Like battleships and bombers, Ottawa's Temporary Buildings were a product of the national mobilization that followed the outbreak of World War II. Although the government had commandeered privately-owned buildings all over the city, new offices for the tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel were needed immediately. This was Ottawa's original temporary, a prototype imaginatively named 'No. 1' and the first of four built on Wellington Street between Bay and Lyon.
A fifth smaller temporary was put up east of the Supreme Court. This building never got into the official numbering system, but most recently it became known as the
Justice Annex . It is the last temporary building. After sitting vacant for many years PWGSC has confirmed that the only surviving tempo is to be
demolished. In 1988 the Federal Heritage Building Review Office classified it because of its national significance. (Photo:
Centretowner)
The Temporary Buildings are often described as 'hastily' built. This is the state of the foundations of Temporary No. 1 on November 13, 1939 - only 25 days before the building was ready for occupancy.
They were built almost entirely of wood. The heavy timber frames were studded out with large lumber and covered with diagonal board sheathing for additional strength. Wood panels formed the interior walls (no insulation). Most of the temporaries had interior courts for better light and air circulation.
The first set of temporaries was built on the land between Wellington Street and the Ottawa River that the Government of Canada had expropriated in 1912 for a never realized (another World War had intervened) complex of federal buildings. Apart from the Confederation and Justice Buildings, and the incomplete Supreme Court which was halted by WWII, this tract of derelict houses and vacant lots had been standing empty for almost thirty years. The area was still littered with the ruins of Uppertown mansions, like this wrought iron fence. Since they were situated on top of the Cliff Street Heating Plant, pipes for the heating systems were brought up through the roof of the central boiler house to service the temporaries.
The varnish on Temporary No. 1's floors was drying on December 9, 1939, three months after war had been declared.
Temporaries Nos. 2, 3 and 4 (under construction above) were added during 1940-41. The design is credited to architect T.P. Rankin of the Department of Public Works.
As it turned out Temporary Building No. 1 was the first one to be demolished, in 1960-61.
Its site was used for the National Library of Canada and Public Archives of Canada Building (1965-67).
Temporaries Nos. 2, 3 and 4 stood for another 10 years. This aerial view also shows the excavation for the East Memorial Building underway in 1949.
Since their demolition the land has been used for surface parking, and a temporary parkette along Wellington - the location of the Carlos Ott's thrice-aborted Federal Court of Canada.
After WWII the temporaries became a fixture of Ottawa's civil service life. The size of the workforce never shrank back to its pre-war levels, and they were still needed - infamously uncomfortable to work in during extremes of heat or cold, although the awnings might have been a post-war refinement. This is a city traffic survey being conducted in 1954 in front of Temporary No. 3.
The rest of the Wellington Street temporaries was removed in the early 1970s.
The Department of National Defence's temporaries on Cartier Square ('A', 'B' and 'C') were not demolished until 1980. There were other major complexes at Dow's Lake - Temporaries Nos. 5 and 6, and between Sussex and Mackenzie.
Like battleships and bombers, Ottawa's Temporary Buildings were a product of the national mobilization that followed the outbreak of World War II. Although the government had commandeered privately-owned buildings all over the city, new offices for the tens of thousands of military and civilian personnel were needed immediately. This was Ottawa's original temporary, a prototype imaginatively named 'No. 1' and the first of four built on Wellington Street between Bay and Lyon.
A fifth smaller temporary was put up east of the Supreme Court. This building never got into the official numbering system, but most recently it became known as the Justice Annex . It is the last temporary building. After sitting vacant for many years PWGSC has confirmed that the only surviving tempo is to be demolished. In 1988 the Federal Heritage Building Review Office classified it because of its national significance. (Photo: Centretowner)
The Temporary Buildings are often described as 'hastily' built. This is the state of the foundations of Temporary No. 1 on November 13, 1939 - only 25 days before the building was ready for occupancy.
They were built almost entirely of wood. The heavy timber frames were studded out with large lumber and covered with diagonal board sheathing for additional strength. Wood panels formed the interior walls (no insulation). Most of the temporaries had interior courts for better light and air circulation.
The first set of temporaries was built on the land between Wellington Street and the Ottawa River that the Government of Canada had expropriated in 1912 for a never realized (another World War had intervened) complex of federal buildings. Apart from the Confederation and Justice Buildings, and the incomplete Supreme Court which was halted by WWII, this tract of derelict houses and vacant lots had been standing empty for almost thirty years. The area was still littered with the ruins of Uppertown mansions, like this wrought iron fence. Since they were situated on top of the Cliff Street Heating Plant, pipes for the heating systems were brought up through the roof of the central boiler house to service the temporaries.
The varnish on Temporary No. 1's floors was drying on December 9, 1939, three months after war had been declared.
Temporaries Nos. 2, 3 and 4 (under construction above) were added during 1940-41. The design is credited to architect T.P. Rankin of the Department of Public Works.
As it turned out Temporary Building No. 1 was the first one to be demolished, in 1960-61.
Its site was used for the National Library of Canada and Public Archives of Canada Building (1965-67).
Temporaries Nos. 2, 3 and 4 stood for another 10 years. This aerial view also shows the excavation for the East Memorial Building underway in 1949.
Since their demolition the land has been used for surface parking, and a temporary parkette along Wellington - the location of the Carlos Ott's thrice-aborted Federal Court of Canada.
After WWII the temporaries became a fixture of Ottawa's civil service life. The size of the workforce never shrank back to its pre-war levels, and they were still needed - infamously uncomfortable to work in during extremes of heat or cold, although the awnings might have been a post-war refinement. This is a city traffic survey being conducted in 1954 in front of Temporary No. 3.
The rest of the Wellington Street temporaries was removed in the early 1970s.
The Department of National Defence's temporaries on Cartier Square ('A', 'B' and 'C') were not demolished until 1980. There were other major complexes at Dow's Lake - Temporaries Nos. 5 and 6, and between Sussex and Mackenzie.
Note: the space wasn't always used for parking to the extent it is now. I have some photos from a Canada Day in the early '90s on a lawn immediately east of the eight flags behind Library and Archives Canada. This lawn appears to extend all the way from Wellington to the river, and had trees and picnic tables.
ReplyDeleteIt's on the CCCA's agenda for our Tuesday meeting to write a letter strongly opposing the demolition of this last temporary building.
I worked in one of the ones near Dow's Lake when I started with the government in the summer of 1973. There were winter and summer hours of work because of the lack of temperature control. The picture inside no.1 building looked very familiar.
ReplyDeleteVicki in Ottawa (now retired)
Number 7 building was on Green Island and was torn down for the new city hall in the mid 50s.
ReplyDeleteNumbers 5 and 8 buildings were near Dow's Lake. The site of number 5 is now a parking lot and the site of number 8 is a park. Number 8 was the largest of all the temporaries.
Numbers 6 and 9 (which were actually joined into one large building) were on Sussex Dr. on the site of the current US embassy. I used to work there and have the signs that hung above the entrances. :-)
There was also a small temporary building between the Daly building and the Connaught building known as the Daly building annex.
I wasn't able to find a method of contacting you but wondered if you'd seen this new site: http://www.whatwasthere.com
ReplyDeleteMight be an interesting tool.
Jonah