Mr. David McGuinty (Ottawa South, Lib.):
Mr. Speaker, on October 28 the Billings Estate Museum celebrated a very important anniversary.
The 1829 Billings House, the oldest frame building in Ottawa and a designated national historic site, turned 180 years old. It was the third home of Braddish and Lamira Billings, pioneer settlers who opened up the area in 1813.
Key players in the development of an early Ottawa bridge, owners of a prominent timber business who converted much of the area’s forest into farmland, Braddish and Lamira Billings and their seven children stand as a testament to the dedication and perseverance which helped to build this modern capital city.
The museum is a prominent member of the Ottawa Museum Network, which works to strengthen our 11 local museums by collectively telling the greater Ottawa story.
I am very proud to have the Billings Estate Museum in my riding of Ottawa South and I encourage all members to visit this national historic site. It represents the epic story of one of Ottawa’s founding families and the evolution of the surrounding village. We stand on the shoulders of the Billings family and so many other founding families.
