Junction Gore -- Gloucester Township
August 25, 2006:
Hello,
I am looking into Junction Gore (the one in Gloucester county that regrouped
Billings through Vanier and the Governor General's domain) in Gloucester county.
I'm basing myself on books about Vanier and the 1881 county Atlas on-line thanks
to the digital county atlas project.
I would like to know the nature of this entity. From your Web site, I gather it
is a concession. If so, could you point out sources where I could find info on
what exactly is a concession in Ontario (at that time) and to whom it belonged
if not to the province)?
Thank you for your time and help!
Lucie Lecomte
e-mail: llecomte@comnet.ca
_______________________
Good morning, Ms. Lecomte:
Thanks for your e-mail regarding Junction Gore in Gloucester Township.
I think this is how the creation of lots and concessions works in Ontario:
The original surveyors were sent in to survey what was basically wilderness
area. There are prescribed sizes for townships in total acreage. That is, each
township would be set out to have roughly the same number of acres.
Somewhere, I have a good book which explains all of this surveying process --
I just have to find it!
Now, the survey was begun using a fixed topographic feature of the township.
In most cases, a river was used as the starting point. In other cases, a
"Baseline" was set up. Often, the Baseline became a major road as is the case
with the Baseline Road in Nepean Township. In the case of Gloucester Township,
I believe that Walkley Road was the original east-west Baseline and St. Laurent
Blvd. was the original north-south Baseline. (These are marked on the original
1879 map, and the digital version of the map, as well). See the following map
which I have extracted from the 1879 digital map of Gloucester Township.
In the case of Gloucester Township, there are two main rivers -- the Ottawa and
the Rideau. The surveyors would have started at one of the rivers and began to
survey out 200 acre lots. The original townships were surveyed into 200 acre
lots. On the digital atlas map, many of the original rural properties are still two
hundred acres, but the urban areas became subdivided into town lots while
some of the original 200 acre rural lots have been subdived into parcels of
100 or 50 acres. This was usually done upon the death of the original settler
who would give his sons smaller portions of the original farm.
If you can get your hands on a paper copy of the map, it's much easier to work
with than the digital version. There is one in the 1879 Belden's Atlas of Carleton County
which should be available in the Ottawa Room of the Ottawa Public Library.
As well I have another one here which I bought at the Gloucester
Historical Society, at the corner of Bank Street and Leitrim Road.
Anyway, the 200 acre lots were surveyed back from the rivers. The Concessions
divided the lots, coming back from the rivers.
The concessions usually became the original roads between the lots. The place
where the lots surveyed from the Ottawa River and the lots surveyed from the
Rideau River intersected is called the Junction Gore. Except for the lots
in Junction Gore, all the lots in Gloucester Township are designated either as
"Ottawa Front" or as "Rideau Front". The lots south of Walkley Road are Rideau
Front. The lots east of St. Laurent Boulevard are Ottawa Front.
I hope that this helps. Do you mind if I add your enquiry and my reply to our
web site? Please let me know.
... Al
____________________
Hello Mr. Lewis
Thank you ever so much.
Please feel free to uses any of the material pertaining to our discussion
on your Web site. I myself am a student of history. I am trying to finish a PHD
on franco-ontarian identity. If ever I can be of help on a toping pertaining
to French Canadian history in Ontario, please let me know. I'm not encyclopaedic
but have good ideas on where to get documentation.
My question on Junction Gore is part of the research I am doing for the
Vanier Musepark that is to open in autumn.
I would like to add another dimension to our discussion. As you explained,
the name Junction comes from the locality being seated at the meeting of the
two rivers. That, by the way, was the pragmatic Ontarian answer I was looking for.
This natural feature also quickly becomes a strategic one and the attribute
of being a «junction» takes on another meaning. The Friends of the Billing Museum
state: When Col. John By arrived in 1826 to start building the Rideau Canal,
there were already 2,800 souls in the area and Braddish Billings was an established
lumberer and farmer. Originally called the Farmer’s Bridge, Billings Bridge at
Junction Gore was an important link for getting food to the workers in the new
village of Bytown.
Anne Gilbert says the same thing for the development of what is to become
Vanier: La croissance urbaine d'Ottawa attire aussi les migrants canadiens-français
du Québec qui s'engagent dans le secteur du petit commerce et des services ou,
après 1860, dans les travaux de construction des édifices gouvernenmentaux.
S'y développe rapidemment une vie communaitaire active autour ds paroisses
catholiques et d'sintitutions diverses. De même le ravitaillement de la
ville en produits agricoles amène la mise en valeur de terres demeurées
vacantes en bordure est d'Ottawa. Des Canadiens français s'établissent à
Janeville, Cyrville et Orléans.
(p.58. Les espaces de la francophonie ontarienne).
Thus, the concerned region was a passage for staples and food that were
meant for a growing Ottawa. The Billings (1831) and Cummings (1836) bridges
are thus important links to understand what is Junction Gore.
So in conclusion, we know the origin of the name Junction Gore which is a
proper noun. It was called a gore because of it's irregular shape.
I'm just not qute sure about it's legal identity. If I understand it is
a concession?
Have yourself a great day and thank you!
Lucie
____________________
As I understand it, Junction Gore is the entire area bounded by Walkley Road
to the South, St. Laurent Boulevard to the East, The Ottawa area to the North and
the Rideau River to the West. I believe that this entire are is the "Junction"
where the Ottawa Front lands and the Rideau Front lands intersect.
Anyone have any other ideas?
... Al
E-mail Lucie Lecomte and Al Lewis
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