This ongoing series brings you inside the wonderful communities that make up downtown Ottawa – the neighbourhoods we know and love!
“Glebe” is church land, by definition, which is exactly what our own Glebe neighbourhood was in 1837 when the area was granted to St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church. The Glebe’s boundaries have not changed since it went from being rural to “suburban” in its 1889 annexation – the canal to the south and east, Bronson Avenue to the west and the Queensway, which was the Canada and Atlantic Railway Line, to the north. In the late 1800′s waterway and landscaping improvements made for a park-like setting that would set the tone for future architecture and development. The agricultural fairground where Lansdowne currently sits was already a destination for residents of Sandy Hill and “Uppertown” and the canal was widened to accommodate steamboats at Fifth Avenue (then known as Mutchmor Street). Bank Street was always the commercial corridor and schools, of great importance to the early wealthy inhabitants, were erected in 1895 (Mutchmor School) and 1898 (First Avenue). Corpus Christi followed in 1926. Carleton University was established there in 1914 and the Glebe has been home to numerous institutions since then, including the seniors residence, Abbotsford, which is housed in the original 1872 Mutchmor homestead.
Today, Bank Street remains the hub of this walking neighbourhood, with its many restaurants, shops and services. Lansdowne continues to offer cultural and sporting events, and residents remain active in the decision to intensify densification. Many residents choose the Glebe for its proximity to Parliament, just like those who settled here long ago. At the heart of the community are the Glebe Community Association and the Glebe Neighbourhood Activities Group, which runs out of the Glebe Community Center, and boasts a top-notch after-school program enjoyed by many young residents. With average home prices that top those of many other central neighbourhoods, the Glebe remains a first-choice, though sometimes elusive area for many.
Posted by Tracy Martin in Blog, Neighbourhoods.
