The Rideau Canal

Queen Elizabeth Driveway

 

The Queen Elizabeth Driveway, like Colonel By Driveway, is a 5.6 kilometre scenic driveway that goes along the Rideau Canal in the Capital Region. It was designed using urban design principles by Frederick Law Olmsted, a famous landscape architect, and also with the help of Frederick Todd, Robert Surtees, William Saunders, Herbert S. Holt, and Alexander Stuart.

 

Similar to Colonel By, this scenic driveway passes along various neighbourhoods and heritage places, including Dow’s Lake, Lansdowne Park, and the National Arts Centre. It is currently named after Queen Elizabeth, yet the original name of the street has changed many times throughout the years

 

Originally built in 1905, the scenic route was constructed after the removal of various other structures for the purpose of beautifying the Capital Region. These included industrial-related buildings and various boathouses adjacent to the Rideau Canal. Not all of the current scenic driveway was built in the same year. It has seen various changes during the years through the removal, and addition of various sections.

 

Many of the homes built along the scenic route were purposely built to project a park-like atmosphere, with long setbacks that provided greenspace for trees and vegetation. Many of these homes are now considered of heritage significance and are designated by the City of Ottawa under the Ontario Heritage Act.

 

Like Colonel By Driveway, the Queen Elizabeth Driveway is recognized as a scenic route by both the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan, and the National Capital Commission (NCC). The NCC has specifically identified this route as a small-scale cultural heritage landscape within the larger Rideau Canal cultural heritage landscape.

 

Many archival images exist depicting how the Queen Elizabeth Driveway once looked like and the changes it has seen throughout the years. In addition to this, there are many historical maps that show the historic scenic route.

 

 

References

Julian Smith & Associates Contentworks Inc.. (2004). Definition and Assessment of Cultural Landscapes of Heritage Value on NCC Lands. National Capital Commission: Ottawa, ON.

National Capital Commission. (n.d.) Scenic Parkways in Canada’s Capital Region. Retrieved from: http://www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places-to-visit/parks-paths/scenic-parkways-canadas-capital-region

Wikipedia. (2014). Queen Elizabeth Driveway. Retrieved from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queen_Elizabeth_Driveway