Most who have visited the Byward Market area of modern Ottawa would be capable of describing Notre Dame Basilica. The oldest standing church in Ottawa, and the seat of the Archdiocese of Ottawa in the Roman Catholic Church, Notre Dame is a landmark. Its twin towers can be seen from across Ottawa, and its roof is instantly recognisable (and occasionally blinding) at a closer distance. But Notre Dame is not just a pleasant addition to Ottawa’s skyline; as with many of the other historic areas in the city, it is home to a long and storied past.

The land on which Notre Dame stands today was donated by Colonel By at the request of the Catholic citizens of Bytown in 1832, and was originally home to the first Catholic church in Ottawa. This group made up a larger percentage of the population than might be imagined due to the fact that the majority of the labourers who built the canal were either French-Canadian or Irish in origin. As a result, the congregation quickly outgrew the small wooden church built to house them.[1] Only nine years after the construction of the original church, work began on the current building; twelve years later, in 1853, the building was officially consecrated by Cajetan Bedini, the Special Ambassador of Pope Pius IX in the United States.[2] One interesting architectural quirk which observant visitors may notice today is the distinctive separation in architectural styles between the bottom third and the upper two-thirds of the church; the windows, for example, have flat tops in the bottom third and curved tops for the upper two.[3] This was because the original design for the building, drawn up by Father John Cannon, was done in a modern style and based on St. Patrick’s in Quebec (now destroyed).[4] However, the construction project soon ran out of money with only the bottom third finished. The building was completed by Father Pierre-Adrien Telmon and the Oblate Fathers, who favoured the Gothic style which the top two-thirds of the building represent today.[5]

In the years since the initial construction, significant additions have been made; these include the now-iconic twin steeples in 1858, interior carving in 1878 to bring the quality of the interior to the same standard as the beautiful exterior, and one of Canada’s first hot water heating systems in 1876.[6] The archdiocese which the basilica heads has changed significantly as well in the century and a half since the building was completed; the area that the first Bishop, Monsignor Bruno Guigues, presided over is nearly unrecognisable today. The second Bishop was also the first Archbishop, and the massive diocese has now been subdivided into numerous smaller components (initially the Bishop of Ottawa might have to travel as far as Temscaming, 320 kilometres from Ottawa; some of his subordinates had to travel as far as James Bay).[7] Throughout the years, however, the heart of the Archdiocese has remained standing. Thank you all for reading, and have a wonderful day!

Behind every successful church there has to be a priest; discover the stories behind many of the bishops and Archbishops who have sat in Notre Dame in part 2.

References:

1 Taylor, C.J. Manuscript Report Number 268: Some Early Ottawa Buildings. Ottawa: Parks Canada Historical Research Section, 1975. 350.

2 Taylor, C.J. Manuscript Report Number 268: Some Early Ottawa Buildings. Ottawa: Parks Canada Historical Research Section, 1975. 352.

3 Taylor, C.J. Manuscript Report Number 268: Some Early Ottawa Buildings. Ottawa: Parks Canada Historical Research Section, 1975. 351.

4 Taylor, C.J. Manuscript Report Number 268: Some Early Ottawa Buildings. Ottawa: Parks Canada Historical Research Section, 1975. 350.

5 Taylor, C.J. Manuscript Report Number 268: Some Early Ottawa Buildings. Ottawa: Parks Canada Historical Research Section, 1975. 351.

6 Taylor, C.J. Manuscript Report Number 268: Some Early Ottawa Buildings. Ottawa: Parks Canada Historical Research Section, 1975. 353.

7 Ottawa Citizen. “Roman Catholic archdiocese turns 100.” May 5, 1986.

Image Source: Clifford M. Johnston, Clifford M. Johnston Fonds, Library and Archives Canada, accession number 1968-186, item 5138, R3033-0-7-E. (http://collectionscanada.gc.ca/pam_archives/index.php?fuseaction=genitem.displayItem&rec_nbr=3325496&lang=eng)