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A campaign is in the works to turn ByWard Market into a national historic site to help celebrate its 200th anniversary.
City staff are recommending councilors approve the nomination for the federal program administered by Parks Canada.
In a report, staff say the status would have little impact on landowners but could boost tourism in the area. It would also lead to a bronze commemorative plaque.
ByWard Market opened in 1827 after Colonel John By had a dense cedar swamp drained to create a trading center for workers building the Rideau Canal, according to Heritage Ottawa.
Katherine Spencer-Ross, president of Heritage Ottawa, said the impending bicentennial makes now the ideal time for the campaign. He acknowledged that the status offers no legal protection, but said the market would gain greater prestige as a national historic site.
“This makes it a little bit more important than… for example, a provincial designation or a city designation as a historic district,” he said.
The city staff report calls the market Ottawa’s oldest commercial area and says it deserves recognition as a meeting point of French and English cultures.
The area’s architecture is rich and varied, displaying “a variety of designs, materials, workmanship and environment,” the report added.
There are more than 1,000 national historic sites throughout the country. The list includes more than two dozen sites in Ottawa, including the Parliament Buildings, the Rideau Canal, Laurier House in Sandy Hill, the Aberdeen Pavillion in Lansdowne Park and the Diefenbunker in Carp.
Rideau-Vanier County. Stéphanie Plante said she first brought the idea to city staff after seeing Rockcliffe Park get the designation.
“Why can’t the Byward Market have the same distinction? It’s one of the oldest markets in Canada,” he recalled thinking.
“We have a lot of tourists that come and just want a Beavertail or they’re staying in a hotel,” Plante added. “And there’s so much more at ByWard Market and I’m so excited to show it off.”
‘Cradle of the city’
The Lowertown Community Association also supports the plan. President Sylvie Bigras called the market a magical place with a rich history.
“This is the birthplace of the city of Ottawa. It’s Bytown in its original form,” he said.
She feels the city leadership too often “forgets” the market and hopes the status, if it comes, will draw renewed attention.
Spencer-Ross said it could attract more people to the market and help persuade developers to preserve the neighborhood’s heritage features.
Plante hopes it can also give the area an advantage if the city applies for federal funds to support signage projects that would help tell the market’s story.
“To say it’s been designated as a federal heritage site, it adds a little more excitement to your application,” he said.
City staff say the application could take up to two years to go through the federal process, which requires submission to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada.
If accepted, that means it should be ready in time for the 2027 celebrations.
