The History of New Edinburgh, Ottawa

New Edinburgh is an affluent neighbourhood located just to the northeast of downtown and looks over both the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers. It is the location of the official home of the Prime Minister and the Governor General’s home as well. 

But what started New Edinburgh? Let’s dive into the history of this interesting neighbourhood filled with stories, old houses, and more. 

This neighbourhood was founded by a person named Thomas Mackay. Mackay was one of the builders working on the Rideau Canal locks. He bought the entirety of New Edinburgh at the time and developed a village there, originally named New Edinburgh after his home in Scotland. MacKay came to Canada in 1817 and planned this new village in 1830. By 1832, MacKay had built his sawmill by the river and later added more buildings. 

Many of the streets in this area are named after his family: Crichton is his wife’s maiden name. Thomas, John, and Charles were his sons, and Keefer was his son-in-law. 

MacKay had two homes built in the area. The second was a large, eleven-room house, known as a ‘castle’ by locals. It was later leased to be the home for the Governor General as it was the nicest home in Ottawa at the time. 

Even long after MacKay’s death, New Edinburgh was difficult to reach from Ottawa due to uneven terrain and difficult roads. Later, a railway system was arranged to assist people getting back and forth. This track was further extended later on deeper into Ottawa. 

Some other fun facts: 

• Thomas MacKay and Anne Chrichton had 16 children over 30 years, but only 4 of them are named in the streets of New Edinburgh.

•  Thomas’s last name was actually McKay, but his estate took on the name MacKay later on. 

• MacKay Lake on the east side of Rockcliffe is named after Thomas MacKay. 

If you visit New Edinburgh, you can check out a lot of cool historic buildings and sites, including: 

• Fraser Schoolhouse at 62 John Street 

  • Built by Thomas MacKay, this was originally a residence built for the workmen who created MacKay’s family home. Once his home was complete, this building was repurposed to become a school, named after its first teacher, James Fraser. 

• Henderson House at 34 Alexander Street

  • This house was built for John Henderson in 1864, who later became the Treasurer of the Village of New Edinburgh. 

• Rideau Hall

  • The current home and workplace of the Governor General. It has housed every Governor General since 1867. This building is the same one built as the primary residence for Thomas MacKay in 1838. Additions have been built onto the residence since this time.