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  #1  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 3:29 PM
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Ottawa: Then and Now

Nice photo comparison of Elgin & Sparks (1901 vs 2012) by Alexandre Laquerre (spacingottawa):



Elgin & Sparks – 1901 c. 2012
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  #2  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 6:53 PM
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wow i didn't realize that the war memorial area used to be a row of buildings like that, very cool!
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  #3  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 7:02 PM
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I had no idea about this... Those buildings in the back of the image are fantastic!
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  #4  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 7:40 PM
Admiral Nelson Admiral Nelson is offline
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The older image is lovely. What's the building that used to be where the NAC is?
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  #5  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 7:54 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Admiral Nelson View Post
The older image is lovely. What's the building that used to be where the NAC is?
City Hall?
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  #6  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 7:58 PM
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To preemptively blunt some of the NCC rants that I can feel coming on this thread, a lot of the lovely buildings that were on Elgin over 100 years ago were lost to fires.
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  #7  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 9:23 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by McC View Post
To preemptively blunt some of the NCC rants that I can feel coming on this thread, a lot of the lovely buildings that were on Elgin over 100 years ago were lost to fires.
I still blame the NCC. They were probably responsible for the fire.
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  #8  
Old Posted Feb 24, 2012, 10:03 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by McC View Post
City Hall?
yes... from wiki:

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  #9  
Old Posted Feb 25, 2012, 4:19 AM
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What a stunning photo comparison. I have never seen this perspective of downtown in the old days. It always seemed to be from Sparks Street.

City Hall in the background burned in 1931. Perhaps if times were better, the building could have been salvaged but after significant debate, it was demolished. Likewise with the Russell House Hotel, another beautiful structure seen in front of City Hall. It was Ottawa's premier hotel until the Chateau Laurier opened and ultimately the latter put it out of business in the mid 1920s. The abandoned hotel burned in the late 20s and was demolished to make way for Confederation Square. What is not seen was another magnificent building, which would have been behind the buildings on the left, the old Post Office. That building did not burn but was demolished to make way for the war memorial in the late 1930s. The 1930s were a tough time in Ottawa as many beautiful structures were torn down, at least partly because of the Great Depression.



http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...ion_Square.jpg

The Post Office and Russell House Hotel to the left


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...e_19390428.jpg
Just after everything was demolished.
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  #10  
Old Posted Feb 25, 2012, 9:26 AM
acottawa acottawa is offline
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Thanks for the pictures. They're all quite interesting.

It is less noticeable now that the concrete has coloured and the landscaping is in, but it is striking how much influence fascist architecture seems to have had.
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  #11  
Old Posted Feb 25, 2012, 12:19 PM
Winnipegger@Heart Winnipegger@Heart is offline
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Wow, what a find. Thanks!
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  #12  
Old Posted Feb 25, 2012, 12:28 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by acottawa View Post
Thanks for the pictures. They're all quite interesting.

It is less noticeable now that the concrete has coloured and the landscaping is in, but it is striking how much influence fascist architecture seems to have had.
What influence are you seeing? I'm not terribly familiar with fascist architecture, but a visit to Wikipedia seems to suggest far more simple and classical lines than you see here.
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  #13  
Old Posted Feb 25, 2012, 1:55 PM
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I think he's seeing it in the War Memorial.
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  #14  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2012, 4:03 PM
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Another Then&Now from SpecingOttawa (By Alexandre Laquerre)

Coin Bank & Somerset – vers 1935 c. 2012:



http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/03/01/c...s-1935-c-2012/
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  #15  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2012, 4:14 PM
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Intersection Sussex & Rideau – ~1910 versus 2012



By Alexandre Laquerre

http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/02/16/i...0-versus-2012/
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  #16  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2012, 4:23 PM
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By Alexandre Laquerre

Elgin @ Laurier 1939-2011.

http://spacingottawa.ca/2011/11/30/m...3-1939-c-2011/

Rideau Canal 1933-2012

http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/01/09/c...nant-et-avant/

Sussex & St-Patrick 1940-2011

http://spacingottawa.ca/2011/11/20/m...-1940-et-2011/


Looking north at the Rideau Canal 1901-2011

http://spacingottawa.ca/2012/01/16/l...ant-1901-2011/
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  #17  
Old Posted Mar 1, 2012, 4:54 PM
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By Alexandre Laquerre

Sparks @ Wellington - 1885 vs. 2011

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexlaq...n/photostream/

Sparks & Rideau

http://www.flickr.com/photos/alexlaq/6711775211/
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  #18  
Old Posted Mar 3, 2012, 12:59 AM
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From Urbsite:

King Edward Avenue(late 1930s vs 2011)












More photos available:http://urbsite.blogspot.com/2011/06/...-massacre.html
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  #19  
Old Posted Mar 3, 2012, 1:50 AM
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Wow, Simply stunning collection of photos and comparisons...it's too bad that Ottawa, Toronto and a few other cities wasn't a little bit more like NYC, wheras more of the old buildings are retained and restored. As mentioned higher up the page, I'm aware of many being destroyed by fires or other things, but some shouldn't have been demolished just to be replaced by a higher tech building without character or substance.

Anyways, it's a lot of fun to see pictures like these, and see the way things used to be...
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  #20  
Old Posted Mar 3, 2012, 7:40 AM
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Those are some beautiful shots, and some great buildings at Elgin and Sparks. Those wide open spaces of the Greber plan make the 'after' shots seem less urban and cold. Strange.
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