The arrival of Charles Cummings, an already prosperous businessman, on the Eastern bank of the Rideau River laid the cornerstone of what is now Vanier. Cummings, who lived on a land on Russell Road, acquired an island on the Rideau River from John Scott in 1836. Shortly after, Cummings built a wooden bridge, which linked Bytown and the Gloucester County.
This bridge enabled the migration of working-class families from Bytown to what became Vanier. At the beginning of the 19th century, the lumber industry in the region was a catalyst for the development of the region. The soon-to-be capital needed food as well as products and services from the surrounding countryside. Originally, Vanier had an agricultural calling, with many gardeners and farmers settling in the area.
The Cummings were located on an ideal site. First, they opened a general store to serve pioneering families from Junction Gore, the name given to the area that encompassed the headland at the junction of the Rideau and Ottawa rivers. Under the management of Robert Cummings, eldest son and heir of the family business, the store flourished and rapidly became a regional supply centre. Gradually, Robert Cummings diversified his activities and began to manufacture horse-drawn carriages. His general store was also the only one to hold a post office and, later, the only telephone service in town. As a prominent citizen, he was involved in local politics for almost 50 years.
In 1845, both the population and traffic rapidly increased in the region. Robert Cummings undertook the construction of a second, stronger wooden bridge. He collected a toll from its users. The City of Ottawa built a metal bridge in the early 1890s to meet more adequately the needs of the community. Much more than a link between the two shores, the Cummings Bridge enabled the continued development of businesses in Janeville, Clandeboye and Clarkstown.
