THE SEARCH FOR A VICTORIAN ERA WASHROOM SEALED BENEATH SPARKS ST

One of the most enduring legends in Ottawa that always sticks in the back of my head like a Kerr’s Halloween caramel on a molar, is the urban folktale that beneath Sparks Street there is a concealed Victorian era public washroom. Sealed for a century, in perfect preservation, awaiting its triumphant return from beneath the asphalt like the Ark of Covenant. With a busy summer schedule behind me, I thought I should probably attempt to put this curious history mystery to rest. Well, guess what?…it’s probably true.

BACKSTORY

Public toilets have been a part of human sanitation since ancient Rome. Long stone benches with holes accommodating multiple and simultaneous users with no privacy, these first public restrooms were thought of as a social event.

An ancient Roman public washroom in Ostia Antica

Fast forward a few centuries ahead and underground public toilets were introduced in the United Kingdom during the Victorian era. These facilities were accessible from the city street by stairs, and lit by glass brick on the pavement above. Local health boards often built underground public toilets to a high standard, a classy reprieve for “doing your business” whilst enjoying the city.

A Victorian era public washroom accessed from the street to underground.
An underground public washroom entrance in Toronto circa 1890-1920s.

By 1919, more than one hundred cities had opened above-ground or underground “comfort stations”, and Ottawa was one of them.

LOCATION

Throughout my time writing these Ottawa Rewind posts I have often been e-mailed about pursuing certain subjects, and I have had some great conversations at numerous pubs and restaurants with individuals suggesting topics I should maybe write about, and the “hidden Sparks St washroom” has been always favourite topic of mine.

In the search for Ottawa’s sealed Victorian lavatory, I began my quest for answers by first checking the GeoOttawa historic mapping aerial photos of the Sparks St area. Nothing really came up except for some curious structures just around the north corner, on O’Connor St. (full circle: this is where I was told that I could not give out free t-shirts celebrating Canada150 in 2017)

A 1928 GeoOttawa image shows some likely washroom structures.

The next step was going through the Library and Archives Of Canada website archive search of photographs around Sparks St that may show these fabled public restrooms. It soon became apparent that the underground public washrooms of Britain were also popular in Canadian cities during the Victorian era, especially in Toronto which had many examples in photographs. These were usually structures on the street level with stairs that led down into the restroom facility.

Interior of an underground public washroom from the early 1900s.

Ottawa would likely be no different, and with Sparks Street being the “hub” of Ottawa at the time, it would make sense that we would have a similar setup. O’Connor Street makes the most sense as to the the location of said underground washrooms as it is the halfway point along Sparks, a perfect location to place a public restroom if people were meandering down Sparks St. from either direction in the early 1900s.

Focusing on the O’Connor angle, I narrowed the search at the Library and Archives to collect photos from the era of 1880-1915 and found some interesting images. Once such photo shows Sparks/Wellington/O’Connor in 1869 with two street level structures in the middle of the street.

An 1869 photograph showing what appears to be “Pissoirs” on On’Connor.

These could be what was called a public “Pissoir” a French word for an invention, common in Europe, that provided a urinal in public space with a street level structure. This is the etymology behind the word “piss” or “I’m going for a piss”. Crude nowadays, but actually based on actual historical terminology.

A French “Pissoir” street level washroom structure.
A Pissoir on a Victorian era Montreal city street.

So with what looks like a couple of “Pissoirs” on O’Connor just north of Sparks St., I began scouring the old newspapers looking for any articles mentioning public underground washrooms in that zone. Well, lo and behold, I struck the jackpot.

POTTY TALK

When Sparks Street transformed into a pedestrian mall in the 1960s, the once bustling spine of the city became a different place, and any history of its past was shrouded with a new progressive vision for the Nation’s Capital. Former historic buildings were transitioned into a “modern vision” for the Capital, and any Victorian underground washrooms would likely be sealed up and paved over.

In this 1938 photoof Sparks St and O’Connor Street, the entrance to the underground washrooms have been covered over.

However, it seems that idea came much earlier, as by 1938 there is no photographic evidence of any washroom structures being on O’connor, but what is mentioned via a newspaper, is the fact they did exist!

A 1967 Ottawa Citizen article mentioning the fabled Victorian underground washrooms.

In a 1967 Ottawa Citizen article, mention of a sealed underground washroom was made: “two long sealed public washrooms, just north of Sparks on O’Connor Street, will remain closed under their coatings of concrete and asphalt.” AHA! So the rumours are true!

Another Ottawa Citizen article mentioning the sealed underground washrooms.

Then, another article was found, this time from an earlier edition of the Ottawa Citizen, where it was mentioned: “A large public washroom of Roaring Twenties style awaits re-discovery below O’Connor Street”…That makes two mentions in the Ottawa Citizen!

CLOSING THE LID

With so many pieces of the puzzle coming together, I thought it best to return to GeoOttawa and see if there are any sewer or water mains that may show up on their mapping system that would indicate the presence of an old sealed underground washroom. Et Voila. The GeoOttawa sewer map shows a “capped” line on O’Connor which is likely the capped water lines to and from the Public Underground Victorian Era Washroom (PUVEW). Yes, I made that up.

This GeoOttawa image shows a capped sewer/water line where the underground toilet would have been.

With new evidence in hand, I once again scoured the Library and Archives photo library to see if there were any photos in that area that might indicate an entrance to an underground washroom facility.

Your view looking south down O’Connor in 1900s after exiting the underground washroom.

