Christ Church Cathedral
439 Queen Street
Written by Bytown Museum
on
03/Dec/2009
Christ Church first opened in 1833 on land donated by Nicholas Sparks. The church lacked the funds to complete the construction of the structure and early parishioners sat on rough planks instead of pews, and the walls and ceiling were unfinished. The church was also closed in winter as it could not be properly heated.
In 1873, a new and larger church was opened on the same site. And in 1897, the church became a cathedral.
One of the most notable aspects of the Christ Church Cathedral is the stained glass in the west window. Installed in 1982, the window includes many figures and symbols of early Ottawa. Visitors to the Cathedral may recognize the faces of Lieutenant-Colonel John By, Sir John A. Macdonald, Lamira Dow Billings, Philemon Wright and Mother Elizabeth Bruyère, among many others. The artist, Christopher Wallis, used 5,000 pieces of glass to create the stunning window.
