Belltown, Ottawa

Belltown is a neighbourhood in the Britannia area of Bay Ward, in the west end of Ottawa. It is bounded on the east by Britannia Park, on the north by the Ottawa River, on the west by Andrew Haydon Park and the south by Carling Avenue.[2] Prior to Ottawa's amalgamation in 2001, the neighbourhood spanned the Ottawa-Nepean municipal boundary. The neighbourhood's population is 2089 (2016 Census), with 294 people living in the Nepean portion.[3]

Belltown
Neighbourhood
Belltown Dome
Belltown Dome
Belltown is located in Ottawa
Belltown
Belltown
Location within Ottawa
Coordinates: 45°21′38″N 75°48′08″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceOntario
CityOttawa
Government
 • MPsAnita Vandenbeld
 • MPPsJeremy Roberts
 • CouncillorsTheresa Kavanagh
 • Governing bodyBelltown Neighbourhood Association
 • PresidentAlex Cullen[1]
Area
 • Total0.777 km2 (0.300 sq mi)
Elevation
60 m (200 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total2,089
 • Density2,700/km2 (7,000/sq mi)
 Canada 2016 Census
Time zoneUTC-5 (Eastern (EST))

History

The neighbourhood began to be built in the early 1920s[4] with additions in the late 1940s.[5] It was part of Nepean Township until most of the area was annexed by Ottawa in 1950. In its early years, the neighbourhood was a "cottage community".[6]

In 1963, the eastern part of the neighbourhood received sewers for the first time, replacing the use of septic tanks. At the same time, parts of the neighbourhood faced expropriation to make room for the proposed "Pinecrest-Deschenes Freeway" which was never built.[7]

In 1968, the Britannia Woods housing development was completed in the neighbourhood for placement of families in to rent-to-income units. Britannia Woods is owned by Ottawa Community Housing.[8] It was built by Catkey Construction and financed by the Ontario Housing Corporation.[9]

In 1975, residents approved a grant of over $2 million as part of the Neighbourhood Improvement Program (NIP) to "rehabilitate and preserve" the neighbourhood. The NIP was a federal-provincial-municipal plan to improve and preserve old neighbourhoods and encourage development of the community's environment.[10] The money mostly went toward storm sewer and road construction, and a multi-use recreation facility, plus street lighting, water-front development, playgrounds, tree planting and traffic light installation.[11] The grant would pay for the Belltown Dome hockey arena,[12] a geodesic dome-shaped building, which officially opened in 1979.[13] In 1979, Nepean City Council approved a $250,000 for improvements in the Nepean section of the neighbourhood, for the creation of a park, an additional sewer and street upgrades.[14]

One issue that continued to threaten the community's character was the proposed "Britannia Parkway", which would have run along the Ottawa River connecting the Kichi Zibi Mikan to the Queensway.[15] The parkway was never built. Today, the neighbourhood is threatened by being within the Ottawa River's floodplain.[16]

Amenities

In addition to Britannia Park, which forms the neighbourhood's eastern border, and Andrew Haydon Park which forms the western border, Belltown also contains Grandeur Park. Municipal facilities include the Belltown Dome Arena, the Ron Kolbus Lakeside Centre and Briannia Trolley Park. The neighbourhood contains one school, Dr. F.J. McDonald Catholic. The Briannia Woods project includes a community garden.[16]

The Trans Canada Trail (left) and Grandeur Avenue (right) in Belltown

References
  1. "BNA Executive - Belltown Neighbourhood Association".
  2. Belltown Neighbourhood Association Facebook
  3. Population calculated by combining the populations of dissemination areas 35060647, 35060649, 35060648, 35061390 (Nepean portion) and dissemination block 35061289003
  4. Ottawa, Ontario. 1:63,360. Map Sheet 031G05, [ed. 7], 1925; Producer: Geographical Section, General Staff, Department of National Defence; Date published: 1925-01-01 (publication), 2016-01-01 (publication)
  5. Ottawa, Ontario. 1:63,360. Map Sheet 031G05, [ed. 17], gridded, 1948; Producer: Geographical Section, General Staff, Department of National Defence; Date published: 1948-01-01 (publication), 2016-01-01 (publication); Type of data layer: Raster, Not specified
  6. "Massive renewal planned". Ottawa Citizen. February 9, 1976. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  7. "Belltown expropriation thorny question". Ottawa Citizen. March 8, 1963. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  8. "Rentals in Britannia Woods - Ottawa Community Housing".
  9. "Housing Development Nears Completion". Ottawa Journal. September 25, 1968. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  10. "Belltowners okay improvement loans". Ottawa Citizen. August 1, 1975. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  11. "Belltown Area Gets $2 Million". Ottawa Journal. June 18, 1976. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  12. "Under the dome". Ottawa Journal. January 22, 1978. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  13. "Efforts pay off under the dome". Ottawa Citizen. January 22, 1979. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  14. "$125,000 facelift for Belltown". Ottawa Citizen. December 12, 1979. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  15. "Britannia/ Parkway extension opposed". Ottawa Citizen. October 10, 1984. Retrieved June 25, 2020.
  16. https://maps.ottawa.ca/geoottawa/ GeoOttawa
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