudi Wolf / National Film Board / Library and Archives Canada, Acc. 1971-271 NPC, Box 85, Item 96768 (e011177427).

One of the more important sources I have relied on to gain some type of impression of the state of housing in the Ottawa area is, unsurprisingly, the Census. Although not immune to critique, Census data, even at the worst of times, has been a useful source to raise further questions, develop leads, and find new and interesting ways to reframe our understanding of just what it meant at various times to take, produce, regulate, manage, maintain, improve, demolish, and – darn it – actually enjoy shelter.

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