The ByWard market could become a National Historic site by its 200th birthday

Ottawa’s ByWard market celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2027, and the city is looking to honour it with a designation as a national historic site.

A report, set to be brought before the Built Heritage Committee on Dec. 9, recommends council direct staff to submit the nomination under Parks Canada’s National Historic Site program.

“Any person, place, or event of national significance may be nominated as a National Historic Site, and staff believe the ByWard Market strongly meets the
nomination criteria and warrants designation,” the report from staff reads.

Criteria for a designation includes a person, place or event that holds national architectural, technological or social significance, or that is associated with individuals, events or themes of national importance.

Established in 1827, the ByWard market is the oldest commercial area in Ottawa and one of its first public markets. Located in Lowertown, it also holds Ottawa’s earliest settler neighbourhood.

“It has a distinctive physical character, seen in the area’s-built form and landscape, as well as its relationship with and sense of place created by its buildings arranged on the original grid layout of the area that remains intact today,” the report states.

The first market building was constructed in the 1840s followed by another in the 1860s. A third market building was constructed in 1874 and destroyed by a fire in 1926. It was rebuilt the following year.

The ByWard Market is also located in an important geographical location, sitting at the end of the Rideau Canal. The ByWard Market was founded by Colonel John By a year after he began construction on the canal. This prompted the first European settlement in what would become Canada’s capital.

In order to submit a nomination for designation as a National Historic Site, staff were tasked with delineating the boundaries of the site. The proposed boundaries are the same as the ByWard Market Historic Conservation District boundaries with the addition of 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; and the north side of Rideau Street between Sussex Drive and Dalhousie Street.

“The existing ByWard Market HCD boundary illustrates the area’s Indigenous history, Lowertown’s development as a lumber town into the Capital of Canada, the market as the commercial core of the city and agricultural hub, the strong French-Canadian and bilingual history of Ottawa, and as an entry and meeting point into Canada for new communities,” staff say, noting the additions include the City of Ottawa Part IV designations and important institutional histories.

A municipal endorsement of the resolution would be considered consent for the nomination, staff say. If council approves, staff will submit the bid for nomination in January 2026, in hopes of receiving the nomination in time for the Market’s 200th birthday in 2027.