The current Ottawa City Hall is the city hall of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. The downtown complex consists of two connected buildings: a modern wing located on Laurier Avenue and a 19th-century heritage wing located on Elgin Street. Although City Hall has frontage on two major streets, the main entrance is on Laurier Avenue, and the municipal address is 110 Laurier Avenue West.
Veterans' Grove
On 5 November 1998, an area located beside Ottawa City Hall was named Veterans' Grove by Bob Chiarelli in honour of War Veterans from the Ottawa-Carleton Region. A pink granite memorial dedicated to the memory of Canadians who had enlisted in Ottawa for service with the Canadian ArmySpecial Force and members of Canada's Regular Forces who made the supreme sacrifice during the War in Korea was moved to its current location in Veterans' Grove in 1998. It was originally unveiled on 27 July 1994 at the site of the old City Hall on Sussex Drive.
Main building
The modern wing, which serves as the main section of City Hall, was designed by Raymond Moriyama and built in 1990 as the headquarters of the former Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton. It is located between the Cartier Square Drill Hall and the Ottawa Court House. This section of City Hall contains the Council chamber, a large atrium and a number of offices and public services. The front of the building is marked by a large open plaza that faces Confederation Park across Laurier Avenue. The plaza is home to concerts, festivals, and other community events. The grounds have a number of features, including a sound sculpture, fountain and artificial ice-skating pad. The site had originally been the parade ground for the Drill Hall. During the Second World War, a complex of structures was erected to house military staff. These buildings were meant to be temporary, but they remained in place for several decades. They were eventually demolished and the City Hall and courthouse were built on the site. The Regional Headquarters building was chosen as the new City Hall upon the amalgamation of the Region and its constituent municipalities in 2001, largely due to its central location. The architecturally acclaimed John G. Diefenbaker Building, located to the east of downtown, was subsequently sold to the federal government.
Heritage Building
South of the courthouse on Elgin Street stands the old Ottawa Normal School, built in 1875, and which now serves as the "Heritage Building" section of City Hall. Connected to the modern wing, the Heritage Building contains the offices of the Mayor and members of Council, as well as a number of offices and committee rooms. The Heritage Building was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1974.
Public art
Throughout the buildings of Ottawa's City Hall, there are various pieces of art that were commissioned specifically for the location. The following pieces can currently be found there:
Since 2013, the Ottawa Senators Foundation has funded a 12,500 square foot ice rink in front of Ottawa City Hall. The rink is open from December to March, weather permitting. It is surrounded by changing LED lighting mounted in the boards for night skating. It also features, outdoor speakers, picnic tables, a changing hut, skate rental concession and a BeaverTails trailer.
