why these iconic ottawa landmarks may soon be protected
several important cultural and heritage landmarks staff recommended for heritage designations were carried by committee this week and are pending final approval from ottawa council.
4 minute read
bytowne cinema's daniel demois says, "it's an honour to think that we're part of something that's deemed historically relevant."
jean levac
/
postmedia
the bytowne cinema was recognized as a “special place” with a rich, living history in the community as the legendary rideau street repertory theatre moved one step closer to a heritage designation, along with several other historic and culturally significant ottawa properties.
members of the city’s built heritage committee shared personal anecdotes and warm memories of the theatre (and its famous popcorn) as the committee carried a staff recommendation on may 13 to designate the building under the ontario heritage act.
“it’s not just history, it’s living history that really has impacted our city over generations and, hopefully, generations to come with this new designation,” committee chair coun. rawlson king said.
constructed as the nelson theatre at 325 rideau st. in 1947 and re-opened as the bytowne cinema in 1988, the 650-seat single-screen theatre has since served as an independent repertory theatre screening art-house, foreign, indie, alternative and cult films daily.
bytowne owner daniel demois applauded the designation and said the pending heritage status would assist in obtaining grants for any repairs or reconstruction needed to preserve the building’s historical features.
advertisement
the designation would specifically preserve the theatre’s distinctive façade and marquee, along with other elements like the box office, demois said, “so there will always be a reminder of what the bytowne has been — and the nelson before it — as a cultural institution in downtown ottawa.”
“it’s a way of recognizing that this cinema has been an important space … and maintaining that and making sure to preserve it,” he said.
“you see it in so many cities. it’s so easy to lose the historical elements of a city, and it’s nice to see ottawa focusing on preserving those spaces. it’s an honour to think that we’re part of something that’s deemed historically relevant.”
city staff told the committee this week that the bytowne stood as “a landmark” on rideau street and in lowertown.
“its prominent frontage on rideau street and its iconic marquee distinguishes it from surrounding contemporary buildings. at night, the bytowne’s lighted marquee makes it highly visible on rideau street, uniquely reinforcing its status as a historic and familiar landmark on its streetscape.”
the 650-seat theatre serves as a “gathering place” for independent cinema and the city’s film community and hosts numerous film festivals and specialty screenings.
advertisement
the property, which spans 323 to 327 rideau st., is one of several important cultural and heritage landmarks staff recommended for heritage designations that were carried by committee this week and are pending final approval from council.
the ottawa mosque at 251 northwestern ave. also received committee approval for designation for its unique “design, associative, and contextual values,” the city’s heritage planning staff said.
constructed between 1973 and 1979, the mosque features a dome and minaret with modernist architectural influences, staff said, and meets five of the nine criteria for designation under part iv of the oha.
properties can be designated under the act if they meet two or more of the nine criteria.
the “iconic” mosque in champlain park is the earliest mosque constructed in ottawa and one of the earliest purpose-built mosques in ontario, staff said, calling it a “unique and rare expression of a modernist place of worship.”
a june 2023 file photo of the ottawa mosque.
jean levac
/
postmedia
the only mosque in ottawa constructed in the modernist style, with its simple form and contemporary construction materials, staff said, the mosque is “representative of the contemporary mosque with traditional islamic architectural features,” including its characteristic dome, minaret and prayer hall.
advertisement
ottawa’s main mosque is home to the ottawa muslim association, offering religious services, a library, educational programs and social services.
the mosque also “yields and has the potential to yield” more information about ottawa’s early muslim community from the 1950s onwards, staff said.
the committee also carried recommendations to preserve three buildings that once operated as bell telephone exchange centres at 251 besserer st., 200 first ave. and 43 eccles st., which exclusively employed women as operators, staff said.
the three-storey, red brick rothesay apartments building at 172 o’connor st. also received the committee’s blessing, along with two french catholic churches: église saint françois d’assise at 1062 wellington st. w. and église saint joseph d’orléans at 2757 st. joseph blvd.
the committee-approved designations highlight “stories and voices from ottawa’s diverse communities,” city staff said. “the historic buildings being protected document the city’s art scene, women’s history, islamic growth and francophone roots.”
the bytowne meets six of the nine criteria for designation, staff said, and is representative of the classic postwar neighbourhood movie houses built during the city’s postwar theatre boom.
advertisement
the theatre features elements of the “moderne” architectural style, with its rounded profile, streamline stone cornice, smooth brick cladding and metal accents.
the legendary cinema faced an uncertain future during the covid-19 pandemic and with former owner bruce white pondering retirement.
“the bytowne was never going to close because it didn’t have the support of the community or because of lack of business,” said demois, who took over ownership in 2021 along with andy willick.
the two film enthusiasts have owned toronto’s fox theatre since 2007.
“i’ve only been here in ottawa three and a half years, but i’ve been working in film exhibition for almost 20 years, and the bytowne has always been the highest standard — the benchmark for what an independent, single-screen cinema is capable of. it’s been the premier art house in canada for quite some time,” demois said.
“we took the opportunity, (and) to be part of something that was so historically important in a place we had been observing from a distance for a long time was very exciting. and the audience and community really did respond well. it’s very encouraging.”
our website is your destination for up-to-the-minute news, so make sure to bookmark our homepage and sign up for our newsletters so we can keep you informed.
advertisement
share story
