This page was created by Kyle Kreutner.  The last update was by Maegen Sargent.

Tent Room

The Tent Room as a Racket Court

For all the events that were held there, it is easy to forget that the Tent Room’s original, primary function was as a racket court for the Hall’s residents, and indeed the importance of entertainment during the harsh Canadian winters cannot be understated. Lord Dufferin wrote of “the solitude, desolation and incompleteness of the capital… there is a terrible want of society, and one’s life at times is dull and lonely” (Dufferin to Carnarvon, Gwyn 1985, 172). This suggests that architectural symmetry was not the only motivating factor in the Tent Room’s creation, and Dufferin would, at his own expense, go on to add other facilities to the hall as well, including an ice-skating rink and a curling rink (Hubbard 1977, 25). The Racket Court would also prove to be a milestone in Canadian recreational architecture. It was the first residential racket court in the country, and, according to the National Capital Commissions Projects report, may have been Canada’s first indoor court as well (Tent Room, NCCP 2003, 8).
Many succeeding Governors General would also appreciate Dufferin’s invention. The remoteness of Ottawa from the country’s other major urban centres, and the generally oppressive weather of Canada’s transitional seasons, were notorious. Governor General Lord Lorne particularly appreciated the relief that the indoor Racket Court offered, writing “the tennis court [was] admirably devised for killing the dead hours of a rainy day” (“The Marquis of Lorne at Rideau Hall” 1880, 83).

But the Racket Court was not just notable for its ability to entertain Lords, it was also remarkable for its role as a gender-neutral space. In an era of profound segregation between the sexes, the Racket Court provided a place where both genders could get some much-needed exercise. Few physically-exerting activities were considered appropriate for women of the nineteenth century, but when the game of tennis was introduced to Canada in 1870, it was done so as a principally feminine sport (Tent Room, NCCP 2003, 8). As a socially acceptable pastime, tennis’ popularity quickly spread, perhaps nowhere more than among women of the upper classes, who were typically physically limited by the behavioural expectations of their stations. As such, the Racket Court would become a favourite place for the Ladies of Rideau Hall, including Lady Dufferin, who was an avid tennis player (Tent Room, NCCP 2003, 9). In this regard, the creation of the Racket Court at Rideau Hall not only promoted the burgeoning sport, but also made an important social statement in Canada’s early years. Perhaps not coincidentally, Governor General Lorne would go on to establish an award for a ladies’ “All-Canada Tennis Tournament” in 1881 (Tent Room, NCCP 2003, 10).

Over the years the Racket Court would undergo its own, independent renovations, usually in the form of oiling, varnishing, or painting (Tent Room NCCP 2003, 19). When wall-to-wall carpeting was installed in the 1930’s, it was done so using only precise measurements so that the carpet could still be rolled up, allowing for the continued use of what was now more commonly called the Tennis Court. The room’s popularity also seems to have inspired later Governor Generals to install similar courts in their own subsequent residences. It is noted in the National Capital Commissions Projects report that, in one communication from the 1930’s, Governor General Lord Willingdon requested the exact measurements of the Tennis Court from his new appointment in Burma (Tent Room, NCCP 2003, 12).

The Court, however, was not to last. This was owing to several factors, including newer facilities being installed elsewhere, and increasing Vice Regal responsibilities for diplomatic entertaining (Tent Room, NCCP 2003, 5). Sometime, possibly in the 1920’s - records are not clear - the spectators gallery on the second storey of the court was taken down, and a new feature was added to the north end of the room: a musicians' gallery (Tent Room, NCCP 2003, 15-16). This addition is and was a structural statement, and surely illustrates changes in how the room was being perceived at this time. It is uncertain when the Tent Room saw its final use as a Racket Court, but by about the middle of the twentieth century its time seems to have passed.

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