National Capital properties that should be protected.

The Farm - "The Natural Open Space Study (NOSS) report prepared by the City of Ottawa identifies a number of significant natural resources on or adjacent to the Central Experimental Farm site. The Arboretum ranks in the highest category for social value, reflecting the importance Ottawa residents attach to this area for its visual and natural relief, and for its contribution to the quality of life in an urban context."

"The NOSS study recommends protection of the Arboretum, an adjacent open water wetland habitat, two nearby watercourse reaches, and the CEF Woods near Fisher Avenue. It also provides management guidelines." (From: Central Experimental Farm Historic Site Management Plan, part 8/20. Date modified on 2019-09-17.) 

City of Ottawa Department of Urban Planning and Public Works, June 4, 1999. Natural and Open Spaces, Environmentally Sensitive Area and Protection Areas:

• Portion of Mud Lake/ Britannia Woods
• Pinecrest Woods
• Dechenes Rapids
• Hampton Woods
• Chaudiere Rapids
• Portion of Lemieux Island
• Arboretum
• Central Experimental Farm Woods
• Prince of Wales Woods
• Victoria Island Woods
• Brown's Inlet
• Patterson's Creek
• Rockcliffe Park Woods
• Leopold Woodlot
• Riverside Woods
• CNR Line
• Portions of Sawmill Creek
• RA Centre Woods
• Rideau River Park Woods
• Jim Durrell Arena Woods
• Coronation Park woods
• Ramsey Creek Woods

The Arboretum in October of 1963. A National Archives photo.

Blue gates are blocking an entrance to the Arboretum in 2022. The sign reads "New Project."

The Greenbelt is untouchable.

more

The Greenbelt Research Farm in Nepean in 1992.

 

The Arboretum on the Farm cannot be a parking lot.

 The Arboretum Woods are protected by federal, provincial and City of Ottawa laws:

 Federal:

• The Experimental Farm is a National Historic Site of Canada (1998)
•  National Interest Land Mass (1988);
•  the Farm is part of a 900 square mile memorial dedicated to fallen Canadian soldiers. The Greber Report of 1950, page 15 of 395 pages.
• A 1954 Privy Council Order-in-Council signed by Prime Minister of Canada Louis St-Laurent confirmed that 1.) This property will be owned by the citizens of Canada in perpetuity 2.) Much of the land will remain an open space.

Senate Bill S-203, An Act to Amend the National Capital Act, plans to create buffer zones around national historic sites including the Parliamentary Precinct in Ottawa; scenic parkways; the Greenbelt; Gatineau Park, etc. A buffer zone would prevent the City of Ottawa from clearcutting hundreds of trees to widen Prince of Wales Drive. And destroying the Arboretum.

The City of Ottawa wanted to preserve the Woods in 2006: (Google: "urban natural features strategy City of Ottawa, April 11, 2006." Or you can see my blog "Protected land and waterways in the National Capital.")  

Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site Management Plan, Part 7 of 20. September 17 2019,

• properties east of Prince of Wales are Capital Urban Green Space.
• The Agricultural Museum is a National Cultural Institution.
• Research fields are Rural Lands.
• Rideau Canal and nearby CEF shore lands are Waterway and Shore land.
• Prince of Wales north of the traffic circle and NCC Driveway are Capital Parkway.
• Prince of Wales south of the traffic circle is Scenic Entry.
• lands near Carling are Federal Node.
• recreational pathways are part of the Capital Pathway Network.
• experimental fields and most of the property west of Prince of Wales are Agricultural Research.
• remaining land west of Prince of Wales are General Urban Area and Urban Natural Features.

Directory of Federal Real Property-The Arboretum

• Property Number: 02900
• Custodian: National Capital Commission
• Interest: Crown Owned
• Restriction: No Restriction
• Primary Use: Parks and Recreation
• Address: Prince of Wales Drive
• Municipality: Ottawa
• Province/Territory: Ontario
• Federal Electoral District: Ottawa Centre
• Census Classification: Rural
• Land Area: 2.8692 ha or 7.0 acres
• Building Count: 0   
• Record Created On: July 30, 1998 
• Record Last Modified On: September 25th, 2017

  

  Until fairly recently the property covered 64 acres.
  .

  "The Dominion Arboretum at the Central Experimental Farm" by Gardens Ottawa in the year 2022.
  "Located on 64-acres of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive and the historical Rideau Canal system, the Arboretum was developed to test the hardiness of woody plants in the Canadian climate. With a variety of micro-climates and showcasing a range of woody plants, the collection contains around 4,000 specimens. The  Dominion Arboretum displays a wide range of well-established trees and shrubs, some dating back to 1889. Trees and Shrub specimens: 
• A few different Crab Apple Tree areas, mostly along Prince of Wales Drive.
• A Magnolia Grove
• Lots of Weeping Willows
• One of the most beautiful specimens of Bebb's Oak, a significant tree of over 100 years old."

