Macdonald Gardens
(At the corner of Heney and Cobourg Street)
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
Has anyone ever told you what lies under the hill in Macdonald Gardens? Between 1845 and 1873, this area was known as the Sandy Hill cemeteries with separate areas for the Episcopalian, Presbyterian, Wesleyan Methodist and Roman Catholic churches. It is thought that upwards of 1,000 people were buried here.
In the early 1870s, many remains were moved to the new Beechwood and Notre Dame cemeteries. For some of the deceased, this wasn't their first move. Many had originally been buried in Bytown's first graveyard located near the corner of Sparks and Elgin streets.
In 1912, when a park was created at this site, the remaining graves were covered over and still lie under the hill today.
The park was named for Canada's first prime minister. However, many knew it as Borden Park after Sir Robert Borden who lived in a residence overlooking the park from Wurtemburg Street.
Neighbourhood
From its very beginnings in 1826, Bytown (early Ottawa) was divided geographically, with Uppertown to the west of the Rideau Canal and Lowertown to the east. Lowertown, then ... read more
