What was Ottawa's worst urban renewal crime? An entire neighbourhood laid waste for a soulless housing project? Tearing out half of the heart of the city for the windy Confederation Square? I think that it was the destruction of the King Edward Avenue greenway - a linear park that ran from Rideau Street to the Rideau River.
Thanks to Marc Aubin of the King Edward Avenue Task Force a trove of historic photographs at the Library and Archives Canada Department of Public Works collection has been discovered and put on-line. Above is southern end of the parkway, looking north from Rideau Street. These are among the most poignant before and after comparisons that your ever likely to see. Look at them, and weep.
The King Edward Avenue parkway system was on the earliest projects of the Ottawa Improvement Commission (1899). Widening the former King Street one block to the east, and acquiring land for a riverside park near the Rideau Falls, the Commission planted a long park with a wide tree-lined ramble down the middle.Here, in silence, is a set of eight then-and-now King Edward Avenue corners, presented in now-and-then order. The historic photos date mostly from between 1937-39. The contrasting pictures were taken in May 2011.
What happened? In 1965 the chainsaws and bulldozers moved in to clear away the trees and parkway for a road reconstruction that was planned to be an expressway linking to the Macdonald Cartier Bridge. More on that in the next King Edward post...
'Every elm tree cut down on the King Edward Avenue boulevard is scheduled for replacement by a large maple tree. Over 100 large elm trees will have to be cut down on the King Edward Avenue boulevard. A major sewer is going down the middle of the boulevard. The tree roots will have to be cut to make way for the pipe, which is six feet in diameter in some sections. With their roots severed the trees would die. Some of them have been damaged by Dutch elm disease and would have to be removed anyway. The parks and recreation department proposed to plant maples to replace the elms when the sewer work is finished.' Ottawa Citizen, April 1, 1965.
What happened? In 1965 the chainsaws and bulldozers moved in to clear away the trees and parkway for a road reconstruction that was planned to be an expressway linking to the Macdonald Cartier Bridge. More on that in the next King Edward post...
'Every elm tree cut down on the King Edward Avenue boulevard is scheduled for replacement by a large maple tree. Over 100 large elm trees will have to be cut down on the King Edward Avenue boulevard. A major sewer is going down the middle of the boulevard. The tree roots will have to be cut to make way for the pipe, which is six feet in diameter in some sections. With their roots severed the trees would die. Some of them have been damaged by Dutch elm disease and would have to be removed anyway. The parks and recreation department proposed to plant maples to replace the elms when the sewer work is finished.' Ottawa Citizen, April 1, 1965.
As bad as this is, I still think that what was done to Lebreton Flats was worse. Not that this isn't an egregious example of urban design, but the displacement of families is worse than the displacement of trees.
ReplyDeleteYou're right. We should have locked the doors to the city back in 1965 and halted growth completely. Also, we should have banned Quebecers working in Ontario and vice versa - this would have taken care of the river-crossing issues. Also, we should have left 100ft tall trees to grow even further, to endager countless lives when they inevitably get sick and fall over during a storm.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the previous poster that Lebreton was the all-time screw up. Screw with something for no reason whatsoever. This however, was needed.
This is why I left Ottawa - the resistance to change is pathetic. If you want to live in a stagnate city, why don't you head to Perth?
You can still lament something while acknowledging that growth does happen. The loss of the old tree-lined boulevard *is* sad and it *would* be nicer had it remained the way it was.
ReplyDeleteThere is also no denying that this part of town is intensely pedestrian-hostile and has *not* been improved itself by the bisection of the neighbourhood by the very wide and busy street. Even my hometown (Timmins) figured out that you shouldn't be sending heavy trucks through central areas.
I'd hardly count old trees as a menace.
For what it's worth, however, I do think that Ottawa's CAVE people and BANANAs are some of the most vocal I've come across. It is maddening to see the level of opposition to nearly every proposal. Unlike them, I'm happy about the OMB's penchant for overriding.
"Also, we should have left 100ft tall trees to grow even further, to endager countless lives when they inevitably get sick and fall over during a storm."
ReplyDeleteTrees are more dangerous than cars. Spoken like a true neo-con sociopath.
King Edward have a big changes big achievements for Ottawa.
ReplyDeleteLeft the city because of it's narrow minded provincial attitude. Hard to believe that this is the seat of our Nation. Well not really, our new central authority is fond of the good ole Canada of 1950's - minus the trees... Pathetic.
ReplyDelete