Attention: The cache can only be retrieved from on top of the bridge. A very pedestrian safe GZ. A TOTT may be required.
Pooley's Bridge
Ottawa's oldest existing bridge, Pooley's Bridge in LeBreton Flats is an important part of Ottawa's past; both because of the early engineering of the Rideau Canal and Ottawa's industrialization. The first log bridge was built by Royal Engineers led by Lieutenant Henry Pooley in 1827. The purpose of the bridge was to connect Bytown to the Union Bridge over the Ottawa River to Hull. When Colonel John By saw the quality of the work done by Lieutenant Pooley, he named the site "Pooley's Bridge", a name that would last almost two hundred years.
In the 1870s, Ottawa's growth was largely due to the timber industry and Ottawa becoming Canada's Capital. This necessitated better than just a log bridge. In 1873, a new, three span stone arch bridge was constructed using rusticated limestone. This was meant to be able to handle the large amounts of traffic coming from the developing industrial area near the Fleet Street Pumping Station. Only a handful of stone arch bridges remain in Ontario from this time period.
Although the fire of 1900 destroyed much of downtown Ottawa, Pooley's Bridge remained intact. However, over time it deteriorated. In the 1990s there were attempts to demolish the bridge. But thanks to many local heritage and cycling organizations, the bridge was designated a heritage structure in 1994. Since then, it has been restored and now provides a safe route for both pedestrians and cyclists while giving a glimpse of Bytown's rough military and industrial past.
Fleet Street Pumping Station
The Fleet Street Pumping Station, nestled at the foot of the LeBreton Flats escarpment, remains a cornerstone of Ottawa’s industrial heritage. Completed in 1875, it was the city’s first waterworks system, designed by engineer Thomas Keefer to provide pressurized water for fire protection and domestic use. The station’s architecture is a striking example of the Gothic Revival style, featuring limestone walls and arched windows that mirror the nearby Parliament Buildings.
Driven by the powerful currents stemming from the Ottawa River, the station utilized massive water turbines rather than steam, an innovative choice for the era. Beyond its utility, the facility played a pivotal role in the city's growth, allowing Ottawa to expand away from the riverbanks. Today, it is a designated heritage site and continues to operate as a functional part of the municipal water system. The surrounding Fleet Street Tailrace has also found a second life as a premier training ground for whitewater kayaking.
Is There a Pooley's Cave?
The mystery of Pooley's Cave remains one of the most enduring legends of Ottawa’s early industrial era. Located near the Fleet Street Pumping Station and the historic Pooley’s Bridge, the "cave" is less a natural cavern and more a man-made enigma carved into the limestone cliffs of LeBreton Flats.
Andew King, Ottawa Rewind, May 2021
Local lore long suggested it was a secret refuge for Josiah Pooley, the bridge's namesake, or a hideout for transient laborers during the lawless days of the Shiners' War. Some accounts even whispered of a subterranean tunnel system connecting the riverfront to the city’s upper town, used for illicit activities or emergency escapes.
The Ottawa Citizen. 26 Apr 1930, Sat • Page 2
In reality, historians believe the "cave" was likely an abandoned storage vault or a byproduct of 19th-century quarrying. However, its exact purpose was never formally documented. Today, the entrance is largely obscured or sealed, leaving the site as a haunting reminder of Bytown’s rugged, subterranean past.