Nomination of the ByWard Market as a National Historic Site
By Kirsty Walker and MacKenzie Kimm, Heritage Planning, City of Ottawa
The City of Ottawa’s Heritage Planning Branch will be bringing a report to City Council in the coming months seeking support to nominate the ByWard Market as a National Historic District under Parks Canada’s National Historic Site program.
Staff believe the ByWard Market strongly meets the criteria and represents a place that has significantly impacted Canadian history, as the city’s oldest commercial area and site of one of the city’s first public markets, which continues to function as such today. The ByWard Market is also designated under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act as a Heritage Conservation District (HCD).
The goal is to submit the nomination to the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada in early 2026 with the hope of obtaining approval to align with the ByWard Market’s 200th anniversary quickly approaching in 2027.
National Historic Sites (NHS) are entirely honorific and commemorative in nature. An NHS designation would not transfer ownership or management to Parks Canada or the municipality, nor would it change or supersede any permitting requirements under the existing Part V designation. Owners would continue to be encouraged to follow the Standards and Guidelines for the Conservation of Historic Places in Canada.
If the nomination is approved, a bronze plaque will be installed within the District.
Staff expect to recommend that the National Historic District largely mirror the boundaries of the existing ByWard Market Heritage Conservation District (HCD) with three additional areas:
- the north side of Rideau Street between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street,
- the south side of Guigues Avenue, east of Sussex Drive and west of Parent Avenue,
- the south side of St. Patrick Street and the north side of Murray Street, west of Cumberland Street.
The proposed National Historic Site boundary additions would capture several existing Part IV designations that help illustrate the themes of the ByWard Market’s history.
For more information on the proposed National Historic District designation, the upcoming report or if there are comments on the proposed boundaries, please contact Heritage Planning staff at heritage@ottawa.ca.
