Ottawa South Property Company
Incorporated 1910
“company file” TC33739 available from the Companies and Personal Property Securities Branch, Ontario Ministry of Government Services, 800-361-3223.
Company file contains approximately 150 pgs of correspondence, including letters of patent, the company charter, and numerous annual reports. We have ordered copies of approximately 50 pgs. At a later date may want to order digital scans and/or colour copies of some material.
The letter of patent for the company dates to 1910 or 1911. The company charter, dated 1910, lists Albert Ewart as the architect and Thomas May Mulligan as the bricklayer. Likely refers to John Albert Ewart, a well known architect in Ottawa who designed a number of public buildings, see LAC item listed below. It is unclear if Ewart actually ended up designing any buildings for the OSPC, need to consulting the LAC collection of his drawings to investigate this.
The annual returns provide lists of the board of directors of the company which fluctuated between 5 and 7 members. One of the returns provides a list of shareholders. It seems that the company landed into some financial difficulty by the late 1920s/early 1930s, details in pages to be copied. The company was likely in arrears as of 1932 or 1933 and finally in 1955 when they still owed money, but none of the board of directors could be located, the company’s patent was revoked. According to correspondence, the company had its last annual meeting in 1926.
Of particular interest is a booklet entitled Prospectus of Ottawa South Property Company Ltd.. It dates to 1920 and it seems was the company’s major communications/PR tool for promoting their development. It contains that map you had forwarded to me earlier as well as some renderings of model homes.
LAC Items
Plan Shewing The Lands of The Ottawa South Property Company Limited in the City of Ottawa lying West of Leonard Avenue.
1915. Map
Department of Public Works fonds | National Capitol Region | Plans and drawings for sites and buildings in the National Capital Region
Department of Agriculture – Regarding lease of land to the department by Ottawa South Property Co.
1919/08-1919/09
Department of Justice fonds | Central Registry
River Hill Estates Plan of Development
see file LAC e010691106 – River Hill Estate, Ottawa – Plan of Development.jpg
OSPC Key Plan
see file LAC e010691107 – Ottawa South Property Company Key Plan
Plans of Ottawa and Rockcliffe projects, collected by J. Albert Ewart [architectural drawing]
City of Ottawa Archives
Map of Ottawa South Property Co. holdings
COA – Ottawa South Property Co. (25%).tif.jpg
History Project
Deed – between Ottawa South Property Company Limited and Miss. H. S. of the City of Ottawa, in the County of Carleton, music teacher
dated August 25, 1913
John J. MacBeaker (?)
Archie W. Virrue (?)
William Smellie Mackenzie, bookkeeper
4 pgs legal, colour
contact the OSHP to see a full copy of this document
Ottawa City Directory 1913
Persons
William S. MacKenzie – bookkeeper Ottawa South Property Company Ltd, h 423 Catherine
William S. McKenzie – bookkeeper, h 423 Catherine
Miss H. S. – lives 238 Gilmour
Classifieds – Real Estate
Ottawa South Property Company Ltd, #37 – 48 Sparks St (Trust Building)
Street Addresses
#37 – 48 Sparks St lists the following companies:
– Ottawa South Property Co, Ltd
– Earlscourt Realty Co, Ltd
– Eastview Land Co, Ltd
– Fairmont Park Property Co, Ltd
– Riverview Property, Ltd
– Rockcliffe Co, Ltd
– Rockwood Realty Co Ltd
Ottawa Directory 1914
Persons
William S. MacKenzie, bookeeper Ottawa South Property Co, Ltd, h 11 Vaughan av
Ottawa South Property Co, Ltd, 48 Sparks
Street Address
#33-34-35-36-37 – 48 Sparks St (Trust Building)
Orde, Powell & Lyle barristers
Rideau Realty Co.
Hintonburg Trust
Rockliffe Land & Building Co, Ltd
Ottawa South Property Co, Ltd
Rockwood Realty Co Ltd
Fairmont Park Property Co, Ltd
Rockcliffe Co, Ltd
Riverview Property. Ltd
Eastview Land Co. Ltd
To Do
- document the people involved with the OSPC, including several names listed in company file and on map from the City archives
- obtain copies of the share certificates owned by a person who contacted the City archives
Credits
Thanks to our volunteers for their generous donation of research services to document this story:
Rebecca Sciarra, BA, MA, CAHP, rebecca.sciarra@gmail.com Toronto-area professional researcher
Further reading
The Historical Society of Ottawa has published a pamphlet about the Ottawa South Property Company: #95. Mary MacGregor, From Garden Suburb to Garbage Dump: Thomas Adams’ Forgotten Plan for Old Ottawa South.