Located on the west side of the canal, running perpendicular to Delaware Avenue and Lewis Street, Robert Street’s origins are a bit of a mystery.
According to Carleton University professor and historian Bruce Elliott, streets are not always named to honour people.
Sometimes they are named after the people who owned the land or those who laid out the subdivisions. Getting the origin of a street name right often comes down to a lot of speculation.
City of Ottawa archivist Serge Barbe says that Robert Street might be named after Robert Blackburn, one of three members of the Ottawa Freehold Association.
The street falls under the association’s purchase of the By Estate in the 1870s that was nearly 600 acres, encompassing a large section of the Centretown and Sandy Hill neighbourhoods.
Other streets in the area are named after Blackburn’s partners James MacLaren and Charles Magee. Following this logic, Robert Street might just be named after Blackburn, says Barbe.
Mainly residential, the charm of the street comes from the eclectic mix of architecture.
Small modern apartment buildings side by side have a completely different appearance. One stands with a large arch and a centre tower like a castle’s keep. Its neutral tones spark a contrast to the dark metallic features of the building next door.
At the top of the street, motorists are barred from turning left on to Lewis Street, a one-way that leads back to the major downtown roads. A couple minutes walk to the other end of the street, sits the imposing Armenian embassy mansion. Its Latin American style, most easily identified by the red roof shingles, provides another interesting architectural contrast to the homes.
One advantage that this quiet street has to offer is the largest backyard skating rink – the Rideau Canal.