One of Lowertown’s most popular parks
Michel Rossignol
Many current and former residents of Lowertown have fond memories of Borden Park. They remember taking pleasant walks along the tree-lined paths, enjoying a few quiet moments amid the hustle and bustle of a modern city. Many happily remember their childhood days when they played in the park’s wading pool during summer heat waves or took slides down the snow-covered hills in winter.
However, those happy moments really took place in what is officially called Macdonald Gardens Park. There is no Borden Park in Ottawa’s Lowertown, but you might be surprised to learn that many people use that name when referring to the park bordered by Cobourg, Heney, Wurtemburg, and Tormey streets. The name Borden Park is especially popular with Francophones as shown by its frequent use in the 2013 book Ste-Anne d’Ottawa Une belle aventure humaine,with no mention of the official name (see for example pages 49 and 186).
Prime-Ministerial park
The name Borden Park is perhaps popular because it is less of a mouthful than Macdonald Gardens Park, but the area has long been associated with Sir Robert Borden, Canada’s Prime Minister between 1911 and 1920. He lived in the house at 201 Wurtemburg Street where the Watergate Apartments is now located. just across the street from the eastern edge of the park. Borden bought the house in 1911 and continued to live there after resigning as Prime Minister. After leaving politics, he was still actively involved in business and academic issues, and held meetings at his house with important visitors. In short, in the 1920s and 1930s, he was one of the most prominent persons in the neighbourhood. Indeed, at the official opening of the Rideau Branch of the Ottawa Public Library in 1934, Borden was the guest of honour. After Borden’s death in June 1937, his wife Laura continued to live in the house until her death in 1940.
While the former names of some streets and buildings in Lowertown have long been forgotten, even Sir Robert himself would be surprised to learn that his name still lives on in the neighbourhood after all these years. Thus, Lowertown has a prime-ministerial park, both officially and unofficially, so let us take good care of it, whatever it is called. See you in Borden Park!