[lrt's friend]

What really killed Sparks Street was the opening of the Rideau Centre. A number of retailers actually moved from Sparks Street to the Rideau Centre at that time.

Having lived in Ottawa all my life and seeing several history photographs, the decline of Sparks Street actually probably began in the 1930s when Confederation Square was created. This created a much more substantial divide between Sparks Street and Rideau Street when several buildings were demolished and it has impeded shoppers from visiting both locations ever since.

We need a major pedestrian destination to be created on Sparks Street.