Westboro (often referred to as Westboro Village) is an area in the west end of

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, Canada. Located along the

Ottawa River The Ottawa River (, ) is a river in the Canadian provinces of Ontario and Quebec. It is named after the Algonquin word "to trade", as it was the major trade route of Eastern Canada at the time. For most of its length, it defines the border betw ...

, Island Park Drive defines Westboro's eastern border, while the Ottawa River defines its northern border. Under this definition, the population of the area is 22,725 (2016 Census). Its community association boundaries are the Transitway to the north, Tweedsmuir Avenue to the east,

Carling Avenue Carling Avenue is a major east–west arterial road in the west end of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It runs from March Road in Kanata to Bronson Avenue in the Glebe. The road is named for John Carling, founder of Carling Brewery and Conservative M ...

to the south and Denbury Avenue to the west. This area excludes the neighbourhood of Westboro Beach, whose community association borders include the area immediately north of Westboro, west of Island Park Drive.

History

The neighbourhood got its start in the late nineteenth century, when published flyers proclaimed "Move to Westboro", and offered prospective residents "views of the

Laurentian Mountains The Laurentian Mountains, also known as the Laurentians or Laurentides, are a mountain range in Canada. The range is long and ranges in height from with peaks over . The Laurentian Mountains extend across Labrador and Quebec within the Laurent ...

". This slightly creative name for the distant geological formation along the Eardley Escarpment is now better known as the Gatineau Hills, which are visible across the Ottawa River. Nineteenth-century descriptions of the neighbourhood refer to its location along the

Macadam Macadam is a type of road construction pioneered by Scottish engineer John Loudon McAdam , in which crushed stone is placed in shallow, convex layers and compacted thoroughly. A binding layer of stone dust (crushed stone from the original mat ...

Road to

Bells Corners Bells Corners is a suburban neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located along Robertson Road west of downtown, within Ottawa's western Greenbelt (Ottawa), Greenbelt, in College Ward. As of the 2021 Canadian census, the co ...

. That road is now known as Richmond Road, and where it slices through Westboro it is the commercial heart of the village-like neighbourhood, once the centre of the old Nepean Township. The old Town Hall on Richmond Road once housed the bell that later became the symbol of the former city of Nepean, now a part of the city of

, Ontario. The Maplelawn Garden, boasting the second oldest building in Ottawa (built in 1831) and designated a National Historic Site, is located at the western edge of the village. The other prominent street in Westboro Village is Churchill Avenue, which was known as Main Street, but was renamed in honour of

Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...

following

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

. A few blocks to the west, another street was originally named River Road since it bisected the neighbourhood and led down to the beach on the Ottawa River. That street was renamed

Roosevelt Avenue Roosevelt Avenue and Greenpoint Avenue are main thoroughfares in the New York City boroughs of Queens and Brooklyn. Roosevelt Avenue begins at 48th Street and Queens Boulevard in the neighborhood of Sunnyside. West of Queens Boulevard, the ...

for similar reasons post WW II. Westboro's integration into Ottawa, which already had streets named River Road and Main Street, also prompted the street renaming. Westboro existed as a

police village A police village was a form of municipal government that was used in the province of Ontario, Canada in the early 19th century if the finances or the population of an area did not permit the creation of a village. Formation In the early 19th centu ...

from 1903 until 1949, when Ottawa annexed it. An Ottawa streetcar line ran along what is now a narrow grass park along Byron Avenue, bringing Ottawa residents to an area once considered cottage country. Many cottage-like residences still exist today, especially by the Ottawa River north of Scott Street. The Westboro War Memorial Association erected a memorial cenotaph that same park between Richmond Road and Byron Avenue. Unveiled on June 8, 1985, the cenotaph is dedicated to the memory of the fallen members of Westboro and surrounding area who made the supreme sacrifice in The Great War, The Second World War, and the Korea War.

Housing

Most houses in Westboro were built between 1900 and 1960. 71% of the houses are detached.

Today

Westboro is a thriving community with a lively street scene. Several condominium projects are encouraging densification and promising to bring more people to the neighbourhood. The village features murals a local artist painted. The neighbourhood also boasts a concentration of outdoors and sport stores including

Mountain Equipment Co-op Mountain Equipment Co-op (now called 1077 Holdings Co-operative) was a Canadian co-op that started the MEC outdoor gear retail brand. The MEC brand name, assets and store leases were purchased by the American private investment firm Kingswood ...

and Vancouver-based

Lululemon Athletica Lululemon, commonly styled as lululemon ( ; all lowercase), is a Canadian-American multinational athletic apparel retailer headquartered in Vancouver, British Columbia, and incorporated in Delaware, United States, as Lululemon Athletica Inc. ...

. and is close to cycling trails and whitewater rapids in the

. The influx of these outdoor and sports stores, along with a number of boutiques, restaurants and coffee shops on Richmond Road are a significant contributor to the gentrification that Westboro underwent in the 2000s. Two

OC Transpo OC Transpo is the primary Transit district, public transport agency for the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, operating bus rapid transit, light rail, conventional transit bus, bus routes, and door-to-door paratransit in the nation's capital regi ...

stations serve Westboro:

Westboro Westboro may refer to: Places Canada *Westboro, Ottawa, Ontario, a neighbourhood ** Westboro Station (OC Transpo), an OC Transpo Transitway Station United States * Westboro (Topeka), Kansas, a residential neighborhood * Westboro, Missouri * Westbo ...

and

Dominion A dominion was any of several largely self-governance, self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of self-governing colony, colon ...

. Routes 11 and 16 provide frequent local bus service along Richmond Road. Westfest, a free Canadian arts and music festival, was held in Westboro from 2004 to 2015 during the second weekend in June, and featured a variety of local and national performers. It has now been moved to Laroche Park in Ottawa's Mechanicsville area. In August, one weekend is dedicated to the Fuse Street Festival, which is located on Richmond Road. Fuse Street Festival celebrates Westboro's unique dining experience with added fun of music and festivities.

Neighbouring-neighbourhoods

Westboro is located in the western part of Ottawa, and borders many other neighbourhoods. Apart from the core Westboro village located north of Richmond Road, the following neighbourhoods are located nearby : * Carlingwood * Hampton Park * Highland Park * Island Park * Laurentian View * McKellar Park * McKellar Heights * Mechanicsville * Wellington Village * Westboro Beach * Woodroffe North * Wellington West

Notable residents

Eddie MacCabe Edward William Joseph MacCabe (January 15, 1927May 22, 1998) was a Canadian Sports journalism, sports journalist and writer. He began in journalism with the ''Ottawa Journal'' in 1946, briefly wrote for the ''Montreal Star'' from 1951 and 1952, ...

, sports journalist and writer *

Bruce Cockburn Bruce Douglas Cockburn ( ; born May 27, 1945) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and guitarist. His song styles range from folk to folk- and jazz-influenced rock to soundscapes accompanying spoken stories. His lyrics reflect interests in spirit ...

, singer-songwriter and guitaristBruce Cockburn. ''Rumours of Glory: A Memoir.'' Harper Collins, 2014
pag. unk.

References

External links

Woodroffe North Community Association (WNCA)Westboro Community Association (WCA)Flickr Photos from Westboro
{{authority control Neighbourhoods in Ottawa Former municipalities now in Ottawa Streetcar suburbs Gentrification in Canada