We began our speaker session of March 22, 2025 at the Main Branch of the Ottawa Public Library on a somber note as Ben Weiss informed us of  the unexpected death of Jamie Bramburger who had been our guest speaker just one month earlier. All of us at the Historical Society of Ottawa extend our condolences to Jamie’s family, friends and colleagues.

As March 7, 2025 marked the 225^th anniversary of the arrival of Philemon Wright and his party to this area, we were pleased to welcome Rick Henderson, a direct descendant of Philemon Wright, who gave the 28 of us a brief insight into the vision, achievements and legacy of his famous ancestor. Philemon, who was born in Woburn, Massachusetts, received a land grant of more than14,000 acres from the Crown under the Leaders and Associates Program. The group he led to settle the area consisted of his own family, that of his brother and those of his two sisters-in-law. London Oxford, a free black man also accompanied Philemon, though it is unclear whether London had a family or was alone. A group of 33 axe-men / labourers and 7 slaves also came with them. By 1806, as land was distributed, there were more than 20 partners occupying nearly 4,000 acres, including a French-speaking family, that of François Loizeau. By 1821, there were over 100 partners occupying more than 10,000 acres, including dozens of francophone families.

Rick pointed out that the successful agricultural community grew to include lumbering, quarrying. mills, smiths and all manner of infrastructure. By 1826, when plans were being formalized for the construction of the Rideau Canal, it was this developed infrastructure at Wrightstown that made the project possible. Had Wrightstown not been established and a success, Rick believes that it is doubtful the canal would have been built and without the canal there would have been no Bytown to become Ottawa.

Despite the significance of the event on local history, the City of Gatineau has no plans to mark this anniversary.

There is much more to learn about Philemon Wright and Wrightstown. Please check out Rick’s blog at: Capital Chronicles

Following Rick Henderson’s well-received presentation, we were pleased to welcome Dr. Andrea McCrady, who spoke to us on the history of the Peace Tower Carillon and the five individuals who have served as the Dominion Carillonneur since 1927.

Dr. McCrady started playing the carillon in 1971 at Trinity College in Hartford, Connecticut. She then studied at carillon schools in the Netherlands, Belgium, and France. While studying music at McGill, she played the carillon at St. Joseph’s Oratory then in Toronto at the carillon at the University of Toronto and the Canadian National Exhibition. From 1990 to 2008, she coordinated the carillon program at the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in Spokane, Washington, where she also practiced family medicine. In 2008, Andrea received her Bachelor of Music degree from the University of Denver, retired from her family medicine practice and accepted the position of Dominion Carillonneur, there being no qualified Canadian to fill the position. Andrea became a Canadian citizen on July 1^st 2017.

Andrea told us a bit about the carillon. The carillon is a musical instrument comprising at least 23 bronze bells, (a chime consisting of 8 – 22 bells). It is manually played through a keyboard with both keys and pedals. The bells are stationary, their clappers being generally of iron and hung to one side within the bell. The bells are tuned when cast and never need retuning unless damaged. Every carillon is unique, as the tower in which it is housed serves as its sound box, giving each a distinct voice.

Andrea explained that when the original Centre Block was destroyed by fire in 1916, it was planned to replace the single bell in the Victoria Tower with a set of 4 bells so it could mimic the Westminster chime. Senator George Bradbury of Manitoba proposed that a carillon be installed in the new Peace Tower as a more fitting tribute to the Canadians who had fallen during the Great War. The Peace Tower carillon is composed of 53 bells, that were cast by Gillett & Johnston in Croydon, England between 1925 and 1927, and has a range of  4 ½ octaves. The largest bell, the Bordon, weighs 10,090 kg, while its clapper weighs 229kg. The tower was built around the largest bells, which have remained in-place through the current Centre Block restoration. The carillon was first played publicly on July 1^st 1927, being featured on a nation-wide radio broadcast in celebration of Canada’s 60^th anniversary.

Andrea went on to give us a brief history of her four predecessors.

Percival Price was the first Dominion Carillonneur, at age 26, from 1927 to 1939, having previously been the carillonneur at the Metropolitan Church in Toronto and the first carillonneur at the Rockefeller Carillon in New York.  His musical program consisted mainly of classical works and folk songs. Over his life he is credited with over 1,000 compositions and arrangements. He was a composer, teacher, carillon architect, campanologist (a person who studies bells and the art of ringing them), author, professor, lecturer, historian and one of the founders of The Guild of Carillonneurs in North America (GCNA) in Ottawa in 1936.

Robert Donnell was the carillonneur of the Cutten Memorial Carillon at St. George’s Church in Guelph before becoming the assistant to Percival Price in1936 and Dominion Carillonneur in 1940. He served with the Royal Canadian Air Force from 1942 to 1945. His programs also consisted chiefly of classical works and folk songs. He was forcibly retired in 1975 having reached the mandatory retirement age of 65. He produced over 2,000 arrangements during his lifetime, but requested that his family burn these upon his death, to which they complied.

