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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 1d

Took me a sec - you're of course referring to the "50 mission cap"!

Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 1d

A classic (in my books), from 1944

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 1d

New on my blog: Collection of vintage O'Keefe's beer ads, covering O'Keefe's #Ottawa era (i.e. when they had breweries here), from the 1940s to 1960s www.ashleynewall.ca/2025/10/okee...

O'Keefe's Beer Ads, 1940s-1960s (Ottawa Era)

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Reposted by Capital History Ottawa

Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 2d

Bravo! & "...other large projects in the works — rebuilding of massive Lady Grey escarpment retaining wall below Sussex, which could become a new access point to the river..." May explain why my blog post on such things getting hits lately (subsequently updated): www.ashleynewall.ca/2022/09/down...

Downtown Ottawa's Former "Queen's Wharf"

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 2d

Bravo! & "...other large projects in the works — rebuilding of massive Lady Grey escarpment retaining wall below Sussex, which could become a new access point to the river..." May explain why my blog post on such things getting hits lately (subsequently updated): www.ashleynewall.ca/2022/09/down...

Downtown Ottawa's Former "Queen's Wharf"

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Reposted by Capital History Ottawa

National Capital Commission @ncc-ccn.gc.ca · 3d

From swimming docks to new viewpoints, we are working to build an inspiring capital one project at a time.

Read the full article here: ottawacitizen.com/news/ncc-rep...

The NCC wants a new reputation, and a different Ottawa

Long seen as secretive and sluggish, the National Capital Commission is trying to change the narrative one swimming dock at a time

ottawacitizen.com

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 3d

Cheers, Pyke - kind of you to say, & glad you enjoyed it!

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Reposted by Capital History Ottawa

Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 3d

New on my blog...

Brading's Brewery, Part 3: 20th Century & Beer train Tunnel

Choo choo! www.ashleynewall.ca/2025/09/brad...

Brading's Brewery (Ottawa), Part 3: 20th Century & Beer Train Tunnel

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 3d

Footage of the brewery (in 1965 or '66), which was by then O'Keefe's. City Centre bldg appears at 40 sec mark youtu.be/HCmyceZYFkA?...

Troop train leaving Ottawa West for Petawawa Feb 1965 after raising of new maple leaf flag

YouTube video by Kitchissippi Museum [Dave Allston]

youtu.be

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 3d

New on my blog...

Brading's Brewery, Part 3: 20th Century & Beer train Tunnel

Choo choo! www.ashleynewall.ca/2025/09/brad...

Brading's Brewery (Ottawa), Part 3: 20th Century & Beer Train Tunnel

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 8d

2 new blog posts coming soon from me re: O'Keefe beer's Ottawa years (i.e. 1940s-60s)

Canadian History Ehx @cdnhistoryehx.bsky.social · 8d

On this day in 1913, Eugene O'Keefe died in Toronto.
Born in Ireland in 1827, he bought the Victoria Brewery in Toronto in 1861. Three decades later he incorporated it as the O'Keefe Brewery Company of Toronto Limited. Using his fortune, he built five churches in Toronto.

A black-and-white portrait of an older man with white hair, dressed in a formal suit and tie, framed in an oval shape. Below the portrait, there is a signature that appears to read "G. W. Hill."

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 19d

Newly discovered image just added to my Paul J. Barber (newsie & WWI vet) story from earlier this year: Ketchum's Sporting Goods store, NW corner of Bank @ Sparks, ca. 1906 - Paul Barber's news stand circled.
Full story (photo essay style): www.ashleynewall.ca/2025/02/capi...

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 22d

Today marks the 176th anniversary of the Stoney Monday Riot, in which the Reformers (i.e. the good guys) took refuge in Grant's Hotel / the future Chateau Lafayette in Ottawa's Byward Market.
Full story (newly updated) on Grant's Hotel & its key role in the riot: www.ashleynewall.ca/2024/04/chat...

Chateau Lafayette Pre-History, Part 1: 1849-1863

Top-40 Covers Artist | Singer-Songwriter | Multi-Instrumentalist | Graphic Artist | Canadian History Journalist

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Reposted by Capital History Ottawa

Michael Adair @madair336.bsky.social · 22d

Kazabazua used to be famous for having the longest bar in the Gatineaus back in the 70's

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 22d

Am I the only one who'd never heard of (nearby) Kazubazua? Sounds like a great name for a rock band to me

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 22d

(99.9% certainty image from Kazubazua, Quebec. Undated, but late-19th century. Kazubazua Dominion House Hotel confirmed active in 1890s.) [Photo via City of Ottawa Archives]

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 22d

From 1887-1929, future Chateau Lafayette on York St. was called Dominion House. At same time, there was a Dominion Hall hotel on Sparks @ Bank St. Post-1929, there was an alternate Dominion Hotel on York St. Meanwhile in 1890s, there was this Dominion House Hotel in Kazubazua, PQ, north of Wakefield

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 26d

Part 2 (linked to from Part 1) similarly updated. Parts 3 & 4 (of 5, ultimately) are in the works & should be out soon!

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · 26d

My Chateau Lafayette Pre-History Part 1 (covering Stoney Monday & Grant's Hotel) has been updated w/ added detail: www.ashleynewall.ca/2024/04/chat...

Chateau Lafayette Pre-History, Part 1: 1849-1863

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · Aug 25

(Confederation Day was July 1, 1867. Photo was taken from Spencer's studio on Sparks St.)

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · Aug 25

John Rochester Sr. was born btwn 1786-93, & so was anywhere from 66 to 82 yrs old in the pic. (Educated guess is 73.) He, his wife & their descendants were the only Rochesters in Ottawa in the 1860s.
From my latest, on Ottawa's 19th century Victoria Brewery: www.ashleynewall.ca/2025/08/roch...
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Rochester's Victoria Brewery, 1829-1900 (Part 1: 1829-65)

www.ashleynewall.ca

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · Aug 25

The photo is pic of a pic; original likely taken earlier, & is NOT in William Topley's style. It IS, however, in the style of Ottawa photographer Elihu Spencer, who was active from 1859-69, & who's most famous for his photo of Parliament Hill on Confederation Day (below, colourized)... [2/3]

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · Aug 25

Dichotomy of an inadequately labelled historical portrait...
Photo labelled "Mr. Rochester, Ottawa, (copied) Oct. 1868, by William Topley".
I firmly believe this is John Rochester Sr., original / 1829 founder of Ottawa's Victoria Brewery... [1/3]

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · Aug 18

This letter-to-the-editor from 1845, complaining about John Rochester's roving pigs, reads like something a modern-day FrankMag reader might pen.
& Bob Bristle is aptly named (er, if that *is* his real name).

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Capital History Ottawa @caphistottawa.bsky.social · Aug 18

New on my blog: the previously untold tale of Ottawa's 19th century Victoria Brewery. www.ashleynewall.ca/2025/08/roch...

Rochester's Victoria Brewery, 1829-1900 (Part 1: 1829-65)

www.ashleynewall.ca

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