Rideau Street

For many years, Rideau Street was one of Ottawa's primary retail thoroughfares, containing department stores such as Freimans, Ogilvy's, Woolworth, Caplan's and Metropolitan.

In November 1979, then mayor Marion Dewar examined a plan to create what became the 'Rideau Street Bus Mall.'

[1] The decision was made to tear the shelters down, and in the end the cost for dismantling them was almost as much as the $6.5 million incurred in their construction.

To the north of Rideau, east of King Edward Avenue is the traditional Lower Town district of Ottawa, a residential area which in the past was predominantly Francophone, but now has one of Ottawa's largest immigrant populations, notably including many Francophone Africans and Somalis.

[4] Due to the sinkholes, Rideau Street was closed to regular traffic from Sussex to Dalhousie until further notice.