Lansdowne Park

Lansdowne Park Parc Lansdowne (French)
The Aberdeen Pavilion exhibition hall
Type	Exposition grounds
Location	1015 Bank Street, Ottawa
Area	40 acres (16 ha)
Created	1868

Lansdowne Park is a 18-acre (7.3 ha) historic sports, exhibition and entertainment facility in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, owned by the City of Ottawa. It is located along Bank Street and is adjacent to the Rideau Canal, in central Ottawa. Lansdowne Park contains the TD Place stadium/arena complex, (formerly Frank Clair Stadium and the Ottawa Civic Centre arena, the stadium being integrated with the arena), the Aberdeen Pavilion hall, and the Horticulture Building. Until 2010, the park was the site of the annual Central Canada Exhibition (Ottawa SuperEx). The site was redeveloped. Around the arena and stadium complex is a retail and residential redevelopment. Along the Rideau Canal, the open space which used to be parking is being converted into an urban park with some recreation facilities.

In 1847, the then Bytown was deeded 24.5 acres (9.9 ha) acres by the government of the Province of Canada, and acquired another 15 acres (6.1 ha) bought from owners over several years, to make up the initial grounds of what is now called Lansdowne Park. Two notable exhibitions occurred prior to the first Central Canada Exhibition. In 1875 the City of Ottawa hosted the thirtieth annual Exhibition of the Provincial Agricultural and Arts Association. In 1877 an exhibition included the first public demonstration of the telephone in Canada.

A third provincial exhibition was held at Lansdowne in 1879. In order to provide sufficient space for subsequent fairs, the City acquired more of Lansdowne and the buildings that were there in 1883 for $25,000. The Central Canada Exhibition Association was formed in 1888 and the site witnessed many improvements, including the erection of a new Horticultural Hall and Grandstand. The first Central Canada Exhibition opened on 20 September 1888 and was held annually until 2010.

The Aberdeen Pavilion has also figured prominently in military matters: troops of Lord Strathcona's Horse were encamped there during the Boer War; the Princess Patricia's Canadian Light Infantry mustered there before being sent to France in the First World War; and during World War II it served as an induction centre for thousands of Canadian troops heading overseas and was the home to The Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa (4th Princess Louise Dragoon Guards).