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Lost Ottawa #1
lost ottawa - the book
Remember the Chickulator at the Science and Tech Museum? What about the Britannia Drive-In? The Green Valley Restaurant? The malted milks once sold in the basement of Freiman’s Department Store? If you answered Yes to any of these questions, Lost Ottawa is a book you’ll treasure. This is the unwritten history of the Nation’s Capital and a loving tribute to the power and beauty of everyday life.
- GenresNonfictionHistoryCanada
161 pages, Paperback
Published January 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
June 24, 2018
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“If you grew up here, get ready to relive the experience.”
I cannot speak for people who have never lived in Ottawa or visited but for those who have this will be a fascinating book. While some of the history is far too old for me to remember there were several fond childhood memories enclosed in these pages. One or two things I was certain had only been dreams.
I can say that this is a book that would have greatly benefited from colour publication. Of course, certain old photos were in black and white but there were newer photos that I would have died to see in colour. The good news is, of course, that they exist in colour on the Facebook page but it did leave the book feeling like it could have been a little more.
My other complaint about this book is that there’s so much complaining. I loved the comments reminiscing about older times and childhoods long past but I don’t understand why the author felt the need to include some of the more negative comments. Comments complaining that kids as young as seven can’t smoke anymore because of political correctness. Or that young people don’t know how to live good lives anymore. As a younger person a lot of these comments felt alienating. It made the book feel targeted solely towards older folks and not the young future of Ottawa.
There were sections of this book I greatly enjoyed, and for readers who’ve been in Ottawa their entire lives, I’m certain there will be a lot of nostalgia. It wasn’t exactly what I hoped for, but I can see many Ottawa readers enjoying this!
“If you grew up here, get ready to relive the experience.”
I cannot speak for people who have never lived in Ottawa or visited but for those who have this will be a fascinating book. While some of the history is far too old for me to remember there were several fond childhood memories enclosed in these pages. One or two things I was certain had only been dreams.
I can say that this is a book that would have greatly benefited from colour publication. Of course, certain old photos were in black and white but there were newer photos that I would have died to see in colour. The good news is, of course, that they exist in colour on the Facebook page but it did leave the book feeling like it could have been a little more.
My other complaint about this book is that there’s so much complaining. I loved the comments reminiscing about older times and childhoods long past but I don’t understand why the author felt the need to include some of the more negative comments. Comments complaining that kids as young as seven can’t smoke anymore because of political correctness. Or that young people don’t know how to live good lives anymore. As a younger person a lot of these comments felt alienating. It made the book feel targeted solely towards older folks and not the young future of Ottawa.
There were sections of this book I greatly enjoyed, and for readers who’ve been in Ottawa their entire lives, I’m certain there will be a lot of nostalgia. It wasn’t exactly what I hoped for, but I can see many Ottawa readers enjoying this!
March 21, 2021
I'm glad to see that these books have transitioned to focusing on the historical narratives and stories of local experiences, places, and things. Certainly glad to have read the first iteration in the series, but the following ones are much better!
May 5, 2020
It's a neat little book full of fascinating pictures distilled from the Lost Ottawa Facebook page. The written content is primarily comments from said page, comprising equal parts interesting stories from those who were there and crusty boomers lamenting the onslaught of progress (warranted and otherwise).
February 11, 2022
I would have liked more background on the lost bits and less Facebook exchanges...
January 28, 2018
Lost Ottawa is a compilation of online postings from a Facebook page of the same name. Run by historian David McGee, Lost Ottawa posts old photos from around the Ottawa area and asks people to provide comments, memories, and context. The photos in the book, which are from the page's most popular posts, cover buildings, parks, activities, buses and streetcars, and events from the history of Ottawa. Along with each photo is an edited selection of reader comments. The photos are presented in the same order in which they were originally posted on Facebook, with details about how many "likes", comments, and shares they received.
I lived in Ottawa as a teenager from 1973 to 1978, and moved back again in 1989. I can relate to some of the photos (such as the "traffic noodle" sculpture and the "lost" cinemas at Place de Ville), but many of them are before my time. Still, it is a fascinating look into the city's past. The comments are often nostalgic (from people clearly older than me!) and sometimes funny. It is surprising how much a city can change in just a single lifetime.
I lived in Ottawa as a teenager from 1973 to 1978, and moved back again in 1989. I can relate to some of the photos (such as the "traffic noodle" sculpture and the "lost" cinemas at Place de Ville), but many of them are before my time. Still, it is a fascinating look into the city's past. The comments are often nostalgic (from people clearly older than me!) and sometimes funny. It is surprising how much a city can change in just a single lifetime.
