A Brief History of Ottawa, 1994

Graham Bolton and Adrian Göllner, 1994

This public artwork was commissioned by the Region of Ottawa-Carleton for the Walkley Transitway Station. Beneath an overpass the history of Ottawa is concisely described through six sets of dates, words and maps. While the subject matter is historical, the appearance is contemporary. The artwork is rendered in sand-blasted concrete and calcite.

View of east half of installation.

The maps were set into the incline under the bridge with a corresponding dates and words aligned directly below. This particular set features a map of the lakes and rivers of the Ottawa region before western habitation, the date 1600 and the words Voyageurs (the fir traders who explored the area for the
Hudson’s Bay Company) and Outaouacs (the native tribes who lived in area).

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