Did your home exist a hundred years ago? How about your street?

Ten years in the planning, the restoration and renewal of the clubhouse of the Ottawa Tennis and Lawn Bowling Club (OTLBC) is finally about to happen. With construction being launched at the beginning of September 2021, the first phase of an ambitious restoration plan is now underway. Nine months from now, in April 2022, the first part of a dream will have become reality.

The connection between a 139-year-old tennis club on Cameron Avenue and the community in Old Ottawa South has always been strong. Now, with new municipal recognition and a substantial federal grant to support restoration of a century-old clubhouse, the connection is getting stronger.

Snowbanks left and right tower above me as I trudge up the sidewalk, from the houses across the street of Harold who goes to private school and Bobby who goes to Catholic school, past the house of Janice who goes to my school, and up the endless hill where a temple awaits. Not St. Margaret Mary Church to my right (where the meaningful temple is actually the toboggan hill behind the church) but the temple where my street, Fairbairn, meets Sunnyside on the left. This magical place houses gleaming fire engines, which already appear to me old fashioned, in the same way some inter-city Colonial Coach buses are old and some are contemporary.

Almost a hundred years ago, Brighton Beach in Ottawa South was touted as one of the best places for bathing in the city. This clipping is from The Ottawa Journal on June 17, 1921, where plans for the opening of the diving tower and accompanying party were revealed.

This website created by Sarah Simpkin shows links to historical aerial photos cross-referenced to a current day map.

Ever wanted to trace the background of your house or property? The City of Ottawa Archives has produced a detailed research guide on conducting research on the history of an Ottawa property.

On Saturday, October 19, 2019 Trinity Anglican Church celebrated 140 years in Old Ottawa South.  The ceremony recounted the church's history and highlights of the parish over the many years with story-telling, music, and reflection on both the past and future.

Longing for a cool place in these dog days of summer? A nearby swimming hole would  be an ideal place to spend some time. In the past, the residents of Ottawa South had a wonderful spot, a beach at the end of Brighton Avenue, now a park with grass and trees, but formerly a haven for aquatic activities on the Rideau River.

In 1981 Charlotte Gobeil got a rare look inside the Monastère du Précieux Sang then located at 774 Echo Drive in Ottawa South. Her visit with a documentary crew to the Sisters Adorers of the Precious Blood captures a fascinating glimpse of these cloistered nuns. Ms. Gobeil was welcomed by this contemplative order to witness the women's daily life of devotion.