Byward Market - Parliament Hill in Ottawa, Ontario — Central Canada (North America)

Valade House

1862

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

1. Valade House Marker

Inscription. Click to hear the inscription.

English:
From 1866 until 1918 this distinguished stone building was the home and office of Dr. François-Xavier Valade, one of the physicians who examined Louis Riel to determine his sanity before his 1885 trial. The handsome verandah, for which the house was nicknamed the “Balcon Blank,” and the fine classical door frames set this house apart from others of its time.

Français:
De 1866 à 1918, cette élégante maison en pierre a été la résidence el le cabinet du Docteur François-Xavier Valade, l’un des médecins chargés d’examiner Louis Riel pour déterminer si son état mental le rendait apte à subir son procès en 1885. La coquette véranda de cette demeure, qui lui a valu d’être connue sous le nom de maison au « balcon blanc », ainsi que ses encadrements de port d’un beau classicisme, font que cette maison se distingue des autres de l’époque.

Erected by City of Ottawa.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Law Enforcement • Science & Medicine. A significant historical year for this entry is 1862.

Location.

Paid Advertisement

Click on the ad for more information.
Please report objectionable advertising to the Editor.

Click or scan to see
this page online

45° 25.771′ N, 75° 41.745′ W. Marker is in Ottawa, Ontario. It is in Byward Market - Parliament Hill. Marker is on St. Patrick Street (Route 44) west of Parent Avenue, on the left when traveling west. Marker is mounted at eye-level beside the Valade house west-side entrance. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 144 St Patrick Street, Ottawa ON K1N 5J8, Canada. Touch for directions.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Alphonse Rochon House / Maison Alphonse Rochon (a few steps from this marker); Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica / Basilique cathédrale Notre-Dame (within shouting distance of this marker); Site of the First Hospital in Ottawa (within shouting distance of this marker); The Historic Notre Dame Cathedral Restoration (about 90 meters away, measured in a direct line); Basilique Notre-Dame / Notre Dame Basilica (about 90 meters away); The College of Bytown (about 90 meters away); Tin House / La Maison de Fer-Blanc (about 90 meters away); Martineau Hotel / Hôtel Matineau (about 90 meters away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Ottawa.

Regarding Valade House. Designated by the City of Ottawa under Part IV of the Ontario Heritage Act as having cultural heritage value or interest.

Also see . . .
1. Valade Residence. The Valade Residence stands in Lower Town Ottawa

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

2. Valade House Marker

(marker visible just right of doorway)

opposite Notre-Dame Basilica. The residence is a two-and-a-half storey stone building with a gabled roof, and end chimneys. Prominent features include the cantilevered second-storey balcony, the twin dormers and the casement windows to either side of the classically-inspired main entrance. The Valade Residence was built as an office and residence for Dr. François-Xavier Valade, a prominent Lower Town doctor who treated Louis Riel in 1885. The house was constructed in 1866, when residences of similar scale and quality were appearing in Lower Town Ottawa. (Submitted on May 3, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

2. Dr. François-Xavier Valade. Métis leader Louis Riel was placed on trial for high treason in July 1885 for his leadership of the North-West Resistance. Against Riel’s wishes, his lawyers pleaded insanity on his behalf in order to reduce the sentence to a lifetime in an asylum. One of the doctors assigned to evaluate Riel was Dr. François-Xavier Valade. Riel was executed on November 16, 1885. (Submitted on May 3, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

3. Street Names: Echoes of the Riel Rebellions. Dr. Valade was one of the last three physicians called in to examine Riel between his conviction and execution to confirm his sanity or lack thereof… and was the sole dissenter

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

3. Valade House Marker

(driveway on west side of house)

against the majority opinion. Both Riel and Valade left a legacy in the street names of Ottawa. Louis Riel Drive can be found in the southwestern reaches of the Queenswood Heights section, whilst Valade Crescent is part of one of the condominium developments in the central third of Fallingbrook. (Submitted on May 3, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)

Valade House image. Click for full size.

Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, August 10, 2019

4. Valade House

Credits. This page was last revised on January 24, 2022. It was originally submitted on May 2, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 204 times since then and 35 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on May 3, 2020, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.