Books by or about Lowertowners   

Janet Uren, The Villagers: History of the People and Life in New Edinburgh, 2025

By Nancy Miller-Chenier

A history of New Edinburgh is understandably focused on what we might consider the “wrong side of the river,” but this book references multiple connections between Lowertown and New Edinburgh, the most obvious being the bridges that carried residents back and forth across the Rideau River. Among these people are those who, like the author, spent time in our Colonel By’s Village. 

Thomas MacKay, New Edinburgh’s founder, was a landowner in Lowertown and an early street that ran from the Ottawa River to the Rideau River carried the MacKay name. Dr. William Ralph Bell of Stanley Street started his medical practice on York Street. Heather Matthews of SconeWitch fame took her entrepreneurial skills back and forth between the two villages (and is now a proud resident of Lowertown West). Anne Heggtveit, the Olympic alpine ski racer, along with others from the Burgh, finished her elementary education at York Street Public School.

The descriptions of the tiny gable-ended frame houses that predominate in the New Edinburgh Heritage Conservation District evoke images comparable to Lowertown streetscapes. The chapters on participation in sports and on childhood experiences mimic memories recounted by Lowertowners. There are many similarities but also some major differences. In earlier times, New Edinburgh was predominately English speaking and Protestant in contrast to the French speaking and Roman Catholic population here. Where Lowertown became home to a large Jewish population from Eastern Europe that established synagogues, New Edinburgh witnessed an influx of German immigrants who built Lutheran churches.

The most linked story and perhaps one with lessons for Lowertown is the chapter about the lengthy fight by New Edinburgh residents to stop the extension of the Vanier arterial through Stanley Park to connect with the Macdonald Cartier Bridge. Persistent pushback by people committed to their park and its place in their community led to a win for the Burgh and a loss for Lowertown in its efforts to get the trucks and other commuter traffic off King Edward Avenue. For much of this battle, Lowertown was divided by King Edward Avenue and had two associations, one representing the east and one the west of the street. While the volunteers on the King Edward Task Force were persistent, they lacked the people power and the financial resources of their neighbours across the river.

And the last concluding chapter that highlights the heritage of New Edinburgh is a must read for Lowertown as our community tries to manage change in a time of municipally endorsed intensification, modern housing expectations, and heavy traffic demands. Both communities will be challenged to communicate the value of preserving the built heritage character of their low-rise neighbourhoods while welcoming compatible development.

There are many things that make this book a good read for Lowertown residents. The stories about the experiences of multigenerational families and the ongoing battles with various levels of government about the meaning of community convey a similar message of resilience over time. The book’s chapters, focusing on the founder, people, houses, sports, shops, religion, schools and more, could be replicated with our Lowertown story. But before attempting such a project, take note that for Janet Uren, this remarkable contribution to our city’s history, was a 13-year project!