Ottawa South History Project

In this excerpt from the March 1990 OSCAR, June Kelly O'Byrne recounts memories of life on Sunnyside Avenue from the 1920s and beyond, with recollections of family and friends, and recalls the many local stores and businesses in the neighbourhood. Ottawa South Memories by June Kelly O'Byrne In 1920 my parents bought a little house on Sunnyside Ave. on a big lot which extended to Woodbine Place. Dad had just returned from the First World War and was fortunate to obtain employment as a Letter Carrier. His "route", as he called it, encompassed Echo Drive at the Precious Blood Convent to Cameron Ave. (Cowan's Ice House and Wilson's Lumber Yard), east to the Rideau River, including what is now known as Rideau Gardens. Some senior citizens may remember him, as he received many a "tip" at Christmas time from the residents of those streets.

For many years, the hill behind St. Margaret Mary Church was the meeting spot for intrepid tobogganers. The February 1983 OSCAR caught a snapshot of the fun.

Recently on March 1st, as a Saint David's Day tribute, the Bytown Museum posted an historic photo of the Lewis Williams family. Lewis Williams came from Wales in 1817 and settled along the Rideau River in then Nepean Township; the heritage-designated Williams house still stands at 96 Southern Drive, in Old Ottawa South.