{"id":5160,"date":"2025-02-19T09:21:01","date_gmt":"2025-02-19T13:21:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/?p=5160"},"modified":"2025-02-19T09:21:07","modified_gmt":"2025-02-19T13:21:07","slug":"the-criminal-world-of-bytown-danger-and-religious-tensions-how-did-the-small-community-later-become-ottawa","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-criminal-world-of-bytown-danger-and-religious-tensions-how-did-the-small-community-later-become-ottawa","title":{"rendered":"The Criminal World of Bytown: Danger and Religious Tensions. How Did the Small Community Later Become Ottawa?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The small community known as Bytown was a dangerous place at the time. Religious and ethnic tensions frequently escalated into fights and riots. This was particularly evident on Saint Patrick\u2019s Day or during the July anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. <a href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/uk\/\">Ottawa Yes<\/a> will delve deeper into the criminal world of Bytown and share intriguing historical facts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c1287f3f73\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c1287f3f73\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-criminal-world-of-bytown-danger-and-religious-tensions-how-did-the-small-community-later-become-ottawa\/#Rising_Tensions\" >Rising Tensions<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-criminal-world-of-bytown-danger-and-religious-tensions-how-did-the-small-community-later-become-ottawa\/#Presence_of_Police\" >Presence of Police<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-criminal-world-of-bytown-danger-and-religious-tensions-how-did-the-small-community-later-become-ottawa\/#The_Fight_Against_Bytowns_Criminal_World_Historical_Events_by_Date\" >The Fight Against Bytown\u2019s Criminal World: Historical Events by Date<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-criminal-world-of-bytown-danger-and-religious-tensions-how-did-the-small-community-later-become-ottawa\/#New_Strength_and_the_Defeat_of_the_Criminal_World\" >New Strength and the Defeat of the Criminal World<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Rising_Tensions\"><\/span>Rising Tensions<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The situation worsened due to longstanding historical grievances, poverty, and the widespread availability of alcohol. Such drinks could be easily purchased in legal taverns or illegally in grog houses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>When describing the criminal world of the community, it is essential to mention the \u201cShiner\u2019s War.\u201d This took place in the 1830s when competition between French and Irish lumberjacks intensified. However, in addition to this, Bytown was plagued by:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>theft;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>robbery;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>hooliganism;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>assaults and more serious crimes.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>There are even records of Father Alexis, a local priest, who recounted that families despaired when their relatives had to travel to Bytown in search of work, especially in the timber industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Presence_of_Police\"><\/span>Presence of Police<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It was not until 1827 that the need for police presence in the community was officially recognized. The first appointed figure was Alexander Fraser, who served as the town constable. He held this position for 20 years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Additional constables were recruited to help maintain order in the community, but this was not enough. Law enforcement officers were poorly trained and inadequately armed, working only part-time. This was insufficient to curb crime. Moreover, they were frequently threatened and intimidated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Historical records reveal several incidents that deserve attention.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, a constable would take a suspect or offender into custody for a violent crime. Friends or relatives of the suspect would often intervene, allowing the prisoner to escape across the Ottawa River into Lower Canada. Effectively, the suspect was beyond Bytown\u2019s legal reach.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Among the systemic problems at the time was the absence of a local jail. When transporting an offender to Perth for trial, the level of risk was high due to:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>the high probability of ambush;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the significant cost of transportation;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>the constable\u2019s fear for their own life and safety.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>In critical situations, the police would call for reinforcements from the military militia, which could only intervene in exceptional cases.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxcc7bj8vhduxsc4syh3vphr4hxnak93kf-fhccchfq7jw1ted62tsmsamk0vfqn_0zdmi9xxawvt9ucjalrh4fonqmf48z95a6cerzideoqcbhlokvn2wr7av2ma7kv-j6gqnkxgqkeyqvteld4xc4vgxl3khntrq2od.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Fight_Against_Bytowns_Criminal_World_Historical_Events_by_Date\"><\/span>The Fight Against Bytown\u2019s Criminal World: Historical Events by Date<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>1835 \u2013 The Bytown Public Police Association was established, consisting of 200 men. However, it suffered from poor management, and lawlessness continued.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1847 \u2013 Isaac Berrishon was appointed chief constable of the community, enforcing order, pursuing offenders, and inspecting markets.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1847 \u2013 The Bytown Grand Jury recommended the creation of a regular police force to the town council. By the mid-1850s, the number of constables in Bytown had increased.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>1855 \u2013 Bytown was officially renamed Ottawa, and the chief constable\u2019s salary increased from a meager 25 pounds sterling per year (equivalent to $30.30) to $600 per year.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>March 1866 \u2013 Ottawa was advised to establish a permanent police force in the city. By the end of May that year, the appropriate decision was made, proving its effectiveness.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"New_Strength_and_the_Defeat_of_the_Criminal_World\"><\/span>New Strength and the Defeat of the Criminal World<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>With the establishment of a permanent uniformed police force in Ottawa, residents felt a sense of relief. Local newspapers confirmed this improvement. Many troubles were eliminated, and the number of thefts and crimes decreased. A new era of the city\u2019s development was beginning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ottawayes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/33\/2025\/02\/ad_4nxcqqkpxgijbgnugc3hbfai97hyqqdehpsxloewzwi4wa5fogsxzx6miunlr9guaxjw9zpsvb7svnaty_rpwj9toqc1pg8bku1xc8slowdkq1ybgjqawlaebrukn6uuvd88eyzxsvwkeyqvteld4xc4vgxl3khntrq2od.png\" alt=\"\" \/><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The small community known as Bytown was a dangerous place at the time. Religious and ethnic tensions frequently escalated into fights and riots. This was particularly evident on Saint Patrick\u2019s Day or during the July anniversary of the Battle of the Boyne. Ottawa Yes will delve deeper into the criminal world of Bytown and share [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":419,"featured_media":5168,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[497],"tags":[2212,2215,2216,2208,2207,2210,2217,2214,2213,2211,2209],"motype":[491],"moformat":[89],"moimportance":[100,101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-5160","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-about-the-mayor","8":"tag-creation-of-a-permanent-police-force","9":"tag-danger-and-religious-tensions","10":"tag-fight-against-the-criminal-world","11":"tag-historical-events-in-dates","12":"tag-history-of-bytown","13":"tag-history-of-ottawa","14":"tag-how-the-small-community-changed","15":"tag-police-presence-in-ottawa","16":"tag-reduction-in-crime-rates","17":"tag-the-criminal-world-of-bytown","18":"tag-victory-of-the-criminal-world","19":"motype-eternal","20":"moformat-vlasna","21":"moimportance-aktualna-bilshe-roku","22":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","23":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5160","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/419"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5160"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5160\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5167,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5160\/revisions\/5167"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5168"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5160"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5160"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5160"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=5160"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=5160"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ottawayes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=5160"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}