The Glebe
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Theglebeottawa.PNG
The Glebe is a neighbourhood in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It is located just south of Ottawa's downtown area, with its northern border being the Queensway highway. To the south and east it is bounded by the Rideau Canal while to the west it ends just beyond Bronson Avenue. As of 2001 the area's population was 11,369.
Popular with senior managers with the federal government, the area is mostly populated by families; the area has many children, and many services for children. It is also almost entirely anglophone. Despite being one of Ottawa's wealthier neighbourhoods, it is also one of the most liberal, and it has traditionally been a stronghold for the New Democratic Party. It is in the federal and provincial riding of Ottawa Centre.
The Glebe has a strong community association which, in addition to running a large community centre, lobbies the local government on issues such as traffic calming.
The area is called the Glebe because in the initial 1837 survey of Ottawa the area was allocated to St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. The word "glebe" means church lands and the area was originally known as "the glebe lands of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church". When the area was opened for development in 1870, real estate agents began to refer to it simply as "The Glebe".
The stretch of Bank Street that runs through the Glebe is one of Ottawa's premier shopping areas with many small stores and restaurants offering a wide variety of services.
The Glebe is home to Lansdowne Park which contains Frank Clair Stadium where Ottawa's football team, the Ottawa Renegades, play. The area that became the park was purchased from local farmers in 1868 by the City of Ottawa Agricultural Society. From the canal two bodies of water jut into the Glebe: Patterson Creek and Brown's Inlet. These areas are surrounded by parks and some of the city's most expensive homes.
The last Saturday in May of each year brings the "Great Glebe Garage Sale" to the neighbourhood; every household that participates puts items out for sale, attracting a large contingent of bargain hunters to the area. Sellers are expected to donate a portion of the proceeds to a designated charity.
Churches
- Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church
- Glebe-St. James United Church
- St. Giles Presbyterian Church
- St. Matthew's Anglican Church
See also: List of Ottawa neighbourhoods
External links
- The Glebe - Evolution of an Ottawa Neighbourhood (http://www.bytown.net/glebe.htm)
- The Story of the Glebe (http://ottawahistory.ncf.ca/)
Note: Many cities have old parish-houses called "The Glebe." Ottawa may be the only one known to have a significant district named for one, although there is a major road by that name in Arlington, Virginia in the United States.