The National Arts Centre says it has changed its street address for several reasons, which have been explained in detail in a press release.
The NAC’s address will be changed from 53 Elgin Street to 1 Elgin Street.
However, on corporate stationery, online and print materials, the NAC will use “1 Elgin” for its address, which is technically bilingual, as it avoids the words “rue” and “street.”
There are other rules in place. When used in “select creative applications that involve storytelling,” the NAC says its address will be written as “One Elgin.” A statement from the NAC says the word “One” will be “spelled out fully and written in an uppercase/lowercase style, not ONE.”
NAC President and CEO Peter Herrndorf said in a written statement, “This makes sense on several levels.”
“First and perhaps most obvious: 1 is easier to remember than 53,” Herrndorf says. “Secondly, the Elgin Street entrance of the new National Arts Centre will present an open and elegant façade embracing one of the most historic and beautiful urban streetscapes in Canada. Finally, in all of its artistic programming, the NAC strives to develop and present the finest performing arts in the country. For it is only by doing so every day that we earn the phrase: Canada is our stage.” [Emphasis in original.]
For anyone who wishes to send mail to the NAC, the mailing address remains the same. The post office box and postal code will still be P.O. Box 1534, Stn B Ottawa, ON K1P 5W1.
The press release from the NAC says staff will continue to use existing stationery with 53 Elgin Street as the address until it runs out, in order to minimize waste. New materials with 1 Elgin (or One Elgin, depending) will be ordered using existing budgets.