Economy
| Communities |
Politics
| Canadian and World Events |
Local
Events |
Religious and Social
Aspects
| Arts/Culture
Economy
In 1911, the world had learned the commercial importance of the metal
molybdenum in strengthening steel. During wartime, molybdenum was
urgently needed to produce tanks, manufacture guns and shells, and for
use in chemical processes like adding a stabilizer to explosives. It was
not until September 1918, at the end of the war, that new “finds” were
discovered in the Ottawa Valley. By the end of 1918, most of the mines
on the Ontario side of the Ottawa Valley were closed down.
World War I helped the growth of the Civil Service and thus helped boost
the fortunes of some of Ottawa’s businesses like the Ottawa Car
Manufacturing Company. In 1920, they obtained the patent to make Brill
gas, mechanical gas and electrical cars - which they did until the late
1930s. It was in the 1920s that the automobile industry soared. A
vehicle was no longer a mere rich man’s commodity. By 1923 traffic
actually became a problem in Ottawa. The police by this time were also
motorized with their two-car fleet acquired in 1912 and motorcycle in
1918.
During the 1920s, the increase in public service employment and decrease
in the manufacturing sector changed Ottawa’s industrial profile. More
and more people, including women, the manufacturing world for the public
service. In spite of these gains by women, the public service was still
highly dominated by men. In 1867, the number of francophone Canadians in
the public service corresponded to the population in general, but with
Civil Service reform in 1908 and 1918, “merit”
emphasized education and discounted French.
The next couple of years saw a growth in the City of Ottawa’s population
and telecommunication industry. In 1921, the population of Ottawa
reached 107,843. The end of the 1920s saw construction of St. Patrick’s
College and the collapse of the New York Stock Exchange. Such a collapse
had enormous repercussions on Canada and around the world. Canada
eventually plunged into a ten year period of unemployment and economic
instability.
Communities
The population of Ottawa declined in mid-1900s due to World War I, the
depression of 1913 and the departure of numerous English in 1914. The
cultural make-up of Ottawa’s population included Jews, Italians, French
and Irish Catholics, and naturally the English. Most of the elite
settled in St. George’s ward in Rockcliffe Park, whereas the working and
industrial classes flocked to Dalhousie and Victoria wards.
During 1928, after being in the planning stage for years, the Champlain
Bridge was built across the Ottawa River to link Island Park Drive and
Aylmer Road. At this time Honourable Thomas Ahearn donated his own money
to support a huge portion of the construction costs. The Federal
District Commission, only a year after being formed, then completed the
bridge.
The late 1920s saw the incorporation of The Valley of Rockcliffe Park to
Ottawa. This most prestigious residential district of 460 acres
originally belonged to Thomas MacKay who was a canal contractor. His
widow lived in a stone mansion called Rockcliffe Manor at the north of
the village. Rockcliffe was incorporated as a part of Ottawa in order to
protect the pastoral beauty of a village threatened by the booming
1920s. It was an unusual community for many reasons. One of their
by-laws states, “No person shall erect or use any building for any
purpose than a single detached family dwelling”. Therefore, there are no
apartment buildings or businesses in Rockcliffe. Further, another by-law
ensures a low population density and a minimum lot size to keep the
community apart from the rest of Ottawa (Woods 251-2).
Prime Minister Mackenzie King insisted on improving the urban
landscape of Ottawa. In 1927, King established the planning supremacy of
the federal authority known as the Federal District Commission (FDC). It
replaced the Ottawa Improvement Commission (OIC) in 1899 to improve the
aesthetic of Ottawa. Like the OIC the FDC concentrated its efforts on
parks and driveway developments. In the same year PM King asserted
federal presence at Ottawa through the $3 million development of
Confederate Square and Park. PM King envisioned the Confederate Square
area would assume a new role as the heart of the Capital (Taylor,
149-50).
Politics
On February 3, 1916, a fire destroyed the Centre Block of the parliament
buildings. The original Centre Block was three stories with a frontage
of 472 feet and a depth of 247 feet. The Centre Block was constructed of
stone and concrete, with water tanks in some areas. For this reason, it
was thought to be fireproof. However, the fire started quickly, and
spread even faster.
At 9pm, the fire started in the Commons Reading Room. Because of heavily
varnished wood paneling, the fire roared through the corridors, trapping
people in their rooms as it went past. The fire spread through the
building and consumed the west wing. Then, the fire changed directions
and headed back east towards the Senate Chamber. Eventually, after all
fire officials were present, the fire was brought under control. Seven
people lost their lives in the terrible fire. The following afternoon,
the House of Commons convened in the auditorium of the Victoria Memorial
Museum. This was to be their permanent home until the Parliament
buildings were rebuilt in 1920.
By 1920, construction was far enough along that the new Centre Block
could accommodate sessions at Parliament. Still, it was not until 1927
that the Centre Block and Peace Tower were finally completed. The new
Centre Block retained the Gothic style of the original, but was much
larger and grander. The most notable difference was the Peace Tower. The
central tower of the original block was much lower and modeled after the
Cloth Hall at Ypres in Belgium. The Peace Tower is now higher and
commemorates the armistice of peace in 1918 that ended World War I. The
Peace Tower is also the home of the Memorial Chamber.
In 1921,
William Lyon Mackenzie King
was elected Prime Minister and stayed in the position until 1926, when
he was replaced for a short time by Arthur Meighen. King became Prime
Minister again later that year.
Canadian and World Events
The Great War had claimed the lives of millions of men and women. By
1916, Canada had increased their role in World War I to a half a million
men.
About the same time, one of the deadliest epidemics to hit Canada began.
