A BRIEF HISTORY of 381/383 Montreal Road.

Clandeboye was the dream of Messrs. MacFarlane and Wilson. Until the late 1800's, nothing much came of the village of Vanier. In June 1894 Elizabeth and George Fraser claimed twenty eight lots in Registered Plan 47 to Zachariah Wilson for $1,500. Various members of the family, in-laws, cousins etc., acquired the property and had a new plan of subdivision drawn up on Plan 47. Lots 3, 4 & 5, north side of Montreal Road and Lots 20, 21 & 22, south side of MacFarlane were divided by J. B. Lewis, Provincial Land Surveyor.

This plan was designated as No. 225 on 14 October 1904. The executors of the Wilson estate were Alfred Wilson, a manager in the Bank of Montreal, of Picton, and Godfrey Benning Greene. It is interesting to note that one of the signees was Augusta Monk, a widow The first settler in March Township was Captain Charles Benning Monk, 97th Regiment, in 1819. His son became an influential Bytowner in the 1840's. The relationship between Mrs. Monk and Godfrey is unclear but compelling.

The executors and other family members first sold Lots G, H & I, Plan 225 to carpenter Wilfred Charlebois in November 1906 for $525. It appears that this house was probably built as soon as was possible in 1907, the first record of a residence for Mr. Charlebois on the north side of Montreal Road was in 1907/08. As a carpenter it is likely that he was responsible for the woodwork in his home first listed as #275 Montreal Road, the numbering system did not change until 1948. Wilfred and Emilie lived in that location for thirty three years. In the mid twenties, Wilfred was a superintendent with the Ottawa Separate School Board. Son Paul, who lived at home, was a sign painter with the Imperial Oil Company Limited. Around that time an addition, #277, was added onto the main house. Wilfred and Emilie moved into one of the units in the building.

A stonecutter, Edouard Cantin is listed on the north side of Montreal Road from 1905, Leopold and Rhea Cantin are listed at #287 twenty years later. George Coat' bought Lot "A". on the other corner of Alfred & Montreal Road. in December 1919 for $650. George was a grocer and butcher and, with Louise, lived above the shop at 39 Hannah before moving to #273 Montreal Road. He developed quite a business over the years. In the mid twenties, Henri and Oloric Marel who lived at #281, were butchers and worked at George Cote's shop. Bricklayers Romeo and Alex Groulx were at #283.

In the early thirties, the Reverend Wm. S. Weary, rector of St. Margaret's, the pretty little church mentioned earlier, lived at #275; Louis Rochon, a professor at the University of Ottawa occupied #281. A couple of years later the Reverend was replaced by Mrs. Zella Crate, a widow, and her daughter Rollande. Zella's occupation is listed as charwoman, Dominion Government. At the beginning of WW II a Department of Agriculture employee, Arthur Caron, lived at #275 with his wife Apploine; Alex and Cecile
Marion, he was a route salesman with Imperial Oil, were at #281; John Ralph, window dresser with Laroque's Department Store, corner of Rideau & Dalhousie, was at #283. In July 1939, just before Britain declared war on Germany, Wilfred sold the house to Camille Verhelst, a gardener, and Marie Anne for $3,300. They kept the house for just four months and sold in November 1939 to J. Lucien and Helene Houle for $1,500, perhaps prices dropped because of the onset of war. There were many Houles in Eastview at this time. Lucien was an accountant with Jules Patry Ltd. and probably realized the investment value of an income producing property. The Houles converted their home into two separate units, Amable Simoneau, a House of Commons employee, and Alice were in one unit. Wilfred and Emilie Charlebois stayed on at #277. In 1945, Shirley White lived in one unit at #275, keeping the home fires burning for hubby Ed, who was on active service.

About 1948, George Cote was still on the other corner, now numbered #379. Lucien and Helene Houle were at #381. Sometime around 1950, Horace & Robert Racine Company Ltd., Funeral Directors. Eastview Branch. opened at this location. Robert was the manager, Marcel and Laurette Racine lived upstairs. There were two more houses between the funeral parlour and the corner of Cantin. The Houles kept the property for almost forty years.

As you can imagine there were a vast array, and, an infinite number of tenants al both addresses. Camile and Anita Stanford purchased the property in 1978 and kept it for ten years, again with a variety of occupants. After that the history is a bit cloudy, going from numbered company to speculators. Dominique and Hubert-Theo Bretin purchased the property, now in the middle of a commercial strip, in late 1995. The funeral parlour next door was long gone, replaced by several upholstery shops, and later,Variance Coiffure and then, Costumes by Claudette. The Spur Gas Bar on the corner of Cantin became Ultramar and in 2000, #381 was La Pergola de Paris. Maison Baguettes became sole owner of Part 1; 4R-11621 in June 2005.