Ottawa's Streetcars Removed 50 Years Ago.

This is a special commemorative video of the 50th anniversary of the end of the streetcar system in Ottawa Canada.

Source and permission to use the video is from Raymond Langlois.

It has some never-seen-before footage taken WAY back in the 1950's of Ottawa Streetcars in action. It was taken by Lucien Dauphinais, a Montreal Tramways streetcar
operator, who came up to Ottawa on numerous occasions during the 1950's with his 8mm film movie camera. Some of the colour footage is a little fuzzy, but it is still useful as it shows the street scenes in the late 1950s in Ottawa. Includes Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter scenes .

It also has scenes of the 1000 series streetcars in Ottawa, rare because only 4 of this type were made, and they were withdrawn from service some time before the end of the streetcar era in 1959.

Regular venue Streetcar service in Ottawa came to on April 30, 1959.

There was a final farewell parade of Ottawa streetcars held on May 2, 1959.

Some Ottawa streetcars (most of which were made in Ottawa by the Ottawa Car Company) can be found in various museums in North America. Most Notably: Expo Rail in Delson, Quebec (South of Montreal), the Seashore Trolley Museum in Kennebunkport Maine, and the Museum of Science and Technology in Ottawa. There are also the body of OTC streetcar 905, as well as the trucks and body of OTC streetcar 696 at the main OC Transpo Garage in Ottawa. Hopefully both of these streetcars will be fully restored at some time in near future.

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[thestig123]

Does anyone know what year this would be?

[CarlingtonEnews]

1959 is 50 years ago.

The last streetcar service was on April 30, 1959.

Some Ottawa streetcar equipment were sold to other cities and for example an OTC snow sweeper was used in Cornwall until 1971 when that City terminated its electric street railway. It is now in the Seashore Trolley Museum at Kennebunk Port Maine. It still has the original Ottawa paint scheme too.

[jdlpro]

It's such a shame that they removed them, it would add such a charm to Ottawa...it tears me up inside how many things we pass over in Ottawa. Still love the city but it's not run properly.

[Zigagno82]

This video is wonderful!

It's a pity that the city decided to remove the light rail.. I cannot understand the Ottawa's transportation policy. In fact, cities all around the world (and especially capital cities) improve and extend their own streetcar and subway networks continuously. Ottawa has destroyed it. And everyday we face the consequences during the rush hour: traffic jams and Oc Transpo congestions. Let's go back!!!!

[san379]

they turned a right of way into a bunch of PARKS.. not transit.. now cloging up roads with busses

[InuKun2008]

@LordlyJeremy Easy in that respect, but remember that a certain mayor was voted in with the promise to kill light rail because he felt cars should be the only ones on the road. Motorists are more likely to fight such a measure for either light rail or street cars because they feel a sense of entitlement that both the streetcars and light rail would take away from them, particularly in downtown. The sense that they, and they alone, own the road.

[InuKun2008]

@STMclassic If the rails are still there in various spots, brush will have made them hard to see. Best bet is to see if you can print out a map out the routes and see if you can find them in areas not heavily developed. In all likelihood though, almost all, if not all of the rails, are either gone or long buried.

[Fmaack]

Very cool. I like old footage from Ottawa. I wonder how these street cars did during the winter back then? Lots of shoveling? I'm guessing they had plows but nothing compared to what we have today. Hell, buses still get stuck in the snow now.

Also: I like how Lincoln Fields were actually fields back then. Looks very empty.

[Fmaack]

Very cool. I like old footage from Ottawa. I wonder how these street cars did during the winter back then? Lots of shoveling? I'm guessing they had plows but nothing compared to what we have today. Hell, buses still get stuck in the snow now.

[tintinhamish]

Wonderful footage of the streetcars, and one scene going by my house more or less on the Byron tramway. Last was on an Ottawa streetcar to Britannia in mid-fifties when I was around 7 years old or so. Great.

[OneWarmDragon]

Just to be clear,Ottawa's decision to get rid of the street cars was taking place in most major cities in North america at the same time.

The real push to get rid of street cars was coming from oil companies and the big 3 car producers ,who actively bought out a lot of the street cars,Toronto and San Francisco being the most notable hold outs.

Enter urban sprawl and the decay of living in the downtown core.

[Joberrr]

Everyone drove a lot slower back then! It'd be nice to see people driving slowly like that again and less cars on the streets would be nice too.

The cost of car ownership over a life time is crazy especially if you have to drive regularly or for long distances or both. So many of those work hours get burned away by car costs and it's only going to get worse.

I hope the new Light Rail will be electric. It would be a good idea to future proof the transit system: Thorium based nuclear reactors!

[gnredbull]

Damn it would've been nice for the city to keep at least a few running. A nice attraction to the CAPITAL of Canada. Ahh, oh well.