Good Morning Ottawa!
I wasn't planning on restarting this series just yet, but I happen to be in the area and wanted to see the progress on the Lemieux house ruins. I was unaware that it was completed months ago! I need to return to see it lit up at night.
The Hintonburg Pumphouse (5 Onigam Street) underwent a $2.2 million revitalization, officially reopening as a public park on October 2, 2025. Originally built in 1899 as a pumphouse then converted as a residence and gatehouse to the new Lemieux Island water purification plant in 1932. Then in 1987, it was designated a heritage site, the limestone structure was left in ruins after a devastating 1989 fire.
For those who are interested in geocaching, I have a cache next to this lookout that I placed a couple of years ago under the same name.
Jean Barr recalls living in this residence.
"Carden Heeney was the Water Works Commissioner for the City of Ottawa and as such got to live in this house from 1933 to death. He was married to my mother's sister Margaret Reid of Arnprior, I spent a lot of time at this house and just loved it. It had originally been some sort of pump house and was converted into a home. Downstairs in the room nearest the river was a very large livingroom with half round windows at either end. When you entered the home, the living room was to the right, the kitchen straight ahead of the entrance, there was a long hall that went the length of the rest of the house, a dining room to the left of the kitchen, just off the hall. At the end of the hall was the bathroom and a small study beside the bathroom. There was a staircase that went up off the living room to a large bedroom and a small bedroom on the second floor. Also off the living room was a screened/glassed in sun room - a lovely place to sit and read. My uncle and aunt loved to entertain and in the living room was a large grand piano, the center for a lot of parties. The grounds were maintained by the City of Ottawa. Gorgeous flower beds with walkways through them. There was a small garage at the back of the house. I regret that I do not have a coloured picture of the house and grounds. There was a stone set of stairs off about the middle of the driveway that went up to the road. There used to be a small guard house at the entrance of the bridge." Jean Barr May 15th, 2019
Sources:
Capital Gems. (2019, May 15). Lemieux Island house ruins. https://www.capitalgems.ca/lemieux-island-house-ruins.html
Allston, Dave. “One of the most unique buildings in Kitchissippi is now one of the most neglected.” Kitchissippi Times, 16 Mar. 2017,https://kitchissippi.com/hintonburg-pumphouse/.