Ottawa Normal School was a respected institution that is nearly as old as the city of Ottawa. Not surprisingly, the historic building is the location of the mayor’s office today.
Now called Heritage Building and a part of Ottawa’s city hall complex, this building was once a teacher’s college.
Opened in 1875, Ottawa Normal School served as a training centre for teachers who wanted to learn how to give children a “normal” education, according to rules and principles of teaching at the time – hence the label of “normal” in the institution.
The building has gone through many transformations – from a teacher’s college until 1974, then closed down, to being sold to the federal government.
In 1986, the municipality of Ottawa-Carleton bought it and extensively renovated it with a $1.46-million budget. In 2000, it officially became a part of Ottawa’s municipal headquarters.
The building with grand gothic features stands near the corner of Elgin and Lisgar streets. The first impression is that it looks like a church. It has pointed ceilings and rugged, grey limestone blocks all around. To the side of the building, there is on-going construction – apparently to restore one of the blocks.
The entrance to the Heritage Building is a strange one. It is linked to the main city hall through a single tunnel. Once through the tunnel, people are greeted by pink walls everywhere.
The second-floor of the building looks like a school hallway, an echo of its past identity. There is a long, strikingly wide hallway adorned by paintings on each side. There are several rooms on each side, classrooms for teachers at one time. At the end of the hall, is the mayor’s office.
Even though the building was renovated from top to bottom, the structure of the classrooms, stairwells, door frames, and the hallway remain the same and retains distinctive school atmosphere.