Province Ontario | ||
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Preston Street (Ottawa Road #73) is a street in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, running between Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in the north and Prince of Wales Drive and Queen Elizabeth Driveway in the south. It is the main commercial district in Little Italy, home to numerous small business and Italian restaurants, and is synonymous with "Little Italy" to many Ottawa residents when referring to area businesses.
Map of Preston St, Ottawa, ON, Canada
Since 1974, Preston and its side streets are closed to traffic each June for the Italian Week festival, Ottawa's celebration of Italian culture.
In 1987, alderman Mac Harb led the creation of the Preston Street Business Improvement Area, representing local businesses to the City of Ottawa. Preston Street is marked at Carling Avenue by a metal arch lit in the colours of the Italian flag, built in 2002 to attract tourists from the Dow's Lake area immediately to the south.
Preston Street has been given a commemorative Italian name Corso Italia.
In 2015, Preston was extended north from Albert Street to Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway in order to serve as the main arterial to Gatineau, Quebec while Booth Street is temporarily closed due to Confederation Line construction.