Marchés d’Ottawa Markets celebrated the official start of the season at the ByWard and Parkdale Markets with a memorable tradition of days gone by - the ringing of the famous market bell located on the second floor of the original ByWard Market building. Mayor Jim Watson, Counsellor Mathieu Fleury, Counsellor Jeff Leiper and children from Andrew Fleck Centre’s daycare program were on hand to ring the bell at 9 a .m. The bell was installed in 1877 and rang daily at 9 a.m., announcing to the neighbourhood the market was open for business. When a fire destroyed the building in 1926, the bell was housed in a nearby church, eventually making its way back into City of Ottawa hands 50 years later. Before today, the 400 pound bell had been silent for more than 25 years. Video by Jean Levac/Postmedia
