The Flamingo Motel

 At the time of inquiry (yesterday), Google AI seemed fairly certain that there isn't, nor was there ever a Flamingo Motel in Ottawa — yet somehow I remember its neon sign very clearly. Exactly where it stood is a different matter — east end probably, Montreal Road perhaps?

A search of promotional postcards yields one rewarding hit, with an address no less — Montreal Road indeed!

The seller's site gives no date for the card. Newspaper mentions of the Flamingo are scant. The motel did not generally advertise, though its name appeared in a series of buy-in "Tourist Guide" ads that ran in the Ottawa Journal in the summer of 1958. Post-war construction would be a safe bet.

The address places the Flamingo on the south side of Montreal Road, facing Notre Dame Cemetery, immediately west of the Belisle Automobiles showroom at the corner of Montreal Road and St Laurent Boulevard. The motel rarely made the news, though I find a curious story that appeared in the Ottawa Citizen on October 1 1976.

The story evokes Cold War paranoia, recalls the great CB craze of the '70s (viz Breaker! Breaker!, Convoy, Smokey and the Bandit), and reminds us of a time when the Unites States was our closest military ally, not an imminent threat.

In the summer of 1985, Belisle Automobiles bought the Flamingo and demolished it, making room for a larger showroom. The Belisle Cadillac Chevrolet dealership closed in January 2013. The property was later acquired and redeveloped into the current flagship Audi Ottawa location by the Mark Motors Group, which officially opened a standalone dealership in 2016. Mark Motors also operates a Porsche showroom on the the original Belisle site.

Regarding Belisle's tenure on the site —

Aerial photos suggest that the motel site was farmed prior to WWII.

93 Donald Street, Overbrook, Ottawa

This astonishing house was built some time in the early 2000s, hence its Millennial style. Note the ostentatious "Palladian" window above the garage, which structure spans more than half way across the nearly 50'-wide front facade. The contrasting narrowness of the squint-or-you'll-miss-it main entrance gives the impression that this building is more about cars than people.

The original 93 Donald was a much smaller single-storey postwar home, built pre-1958. Before that, as we've noted elsewhere, the property was farmland.

38 Washington Avenue, Vanier, Ottawa

 This very small house caught my eye as I was poking around in Street View — the capture dates from July 2019. I can find no information about the building apart from what the aerial photos reveal. It seems not to have been built as of 1928, but it does appear in 1958. The peculiar sloped rear extension appeared some time between 1965 and 1991. The original brick chimney disappeared some time between 2015 and 2019 (hence the break in the siding), along with a luxuriant cover of Boston Ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata (Siebold & Zucc.) Planch.) — which despite its name is native to Eastern Asia. Old bits of vine still cling to the wall.

"Autumn Ivy" — Ogata Kenzan

The lot measures 48' by 95'. Before the rear addition was built, the house had a square footprint (apart from the projecting front foyer)— you can imagine how small it was!  The 1958 photo shows a backyard shed, making me wonder whether there was ever a basement.

My guess would be that this was built shortly after WWII, part of the home-building frenzy for veterans returning to a nation-wide housing shortage. It's worth remembering how post-war homebuilding impacted Ottawa's landscape. Consider this topo map from 1940, at the start of the War.

The green area shows the (now)-Vanier-South/Overbrook area as bounded by (N) McArthur Ave, (E) St. Laurent Blvd, (S) Tremblay Rd and (W) River Rd. Red arrows point to Washington Avenue in the NW corner, in the old Cummings Bridge sector. Partway down we see the original three "Royal" roads of the "OverBrook Annex," King George, Queen Mary and Prince Albert. Queen Mary is the one in the middle, devolving into a dirt road as she runs east towards a meeting with Cyrville Road.

Everything else was farmland or waste ground (small woodlots, marshy bits), not developed until the late '40s, the '50s and the '60s.

