New Edinburgh (satellite view) is a small neighbourhood in Ottawa, Canada. It is located to the east of the downtown core. It is bordered on the west by the Rideau River, to the north by the Ottawa River, to the south by Beechwood Avenue, to the east the border is less regular but is marked in part by Springfield Drive and Maple Lane. The shape is somewhat irregular, but it can be said to end where the old village of Rockcliffe Park ended.
The area is an older neighbourhood and is fairly affluent, though not to the same degree as neighbouring Rockcliffe. Nonetheless, the Governor General of Canada‘s large residence and ground are located in New Edinburgh, as is 24 Sussex Drive.
The neighbourhood is home to several embassies and consulates, including those of Spain, South Africa, France, India, Vietnam, and Slovakia. Civil servants (in particular, employees of the nearby Global Affairs Canada) compose a fair portion of the population. The neighbourhood is largely English-speaking.
History
New Edinburgh was founded by Thomas McKay, one of the builders of the Rideau Canal lock system. He bought the land at the junction of the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers in 1829 and created a village named for Edinburgh in his native Scotland. The streets in the neighbourhood were named after McKay’s family. Crichton was his wife’s maiden name, Keefer his son in law, while Thomas, John, and Charles were his sons. The area was originally largely industrial, home to a number of mills using the power of the river. New Edinburgh was incorporated as a village in 1866 by a special act of parliament, but was annexed in 1887 by Ottawa.
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For a more in-depth look at the history of New Edinburgh, check out this article written by Robert Serré of the Gloucester Historical Society for the December 2009 edition of the New Edinburgh News: A Very Brief History of New Edinburgh.
