‘Irish Village’ to be dedicated in Ottawa’s ByWard Market

Everyone is a little bit Irish today in Ottawa as the city celebrates St. Patrick’s Day. CTV’s Jack Richardson reports.

The City of Ottawa will soon have a dedicated ‘Irish Village’ in the ByWard Market.

Coun. Tim Tierney used St. Patrick’s Day to announce plans to officially dedicate the “Irish Village” in the popular tourist area ahead of the 200th anniversary of Bytown and the 200th anniversary of the ByWard Market.

“I will be bringing forward a motion to March 27 Public Works and Infrastructure Committee directing staff to install commemorative sign blades at Clarence and Parent and review how we can commemorate other founding cultures throughout Lowertown and Market,” Tierney said on X.

The corner of Clarence Street and Parent Avenue is home to the Heart and Crown, a popular destination on St. Patrick’s Day and throughout the year.

Tierney says the ByWard Market has always been known as the Irish Village.

“Now we’re going to use the blades to highlight the areas; Parent Street from Clarence to St. Patrick and St. Patrick Street from Sussex to King Edward,” Tierney told Newstalk 580 CFRA’s Ottawa at Work with Patricia Boal.

Tierney says the National Capital Irish Society and the city want to celebrate the Irish heritage in Ottawa.

“We’re going to do something really cool in April to really celebrate this.”

Ottawa will celebrate the 200th anniversary of the founding of Bytown in 2026 and the 200th anniversary of the ByWard Market in 2027.

The city has said the goal of the 200th anniversary program in 2026 and 2027 is to highlight the “proud history, shared values and community accomplishments of Ottawa residents through a series of commemorations, public events and collaborations with local heritage, cultural and community organizations.”

Tierney says the city will look to expand beyond just the Irish Village, and “define different areas and show pride in how we built this capital.”

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