Metcalfe and Sparks Streets

Photo from the National Archives website - James Topley collection PA-008765 c. 1889 (copyright has expired). 

It is a view of Metcalfe street looking north towards Parliament Hill.  Notice the old Parliament building - this was the original building before the fire of 1916 which destroyed all of the Centre block.  The Library of Parliament (the only part of the Centre Block to survive the fire) is right behind The Victoria Tower.   The horse and carriage is located approximately where the Sparks Street Mall now intersects Metcalfe Street.  Originally Sparks street was a street open to traffic and only made a pedestiran mall in the 20th century.

This is the same intersection in October 2010.  Notice how the Peace Tower is easily the centre of this photograph (you can see the Library of Parliament just behind it).  It clearly shows the changes in the Parliamentary scene from the original photograph. 

The Four Corners gift shop is located at the corner of Metcalfe and Sparks Streets and is the original building from the older photo above.  Likewise, the building next to it, 14 Metcalfe Street, houses the NCC Info Centre  however the building that was at the corner of Metcalfe and Wellington Streets (as seen in the first photo) was taken down at some point as it is now a vacant lot leading up to the Info Centre.  The Blackburn building is located across the street on the North East corner of Metcalfe Street.

The Rideau Canal Locks at the Ottawa River

This photo was taken c. 1901.  It faces north towards Hull, Quebec.  It shows the Royal Alexandra Inter Provincial Bridge in the distance.  The train (I believe) belonged to E.B. Eddy and was used for his company's use.  The rail lines ended at Union Station downtown across the street from  the Chateau Laurier on Wellington Street.  The building on the left belonged to the Royal Engineers during the construction of the Rideau Canal in the 1820's and still stands today.

I took this photo in October 2010 and much has changed, and much is still the same as it was over 100 years ago.  The locks are still there as picturesque as ever, the stone building on the left still stands (currently owned/operated by the NCC as part of the Bytown Museum) and you can see the Royal Alexandra bridge in the distance.

What's new?  Well, Parliament Hill's East Block is visible on the left, the Chateau Laurier expanded and used the land which was previously used for the rail line heading North of Union Station, Nepean Point is visible with the statue of Samuel de Champlain at the forefront, the city of Gatineau (Wrightsville then called Hull, now known as Gatineau) has exploded in the distance and some of the general scenery has changed as well.