[flickrslideshow acct_name="66414821@N06" id="72157627435525540"] No other Ottawa building, before or after its demolition, has generated as much discussion as the Daly Building. Its history is contentious and some might argue that its survival was doomed from the start. Located in the downtown core, where the local city meets a federal one, the building was hailed as an architectural masterpiece by some and described as the city’s ugly duckling by others. 2011 marks the 20th anniversary of its demolition — therefore it is fitting to once again look at the history of this famous structure and revisit some of the debate. An extensive slide show, depicting the site between 1870 and 2011, accompanies this piece. (Editor's note: click here for the non-Flash view.)

[flickrslideshow acct_name="58115594@N04" id="72157626262492153"] A few months back, I came across a beautiful photograph from the collection of the Bytown Museum. At first, I wasn’t able to identify the city I was looking at. I then spotted Chaudière Falls and came to recognize the beautiful stone and wrought iron fence that surrounds Parliament Hill. What threw me off were the domes in the foreground. “Domes? There are no domes in Ottawa,” I thought to myself. How wrong I was. The most obvious one is located right on Parliament Hill. The Library of Parliament is perhaps the most iconic building in the national capital region. In fact, the Reading Room, located under the dome of the library, has been referred to by some as one of the “most beautiful rooms” in Canada. The original design for the Library of Parliament contemplated the construction of a groined roof made out of stone and hollow bricks. However, it was feared that due to the large span and the great weight of the materials, together with the height of the lantern, any imperfection in the work could have serious consequences. Even a dome-shaped ceiling and lantern made out of wood was being considered. Given its great height over the floor, so it was argued, the wooden dome would be ‘out of reach of fire’.

[flickrslideshow acct_name="58115594@N04" id="72157625996382159/"] ________ Ottawa has a thriving black community whose history in the region stretches back to before the arrival of Lt. Col. John By. While much is published, there is something to be said about sitting down with someone and listening to their personal story. I met with Thomas Barber, a descendant of Alexander Rogers (b. Kentucky, 1865), to talk about the history of the Barber family which spans from the USA of the late 1800s to Ottawa in the early 20th century. Barber gave an enthusiastic and knowledgeable account  as he described the spaces that his family occupied in their daily lives. Two of Barber’s uncles were respected business owners, and both lived and worked in parts of the city that have seen a great deal of change over time. Barber’s Uncle Jack ran a bicycle business at 135 Nelson Street, out of a modest house which was at the time a neighbourhood gathering spot. Sadly, the house was destroyed and replaced with a parking lot. Uncle Jack’s own home, located at 19 St Joseph Street, met a similar fate — it is now the parking lot for De La Salle High School.

[flickrslideshow acct_name="58115594@N04" id="72157625788601334"] __________________ The Bytown Museum explores the stories of an evolving city and its residents from its early days as Bytown to present day Ottawa. "Backspacing" is a new monthly feature produced by Museum director Mike Steinhauer and Museum development director Francesco Corsaro. Ottawa’s downtown isn’t necessarily known for its grand apartment buildings. In fact, many of the structures originate from the 1960’s and 1970’s and often have a less than desirable effect on the city’s landscape. Dotted throughout the central core, however, one finds several apartment buildings that could be described as grand: The Shefford (300 Cooper Street), Windsor Arms (150 Argyle Road) and The Strathcona (404 Laurier Avenue East). The names of the earlier residents of these buildings would often appear in the Social and Personal Activities section – the precursor to the Ottawa Citizen’s Around Town. The Shefford, built in 1912 to create apartments for the growing middle class, quickly became a respectable address and boasted spacious rooms, large windows, oak floors, a beautiful marble staircase and ‘continuous attendant elevator service’.