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Between the Bridges

Between the Bridges
Looking north across the old Bank Street Bridge.
Looking north across the old Bank Street Bridge.

This walk will take us from the Bank St Bridge over the Rideau Canal south to Billings Bridge over the Rideau River.  We will stroll down Bank Street from Echo Drive to Billings Bridge (all downhill), noting what is there today and what was there in the past.  When did the Mayfair Theatre open?  What preceded today's Canal Bridge?  Memories of the Bank Street streetcar.  The Strand Theatre. The churches. The bus stations.  Many more. 

Learn of the history of the area, and share your thoughts and memories of this bustling area.  

Location
Route

We will meet in the parking lot at the Sunnyside Branch of the Ottawa Public Library.  From there, we will follow Bank Street south through Old Ottawa South to where Billings Bridge spans the Rideau River.

 

Please review our covid guidelines before attending a walk.
About the walk leader

Glenn Clark knows this area intimately, as he has been a lifelong resident of Bank Street South.  All his grandparents once lived at Billings Bridge.  To some of them, Bank Street in Old Ottawa South was 'downtown.'  Glenn recalls, "It is a stretch of Bank Street that I have passed through since childhood.  It was was where my earliest childhood dentist was located, it is where I transferred buses to go to Carleton University, it is where my Dad had his first job.  It is where my parents were married.  It is where my grandparents met and were married."

Glenn is president of the Gloucester Historical Society.

Guide:

Glenn Clark

When:
Date:Sat May 7, 2022
Time:10:00 AM
Duration: 1 hour 30 min
Language: English
Where:
Start:Bank St & Echo Drive
End:Bank Street & Riverdale Ave. (Billings Bridge)
Area:Old Ottawa South
Distance:1.0 km
Accessibility:

The walk will follow city sidewalks.

Gallery
Looking north across the old Bank Street Bridge. The modern Bank St bridge used to carry the streetcar line. The original Sunnyside branch of the Ottawa Public Library. Southminster United Church, still at Bank St and Aylmer Ave. The Mayfair Theatre, looking much the same as it does today. The Mayfair Theatre, on the west side of Bank St. between Euclid and Sunnyside. Precious Blood Convent, now the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons A streetcar used to run along Bank St and onto Sunnyside Ave. The original Hopewell Public School, located on Hopewell Ave. near Bank St. Hopewell Public School with its modern addition. Mural at the Trinity Anglican Church on Bank St in Old Ottawa South. Yardley's Antiques, a long-time business on Bank St in Old Ottawa South. Hillary's Cleaners still stands at Bank & Cameron. The bus terminal that was once located at Bank and Grove Sts. The Strand Theatre was located on Bank near Chesley. St. Cutts Motors, shown in the 1950s, was located near Bank & Chesley. Lawrence Hardware was a Bank St. landmark.
Volunteer to Marshal This Walk