The Arboretum. The photo is from Gardens Ottawa.

The Agriculture Canada property in Ottawa encompassed 1,045 acres in 1992.

More Experimental Farm land is needed by the Ottawa Hospital.

"New Civic Hospital won't have enough parking says community group." by Charlie Senack, Kitchissippi Times, December 3, 2024.

Parking Shortage "There is a high probability that car arrivals at the campus in 2028 will far exceed the parking capacity. The impact of this parking shortage on staff, outpatients and visitors, as well as on nearby neighbourhoods will be severe...My best guess is that mitigation will eventually include TOH asking the NCC for more acreage on the Experimental Farm-probably in the Arboretum and along Maple Drive and even in Commissioners Park-for another parking garage and more surface parking lots." (From: The Glebe Report, 'Risk Management and the new Civic Hospital campus' by Barbara Popel, March 18, 2022.)

 The 22-acre Commissioners Park is part of the Ottawa Greenbelt: House of Commons Ottawa September 16, 2009: MP Steven Blaney "Other properties found in the Greenbelt are Commissioners Park, where there is a display of over 100,000 tulips."

"The need for extra land as proposed in the zoning was also a point of concern,,,The current Civic Hospital is 23 acres of land-hospital officials are looking for a parcel more than twice that size." (Glebe Annex Community Association.)

"Every new hospital will look at ways they can actually make money from a site they are developing. Parking is a major component of making money at a hospital. If you ask the people why they are parking on your front lawn its because of $90 plus dollars every month to pay."

The Parking Garage "In the northeast section of the site, the Ottawa Hospital is currently planning to build a four storey parking garage. This is not an appropriate use of land across from Dow's Lake. The parking garage will be built upon what is currently a small parking lot as well as Queen Juliana Park. It will also remove an important section of the Trillium Line multi-use path."

Organizations that want to preserve the Farm

• Friends of the Central Experimental Farm
• Friends of the Farm
• Save Our Greenspace!
• Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association
• Glebe Community Association
• Glebe Annex Community Association
• Dalhousie Community Association
• Dow's Lake Residents' Association
• Saving the Central Experimental Farm-Heritage Ottawa
• Reimagine Ottawa
• Protect the Farm-Home-Facebook
• Save the Farm (1975)
• Save the Central Experimental Farm-Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
• SAVE THE FARM - Protest to save our trees and greenspace-Ecology Ottawa 
• Canadian Council on Food Sovereignty and Health
• The National Trust for Canada
• COALITION TO SAVE THE CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM

Petitions

• Stop the rezoning of Parks to Condos - Queen Juliana in Little Italy
• Petition 388 - Protection of the Central Experimental Farm as a research facility and a national historic site of Canada
• Save Ottawa's Precious Urban Greenspace. Change.org

A building where I was employed during the early 1980's. The Conference Centre.

 Directory of Federal Real Property

• Structure Number 054533 Senate of Canada Building
• Organization: Public Services and Procurement Canada
• Use (s): Legislative, Judicial and Diplomatic
• Interest: Crown Owned
• Condition: Fair
• Address: 2 Rideau Street, Ottawa, Ontario K1N 8X5
• Municipality: Ottawa, Ontario
• Floor Area: (sq. m.): 8,977
• Construction Year: 1912
• Tenants: 3

The uncertain future of 529 Richmond Road.

 529 Richmond Road includes Rochester Field, Maplelawn Manor and the walled garden. "NCC looks to revive 'controversial' Rochester Field development through land bank. The federal government has added the site at 529 Richmond Road to the Canada Public Land Bank" by Catherine Morrison, Ottawa Citizen, November 19, 2024.

   The Maplelawn Manor is a Classified Federal Heritage Building. That means nothing. Plans were underway to demolish the former train station on 2 Rideau Street before Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau intervened. Prime Minister Trudeau and astronomer Arthur Covington prevented the demolition of the Dominion Observatory in 1970. Now the Dominion Observatory is again threatened with destruction, by a medical centre---private vehicles will be banned from Maple Drive on the Experimental Farm. And City of Ottawa councillor Riley Brockington is hoping that the Observatory will be saved. 

1989 - Maplelawn was designated a national historic site by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada because of: "The quality of the house, but more particularly because its gardens are the best preserved of the few known surviving examples of early 19th century walled gardens in Canada."

1994 - The City of Ottawa protected the house and gardens through the Ontario Heritage Act.

Directory of Federal Real Property

Structure Number: 145030

Custodian: National Capital Commission

Property Number: 01524---Rochester House and Gardens

Interest: Crown Owned

Condition: Fair

Construction Year: 1831

Floor Area: 406.51 sq. m.

Occupancy: Fully Occupied

Address: 529 Richmond Road

Municipality: Ottawa

Province/Territory: Ontario

Federal Electoral District: Ottawa Centre

Census Classification: Rural