Nicholas Sparks (Ottawa)

Nicholas Sparks (1794–February 27, 1862) was an early landholder of Bytown, Upper Canada who owned most of the lands in the present day commercial core of Downtown Ottawa.

Sparks was born in Darrah parish, County Wexford in Ireland and came to Canada in 1816. He was recruited by Ruggles Wright (or by other accounts Ruggles' brother Philemon Jr.) at age twenty-four to voyage to Canada as a labourer in the Wright family's logging and farming enterprises in the location of modern Gatineau. By 1819 he was traveling to Montreal and Quebec, purchasing supplies for Wright.

On September 25, 1823, after saving his salary for several years, Sparks purchased 200(0.8 km²) acres of land - along with some food and chattels - on the south side of the Ottawa River. He purchased the lot from John Burrows Honey (later known as John Burrows), a surveyor. The land was lot C, concession C, Nepean Township, which covered much of what is today downtown Ottawa stretching from what is today Wellington Street in the north to Laurier Avenue in the south. It stretched west to modern Bronson Avenue and extended eastwards further than the Rideau Canal (to Waller) into what is today Sandy Hill. South of his land was the land of Colonel By. Sparks borrowed £95, to complete the transaction for land that today is in the central business core of Ottawa.

Historian Michael S. Cross wrote:

The building of the final section of the canal saw the government expropriate the eastern section of his land, taking everything east of modern Elgin Street (then known as Biddy's Lane). While losing some of his land, this proved a benefit for Sparks as the location of the canal greatly increased the value of his other holdings. Sparks donated about 20 acres of land towards the canal's construction.

Sparks also donated land for civic buildings. He donated land for St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church, and for a new court house and fire station. When his West Ward Market, unable to compete with Lower Town's Byward Market, failed he donated the building to become Bytown's first city hall. In 1832, he donated some land at the northwest corner of his property to the Anglican Church and that is still the site of Ottawa's Christ Church Cathedral.

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