86 Pretoria Avenue, the Glebe, Ottawa

 This house was built c. 1896, when Pretoria was still being called Jane Street, making it a respectable 130 years old. First occupied by Donaldson B. Dowling, field geologist with the GSC.

517 O'Connor Street, the Glebe, Ottawa

 As RealtyOneGroup would have us know ...

"Under the canopy of two mature oaks and overlooking Patterson Creek, this historic home by W.E. Noffke is a Glebe treasure. Blending Edwardian Classicism, Spanish Colonial Revival and Arts and Crafts, this grand estate has been lovingly restored and modernized. With a rich history of past occupants, like a former mayor of Ottawa, a baron of the mill industry and MP, an arctic explorer, doctors and world class classical musicians, what fantastic stories this home must have witnessed! Expansive and designed to impress, with beautiful panelling and woodwork throughout, grand proportions and stunning views, the home transports you to a golden age. Colourful light filters through the stain glass windows on the grand main stair and sumptuous front hall. Soak in the views in the amazing sun room, or retreat to the privacy of the library for a cozy read by the gas fire place. The ground floor is an entertainers dream with a large and gorgeous kitchen, huge living (with another gas fireplace) and dining areas that spill out to the back terrace. The many bedrooms upstairs offer versatility and can be used as guest bedrooms, offices or studios, while the primary bedroom suite - with mirrored walk in closet and massive ensuite bath - is fit for a king! This is one of the most prestigious and historic architectural homes in the Glebe and you can write its next chapter!"

The address first appears in the 1915 City Directory as the home of George Frederick Hodgins a Quebec merchant. He represented Pontiac in the House of Commons of Canada from 1908 to 1911 as a Liberal.

A 1923 listing shows the house to by occupied by Thomas Miles Birkett, businessman, politician and son of Thomas Birkett Sr., once mayor of Ottawa.

28, 32-34 Pretoria Avenue, the Glebe, Ottawa

Trying to fit in —

 In the foreground we see 32-34 Pretoria, built c. 1908-1909 (first Directory listing in the latter year.) Goad 1912 makes note of the concrete-brick veneer we can see on the side of the building.

Behind, the six-storey Marbella rental block does an admirable job of looking contemporary while integrating visually with the neighbours. It was built in 2021. This land was originally part of the Hickey Family market garden property, subdivided for home-building starting in the late 19th century as "Bloomingvale." Which I'm getting to, I swear.

Lilacs past bloom, Rideau Canal, Glebe North

Ottawa's "French" Lilacs (Syringa vulgaris L.) are past peak bloom —the flowers on the stand pictured here have wilted and turned brown. The Persian Lilacs (S. x persica) are having their moment in the sun, with a spicier scent than that of the French. The white Japanese Tree Lilacs (Syringa reticulata (Blume) H.Hara) be doing their thing very soon.

The wee green dot (bottom right) on this 1879 Belden map detail shows where our lilacs will eventually be planted. The red oblong on the A. Hickey property is now the Isabella St. Loblaws — note the little inlet cutting through the clay soil running into the Canal. We see a culvert running under Elgin immediately east of where the TD Bank now stands. 

This short watercourse was one of several such formations along the Canal's western shore, including Brown's Inlet, Patterson Creek, and the now filled-in Neville's Creek (just north of Waverley.) The creeklet we see here (blue arrows, can we call it "Hickey's Creek"?) drained the east end of the Hickey lands and emptied into the Canal where the Queensway crosses today.

Some name changes —

• Appin Place > Museum of Nature
• Flora > Park Ave.
• Archibald > Argyle Ave.
• Jane > Pretoria Ave.

And what about that "Bloomingvale" thing down at the bottom? I'll be getting to that. At some point.

478 O'Connor Street, The Glebe, Ottawa

 City Directories show that this Victorian-style house was built between 1901 and 1908. We have an indiction that it may have been built before 1906. The owner was Robert Tunnock, a sales representative for Fleischmann's Yeast.

