Eugène Martineau

Who was Eugène Martineau?

Eugène Martineau was mayor of Ottawa from 1872–1873, the first francophone mayor for Ottawa after the town's name was changed from Bytown.

He was born in Saint-Nicolas, Quebec in 1837. Martineau came to Ottawa some time before 1860. A stone building on Murray Street in the Byward Market area now known as Heritage House, previously known as the Martineau Hotel, was built by Martineau in 1872. He served at least 16 years as alderman on the City Council. Martineau promoted the building of an aqueduct across the Lebreton Flats to provide water to the city. Late in life, he encountered financial problems in his business interests and died in 1880.