Stoney Monday Riot - Bytown (now Ottawa), Ontario
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The Stoney Monday riot, opposing Roman Catholic reformers and protestant conservatives took place on September 17, 1849, in Bytown (now Ottawa), Ontario. During the riot, a Bytown resident, David Borthwick, was killed.
Waymark Code: WMH50A
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 05/23/2013
Views: 22
"There were many incidents of political unrest in Bytown, and at the height of the turmoil was one significant event that came to be known as the Stoney Monday Riots. At the time, the political discussion centred on where the seat of Parliament would be and Bytown was selected as a possibility to be visited by Lord Elgin on his tour. In preparation, Bytown residents met to prepare a non-partisan greeting for the governor; however, deep-seated political differences between Tories and Reformers resurfaced. Reformers disagreed with the visit and the disturbance quickly led to stones being thrown back and forth until one man, David Borthwick, lay dead on the ground. This sparked the riot that would continue for days as tensions escalated."
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During the riot which unfolded in the Byward Market, many people took refuge in the Shouldice Hotel, located on York Street. A plaque on the front of the hotel reads as follows:
"Built as a two-and-a-half storey hotel and bakery by George Shouldice, this building sheltered market residents during the Stony Monday riot of September 17, 1849, when Roman Catholic reformers and protestant conservatives clashed. The much-altered stone building housed the Richelieu Hotel for most of the 20th century."
In addition to the photo of the Shouldice Hotel (Fat Tuesday's), the other photo is of the former St. Louis Hotel which was built in 1875. The riot took place in the area between the Shouldice Hotel and the building that previously occupied the site of the former St. Louis Hotel.