Canada

Old Ottawa South is an older urban neighbourhood in Ottawa, Canada. As of the Canada 2006 Census, 8,168 people lived in Old Ottawa South, a relatively small and compact neighbourhood, located between the Rideau Canal (to the north) and the Rideau River (to the south). more...

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The eastern boundary is defined by Riverdale Avenue and Main Street. Bronson Avenue forms the western border of the residential neighbourhood. Carleton University is on the other (western) side of Bronson but the campus can be considered to be geographically within Old Ottawa South as the campus is also nestled between the river and the canal.

Today, Ottawa South is a primarily middle class area. Proximity to the university has meant that the neighbourhood has been a haven for professors and students, although rising housing prices are driving out the latter. Many writers have settled there. It is also one of Ottawa's more liberally progressive neighbourhoods and has been a stronghold for the New Democratic Party.

Many neighbourhood businesses line Bank Street, including several pubs, the Mayfair Theatre, the Ottawa Folklore Centre (which primarily sells stringed instruments), and some Lebanese stores towards the Southern end. This section of Bank Street is also well known for its antique stores. As part of a 2004 Bank Street redesign, inlaid metal maple leaves were added to the sidewalks inscribed with the names of Canadian folk musicians. Other new features included the removal of over-head powerlines, \"traffic calming\" measures, and the addition of more brick to the sidewalks.

The area was originally settled around 1814 by American and British settlers. In those years, even after the construction of the canal the area was fairly sparsely populated. The larger community south of the Rideau River around the Billings estate exerted more influence over the fledgling community than the city of Ottawa did in those days.

Shortly after Confederation in 1867 a bridge was built over the canal increasing access from the larger city to the north. The area was tentatively called Rideauville at the time. After the turn of the century the area grew very rapidly, being annexed to Ottawa in 1907. The streetcar tracks were extended to the area around 1910, again encouraging rapid growth. The old streetcar ran along a route roughly similar to today's bus route #7, turning around in what is now Brewer Park. Hopewell school was built around this time.

The architectural style is mostly \"Craftsman\", with many houses in the American Foursquare style popular in the 1920s and 1930s. Many of these houses have been upgraded and added to over the years, contributing to the area's eclectic style.

Since the 1920s, the streetcars have been replaced by buses, stores have changed, and Carleton University has been constructed on the site of an old garbage dump. Many of the streetscapes and much of the housing has been preserved however.

Notable buildings include Hopewell Public School, Southminster Church, St. Margaret Mary Church, Trinity Church, the Mayfair Theatre, the former Precious Blood Convent (now The Royal College of Physicians & Surgeons of Canada), and the Old Firehall (currently a community centre).

Read more at Wikipedia.org