Lost Ottawa·
How the Billings Bridge mall looked in Ottawa South in 1954.
Shared by Victoria Edwards, who found it on a site that features pictures of shopping plazas across Canada.
According to the site, Steinberg’s arrived in 1962.
(Picture seems to have come originally from the City of Ottawa Archives)
November 1955
An interim injunction, restraining merchants in the Billings Bridge shopping center from remaining open after the regular 6 p.m. closing hour, -was denied yesterday by Senior County Judge A. G. McDougall. As a result the six shops in question remained open until 9 o’clock last night, and will remain open again until that hour tonight. Assistant City Solicitor Donald D. Diplock told The Citizen today that the city’s next legal move will be made in Toronto before a justice of the Ontario Supreme Court.
In the meantime Ottawa’s downtown department stores are considering a plan to remain open in the evening from Dec. 20 to Dec. 30, something that has not been done in the past 15 years. On Wednesday night Eastview Council amended a bylaw which will in future permit shops in that municipality to stay open until 10 o’clock every Friday night the year round. v Mr. Diplock, referring to the city’s next move, said that an interim injunction against the Billings Bridge merchants will be applied for at Osgoode Hall (Toronto) “sometime before next Thursday”. If it is granted it will have the effect of keeping the stores from staying open after fi p.m., pending hearing of an application for a permanent restraining order which would come before the January Assizes here. In hearing yesterday’s application Judge McDougall was sitting in the capacity of local Judge of the Ontario Supreme Court. In that capacity he has the power to grant an interim injunction where an emergency is proven by the applicant.Hp ruled, however, that in this case the city had failed to prove the existence of an emergency as interpreted by law.
CLIPPED FROMThe Ottawa JournalOttawa, Ontario, Canada26 Nov 1955, Sat • Page 14
Good old Charlotte Whitton
WON’T HELP AT OPENING OF LOBLAWS City Hall sources revealed today that Mayor Whitton has “found it impossible” to accept an invitation to officiate at the opening of the new Loblaws store at the Simpsons-Sears shopping center. The Mayor participated al Loblaws openings at Billings Bridge and oti the Montreal Road. The assumption now, however, is that she is “strongly displeased” with Loblaws because of the fact that the firm is among those who have Insisted on remaining open after hours on Thursdays and Fridays at the Billings Bridge shopping center. November 1955
There was a little restaurant in there to the left of Loblaws at one time. I was taken there (without my siblings) for a treat (e.g., a sundae) after singing in a concert or playing in a piano recital
Sheila – Mom wheeled Rick and me to the opening!
Claude J. Leduc
Steinberg’s Opening ad 1962 (in French from Le Droit)
Photo-Claude J. Leduc Flikr
My mum walked back and firth across Billings Bridge to get her groceries at Steinbergs three times a week in the 1960’s. Twice she was part of a promotion where they took her cart of groceries and bought the same things at Loblaws and compared prices.then put the numbers and her photo in the paper. The second time they told her in advance!
I remember the mall too. We used to walk there from Heron Park, down Clementine to Ohio(formerly Creek Street) then when we got to Bank we had a very narrow path along Bank just past the old church above the creek. We had to hold on to the roadside cable connected to the white and black highway posts to get by as there was a steep drop to the creek. The trampolines were such fun. I remember the stores mentioned as well as Fairweathers and The Davis Agency. We could listen to 45’s in a little booth there. They would play a 45 once for you to see if you liked it. Oh and there was a Fishers Men’s wear store too.
yes it was never all enclosed the way it is today. As you say, in and out of each store and having to keep taking your coat off and on again going into and out of each store. I used to walk there from where we lived near Bank St and Heron Rd and it was about a 20 minute walk. and Bank St was one lane going each way.
I remember this format very well when I was a child. Notice the row of trees below the parking lot. This was Sawmill Creek before it was relocated east of Bank Street. At the bottom of the picture is a rectangular building. This was the Orange Lodge that is now a clothing store. Just above that building is another clump of trees. It would be interesting to really blow that part up. This was the location of a fairly large monument remembering Wesley Hull who died in the Boer War. When Riverside Drive was twinned around 1960, the monument was put into storage for almost 40 years. It can now be seen in Hawthorne Cemetery on Russell Road.
Did Charlotte Whitton Live in Carleton Place?
Floating Bridges, Toll Gates and Typhoons– Clippings of Billings Bridge
Larry Clark Memories : Billings Bridge, Willow Trees and the Orange Lodge
lindaseccaspina 