By Marcel Viau
Just a short walk from Parliament Hill, Sparks Street is known today for its patios, souvenir shops, and offices. Most people strolling along the pedestrian strip have no idea they’re walking through one of the most dramatic—and mysterious—chapters in Canadian history.
Sparks Street isn’t just a commercial corridor, it’s part of Ottawa’s DNA. From its roots in Bytown to its evolution as the heart of the capital, it’s seen everything from parades and protests to scandal and silence. Beneath its shops and restaurants lies a story still unfolding. For anyone willing to pause and look closer, Sparks Street offers more than a meal or a souvenir. It offers a chance to walk through history—and maybe uncover a clue or two along the way.
In the early morning hours of April 7, 1868, Thomas D’Arcy McGee—one of Canada’s Fathers of Confederation—was walking home alone from the House of Commons. He’d just delivered an 80-minute speech about national unity. It would be his last.
He was shot in the back of the neck just as he reached the steps of his boarding house on Sparks Street. McGee died instantly.
His murder, just months after Confederation, shocked the country. To this day, he remains the only federal politician in Canada to be assassinated while in office.
Police quickly arrested Patrick James Whelan, a 28-year-old Irish tailor. Authorities believed he was part of a Fenian plot—McGee had once supported Irish nationalism but later denounced its more radical elements.
Whelan was convicted and hanged less than a year later. But the case has never been fully settled. The evidence was thin, the witness’s contradictory, and many historians still question whether the real story was ever told.
That uncertainty is what drew me to the story as a novelist. In my latest book, Assassinat dans la rue Sparks, I imagine what might happen if the case were reopened today. What would modern forensics uncover? What truths were buried back then for political convenience?
Through detective Silas Robinson’s investigation, I’ve tried to blend real history with a fictional modern twist—turning Canada’s first political assassination into a page-turning mystery.
A Quiet Reminder
Just down from 138 Sparks Street, a small plaque marks the spot where McGee was gunned down. A few steps away, the building that bears his name now houses RBC’s Ottawa offices. Most people pass by without noticing. But for those who know the story, it’s a reminder that even in a city of suits and politics, the ghosts of the past aren’t far away.
Sparks Street might feel like just another downtown pedestrian strip—but if you take a closer look, it still holds secrets—and maybe a few answers.
Assassinat dans la rue Sparks, the eighth novel in the Silas Robinson Investigations series, is available at https://payhip.com/b/wAS9M
