A 1874 datestone on a church that was built in 1900 is always a fun quirky thing to find. That place has to have a story. One may assume, the datestone gives evidence that Saint Marc’s Church has been at this Elgin/Lewis street location since 1874. Saint Marc’s Church has been here in Ottawa, (The Daily Citizen, February 1886) but its physical location has moved during that time. The church was founded in Ottawa in by Rev. Marc Ami in 1872 and held services at the Young Men’s Christian Association and other halls until 1885 when they built their church (The Daily Citizen, February 1886) to serve the Francophone Presbyterian community at 656 Wellington in LeBreton Flats.
The LeBreton Flats church was destroyed in the 1901 Ottawa/Hull fire (The Ottawa Citizen, October 1964) and was rebuilt in 1902. (The Ottawa Citizen, May 1954) The new church was could seat 250 people built in the Gothic Revival style of brick and stone with a cornerstone placed on June 21, 1901, which outlined in French the destruction and rebuilding of the church. (The Ottawa Journal, June 1901)
Image – Library and Archives Canada
Insurance plan of the city of Ottawa, Ontario, Volume 1, September 1902, revised 1912, Listed on 54 of 97, sheet 49. {address 656 Wellington, Lebreton Flats}, Anglicized? French Presbyterian Church, St. Mark (St. Marc)
Rebuilding after the fire Saint Marc’s served the Francophone community in LeBreton flats for 63 more years until the land the church owned was expropriated in 1964 (The Ottawa Citizen, October 1964). Front page news of the Government expropriation of the LeBreton Flats was announced in April 1962 giving owners only 2 years notice to vacate (the Ottawa Citizen, April 1962). While it was never realized, the intention of the expropriation was to build 10 government buildings in the area, with underground parking, and recreational and park areas to beautify the area (the Ottawa Citizen, April 1962). 240 owners were affected as the government removed the “eyesore” of “industrial plants, commercial buildings and low standard housing” (the Ottawa Citizen, April 1962). The land was not developed, and in 1969 the National Capital Commission was considering a reassessment of the LeBreton lands (The Ottawa Citizen, November 1969). Now 60 years later it consists of the War Museum, an apartment complex, (The Ottawa Citizen, April 2022) and the new Ottawa Public Library and, Library and Archives complex, Adisoke.
Saint Marc’s last service at the LeBreton Flats location was held on October 4, 1964 and the congregation was made up of 100 French-speaking families from all over the Ottawa area (The Ottawa Citizen, October 1964). The organ, pulpit, communion table, and other furnishings were to be removed before demolition to be placed in the new church when it was built (The Ottawa Citizen, October 1964). Their temporary church location from October (1964 until June 1965) was at Bank and McLeod in the basement of the former McLeod Street United Church at 473 Bank Street (The Ottawa Citizen, October 1964).
Their current Elgin/Lewis street location was purchased In June 1965 (www.onland.ca, Register book 628), from the Unitarian Church of Our Father, who built their church in 1900 (The Ottawa Citizen, October 1900). Their congregation had outgrown their location and sold their building on Elgin to the Trustees of Eglise Marc, and de L’Eglise Unie du Canada for $147, 500 (www.onland.ca, Register book 628).
Currently the building is undergoing tower repairs. According to the church website Saint Marc’s “in partnership with Hare Consulting Group (an Indigenous-owned company), is set to launch a fundraising campaign to transform St. Marc’s United Church on Elgin Street (a heritage-listed building) in Ottawa in a “state of the art” restoration project. The new space will house an Aboriginal Activity Center on the lower level of the church.”
Plaques, Statues and Cornerstones 