Ottawa Citizen, 1904-11-09

Ottawa Journal, 1906-12-10

Goad 1912 shows #478 already built, with two identical "semi-detached dwellings" to the north — 466-468 and 470-472 O'Connor (both extant), the latter being the building mentioned in the December 1906 clipping. The question here is whether Tunnock purchased the entire end-cap lot, built his own home and two semi-detached houses as well. If so, not shabby for a yeast salesman.

11 Linden Terrace, The Glebe, Ottawa

Yes, there's a house back there somewhere, behind that substantial magnolia — you should see it the spring. Built some time between 1923 and 1928 for T.A. Lomer (and his wife Gertrude) the 1932 City Directory describes him as "Medical Officer of Health, Office City Hall."

I get a gentle chuckle out of the plinthy doo-dad lower right, embossed with the street address "11" framed by a Linden Leaf — get it?

Tilia americana, "Basswood" 

a North American species of Linden

Pierre-Joseph Redouté

9 Linden Terrace, The Glebe, Ottawa

 Facing south onto Patterson Creek — built some time between 1916 and 1923 for Wilfred C. Greig, Greig & Bray, Barristers and Solicitors.

250 & 252 Frank Street, Centretown, Ottawa

 250 Frank, the Victoria Apartments

252 Frank, the Aitken Apartments

originally the LaSalle

Newspaper mentions suggest that the Victoria was complete in 1932, the LaSalle in 1933. Neither appears in the 1932 City Directory, both are listed in the 1933 edition, showing eight apartments each. Side window arrangements indicate that the 1st floors are divided into 2 smaller apartments on each side, with larger units on the second and third floors.

53 Strathcona Avenue, The Glebe, Ottawa

 Half-hidden behind a mature Norway Maple, this wooden 1½-storey house dates to the earliest days of home-building at the north end of what we now call The Glebe. It's a humble but well-maintained example of a late 19th century-style worker's cottage, a plan that lends itself well to whatever Victorian styling the builder fancied or was able to afford.

The Hickey Family acreage stretched from Elgin to Bronson in a narrow band on the south side of Isabella and lay directly north of the Powell property. For years the Hickey lands were farmed as market garden allotments, but c. 1900, what had been an informal farm road running through those fields was opened from Elgin to Bank for housing lots on both the north and south sides of "Hickey Street." Here is part of the 1901 Directory listings for Hickey — I've highlighted #53, including adjoining properties to reveal how quickly houses were going up, with some lots still vacant, others hosting homes half-built.

John Hodgkins, the first occupant (and probably the owner) of 53 Hickey worked as an electroplater for the Eclipse Office Furniture Company, headquartered on Albert Street. Hodgkins was still living at #53 when the 1908 Directory was published, by which time Hickey had been renamed for Lord Strathcona — the park in Sandy Hill also bears his name.

Bain News Service c. 1913

photographer unknown

155 McLeod Street, Golden Triangle, Ottawa

 155 McLeod was built c. 1890, one of the earliest houses on McLeod east of Elgin. First home to William Chambers, a messenger with the C.A.R., it saw a quick succession of tenants through that decade including other rail workers. At some point in the 1900s it was taken over by Mr and Mrs Robert Samuel Bishop, he a clerk with the Royal North West Mounted Police. The couple moved to Echo Drive (#718) around 1930. That house still stands, overlooking the Canal and the Exhibition Grounds opposite.

In September of 1925, Mr Bishop lost a rubber sheet, a calamitous episode noted in both Ottawa dailies, see below.

Really, where is the dignity in that?

55 Simcoe Street, Old Ottawa East

This little Art Deco bungalow was built some time between 1933 and 1943. A sad account appeared in August of the latter year.

A mandolin, in Old Ottawa East, in 1943? Tell me more —

Ottawa Citizen, 1944-09-27

If teaching music doesn't pay the bills, there are other ways to make money. This from July 1953 ...

An article from the Ottawa Journal, appearing in June of 1978, sees a continuation of this avian theme —

click on the pic to view large.