Situated on the east side of Centretown, Minto Park is a picturesque urban park that occupies the full city block between Elgin Street, Cartier Street, Lewis Street and Gilmour Street. It was bought by the city in 1898 from J.R. Booth and was originally named Minto Square after the newly arrived Governor-General Lord Minto.
Minto Park
The park is now designated by the City of Ottawa as a heritage conservation district, including the 24 residential properties constructed between 1892 and 1906 that face the park.
Minto Park was designed to be an ornamental park, used for its tranquility and visual appeal as opposed to being used for sporting activities.
Lined with trees, shrubs, and plenty of benches for seating, a path of intertwining circles runs down the park’s centre, providing citizens a place to relax amidst the constant hubbub of the city.
Minto Park is also home to the Ottawa Women’s Monument, which was erected in 1992 to honour the women victims involved in a series of brutal murders within the city.
The vulva shaped monument nearest the west side of the park, serves as a memorial to all the women who are victims of abuse from men and is often the starting point of the annual Take Back the Night rally that protests the sexual violence committed against women in the city.