Ottawa: Then and Now

[harls]

[harls]

Lebreton Flats, in front of the War Museum.

[lrt's friend]

The infamous Rideau Street bus mall circa 1992 (based on the overpass sign)

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10155605147281348&set=gm.745643782286425

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

The infamous Rideau Street bus mall circa 1992 (based on the overpass sign)

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid=10155605147281348&set=gm.745643782286425

Unfortunately, it's no longer possible to see Facebook posts without having Facebook.

[11a2b3]

Long gone Queensway-Tremblay Road flyover.

Look at that maze. Anyone know why it was originally designed like this?

https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-journal-alta-vista-queensway/109159660/



More old Queensway pics here:
http://www.thekingshighway.ca/PHOTOS/Hwy417photos.htm

[J.OT13]

That interchanged transformed a few times, between 65' and 76' and again by 91'. I imagine the last transformation was largely due to the Transitway.

The old configuration in front of VIA was far more conducive to future urbanization, with an almost grid-like street pattern.

https://maps.ottawa.ca/geoottawa/

[Mousel]

Interesting that there used to be a "pedestrian subway" at Michael St. I don't think that exists anymore.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Mousel

Interesting that there used to be a "pedestrian subway" at Michael St. I don't think that exists anymore.

Another sacrifice for the Transitway. It would probably be a pretty sketchy place nowadays.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Mousel

Interesting that there used to be a "pedestrian subway" at Michael St. I don't think that exists anymore.

It was built to facilitate access the schools, church, and stores north of the Queensway. At the time Michael Street south of the Queensway was much more residential. Since then, the area became industrialized, the schools, church and stores closed so the need for pedestrian access greatly declined. As mentioned in the other post, it closed when the Transit way was built in the area.

[lrt's friend]

I am a fossil and vaguely remember my Dad driving us down River Road by both the new and old Hurdman bridges before the Queensway opened. This was part of River Road was part of the old Russell Road. If you go there today, you can still pick out the Tremblay Road connection to the old bridge, north of Queensway, and the old intersection between Russell Road and Riverside Drive, south of the Queensway. Both are on the Rideau River MUP. It is hard to believe that this was the centre of the village of Hurdman's Bridge up to the early 1950s.

[Norman Bates]

In 1985 my boss at the time drove me over that flyover in his Oldsmobile 88. It was a wild ride because it was almost a high speed chicane to go from Tremblay Road onto the Queensway westbound.

He had a PhD in transportation from Michigan State University. I was his research assistant and we worked at the Canada Safety Council.

We departed from our offices at the corner of St. Laurent and Innes. Rather than proceeding north on St. Laurent to turn left across southbound St. Laurent to access the Queensway westbound (there was no dedicated north to west ramp at the time) he used this Tremblay flyover method.

It was the only time I ever took it. And to this day I wonder why it even existed.

I’m not sure when it was dismantled. But it was likely in 1986 when the Queensway got an extra lane and Transitway construction at the train station was underway.

[OTownandDown]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

Another sacrifice for the Transitway. It would probably be a pretty sketchy place nowadays.

It was traded for the much more useful pedestrian subway from the Alphabets to St. Laurent Mall.

Also interesting that Riverside interchange has been rebuilt twice since inception. (And St. Laurent also)

So in 1965 when the highway ONLY went out to Orleans, if one were travelling to Montreal, where would you travel thru?

[phil235]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

I am a fossil and vaguely remember my Dad driving us down River Road by both the new and old Hurdman bridges before the Queensway opened. This was part of River Road was part of the old Russell Road. If you go there today, you can still pick out the Tremblay Road connection to the old bridge, north of Queensway, and the old intersection between Russell Road and Riverside Drive, south of the Queensway. Both are on the Rideau River MUP. It is hard to believe that this was the centre of the village of Hurdman's Bridge up to the early 1950s.

That's interesting. Would that have been along the side of the old RCMP headquarters? Did they expropriate to build that complex?

[phil235]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

So in 1965 when the highway ONLY went out to Orleans, if one were travelling to Montreal, where would you travel thru?

Wouldn't you have continued out Highway 17?

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by phil235

Wouldn't you have continued out Highway 17?

Yes, old Highway 17 along the river (more or less) through Rockland, Plantagenet, Alfred, etc. was the main road between Ottawa and Montreal until the mid-1970s.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by phil235

That's interesting. Would that have been along the side of the old RCMP headquarters? Did they expropriate to build that complex?

At least part of the RCMP HQ there was the old Séminaire d'Ottawa I think, so some of the complex would have already been there well before the 1950s.

[Acajack]

Originally Posted by lrt's friend

It was built to facilitate access the schools, church, and stores north of the Queensway. At the time Michael Street south of the Queensway was much more residential. Since then, the area became industrialized, the schools, church and stores closed so the need for pedestrian access greatly declined. As mentioned in the other post, it closed when the Transit way was built in the area.

That whole area feels so much like a forsaken zone. I think there might still be a few occupied houses but I can't imagine what it must be like to live there.

To think it used to be a small village called Cyrville.

[11a2b3]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

That interchanged transformed a few times, between 65' and 76' and again by 91'. I imagine the last transformation was largely due to the Transitway.

The old configuration in front of VIA was far more conducive to future urbanization, with an almost grid-like street pattern.

https://maps.ottawa.ca/geoottawa/

Damn, this was a cool interchange, one of the other on ramps also had a flyover above those collector lanes.

[lrt's friend]

Originally Posted by Acajack

At least part of the RCMP HQ there was the old Séminaire d'Ottawa I think, so some of the complex would have already been there well before the 1950s.

The RCMP HQ was originally built to be a seminary. The cornerstone was laid in 1949 and the RCMP took possession in 1953. I believe the building was too expensive for the Catholic diocese. Another seminary opened on Carson Road in 1955 and the main seminary opened in 1957 on Kilborn Avenue near Bank

[lrt's friend]

The transitway extension to St. Laurent opened on November 17, 1987. Here is the announcement of the construction work in 1985 on Tremblay Road.
https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-ottawa-citizen-east-transitway-const/152859478/