By Traci Spour-Lafrance
The Beauséjour Community back in the days…
The community got its start in 1977 when City Living, a non-profit managed by the City of Ottawa, announced that it would construct some new two-storey townhouses in Lowertown East. In 1978, Mayor Lorry Greenberg, who had grown up in Lowertown, turned the first sod for the townhouses. When the first of the now 144 homes were completed, the families who had been uprooted during the urban renewal were given priority to move back in the area. The development was named Beau Séjour, meaning “a nice stay” in English – a fitting name for the Lowertown East residents who were excited to return to the community.
The Community today
Walking along Beausoleil Drive, an older wooden sign reads Beauséjour Community/Communauté Beauséjour and welcomes visitors to the community. Rows of homes are nestled in a section bounded by Murray and Old St. Patrick streets. The area has a long history – much like the rest of Lowertown.
Back-to-back townhouses with garages tucked into shared driveways form the majority of the community, but the complex also includes some early 1900s buildings that survived urban renewal.
Ottawa Community Housing, Ottawa’s largest social and affordable housing provider, has been managing the Beauséjour buildings since the 2002 amalgamation of 11 municipalities into the new City of Ottawa.
Beauséjour now boasts an active tenant group. The committed residents help to communicate OCH’s responsibilities and guidelines to other tenants. They are also very engaged in planning community events such as barbeques and various seasonal celebrations.
Let’s Celebrate on May 25
Beauséjour residents will mark their home’s 40th birthday and celebrate being part of the larger Lowertown Community for four decades on May 25.
Look for more information on the details for the celebration on the OCH website www.och-lco.ca and our Facebook page.