Across the Ottawa River: Hull's History of Lumber Barons and Bootleggers

(8 reviews)

Gatineau audio tour: Across the Ottawa River: Hull's History of Lumber Barons and Bootleggers

This is a 2.4mi walking tour

It takes an average of 75 mins to complete.

Gatineau

Canada

$7.99

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About the Tour

Just across the river from downtown Ottawa sits Hull, the original heart of today’s city of Gatineau. Once a city in its own right, Hull had its beginnings as a settler community well before Ottawa was founded. During its rapid growth as a lumber town, and throughout its infamous years supplying liquor and other late-night vices to revellers from across the Ottawa River, Hull had a rocky, co-dependent relationship with Canada’s modern-day capital.

On this walking tour, I’ll lift the lid on the quiet Hull of today and take you on a journey through its intriguing back story. Though Hull may not win many beauty contests, its streets, parks, and buildings reflect the triumphs and tragedies of its past.

This circular tour starts and ends outside the Canadian Museum of History. Along the way, you’ll meet people like the Algonquin Chief Tessouat who ruled the Ottawa River in the 1600s; Philemon Wright who was the first settler to establish a community here; and the entrepreneur Ezra Butler Eddy who built his fortune making fire matches.

As you walk along the Ottawa River’s shores, you’ll learn about its significance to indigenous peoples, explorers, and lumber barons alike. On Hull’s old Main Street, you’ll discover why this was once Canada’s crime capital, with a reputation for illegal and late-night drinking, gambling, and prostitution. You’ll also hear about its impressive growth in the 1800s and the many disasters that have befallen the town.

Along the way, you will have a chance to:

Learn why Hull’s location was valued for thousands of years before settlers arrived
Enjoy spectacular views of Ottawa, the Ottawa River, and Chaudiere Falls
Discover what’s left of Wright’s Town (the original Hull), founded by Philemon Wright
Walk the route of an old timber slide
Marvel at the scale of the lumber barons’ timber operations
Get to know about the catastrophic Great Fire of 1900
Find out why Hull was once known as ’le petit Chicago’
Stroll along Hull’s infamous ‘Strip’, which was party central for young people from Ottawa
Get a sense of what was destroyed when Hull’s massive office towers were constructed

By the end of this 75-minute Ottawa walking tour, you’ll see Hull with new eyes, and have a greater appreciation for its role in the development of Canada’s capital region.

Tour Producer

Felicity Mulgan

2 tours

After moving to Ottawa in 2002, I became fascinated by its rich and colourful history. Whoever said Canada’s history is boring got it plain wrong. There’s so much more than meets the eye – some of it really dark! The interest lies in the unexpected details, the curiosities, and the quirky stories. That’s what I bring out in my guided walks.
When I discovered that I was directly descended from Asa Meech, one of the first settlers to the region in the 1800s, I felt even more connected to the city. My research into the early days of Canada’s capital revealed the extraordinary achievements of its early pioneers, and the complicated but fascinating stories that helped shape this modern city.
Drawing on my Masters in adult learning, and my experience in film, multi-media and journalism, I enjoy bringing history to life, going beyond the obvious, and helping people see familiar places through fresh eyes.
When I’m not home in Ottawa, I enjoy travelling and, especially, learning about other people’s cities.

Preview Location

Location 9

Old Portage route and timber slide

Keep going along the path.

On your left is a small rocky headland sticking out into the river. On the other side of the headland, out of sight from here, was the mouth of a water channel that went parallel to the river.

In the 1800s, you would likely have seen logs comi... Keep going along the path.

On your left is a small rocky headland sticking out into the river. On the other side of the headland, out of sight from here, was the mouth of a water channel that went parallel to the river.

In the 1800s, you would likely have seen logs coming out of the channel and pouring into the river on their way to Montreal. They would have just come down a timber slide that was built to bypass the dangerous Chaudiere Falls. The timber slide was built by Philemon Wright’s son, Ruggles, in 1829.

By this date, Philemon Wright was nearly 70 and his sons were helping to run the family timber company. Their business had grown quickly, benefitting from trade with Britain, which had given favourable terms to Canadian lumber sellers during the Napoleonic wars.

The water channel that Ruggles Wright used for the timber slide had been part of an ancient canoe portage route and was one of several portages along this dangerous stretch of the river. Old maps indicate it was the Spring portage route – spring being the season when the river was at its highest and fastest, and the falls particularly dangerous.

The Ottawa river was the main highway here. Traditionally, anyone travelling along the river would have had to use the portages, carrying their canoes and all their goods up and along the river bank until it was safe to put into the water again.

In the early years of Wright’s Town, the settlers cleared roads that helped them reach their farms and other nearby communities. These same roads helped them transport goods more easily without using the river and its portages.

However, for transporting logs, the river was ideal and much more practical than trying to take them overland.

Ruggles Wright opened up the spring portage channel here to link it with the river at the other end, so creating a fast-moving water course that carried the logs more safely down-river.

In a few minutes, we’ll walk along the route of that very same timber slide.

Keep walking up the slope until you reach a fork in the path. Read More

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Major Landmarks

Canadian Museum of History
Monument to the Algonquin Chief Tessouat
Parliament Hill
Voyageurs Pathway
Chutes de la Chaudière
Chaudiere Bridge
Bank Hotel
Promenade du Portage
Rue de l'Hôtel-de-Ville
Old Gatineau City Hall

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Getting There

Route Overview

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Start location
100 Rue Laurier, Gatineau, QC K1A 0M8, Canada
Total distance

4km
Final location
158 Rue Notre-Dame-de-l'île, Gatineau, QC J8X 3T1, Canada
Distance back to start location

127.11m

Directions to Starting Point

The tour begins close to the main entrance of the Canadian Museum of History, between the museum's two main buildings and close to the mid-point along the museum's semi-circular driveway. There is a parking garage under the museum, and it's just a five-minute drive from downtown Ottawa.

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Tips

Places to stop along the way

If you're looking for refreshments, the best place to find them is along Promenade du Portage which you will be walking along about three-quarters of the way into the walk. This street has several restaurants and bars. The museum where the tour starts and ends also offers food and drink services.

Best time of day

During daylight hours, from April - November. Some parts of the walk may be icy or covered in snow during winter months.

Precautions

Gatineau (Hull Sector) is safe. Parts of the walk go along a riverside pathway, but this is generally well-used. Watch out for cyclists - some parts of the walk follow a shared pedestrian / bike path which can get busy, particularly in the summer.

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“Great app. walk around at your own pace, stop where you want, move on or speed up when you want. Read the script before you go or during the commentary, speed it up or replay it. Repeat the tour whenever you like.”