After a lengthy search, one photo from 1909 came up that showed a view of Sparks and O’Connor and upon zooming in….BINGO!

A built structure showing what appears to be the entrance to the fabled underground public washroom! There it was, in Black and White from 1909. The Holy Grail of Ottawa legend reveals itself in all its glory.

This image taken from a photograph at the corner of Sparks and O’Connor in 1909 clearly shows the entrance structure to the washroom below.

BREAKING THE SEAL?

Upon realization that there was indeed a public underground washroom on O’Connor Street off Sparks Street that existed sometime between 1869 and 1928, it begs the question: Is it still there?

The Washroom Entrance.
This image taken from a photograph at the corner of Sparks and O’Connor in 1909.
The same view at the same location, in 2023.

Using Google Maps to pinpoint what’s currently at that location, it seems there is a concrete sidewalk over the spot but that doesn’t mean we can’t use current technology to investigate further.

Beneath this sidewalk is the concealed Victorian public washroom.

If enough of us are interested in seeing if the sealed Victorian Washroom is still there, then perhaps we can Crowd Fund a Ground Penetrating Radar expedition to map out what lies beneath, or, simply ask the City Of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission and/or Government of Canada (they own north of Sparks Street area) to uncover what they undoubtedly know exists below.

If anyone else may haver photos or further proof the underground washroom existed/still exists, please contact me.

A 1912 Fire Insurance Plan map shows no underground washroom.

Until that time, the legend of the sealed Victorian Public Washroom seems to ring true, and until it can be confirmed with some jackhammers, the truth will be forever flushed below.

Andrew King, September 20th, 2023

SOURCES

Library and Archives Canada

GeoOttawa

Fire Insurance Maps: Carleton University: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/4752d4c2e21e4c6b9601a18fbdd7991e

13 comments

  1. This is a very interesting post! I too have been intrigued by this and was first interested in it when I was doing research on Francis Sullivan, Ottawa’s Prairie Style architect (most famous for the Horticulture Building at Lansdowne Park). Then of course Mr. Urbsite also did a post on the Sullivan and the comfort station, which I am sure you have probably seen but if you haven’t see the following link: http://urbsite.blogspot.com/2022/01/sidewalk-archeology-autopsy-of.html. I am sure I can do some more research to see what LAC has in its collection. Anywa good job! best regards, Andrew Elliott

    Reply

    1. Thanks for the link, so it seems 1914 was just at the end of the Victorian Era Culture, “The Victorian Era” as it is defined in the Encyclopedia Britannica: “The Victorian era, in British history, is the period between approximately 1820 and 1914, corresponding roughly but not exactly to the period of Queen Victoria’s reign (1837–1901) and characterized by a class-based society.” https://www.britannica.com/event/Victorian-era#:~:text=Victorian%20era%2C%20in%20British%20history,Britain%27s%20status%20as%20the%20most

      Reply

      1. The Edwardian era corresponds to the reign of King Edward VII in Great Britain, whose short-lived governance (1901-1910) followed Victoria’s long reign and preceded the modern House of Windsor in England. The “Edwardian” style broadly encompasses the years of 1901 through to 1919.

  3. Fantastic article Andrew!
    I’ve often been curious about that underground restroom as well.
    I’d be willing to donate some money if a fundraiser starts up.

    Reply

      1. If you look at the last photo and ” count the windows in the building behind on O’Connor, the location would be further south then what is explained. 3 Windows not 6, more to where the ” current re- concreted white slab is located and shown in the photograph”.

  6. I remember a public washroom within spitting distance of the spot/s you identify, the common juncture being the intersection of Sparks Street and O’Connor. My mother was an artsy soul who, after meeting my father, a public servant who worked near the intersection in question, would pause briefly, if she’d chosen not to use the washroom at Murphy Gamble, one of their usual lunchtime meeting spots, instead at the walk-down public washroom. I’ve just turned 70 and we’re talking the earliest bounds of my memory; I’d put my visits at 1958. Here, however, our narratives diverge. The story I got from my mother was that Frank Lloyd Wright, or his student, had designed the facility and, obviously, presided over the construction. I say “obviously” because hands other than local had etched out another world down there. As I recall, Ottawa then and now, were virtually indistinguishable if you factor out fashion in automobile profiles and clothing. I remember a sandstone beige prevailing, mingling with grays. A rainy day and a sunny day meant little to the facade. Edinburgh comes to mind. I mention the My keyboard, at this point, is failing and rather than pause and Isopropyl it now and risk losing this business, I’ll send it on in case there is further interest. Let me say that the grays ‘upstairs’ were at odds with black vs green or perhaps aqua tiling. I’d thought it survived the Sparks Street Mall initiative but … maybe not. I’ve never . found anyone who knew anything about the place, despite attempts on my part. I worked for spells at the Public Archives on Wellington and ought to have checked the photo section but did not. I was a student and had other fish to fry during the two summer jobs I spent there. Nothing will remove the memory I have of the black tiled underground bathroom with two entrances/exits; and of the black shiny miniature tiles accented by vivid greens. I visited twice if not more. And then it was gone. I’d heard they’d bulldozed it in. If you wouldn’t mind texting me instead of emailing there’s a good chance I’ll respond immediately. It’s a local, Ottawa, Canada, call or text. Mornings are bad; I work evenings at home and you can reach me into the wee hours if that’s your choice. Midnight is no problem nor any time after noon hour. Bruce 613-797-7214

    Reply

Leave a comment