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Second City, Second Metro: The Eastview Public School Board Supports Regional Government

The Eastview (Vanier) Public School Board declined to send a representative for the in-person hearing portion of the Jones Commission, but did submit its views in writing. The written submission indicated that it was supportive of some form of regional government.

Second City, Second Metro: Rockcliffe Park Satisfied With The Status Quo, Ready To Cooperate

The Village of Rockcliffe Park considered itself to be well-provisioned, but was not against cooperation with the region. Image: City of Ottawa Archives, CA034238.

The Village of Rockcliffe Park was next to offer up its testimony to the Jones Commission after Ottawa Mayor Charlotte Whitton. Struggles over the naming of streets aside, for the most part, in 1965, the small affluent municipality appeared somewhat calm relative to its township neighbours on the topic of regional government.

Murton A. Seymour and the Ottawa Land Inquiry (1953)

Murton A. Seymour was appointed Special Commissioner
for the Ottawa Land Inquiry. Image: Canadian Aviation
Hall of Fame.

During the Summer of 1953, after some back-and-forth with the Province of Ontario, the backup requested by Ottawa Mayor Charlotte Whitton arrived. On April 23, decorated aviation pioneer and lawyer Murton Adams Seymour was appointed as Commissioner for what became known as the Ottawa Land Inquiry.

Charlotte Whitton Calls for Backup (1952)

Charlotte Whitton sought new rights from the province to manage postwar growth in Ottawa. Image: Ted Grant / Library and Archives Canada. Accession 1981-181 NPC, Item 61-1180, fr. 25-30.

It wasn’t quite clear in 1952 how City of Ottawa could manage the rapid growth that took place after the Second World War, or if it even had the power to do so. A number of housing projects, in particular those at Manor Park and Mann Avenue (Strathcona Heights), had presented significant political and functional challenges to the city and exposed the shortcomings of an civic administration unaccustomed to managing large-scale development projects.

Update: Shenkman’s Park Square Apartments (1936)

The Park Square Apartments, 425 Elgin. One of the few remaining apartments in the city with a Deco or Moderne design and – most likely – a sister to the Normandie Apartments on King Edward. Image: C.Ryan November 2017

A few years ago, I wrote a short piece about The Park Square Apartments at 425 Elgin Street in Centretown for OttawaStart. As with pretty well anything written, there are a number of things that I would do differently now, but it still gets some of the basic idea out.

The (Ontario) Department of Planning and Development Encounters the National Capital Plan, cont’d. (1952)

The Department of Planning and Development was one of the earlier tenants in the Bay-Grovesnor Building at 880 Bay. The early modern office’s main tenant was Bell Canada, but in addition to Planning and Development, its builder, Soules Construction, occupied an office on the top floor along with its architect, Charles B. Dolphin. Image: City of Toronto Archives, Fonds 2032, Series 841, File 59, Item 17.

Picking up from the last one, it’s worth noting that it is not been entirely frequent that a planning, development, or housing issue particular to Ottawa has been considered to merit much more than the cursory attention of Ontario’s policymakers at Queen’s Park and its environs. To be certain, while these are absolutely within the Province’s purview, Ottawa has tended to be treated as something of a peripheral concern. Or at least to a greater degree than most of Ontario’s other municipalities, a bit of a self-governing colony, and even if not, it was normally easier to leave most issues to the City and the Dominion.

The Edgewater Apartments: Ken Greene Ruffles a few Feathers Along the ‘Royal Route’ (1951)

The Edgewater Apartments, located at 60 Stanley Avenue in Ottawa, as it appears today. Image: C. Ryan, August 7, 2018.

I’ve always appreciated the Edgewater Apartments in New Edinburgh. In most other settings, it would be a tidy (if unremarkable) mid-century apartment block, but set in New Edinburgh – the northern portion of New Edinburgh – it takes on a whole different meaning.

The (Ontario) Department of Planning and Development Encounters the National Capital Plan. (1951-52)

As I continue my brief hiatus from transcribing the materials from the Ottawa, Eastview & Carleton County Local Government Review (1965) chaired by Murray Jones, it occurred to me that something is missing. One of the central difficulties pointed to in the dozens of testimonials and even in Jones’ analysis is the existence of the National Capital Greenbelt. For the rural and new suburban municipalities of the day, the Greenbelt represented a significant restriction and a loss of potential revenues, and for others it made any sort of urban typology for the Ottawa region hard to establish and operate.

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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

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.

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