December 30, 2017
A nostalgic trip through local Ottawa memorabilia and landmarks. Things like the chick-hatching machine at the Museum of Science and Technology, and Big Bud's and the Brittania Drive-In and an OC Transpo bus transfer and the Ex. It's pretty trippy stuff if you grew up in Ottawa awhile back, enjoy a trip down memory lane, and don't mind feeling weirdly old.
Lost Ottawa is based on a Facebook group of the same name. There are about 60 stories in the book, each consisting of a brief intro, a photograph, and a selection of comments about it that were left on the Facebook group.
I liked this book and the memories it sparked. I can think of all kinds of things to include in the next volume - the Rialto (Rathole) Theatre, the Alexandra Hotel, Mello's Diner, the Tap Room...
Lost Ottawa is based on a Facebook group of the same name. There are about 60 stories in the book, each consisting of a brief intro, a photograph, and a selection of comments about it that were left on the Facebook group.
I liked this book and the memories it sparked. I can think of all kinds of things to include in the next volume - the Rialto (Rathole) Theatre, the Alexandra Hotel, Mello's Diner, the Tap Room...
January 1, 2018
Kind of an interesting concept of taking Facebook posts from a community site and turning them into a book. Makes for a VERY quick read.
Each year covers the top photo posts, provides a short historical overview for the photo or item in the photo, and then includes comments from some of the people in the community who reacted to the photo with stories, memories, etc. It was fun to look at things from my childhood and that my parents told me about and see if other people remembered the same thing like the gift shop at the Green Valley Restaurant and taking lunch breaks on the “worm” statue. They did! And to remember a few things I’d forgotten like the Mickey Mouse ice cream sundae and OC Transpo transfer passes.
Each year covers the top photo posts, provides a short historical overview for the photo or item in the photo, and then includes comments from some of the people in the community who reacted to the photo with stories, memories, etc. It was fun to look at things from my childhood and that my parents told me about and see if other people remembered the same thing like the gift shop at the Green Valley Restaurant and taking lunch breaks on the “worm” statue. They did! And to remember a few things I’d forgotten like the Mickey Mouse ice cream sundae and OC Transpo transfer passes.
August 11, 2018
This book needs less nostalgia and more history.
Honestly, I don’t really care about people’s memories of certain lost Ottawa “landmarks” or how many milkshakes you had as a kid at a now defunct department store. Give me interesting facts about the Civic Hospital, Parliament Hill, Dow’s Lake, etc.!
Why mention the “Civic pharmacy” sign? It’s not lost, Ottawans can still view it at the corner of Holland and Carling Avenues. The letters don’t turn anymore? Okay? The sign is still there and it will remain there as the building was renovated recently and they didn’t touch the sign.
Save your money. All of these photos and personal memories of people you’ve never met can be viewed on Lost Ottawa’s Facebook page. You won’t learn anything about the history of Ottawa’s landmarks here...
Honestly, I don’t really care about people’s memories of certain lost Ottawa “landmarks” or how many milkshakes you had as a kid at a now defunct department store. Give me interesting facts about the Civic Hospital, Parliament Hill, Dow’s Lake, etc.!
Why mention the “Civic pharmacy” sign? It’s not lost, Ottawans can still view it at the corner of Holland and Carling Avenues. The letters don’t turn anymore? Okay? The sign is still there and it will remain there as the building was renovated recently and they didn’t touch the sign.
Save your money. All of these photos and personal memories of people you’ve never met can be viewed on Lost Ottawa’s Facebook page. You won’t learn anything about the history of Ottawa’s landmarks here...
October 11, 2020
This book compiles the best photos, author descriptions and comments from the Lost Ottawa Facebook page. It's an intriguing way to look at local history. The comments (key ones selected and polished) bring a remarkable richness to the story. For each piece of Ottawa's past that's described, there are multiple personal connections made to bygone places and ways of behaving, as well as reflections on how life has changed, for better or worse. This makes the book often a very warm and touching way to describe specific events, people and places, doing so concisely and from many perspectives. Very, very cool.
June 10, 2018
Excellent trip through olden Ottawa in pictures and comments
January 30, 2019
Interesting factoids.
March 29, 2019
I was expecting this to be much more interesting.
May 30, 2019
Loved it
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews