Green Island (Rideau River) facts for kids
Green Island is a special island in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It's located right where the Rideau River meets the bigger Ottawa River, near the beautiful Rideau Falls. You can find it close to the New Edinburgh neighborhood.
On one side of the island, you'll see buildings like the National Research Council and Global Affairs Canada, which handles Canada's relationships with other countries. On the other side is 24 Sussex Drive, which is the official home of Canada's Prime Minister, and the embassy of France. Near the falls, there are also power plants that use the water to create electricity.
If you look down the Rideau River, you might spot the old ruins of a train bridge. This bridge once led to Ottawa's Union Station, a former train station.
Contents
Special Memorials and Statues
Green Island is home to several important memorials and statues that help us remember important events and people.
Mackenzie-Papineau Monument
This monument honors the Mackenzie-Papineau Battalion, a group of brave Canadians who volunteered to fight in the Spanish Civil War. This war took place in Spain many years ago.
Ottawa Memorial
The Ottawa Memorial is a huge bronze globe that was put up by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. It was officially revealed by Queen Elizabeth II on July 1, 1959. This memorial remembers about 800 men and women from the Commonwealth air forces. These were pilots and other air force members who died during World War II while serving or training in Canada, the Caribbean, and the United States. Many of them have no known grave, or their burial sites are in places that are hard to reach.
National Artillery Monument
This monument was first unveiled in 1959 in a different park, but it was moved to Green Island in 1997. It was rededicated, meaning it had a new special ceremony, in 1998. This monument honors the Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery, which is a part of the Canadian military. Every year on November 11, which is Remembrance Day, a special service is held here right after the main ceremony at the National Cenotaph.
John McCrae Sculpture
A statue of Lieutenant Colonel John McCrae was placed on Green Island in 2015. He was a soldier and doctor who wrote the famous poem "In Flanders Fields" during World War I. The statue shows him dressed as an artillery officer, with his medical bag nearby, as if he is writing his poem. At his feet, you can see poppies, which are a symbol of remembrance for World War I and all other wars.
Green Island's Time as Ottawa City Hall (1958–2001)
For many years, Green Island was the home of Ottawa's City Hall. A City Hall is the main building where a city's government works and where important decisions are made.
After looking at many different places, Green Island was chosen for the new City Hall in 1956. Construction finished in 1958, and the City Council held its first meeting there in July of that year. Princess Margaret, a member of the British Royal Family, officially opened the stone and glass building in August 1958. It even had a beautiful marble spiral staircase inside!
This building served as Ottawa's City Hall until January 1, 2001. On that date, the city of Ottawa joined together with several nearby towns and communities to form a much larger city. Because of this change, a new, bigger City Hall was needed, and the government moved to a different location. Before the move, an expensive addition was built onto the old City Hall, which caused some discussion in the city.
