Last of the Holdouts?

There's an old photograph that was taken from Parliament Hill, back around the turn of the previous century, from the top of the tower of the center block (before it was the Peace Tower), looking toward Wellington Street. I wish I could remember the exact date of this photo—if I ever saw it in the first place, that is.

I love this photo for many reasons. The elegant buildings on the south side of Wellington Street, most of which are long-gone. I love how the cityscape lacks skyscrapers of glass and steel. The tallest structures are the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council (left-side building) and a few church spires in the distance. It's still too early for the Blackburn building and way, way too early for the Darcy McGee Building and World Exchange Plaza.

But what I love the most about this photo is the collection of little shacks, directly across from the Parliament Buildings, in between the stately structures along Wellington Street. Was it a single home with neighbouring sheds? Was it a collective of shacks or some sort of business? Does anyone know who owned the land?

I like to think that before the grand edifices along Wellington Street were constructed, there was a sort of shanty town that occupied this neighbourhood. That, over the course of time, tenants from these homes were bought out to make way for progress. All that is left is this one patch of land, held by someone who didn't want to move, who stuck to their property until the right price came along.

They were the last of the holdouts.

Sadly, the land was likely expropriated.

Today, neither building to either side this collection of shacks remains. This corner of Wellington and Metcalfe is an open space. In fact, all of these buildings along Wellington, save the Privy Council building, are lost to history.

Another reason why I love this photo: only here is history preserved.