Hintonburg – Mechanicsville

Hintonburg-Mechanicsville is bounded by the Ottawa River on the north, Highway 417 on the south, and the O-train line on the East. Its western border includes Parkdale Ave north of Scott St. and Holland Ave. south of Scott St. The neighbourhood includes the communities of Tunney’s Pasture, Mechanicsville, Wellington Towers, and Hintonburg.

The Mechanicsville area of the neighbourhood dates back to 1879 and was annexed to Ottawa in 1911. The name likely refers to the many blue collar workers who originally resided there. The Hintonburg area of the neighbourhood was first settled in 1826 as part of the Nepean Township. Hintonburg became its own village in 1893, west of Ottawa city limits and divided from Mechanicsville on the north by the CPR rail line (now LRT Line #1). It was named after local shop keeper and civic official Joseph Hinton. Its subsequent annex to the ever expanding city of Ottawa occurred in 1907.  Recent changes in the neighbourhood include the emergence of an art district, named Quartier des artistes/Arts District (QUAD), with many artists and artisans setting up commercial outlets for their creations.