Émilien Allard played in the Royal Canadian Air Force’s Central Band as a clarinetist from 1942 to 1945. Following the war, after additional studies and work, in 1955 he was appointed carillonneur at St. Joseph’s Oratory in Montréal and won the International Carillonneurs’ Prize in Mechelen in 1958. He became the Dominion Carillonneur in 1975, introducing French Canadian folk songs to the repertoire along with more complex works featuring the innovative use of unusual scales and rhythmic patterns. He composed 50 works for carillon, made more than 700 transcriptions, and wrote works for chamber ensembles and symphony orchestras. He died in 1976.

Gordon Slater learned to play the carillon at age seven. He had finished second in the competition that led to the appointment of Émilien Allard, so was appointed Dominion Carillonneur upon the death of his predecessor, beginning the role in 1977. Never a composer himself, he is a brilliant improvisational performer who broadened the scope of the materials played. He retired as Dominion Carillonneur in 2008 but continues to perform.

Andrea explained that apart from playing the carillon, she is actively teaching it. This initially involved a group of students from the University of Ottawa, but in 2011 she joined the Carleton University Associate Performance Faculty where she leads the Carillon Studies program. Carleton University now offers a Certificate in Carillon Studies, the only Canadian university to do so.

Andrea shared many clips of recordings during her fabulous presentation, ranging from the formal and somber Last Post to the energetic and always entertaining theme from Star Wars. She has also shared the following links with us:

• Carillon - History, Art and Architecture - Parliament of Canada
• Carillon - Histoire, art et architecture - Parlement du Canada

Though the carillon has been quiet now for the past three years, there are many recordings that can be enjoyed online and it is hoped that the Dominion Carillon will be performing again by July 1st 2027 to celebrate its 100th anniversary.

Beginning on April 2, 2025, subscribers to Rogers TV will be able to enjoy a fascinating new weekly series, “Time Travelling with the Historical Society of Ottawa”, a collaboration between Rogers TV and the HSO.

Each week's new episode will air Wednesday @ 7:30 p.m. and then be rebroadcast Friday at 5:30 p.m. and the following Tuesday @ 10:00 a.m. on Rogers TV Channel 22.

Here is the schedule of episodes and our featured presenters:

Wednesday, April 2 @ 7:30 p.m.
"Go Exploring" with Paul Weber

Wednesday, April 9 @ 7:30 p.m.
"Glimpses of Forgotten Ottawa" with Kevin Ballantyne

Wednesday, April 16 @ 7:30 p.m.
"Philemon Wright and his town" with Rick Henderson

Wednesday, April 23 @ 7:30 p.m.
"Gord Atkinson: Ottawa's Oldest Teenager" with Peter Atkinson

Wednesday, April 30 @ 7:30 p.m.
"Bytown 1847: Elisabeth Bruyere and the Irish Famine Refugees" with Michael McBane

Wednesday, May 7 @ 7:30 p.m.
"Ottawa's Golden Age of Rock and Roll" with Jim Hurcomb

Wednesday, May 14 @ 7:30 p.m.
"The Changing World of Photography" with Paul Couvrette

Wednesday, May 21 @ 7:30pm
"From Steamboats to the NHL: The Cowley Family" with Christine Jackson

Wednesday, May 28 @ 7:30pm
"Ottawa's Surprising Connections to Basketball's Beginnings" with Leo Doyle

Wednesday June 4 @ 7:30pm
"An Archaeologist's Perspective: Uncovering the Ottawa Area's Ancient Past" with Jean-Luc Pilon

Wednesday, June 11 @ 7:30pm
"Black History in Ottawa Streets" with Jean-Marie Guerrier

In addition, a series of French-language episodes have been been recorded to be broadcast on Rogers TV Cable 23.

All episodes were recording last Fall at the Rockcliffe Park pavilion, courtesy of the National Capital Commission.

After initial exclusive broadcast on Rogers TV, the series will be made accessible on the HSO website.

On the evening of Wednesday, October 9, 2024, the Historical Society of Ottawa delved into its own past with an exploration of the early decades of the Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa (WCHSO) and the remarkable women who formed and ran it. We were pleased to again welcome Connie Wren-Gunn, who reprised the session she had presented at our 125^th Birthday Bash in the summer of 2023. Connie is a professional historian, being the Director, Content & Interpretative Products for Know History. She holds an M.A. in History from Carleton University and is an accomplished writer and passionate researcher.

