St.Alban’s Church
454 King Edward Avenue
Sir John A. Macdonald, ca 1867 - 1891
Library and Archives Canada
Harold Daly fonds
c021604
The Sandy Hill of 1865, or St. Georges Ward as it was then called, was a very different place than it appears today. Dominated by the Besserer Estate, Sandy Hill–Ottawa’s first suburb–was sparsely populated. A fashionable neighbourhood for Ottawa’s elite, Victorian mansions sprang up in the late 1800s.
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Birds Eye View Map
Library and Archives Canada
Maps, plans and charts
e010745317
Mourning Ribbon: Sir John A. Macdonald
Bytown Museum, N60 c
Metal, fabric, Photographic, Glass
Albumen Photograph: Macdonald Funeral
Bytown Museum, P2304
Paper, Photographic, Ink
Beginning at Parliament, the solemn procession wound through the streets to Sandy Hill, leading to St. Alban the Martyr Anglican Church. A memorial service took place here on June 9th, 1891. The Church, built in 1867, was attended by Macdonald weekly – at the urging of his very religious (second) wife – during his years living in Sandy Hill. St. Alban’s was a hub for the political elite of the day, where Macdonald’s personal life and public life met.
Born in 1815 in Glasgow, Scotland, John Alexander Macdonald moved to Kingston, Upper Canada, with his family when he was five years old. Known as a charismatic and quick-witted businessman, lawyer, and politician, Macdonald’s all-consuming commitment to his work was driven not only by his vision for Canada, but by compounded tragedies, which will be revealed over the course of the tour. It is at St. Alban’s Church where we meet Macdonald’s ghost and begin our reflection on his life in Sandy Hill.
“Sir John Macdonald is dead.” On June 6, 1891, The Globe article reported the death of Sir John A. Macdonald at his Ottawa residence.
Celebrated by Canadians as the chief architect of Confederation and founder of the Dominion of Canada, Macdonald was grieved by thousands during his funeral procession on the streets of Ottawa.
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M.P. Frank and Mrs. Lennard in front of Sir John A. MacDonald monument
City of Ottawa Archives
MG393-NP-31240-001
St. Alban's Church, 1897
William James Topley
Library and Archives Canada
PA-009061
