An exhibit highlighting the rich Jewish history of Ottawa’s ByWard Market reached an impressive milestone at the Ontario Legislative Building in Queen’s Park, welcoming more than 50,000 visitors between May and December 2025.

Curated by Teigan Goldsmith Hitsman, Archivist at the Ottawa Jewish Archives, the exhibit was selected as part of Queen’s Park’s annual community heritage showcase, which features nine heritage institutions across Ontario each year. First installed in April, just in time for Jewish Heritage Month, the exhibit remained on display through early December, drawing steady interest from legislators, school groups, tourists, and members of the public from across the province.

The exhibit focused on Jewish-owned businesses that helped shape the identity of Ottawa’s historic ByWard Market. Among the featured businesses are Irving Rivers, still operating in the market today; Shaffer’s Limited and Freiman’s, both fixtures of Ottawa’s mid-century Jewish commercial life; Zelikovitz Leathers and Shoe Findings, which continues under the name Zelikovitz Leathers; and D. Wolfson and Sam’s Buy & Sell, two neighbouring businesses whose shared history is symbolized by a striking clock.

Reaching 50,000 visitors is a remarkable achievement for a focused community history exhibit, and one that speaks to a growing public appetite for stories that reflect the diversity of Ontario and Canada. It also comes at a time when the importance of showcasing Jewish history has taken on added urgency. With antisemitism rising across Canada and globally, exhibits like this serve not only as educational tools, but as affirmations of belonging and contribution.

As the exhibit concludes its run, the Ottawa Jewish Archives is celebrating not just a number, but a meaningful impact: tens of thousands of visitors who encountered a chapter of Jewish and Canadian history that might otherwise have remained unseen—one storefront, one story, and one community at a time.

To learn more about the exhibit, check out our previous article on the installation by clicking here.