The Bank Street streetcar era

By Jay Miller

Back in July of 2021, I read a Lost Ottawa book by David McGee. He commented that there was only one remaining vestige of the Bank Street streetcar line, which is the electrical pylon on the west side of Bank, between Rosebery and Strathcona. I went to look at this relic and found a forlorn pole with no indication that until 1959 it had helped streetcars trundle along Bank Street. Back then, one route went south over the Canal and past the Mayfair Theatre. The northern route continued via the Alexandra Bridge over the Ottawa River and into Hull. Another went through the Fletcher Wildlife Garden. Still another route had its western terminus at Britannia Bay. Being a long-time Glebe resident, I was impressed by this news and with what we had lost. Back in 1891, streetcars were electrically operated. Now, a new diesel-powered line is about to operate to the Ottawa airport, somewhat of a throwback ecologically. Also, I could have hopped on our original light rail to take me across the Alexandra Bridge into Gatineau. Such a line is only just being dreamed about again. I was fascinated with the history and wanted to make sure the City wouldn’t bring down this one surviving relic without at least some effort to preserve it. Also, I was hoping it could be spruced up, as it was looking pretty ragged–130 years of Ottawa weather could certainly account for that! I approached Heritage Ottawa Councillor Shawn Menard’s office to get the ball rolling–Menard’s me in touch with City staff who were very willing to help move this along. I would have been perfectly satisfied if the City had taken charge at this point, but I was asked to draft some suggestions for text for a plaque and suggest some images. We had several go-arounds, with each new version an improvement. The City Archives was most helpful. I learned some surprising things in the process. The City archivist advised that contrary to published reports, Ottawa was not the first city in Canada to provide its residents with electric, heated streetcars. Although the switch was made from horse-drawn cars in 1891, Vancouver beat us to the electric punch by only a few days!! We also found another surprise–another abandoned on Holmwood Avenue, at the corner of Monk Streetwest of Bank. So now we needed two plaques, not one. Back then, the streetcar network was being expanded into some of the side streets, so you might have seen a streetcar going along Holmwood. The text and choice of pictures evolved, and a French translation was provided by the City. A local supplier quoted a very reasonable price for production and installation.

Two years on, we were finally ready to trigger the installation, but then another City department weighed in. Turns out there were issues of ownership, maintenance, safety and appropriateness of plaque attachment for longevity as well as safety. Plus, there was the issue of financing, though this was just a matter of a few hundred dollars. The City, to this point, had not considered this to be a formal City project, but rather something sponsored by a resident or perhaps through the local councillor or the Glebe Community Association, both of which were generously amenable to considering paying for the project. The well-known Ottawa logo was not originally included as part of the design, for that reason. Initially, there was a willingness to contribute to developing some sort of memorial, but City staff became more enthused about the idea as time went on, and City Archives decided to bring the entire project in-house and fund it directly. A completely different approach was devised, leading to the installation of a sticker wrapping around the pole, with QR codes leading to a website with much more information than could possibly be put on the pole itself. Go to the City Archives website at at https://ottawa.ca/en/arts-heritage-and-events/city-ottawa-archives/exhibits-and-events/monuments-and-plaques.Thenew memorial sign, which is in place as you read this, emphasizes how the development of the Glebe was stimulated by the breadth and sweep of the transportation network, quite an accomplishment in and of itself. It’s taken three years to get to this point, but I am very pleased that we are commemorating our impressive transportation history, and that this noble old relic of the glory days is recognized and preserved. I applaud the innovators of the last two centuries and my thanks to the City for following through on this memorial and to Councillor Menard’s office and the Glebe Community Association for support along the way.

Jay Miller is a long-time Glebe resident and streetcar enthusiast.