Ottawa Union Station
The closing of Ottawa's central train station was a blunder that was to have far-reaching consequences.
One of North America's first monumental railway stations, Grand Trunk Railway Union Station opened in 1912 and served passengers until 1966. It was closed for the sake of The NCC's monumental (and monumentally short-sighted) plans - after all, it was the sixties, and who needed trains anymore? The NCC general manager, displaying that trademarked NCC foresight, claimed Ottawa did not need a downtown station as "it was being planned on a decentralized approach and would not have the traffic congestion now experienced by other cities." So the valuable rail transit corridor through the heart of the city was replaced with the Nicholas Street expressway, and the station moved out to the suburbs against the wishes of the railroads, its future irrelevance guaranteed. Incredibly, the plan called for the former station's demolition, as it would impede traffic flow. We have the Centennial celebrations and the NCC's own embarrassment to thank for the building's survival: ever concerned with appearances, they felt that a demolished building would appear unsightly just as they were getting ready for the 1967 celebrations.
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Ottawa Railway History Circle history of Union Station Citizen: Meech Ghosts [17 Jun 1996] Citizen letter: Save our railway heritage [18 May 2001] Citizen: Alta Vista Parkway [16 Apr 2000] Citizen: Why it's not safe to cross the road [17 Apr 2000] |
When the trains left, the cars, trucks and buses took their place, eight lanes worth. The Nicholas Street expressway is now the main truck route from the Queensway to Hull, an impenetrable barrier between Sandy Hill and the canal, and resulted in a wasteland between Waller and Nicholas that was vacant for decades, while the Nicholas and Laurier intersection is ranked as the most pedestrian unfriendly in the city. And with the planned construction of the Alta Vista "Parkway," things look to only get worse.
The Nicholas Expressway: the trains are long gone
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Citizen: $355 Million Solution [11 Feb 1999] Citizen: Deal near to restart Champlain bridge work [24 Jul 1999] Citizen: Boulevard plan divides Quebec neighbours [1 Mar 2000] Communities Before Cars case against the Champlain Bridge Expansion |
It's no longer 1960, but the NCC continues to plan as though it is: the flow and accommodation of automobile traffic in the city continues to be one of its biggest preoccupations. Unwilling to learn from their mistakes, they are currently behind plans to:
- plow a grand boulevard through Hull and Gatineau Park (the McConnell-Laramee freeway)
- build a vast parking garage beneath Sparks Street, demolishing a square block in the process
- a $355-million ring-road and bridge proposal
- the Champlain Bridge expansion
Meanwhile, Ottawa is getting interested in commuter rail once again. A pilot project for a rail service from the south of the city is planned. But instead of a terminus in the heart of downtown Ottawa, the service will bring commuters to, ironically, the vacant Lebreton Flats.
Having removed Ottawa's rail heritage, the NCC put up a plaque
As for the former Ottawa train station, it has languished for decades as an underused Federal conference centre. Plans to renovate it for a Canadian Sports Hall of Fame were bandied about for several years before finally being pushed aside for a Canadian History Centre. Expect an exhibit or two on the role of railways in building the nation. History indeed.
OBJ: Public opposes scope of Sports Hall of Fame [6 Mar 2000]
Citizen: Scaled-down plan for sports hall of fame [17 Apr 2000]
Citizen: $60M revamp for old train station [15 Jun 2000]
Citizen: Hall of Fame fund-raiser [21 Jun 2000]
Centretown News: Conference centre about to get face lift [26 Jan 2001]
CBC: Chretien announces history museum [26 May 2003]
Pedestrians must walk under this three-lane slipway next to the former train station