Hintonburg - History

History

Originally part of Nepean Township the area was first settled in 1826, growing in size the village of Hintonburg was incorporated as a village in 1893. It was named after Joseph Hinton, a community leader who died in 1884. As the city of Ottawa grew it expanded west and Hintonburg was annexed to Ottawa in 1907. The Ahearne's Ottawa Street Railway Company ran a street car line through the area, continuing along further west along Byron Avenue (now a recreational path) and it soon became home to mostly blue collar workers who commuted into downtown.

Hintonburg used to be on the main road leading west from downtown Ottawa. Wellington Street, which starts at Parliament Hill, runs through the center of the neighbourhood to this day. Originally, the area north of Wellington was considered Mechanicsville, but over time this has changed. When the NCC took over Lebreton Flats in the 1960s, the bridge over the north-south rail line linking the central Wellington street to the Hintonburg section was demolished, and the central Wellington street was linked to Scott street, making a bypass for the automobile traffic. This has led to a decline in commercial business along Wellington street. At one time, there was a department store at the crossroads of Somerset and Wellington, it was for a while the location of the used goods charity Ottawa Neighbourhood Services and is now mostly used for offices.

Saint-François d'Assise parish was established in 1890 by members of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin from France with construction of a church and monastery (since demolished). In 1902, the buildings were enclosed by a stone wall, the remnants of which today enclose Hintonburg Park. In 1913, the present larger gothic church was built to accommodate the growing parish, reflecting the strong Francophone character of Hintonburg at this time. Today this impressive edifice dominates the neighbourhood and its bells toll the Angelus at noon and 6:00 p.m. as well as before Mass (liturgy).

The 1950s and 1960s was a time of great change in the area. The federal government built the Tunney's Pasture office campus at the north end of Holland Avenue. The rail line along Scott Street was closed and eventually became the Transitway bus roadway. To the south, the Queensway/417 was built, partly on old rail lines, and partly directly through demolition of homes along its path. This provided another bypass around the area, and also lead to an increase of automobile traffic along Parkdale.

When a major effort to remove prostitutes from the Byward Market area was made in the early 1990s, the strip along Wellington at Somerset became an area of "streetwalkers." One notorious bar, named "Grads", located at Somerset and Bronson, burned down. It moved to Bayswater and Somerset, bringing its clientele, which used drugs. One incident outside its premises, where a man was beaten to death, led to its closure. By then the surrounding area had become known for its prostitutes, something which was only eradicated through regular crackdowns. The local Community Association worked with police and other city agencies to step up enforcement efforts against drug houses in an effort to reduce prostitution- and drug-related challenges. In one controversial development, residents had targeted "johns" by tracking and publishing partial licence plates. The Ottawa-Carleton Police set up a 'john school' whereby first-time offenders could attend instead of paying a fine and learn the effects of their trade. Community efforts were recognized with an award in 2009 for helping transform Hintonburg into a place with one of the lowest calls for police services in Ottawa.

The area continues to change. In the late 1980s, the Hintonburg Community Association (HCA) was formed, and the local residents now have a better voice in community issues and local City of Ottawa activities. The Hintonburg Community/Recreation Centre was opened, and several in-fill developments have occurred. Several of the older industrial buildings and cottages have become space to artists. The area is adapting to a new role, that of central-area residential neighbourhood, and is comparable to others in Ottawa.

In 2003, HCA published Hintonburg & Mechanicsville: A Narrative History by John Leaning, (ISBN 0-9732919-0-7); it is available in some local bookshops and through the association. A heritage walking tour of the neighbourhood is also available on their website (see link below).

In 2005, the Parkdale Fire Station, built in 1923, was renovated into commercial space. It had served as a fire hall until 1986. It then housed a food bank and artists' studios. It was named a heritage building in 1996. It is one of only four pre-1945 fire stations left in Ottawa, 1 on Bruyère St built in 1896, 1 on Aurthur St built in 1913 and another on Sunnyside Dr built in 1921. Its renovation was one of the first and one of the last projects funded under federal heritage building restoration funds.