Take a look at LeBreton Flats — then and now

The area was a neighbourhood before it was bulldozed in the 1960s

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Caption: An aerial photograph of LeBreton Flats during winter, taken in 1962. (City of Ottawa Archives)

All the recent tumult over the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats has us hearkening back to the days when it was, in fact, a functional, bustling community.
The origins of LeBreton Flats go back to the 19th century, when its working class residents provided much-needed labour to the local lumber industry.
It was devastated by the Great Fire of 1900, but some people did rebuild their homes and businesses.
In the 1960s, the federal government expropriated the lands for a new campus for its workforce — one that was never actually built there, however.
Since then, LeBreton Flats has remained mostly empty.
We've taken some images from the City of Ottawa Archives that show the neighbourhood during the 1950s and 1960s and melded them with contemporary shots from Google Street View.
Pull the slider back and forth to toggle between the LeBreton Flats of the past and its modern day equivalent.
Since many of the former streets no longer exist, some locations may be approximate.

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And here are some static shots from LeBreton Flats.

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Caption: A 1955 photo showing Christmas decorations lining the dining area of the former Palace House Hotel at 183 Broad St. in LeBreton Flats. (City of Ottawa Archives)

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Caption: A 1962 photograph showing the exterior of Star Auto Parts on Fleet Street in LeBreton Flats. (City of Ottawa Archives)

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Caption: This April 1962 photo shows the M. Levinson salvage yard on Ottawa Street in LeBreton Flats. (City of Ottawa Archives)

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Caption: This photo from April 1962 shows Preston & Lieff Glass at 66 Booth St. in LeBreton Flats. (City of Ottawa Archives)

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