Connie explained that the women who founded the WCHSO were primarily women of privilege, from prominent local families, who were also responsible for the formation and operation of many other organizations and charities within Ottawa. Women had few rights in the late 1890s, and a number of organizations were created by women, such as the National Council of Women and the International Order of the Daughters of the Empire, which were focused on improving the position of women in society. Although a number of working women were involved in the formation of the WCHSO, they did not remain active with the organization for long. This may be due, in part, to the WCHSO holding its meetings on weekday afternoons.

Connie pointed out that the women who formed the WCHSO were trailblazers, giving women a voice they had never had before. Although some 20 Historical Societies were formed in Canada between 1869 and 1900, the WCHSO was the only one formed and managed entirely by women. It was also the first Canadian Historical Society to send a delegate to the annual meeting of the American Historical Association, Jenny Simpson, in 1909.

Connie then gave us the story of the founding of the WCHSO starting from June, 1898 when thirty-one women met at the home of Matilda Edgar, the wife of the Speaker of the House of Commons. Their goal was to promote and preserve the history of Ottawa through publications and through the collection of artifacts. This collection eventually grew into the Bytown Museum, which opened in October 1917. The WCHSO was run as a formal organization, with a constitution, bylaws, officers with assigned responsibilities, scheduled meetings and a membership fee, initially 50 cents yearly, which was not raised until the 1930s. They also published a detailed annual report, which they began after about a decade of operation. The formality of the organization was an important point, as they realized that it would be too easy for them to be perceived simply as a group of ladies, sitting around, sipping tea and chatting. They were serious in what they were doing and wanted everyone to understand it.

Connie went on to describe some of the activities undertaken by the WCHSO in their early years. These included fundraising, money always being in short supply, the creation of scrapbooks based on local news clippings, see the link below, the staging of two major exhibitions of local artifacts and the lobbying of governments for the preservation of historic sites and the creation of plaques and monuments to honour significant events, such as Confederation, and  individuals, chief among these being Lieutenant-Colonel John By.

She then told us a bit about Transactions, a journal published by the WCHSO, which consisted of 10 volumes appearing between 1901 and 1928, which contained over 130 essays. Most of these papers were written by WCHSO members, and although some were based on archival documents, most were based on previously published books, or recorded the memories of local families. Much of the focus of the papers was on early life in Bytown and the Ottawa valley, reflecting the hardships faced and overcome by the early settlers.

Connie explained that in the early part of the 20^th century, universities began introducing mandatory methodologies for historical research for their graduate students requiring original research based solely on written archival documents. This professionalization of history discounted the work of passionate amateurs, such as the women of the WCHSO. Perhaps in response to the growing criticism from professional historians, the WCHSO modified their content of Transactions, reducing them in size and increasing the number of articles written by men. Connie pointed out that in the volume published in 1922, seven of the ten articles were written by men. The WCHSO, perhaps as a further response, shifted its focus away from its writings to the collection and preservation of artifacts in the Bytown Museum.  

In 1956 the Women’s Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa became simply the Historical Society of Ottawa.

A full recording of Connie’s session can be viewed at: The Story of Us - The (Women's Canadian) Historical Society of Ottawa Est. 1898.

Connie’s Master’s Thesis can be read in full at: Etd | The Women's Canadian Historical Society of Ottawa: Constructing Public Memory and Preserving History in a Changing City, 1898-1932 | ID: j67314577 | Hyrax

The work performed by the 4^th year Digital History class of the University of Ottawa on the scrapbooks created by the WCHSO can be viewed at: Ottawa U Scrapbooking Ottawa History - The Historical Society of Ottawa

The Historical Society of Ottawa has a page on its website dedicated to the WCHSO, which can be viewed at:   WCHSO - The Historical Society of Ottawa  

Rick Henderson, author and fourth great-grandson of Philemon and Abigail Wright, paints a portrait of a man and his family whose legacy had a profound impact on the future of the capital and the nation. Note: this is a French-language presentation.

Enjoy this Zoom version of this summer's Black History's bus tour from the comfort of your home – and learn about the impact and outstanding contributions of Black Canadians to our city, presented by Jean-Marie Guerrier, Vice-President, Black History Ottawa.

Following World War II, approximately 40,000 Holocaust survivors resettled in Canada. Ottawa became home to many of those Holocaust survivors and hundreds of their descendants.

The Ottawa-based Centre for Holocaust Education and Scholarship invited 11 of those survivors to share their stories.

The Historical Society of Ottawa is honoured to link their testimonials to the HSO Memory Project:

• Excerpts from Testimonials
• Full-length Testimonials

The HSO team was happy to attend Ottawa’s Heritage Day celebrations at City Hall on February 18, 2025.

It’s quiz time!

Again this year, the Historical Society of Ottawa had the honour of preparing the 2025 “Great Ottawa History Challenge”, published every February during Heritage Week in the Ottawa Citizen.

Here’s your chance to see how much you know about Ottawa’s past: https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-history-quiz