Beacon Hill (Gloucester)

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Beacon Hill is a neighbourhood located in the north-east section of Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Beacon Hill was a part of Gloucester until it was amalgamated with the new city of Ottawa. It is sometimes colloquially referred to as "The Beaks", "The Hill" or "The BH".

Beacon Hill is a primarily residential area, built in the 1960's and 70's. It consists of two parts, Beacon Hill North and Beacon Hill South, divided by Montreal Road. It includes the Robert O. Pickard water treatment plant and one major Ottawa high school, Colonel By. It is bounded on the east by the Greenbelt, including Ruisseau Green's Creek ravine area, to the south by Highway 174, and on the west by the older neighbourhoods of Cardinal Heights (south of Montreal Road) and Rothwell Heights (north of Montreal Road).

1 History
2 Schools
3 Toboggan Hills
4 Notable Beacon Hill Residents, Past and Present

[edit] History

It is most likely that the community drew its name from a lighthouse in the Ottawa River, downstream from Duck Island. It is thought that the light from the river could be seen from Naskapi Dr. (the top of the hill), hence Beacon Hill. Though the lighthouse is no longer in use, its foundation still remains visible from the bike path.

The 'Hill' the name refers to is called 'Ski Hill' and is located behind the neighbourhood's Shoppers Drug Mart on La Verendrye Dr. 'Ski Hill' is generally referred to as 'Zeller's Hill' by residents who lived in the community prior the 1990s when a Zeller's department store occupied the Beacon Hill Mall.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Schools

Le Phare Elementary School (French Immersion Public)
Robert Hopkins Elementary School (English Public)
Henry Munro Middle School (English/French Immersion Public)
Colonel By Secondary School (English/French Immersion Public)
École élémentaire catholique La Verendrye (French Catholic)
École élémentaire publique Séraphin-Marion (French Public) now in the building of the former Lamria Dow Billings Public School which closed following the 2000-2001 school year.
Thomas D'Arcy McGee Catholic School (English Catholic)

[edit] Toboggan Hills

From largest to smallest:

Green's Creek
Ski Hill Park
Loyola Park

[edit] Notable Beacon Hill Residents, Past and Present

Tom Green, shock comic
Thomas Maypother (later became Tom Cruise) attended Henry Munro Middle School in the early 1970s
Bryan Adams attended Colonel By High School