Set in an historic landscape that dates to 1864, the Village of Rockcliffe Park was first laid out by the visionary engineer Thomas Coltrin Keefer and is one of the earliest and most successful examples of a planned community in Canada – a purely residential suburb with all the hallmarks of what were termed Romantic or Picturesque suburbs. See some of the iconic domestic designs from Tudor Revival, Gothic Revival, Georgian and Colonial Revival, to more modernist interpretations. Together, they are a testament to the leading national and international architects of the day, among them Werner Noffke, Allan Keefer, A. J. Ames, Albert Hazelgrove, Gordon Hughes, and landscape architect Humphrey Carver.

As we tour the village, learn about the challenges of maintaining these stately homes, many of which are now carefully preserved as diplomatic residences. They are part of a rich architectural legacy in Rockcliffe Park which contributed to its 2023 designation as a National Historic District, the first in Ottawa and one of only 33 across the country.