Confederation Park
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Confederation Park (French: Parc de la Confédération) is a park in downtown Ottawa and a National Historic Site of Canada. It is bordered on the south by Laurier Avenue and Ottawa City Hall; on the east by the Rideau Canal; on the north by the Mackenzie King Bridge, the Rideau Centre and the National Arts Centre; and, to the west, by Elgin Street and the Lord Elgin Hotel.
History
The area was part of Ottawa's downtown for many years, the site of businesses related to the nearby Rideau Canal, such as Dey's Boat Works. The location was the site of The Arena from 1908 to 1927, where the original Ottawa Senators ice hockey team played. The area was partially cleared in 1927 to build "The Driveway" along the Canal, as a scenic improvement.
Along Elgin Street, the location was occupied by the Roxborough Apartments, a luxury apartment complex that had once been home to many Ottawa elites, such as Prime Ministers William Lyon Mackenzie King and Louis St. Laurent. As part of the 1949 "Greber plan", the site was to be cleared for a "Confederation Park" along the Canal from Laurier Avenue to Wellington Street surrounded by public buildings.[1] The apartments and a number of buildings were expropriated and demolished by the federal government to build a "National Museum of Science" in 1965. The area north of the Mackenzie King bridge had already been cleared as part of the building of Confederation Square. That section was ultimately used for the construction of the National Arts Centre. In 1967, the Museum site was converted to parkland, to commemorate the Canadian Centennial (the 100th anniversary of Canadian Confederation).
Events
Many events are held in this park due to its central location and its proximity to most public transit lines. The Ottawa International Jazz Festival's main events are often held here, as well as other festivals that spill over from the neighbouring plaza in front of Ottawa City Hall. The park serves as a common shortcut for pedestrians heading from Elgin Street and/or Centretown to destinations to the north and east (the National Arts Centre, Rideau Street, Sussex Drive, the Rideau Centre and/or the Byward Market), since it is a more direct route than walking uphill on Elgin and Wellington Streets.
In addition to the trees and benches that characterize many urban parks, Confederation Park also contains a central fountain of Peterhead granite honoring Colonel John By (which had stood in Trafalgar Square, London from 1845 to 1939.[2][3] - this fountain's twin is located in Wascana Park, Regina), a totem pole (donated to the City of Ottawa to commemorate British Columbia's 1971 centennial), the National Aboriginal Veterans Monument and the Boer War memorial statue. From 1971 to 1993 it was also home to Ed Zelenak's massive sculpture, "Traffic." The controversial work was a large brown tube of fiberglass that was compared to a large worm or piece of dung, and led to much debate over modern art in Ottawa. It was later relocated to a more obscure location by the National Gallery.[4]
Notes
- ^ "Proposed Confederation Park of the Future". Ottawa Citizen. April 29, 1949. p. 58.
- ^ *Exploring Ottawa: an architectural guide to the nation's capital. Harold Kalman and John Roaf. Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 1983. pg. 46
- ^ The Art Fund - A Pair of Fountains from Trafalgar Square
- ^ "Farewell, fair Worm, enjoy your traffic island." Jay Stone. The Ottawa Citizen. Ottawa, Ont.: May 8, 1993. pg. F.1
There is also another park sharing the same name 'Confederation Park' located in Hamilton, Ontario.
External links
- Webcam from the Lord Elgin Hotel - Webcam overlooking Confederation Park.
- 360 Panorama from OttawaKiosk.com - 360 Degree picture of Confederation Park during Winterlude.
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