Bridges
Historical Bridges Old Ottawa South has had many bridges spanning the neighbourhood boundaries over the years.
Rideau River Water Testing
Carleton University researchers are testing the water quality along the Rideau River, at nearby spots including Manotick Mill, Brewer Park, Windsor Park, Brantwood Park, and Springhurst Park to see how clean the water is, especially looking at E. coli levels. Latest results are available here: https://carleton.ca/ormeci/rideau-river-water-quality-testing/
From the Archives: The Hockey Stick Foot Bridge
Joining the western side of Brewer Park to the Carleton University campus is a well-used footbridge tucked alongside the Rideau River. The construction material is quintessentially Canadian: the railings are made of wooden hockey sticks! The commemorative plaque, somewhat worn and graffiti-ed, installed on the bridge reads:
“Amazing” Ski Trails Next Door
“It was amazing,” commented Old Ottawa East resident Jamie Brougham after skiing the new groomed trails on the east side of the Rideau River. “In areas that I’ve skied on for years too often with my tracks being the only ones, to having real trails is like a dream come true,” says Brougham. In early January, the Rideau Winter Trail was extended from the Adàwe footbridge in Overbrook to a turn point just opposite…
From the Archives: Fancy Swimming & Diving at Brighton Beach
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.
From the Archives: Brighton Beach – Oasis on the Rideau
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.
The Lewis Williams Family
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.
From the Archives: Looking for the Spirit of Lewis Williams
This story from the September 1994 OSCAR by David Bouse notes some of the similarities along the Rideau River over the many years of settlement in Ottawa South. An 1830 watercolour by artist James Pattison Cockburn inspires some comparisons.
Williams House
96 Southern Drive1820s and laterResidential View additional images of building. An 1827 map of the vicinity around the still-new settlement of Bytown shows the residence of Lewis Williams on this site, across the Rideau River from the house of Braddish Billings. The map is on display at the Billings Estate Museum. On this basis, it is believed that the original portion of this frame structure dates from 1827, placing it among the oldest frame…
Billings Bridge Sketch 1877
The Archives of Ontario has collected and preserved many works by Anne Langton (1804–1896), artist and pioneer settler in Upper Canada, including this charming depiction of the area along the Rideau River by Billings Bridge.
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