The Central Post Office is a historic building in

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. The building was completed in 1939, replacing a Second Empire style office built in 1876. This original office was located in what is today Confederation Square, and was demolished in order to construct the grand public space. The new office was designed by W.E. Noffke, it is located on the western edge of the square at the end of Sparks Street. The new site required the demolition of the Royal Bank of Canada building (built originally for James Hope and Company). The office combines the distinctly Canadian Chateauesque style with

Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French (), is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design that first Art Deco in Paris, appeared in Paris in the 1910s just before World War I and flourished in the United States and Europe during the 1920 ...

elements. It is noted for the decorative carved

lion The lion (''Panthera leo'') is a large Felidae, cat of the genus ''Panthera'', native to Sub-Saharan Africa and India. It has a muscular, broad-chested body (biology), body; a short, rounded head; round ears; and a dark, hairy tuft at the ...

s arranged around its base. The Central Post Office is currently home to offices for the Privy Council of Canada, with a

Canada Post Canada Post Corporation (, trading as Canada Post (), is a Canadian Crown corporation that functions as the primary postal operator in Canada. Originally known as Royal Mail Canada (the operating name of the Post Office Department of the Can ...

post office on the main floor.

References

*"Sparks Street a peoplewatcher's paradise." Graham Hughes. ''The Ottawa Citizen.'' Ottawa, Ont.: Aug 26, 1998. pg. B.3
Old Ottawa Post Office Building Razed After Service of 62 Years
The Gazette, June 24, 1938, p. 9. {{Coord, 45.423494, N, 75.696353, W, region:CA-ON_type:landmark, display=title Post office buildings in Canada Art Deco architecture in Canada Government buildings completed in 1939 Federal government buildings in Ottawa 1939 establishments in Ontario