Sparks St. Stores Erected on Stilts
published Friday, July 29 1938
Few of us who live in Ottawa today realize the conditions which prevailed in the old town nearly a century ago. Describing Sparks street as she knew it back in the early [eighteen] fifties, Mrs. B. Demarais, Ottawa centenarian, said.
"In those days Queen Street, which has since been filled in by many feet, was low, and stores on the south side of Sparks street stood up at the rear on great stilts.
"The topography of Sparks street has been completely changed since those days. In the fifties, the late Johnston brown had a private residence on the southwest corner of Bank and Sparks street. Across the road, where the Sun Life building now is, was Leon Dawson's harness shop. Where the Booth building now stands was Timothy Rajotte's block of stores. I remember the rent of a fine Sparks street store per month in those days was only about ten dollars.
"Across the road from the Rajotte block was George Wilson's carriage shop and nearby, nearer Zeller's present store was Titus' carriage shop. Just east of Bryson-Graham's present stand [see previous post] and over some stores was Miss Trotter's boarding house. I worked there for a while and I remember that two of her most prominent boarders were the late D'Arcy McGee and the late J. M. Currier.
"Almost across the road at the northeast corner of Sparks and O'Connor, the late James Lang was building a block. Thos. Borbridge's clothing store was also near the site of Bryson-Graham's.
"On the present site of The Citizen building was a hotel kept by the late Richard Bishop, who was paymaster for the old Ottawa Field Battery. The military boys of that day made his hotel their headquarters. Farther up, between Metcalfe and Elgin, was Johnathan Offord's shoe store. He was a great Methodist, and I believe a tablet was erected in the basement of the Dominion Methodist church reciting his services to Methodism."
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| An earnest young man was he, didn't make it to forty-three. |
Alright, I know some of that was a tad dessicated. A tablet erected in a basement? Yikes! At least now I know that Thomas D'Arcy McGee was shot next to Sharry's.
You've got to admit though, that editor knew how to grab your attention. "Sparks St. Stores Erected on Stilts"! "In those days Queen Street, which has since been filled in by many feet, was low, and stores on the south side of Sparks street stood up at the rear on great stilts." Think about that the next time you walk the length of the Hardy Arcade from Sparks Street down to Queen.
