By Jack Van Dusen, Ottawa Citizen, November 24, 2014
Once ritzy, Sparks Street now a service industry for public servants, Nov.
17.Columnist Kelly Egan kindled Sparks Street for us. We bought our engagement
and wedding rings at Birks. After a movie at the Centre Theatre and working our
way through traffic — cars and clanging street cars and people — to cross
Sparks, we spent weeks dreaming in front of that Birks window. Finally, both
Olive and Birks said yes. A few dollars down and a few more every month. That
was for the ring.Sparks was the throbbing heart of the capital in those days.
You could almost feel the thump of the Citizen’s printing presses and hear the
chatter of people. No cellphones. Three large department stores, two theatres,
the Centre and the Regent at the end of the street and more restaurants than
there are now people. John Diefenbaker used to like strolling down to
Yesterday’s originally called Sharry’s for lunch. You might bump into Mike
Pearson. No security. Just a smiled hello. via
Letter: Sparks Street was once the ‘throbbing heart of the capital’ | Ottawa
Citizen.