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Confederation
Square
(French:
Place
de
la
Confédération)
is
an
urban
square
in
Ottawa,
Ontario,
Canada,
and
is
considered
the
second
most
important
ceremonial
centre
in
Canada's
capital
city,
after
Parliament
Hill.
Roughly
triangular
in
area,
with
Canada's
National
War
Memorial
at
its
centre
and
the
Valiants
Memorial
at
its
periphery,
the
square
is
bounded
by
Wellington
Street
to
the
north
and
branches
of
Elgin
Street
to
the
east
and
west.
The
square
was
designated
a
National
Historic
Site
of
Canada
in
1984.
Confederation
Square's
importance
is
due
not
only
to
its
central
location
in
Ottawa
and
its
status
as
a
rare
Canadian
example
of
a
City
Beautiful-inspired
square,
but
also
arises
from
the
landmark
buildings
that
frame
the
square:
the
Château
Laurier,
the
Senate
of
Canada
Building,
the
National
Arts
Centre,
the
Central
Chambers,
the
Scottish
Ontario
Chambers,
the
Central
Post
Office,
the
PMO
and
the
East
Block.
Part
of
the
square
crosses
over
the
Rideau
Canal,
itself
a
National
Historic
Site
of
Canada
and
a
World
Heritage
Site.
A
triangular
plaza
once
located
approximately
at
the
site
of
today's
Confederation
Square
was
(originally)
named
after
Governor
General
Connaught.
Before
1910,
today's
Plaza
Bridge
over
the
Rideau
Canal
had
been
two
separate
bridges
which
were
replaced
at
the
time
by
a
single
bridge
under
which
rail
traffic
would
pass
from
the
new
Union
Station
past
the
(also
new)
Chateau
Laurier.
This
work
was
finished
by
December
1912
and
the
location
was
named
"Connaught
Place"
on
March
24,
1913.
Two
prime
ministers
had
promoted
the
beautification
of
the
capital
city,
Wilfrid
Laurier
from
1896-1911
and
William
Lyon
Mackenzie
King
whose
first
term
began
in
1921.
By
1927,
a
commission
for
improvements
named
the
Federal
District
Commission
was
formed
out
of
an
earlier
effort
called
the
Ottawa
Improvement
Commission.
King
invited
French
architect
Jacques
Gréber
to
help
with
the
design
for
a
square
which
would
include
a
war
memorial.
The
area
at
this
time
also
had
five
notable
structures,
most
which
have
been
standing
for
decades.
The
old
post
office
was
located
where
the
current
war
memorial
stands,
the
Russell
House
hotel
was
on
the
southeast
side
of
Sparks
and
Elgin,
the
Russell
Theatre
(adjoining
the
hotel)
was
on
the
corner
of
Queen
and
Elgin,
the
old
City
Hall
was
on
the
east
side
of
Elgin
between
Queen
and
Albert,
and
Knox
Presbyterian
Church
at
Elgin
and
Albert,
on
the
site
of
today's
National
Arts
Centre.
King
had
plans
involving
widening
Elgin
Street
even
by
1927,
with
hopes
of
bringing
emphasis
to
the
Parliament
Hill.
The
hotel
was
destroyed
by
fire
on
April
14,
1928.
The
Russell
Theatre,
which
was
also
burnt
on
that
date
got
expropriated
for
demolition
in
order
to
bring
about
these
plans.
The
Federal
District
Commission
later
expropriated
the
hotel's
site.
The
church
was
expropriated
November
20,
1930.
City
Hall
burned
down
March
31,
1931.
In
1937,
Greber
visited
Ottawa
but
disagreed
with
King
on
the
placement
of
the
war
memorial,
for
fear
of
traffic
problems.
Ottawa's
former
Central
Post
Office
had
been
constructed
in
1876.
The
old
post
office
was
demolished
in
(May
and)
June
1938
in
order
to
build
the
square.
Knox
Presbyterian
Church
had
also
been
demolished
on
June
1938.
The
Royal
Bank
of
Canada
building
(once
James
Hope
and
Company)
at
the
northwest
corner
of
Elgin
and
Sparks
had
been
removed
(for
the
new
Post
Office).
By
October,
the
War
Memorial
had
been
erected
and
the
Plaza
Bridge
had
been
widened.
Work
was
underway
for
the
building
of
the
new
Central
Post
Office.
Elgin
Street
was
widened
in
April
1939.
and
Confederation
Square
continued
to
be
landscaped
while
post
office
was
being
completed.
By
this
time,
the
square
was
renamed
Confederation
Square
for
the
National
War
Memorial.
It
wouldn't
be
until
June
1969
that
the
National
Arts
Centre
would
be
opened.
In
May
1939,
King
George
VI
came
to
visit
Ottawa
and
formally
unveiled
the
new
War
Memorial.
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