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Notre Dame Basilica
Location: 375 Sussex Drive
Architect: Fathers John Cannon and Pierre-Adrien Telmon, constructed: 1841-53
This is the oldest surviving church in Ottawa and it is the seat of the city's Roman Catholic archbishop. It began as a Neo-classical stone church, but as construction progressed, the Gothic influence prevailed and finished work was torn-down and re-built in the more upward aspiring Gothic-revival style. Part of the original Neo-classical elements survived, however, making the church an interesting blend of different and contrasting styles. For example, the front doorways retained their Neo-classical round arches. The ashlar of the façade and the quoins on the towers also reveal their Neo-classical roots.
The twin towers did not receive their steeples until 1858. These 54.5 metres high steeples are clad in shiny tin, in the French-Canadian tradition, with bell cloches that still mark the time beautifully.
The interior is late-Victorian, ornate with many fine religious sculptures and stained-glass. Tall clustered columns separate the central nave from the lateral naves. These wooden columns are painted as faux marble. The deep gothic apse and detailed vaulted ceilings, side galleries and carved altars create a visual symphony of unparalleled richness in this city.
A detailed description of this building can be found on page 114-5 of the book: Ottawa, A Guide to Heritage Structures. Published by LACAC (Local Architectural Conservation Advisory Committee), it is available at the Ottawa City Hall.
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