historic Ottawa by Michael Bussière
Lebreton Flats.
Where dreams go to fizzle out.
ttawa is the only G7 capital O that features a gigantic ghost town within sight of its parliamentary
precinct. This peculiarity is not the result of some natural disaster, but rather the good intentions of the Diefenbaker government to clean up and revive what was the decaying neighbourhood and industrial zone known as Lebreton Flats. Life-timers in Ottawa may believe the Flats are cursed, as it remains mostly, embarrassingly vacant almost 60 years after bulldozing began.
Top of the page: Loading Lumber Barges on the Ottawa River, c.1890s, print: albumen, Bytown Museum, P2738a. Above: “Fire of April 26th 1900. Hull & Ottawa looking over “Flats” from Sparks Street, terminus.”
The British settlement of what was an ancient Indigenous gathering place by the Chaudière Falls is a tale rife with failure and sordid ambitions.
went bankrupt and he landed in a debtor's prison. When he was released in 1820, Randall immediately sued the government for damages. Lot 40 was up for sale under a sheriff ’s authority.
Loyalist Robert Randall first purchased what was surveyed as 'Lot 40’ in 1809 intending to harness the water power for mills. Unfortunately, the first of many, many plans for the Flats was foiled when Randall’s financial backers
George Ramsay, the Earl of Dalhousie and Governor General of British North America, had knowledge of Capt. Joshua Jebb’s survey between Kingston and the Ottawa River that confirmed the viability of a military
canal. At a gathering of officers in Richmond, Dalhousie was informed of the need for storehouses en route to Montreal, with the south shore of the Ottawa at the Chaudière being the perfect location for both projects. He opened his mouth and informed the gathering of his intention to grab Lot 40 as soon as Randall could be located. Too bad for Dalhousie that one Capt. John Lebreton was also in attendance. 45 OTTAWALIFE WINTER/SPRING 2021
