Byward Market, Ottawa

The Byward Market and its surroundings is the living heart of the Ottawa centre. Most of the year except in the thick of winter, Byward Market Street (on the left) is choked with produce stalls and people; in the winter one can still get meat, fish and cheese from the merchants set up in the permanent buildings. In an around the market building itself, ready-to-eat foods abound; one can find curries, sushi and authentic Mexican to name a few. And just beyond this block are concentrated most of of the pubs, clubs and restaurants of the city.

History: The first market building in the area was a large log structure, built in 1827 on the 132-foot wide George street, a width that was planned to accomodate such facilities. Behind that building stood a small courthouse. That market building was wrecked around 1843 (by fire?); a new market building was put up in 1848 between York and Clarence streets (from this view, behind the current market building); this one was a wood frame building with a large upper room in which at least one council meeting was held. The present market was established in the 1865-1875 period. The first non-wood market building was built on the 1848 building site, from plans by Fripp. It was demolished in 1949 and in its stead now stands a municipal parking building that also houses a few commercial establishments on York Street. A second market building, a Second Empire styled construction on the plans from Mather, was erected in 1876 on the spot occupied by the current market building, and ran about half the block on the north (far) end. That building was destroyed by fire in 1926. The present building, running the full block length, was built in 1926-27.

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Thu Dec 21 13:25:13 2006