By the end of its run, the
Spanish Flu had infected 10,000 Ottawa
residents. In an attempt to reduce the spread of the virus, Mayor Harold
Fisher closed down schools, pool halls, churches, laundries, theatres
and any area of public gathering. By November 11, 1918, these
restrictions on public activity had been lifted, just in time for Ottawa
to be the first city in Canada to receive the news that the Armistice
had been signed and the First World War was over.
Prohibition hit Ottawa in 1918. This caused a lot of people to cross the
Ottawa River to Hull and purchase alcohol, which was illegal on the
Ontario side.
Local Events
The late 1920s saw enormous activity on Parliament Hill as Prime
Minister Mackenzie King organized celebrations of Canada’s Diamond
Jubilee of Confederation. On a sunny July 1st, visitors from all across
Canada and the US flocked to the festivities. Prime Minister King
dedicated the Victory Memorial Tower and inaugurated the 53 bell
Carillon.
In the 1920s, Ottawa opened its very first airport in Rockcliffe. The
government removed the firing range that was there and erected a few
hangars for bi-planes. Two years later, the base was turned over to the
military, which was at the time creating the Royal Canadian Air Force.
Rockliffe Air Station was mostly used as a transport terminal for aerial
photography and government experimentation projects.
Rockcliffe
Airport
is Canada’s oldest air bases and still accommodates private
aircraft (Haig, 183).
Religion/Social
In 1916, 3000 school children from the French Catholic Separate Schools
in Ottawa paraded through Ottawa and presented a petition to City Hall.
They wanted the city to address the salaries of French-Canadian teachers
suspended by the Ontario Government and to reimburse those teachers with
money from the city treasury. At this time the controversy was so
serious that the French-Canadian community was appealing to the Vatican
to offer aid in their fight against the Ontario Government. This issue
further hit a nerve with the already growing conflicts between the
French-Canadian and English over conscription in the military.
Life was difficult for working and industrial-class individuals. A
half-day Thursday, or “maid’s day off", and a weekend every month or two
was the only vacation these individuals could enjoy. Pay was usually
between $7 and $9 per month. For women, roles such as cashiers or
telephone operators in the 1920s generated about $8 a week. The lucky
few with educational backgrounds would earn about $16 to $25 a week as
supervisors, nurses, or accountants. The days were long and the work was
trying. Men could earn 55 cents an hour as sweepers, cleaners, or
runners and about $70 to $80 a month if they were educated in clerical
work. For men, hard work usually lead to a promotion and higher pays.
However, like the rest of the population, job security, compensation for
illness, lay-off notice, and pensions were all still non-existent.
The 1920s also saw the establishment of the $3.5 million Ottawa Civic
Hospital. The Civic Hospital merged the Protestant General and the
Ottawa Maternity Hospital. A few months earlier, St. Vincent Home opened
upon King Edward Avenue. Today, St. Vincent is one of the best equipped
convalescent hospitals with rehabilitation departments, isolation and
cancer wards, physiotherapy and occupational therapy departments and an
out-patient clinic for the aged.
By the mid-1920s, the city realized a need to provide social support to
its constituents. It organized the Social Service Department (SSD). This
body carried out the city’s statutory obligations with respect to
pensions and provided limited outdoor relief. The private sector Ottawa
Welfare Bureau (OWB) handled unemployment, issues related to providing
the city with food and fuel, desertion, non-resident indigents,
temporary disability, and severe family tension. The SSD provided
assistance to widows, the aged, and the imprisonment of the male wage
earner, the permanently handicapped, or those unable to cope for
extended periods of time. In addition, the city had, depending on the
need, provided relief workers.
Arts/Culture
There was not much entertainment in the Ottawa during the early 1900s
besides the theatres and sports. From 1928 onwards, the only cultural
theatre was Loew’s Theatre, later known as the Capitol Theatre. Built in
1920 for motion pictures, Loew’s Theatre was one of the great movie
halls in North America. It seated 2353 people, had a huge stage, and
displayed movies and live performances.
In 1923, Ottawa opened a Hockey Auditorium at the corner of O’Connor and
Argyle, launching a 44 year life span of screaming fans and hockey
heroes. In 1925, the Ottawa Football Club’s team, the Rough Riders, won
their first ever Grey Cup against the Winnipeg Tammary Tigers with a
score of 24 to 1. Played at Landsdowne Park on December 5, the huge
puddles and freezing temperatures placed a damper on the game, but the
fans had a great time.
In 1920, Ottawa received the world’s first
long distance radio
broadcast. Five hundred people gathered at the Chateau Laurier on
May 20 to witness the historic event. The broadcast was received from a
distance of more than 100 miles. The station was Station OA. By February
1924, the station which was doing very well, was bought out by the
Canadian National Railway and changed its call letters to CNRO.
Eventually, in March of the same year, the Ottawa Amateur Radio
Association commenced broadcasting on its own station,
CKCO, and
created competition for the CNRO.
Bibliography:
Bond, Courtney.
-- The Ottawa country. -- Ottawa : The Queen’s Printer, 1968.
Brado, Edward. -- Brado’s guide to Ottawa. -- Winnipeg : Hignell, 1991.
Globe & Mail. -- “Duke Lays Corner-Stone” Sept (1916): 2.
Greening, W.E. -- The Ottawa. -- Toronto : McClelland & Stewat, 1961.
Haig, Robert. -- Ottawa : city of big ears. -- Ottawa : Haig, 1975.
Holzman, Jacquelin & Rosalind Tosh. -- Ottawa : then & now. -- Ottawa :
Magic Light, 1999.
Lee-Whiting, Brenda. -- The way it was in the Ottawa Valley. -- Deep
River : Townsend, 1992.
Taylor, John H. -- Ottawa : an Illustrated history. -- Toronto : James
Lorimer & Company, 1986.
Woods, Shirley E. -- Ottawa : the Capital of Canada. -- Ottawa : John
Deyell, 1979.
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