Map: how Ottawa’s two Wellington Streets were once connected.

On Twitter today, side effects I was drawn into another discussion of an old obsession of mine: the route of Wellington Street in Ottawa. Or more specifically, the question “WHY ARE THERE TWO WELLINGTONS?” Tourists and residents alike are confused by the presence of two prominent – but not physically connected – streets bearing the name “Wellington”: the Wellington Street downtown, and the Wellington Street West that runs through Hintonburg and Wellington Village.

In addition, there were/are lots of little remnant bits of road called “Wellington” that still appear on maps if not road signs. So, intrigued, I did what I usually do when a geeky local history question bugs me, I led a pair of Jane’s Walk Tours in 2012 and 2013.

You can find some of my related, and poorly organized, geekery in my blog notes (below the map). But one thing I didn’t do was provide a single clear map showing how the “missing links”connected. So here we go…

Old route of Ottawa’s Wellington Street – c. 1901

Old Wellington Route - c 1901 — I’ve highlighted the old Wellington Street alignment in teal on this map from a 1901 Fire Plan of Ottawa. It runs from downtown (on the right) across Lebreton Flats (middle) across a rail bridge toward Hintonburg (off the map to the left). To add to the confusion, you’ll see that what we currently call “Wellington West” is labeled Richmond Road. I’ll save that one for another post…

Notes for my Jane’s Walk – Finding the Bones of Old Wellington Street

Original Map from Wikimedia