1.) The former Bank of Canada Building located at 901Rue du Square Victoria in Montreal is a luxury hotel, the W-Marriott Hotel.
2.) The Government of Canada bought the Bank of Montreal on 144 Wellington Street and renamed it the Sir John A. Macdonald Building. Senate Bill S-203 will hopefully save all of the government buildings in the Parliamentary Precinct from demolition or inappropriate alteration, including 144 Wellington.
3.) The Bank of Montreal at the corner of Somerset and Bank Streets in downtown Ottawa was purchased by a provincial Crown corporation, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation. If OLG ever decides to privatize the property it will be sold by the Ontario Realty Corporation. The ORC does not lovingly preserve heritage properties---look at what happened to Bowmanville's POW Camp and Rockwood Asylum in Kingston, Ontario.
4.) During the 1980's I worked as a cashier at Big Bud's, now a Dollarama, and as a cleaner in Union Station opposite the Chateau Laurier. I cashed my pay cheques in the Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce buildings on 62 and 119 Sparks Street. I was enormously impressed by the high ceilings and the architecture, and I felt like I was transported into another space and time.
The CIBC on 62 Sparks is now a restaurant. A man who robbed the bank half a century ago recently returned to the scene of his crime to enjoy lunch. Why did the National Capital Commission or PWGSC not buy this landmark?
5.) The CIBC on 119 Sparks Street, Ottawa permanently closed in November 2019. The Parliamentary Precinct is very close to the CIBC Headquarters. I hope the Government of Canada purchases 119 Sparks Street before a wrecking crew descends on the site and more high-rise condominiums invade my city.
6.) The CIBC on 265 St. Jacques Street Montreal is the St-James Theatre.
Monday, December 30, 2019
Sunday, December 29, 2019
The Kingston Pen was a backdrop for Star Trek:Discovery, Titans and Murdoch Mysteries.
The penitentiary is now surplus to the needs of the Canadian government and will be converted into a high-density condo and commercial development. Hopefully not during my lifetime.
The following properties were "under review" by Public Works in 2006.
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| Place du Portage 1 & 11, 50 Victoria Street and 165 Hotel-de-Ville Street, Hull-Gatineau, Quebec. DFRP Number 07614. |
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| Portage 111 & 1V, Laurier Garage Site, Promenade du Portage and Laurier Street, Hull-Gatineau. 07638. Record last modified on December 17, 2019. |
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| National Printing Bureau Site, 45 Sacre-Coeur Boulevard, Gatineau, Quebec. 12.5083 ha. or 30 acres. |
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| National Film Board, 3155 Cote-de-Liesse Road and 120 Houde Street, Montreal. 4.8994 ha. or 12 acres. Currently vacant. FDRP Number 07013. |
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| Sir Charles Tupper Site, 2720 Riverside Drive, Ottawa, Ontario. 6.3254 ha. DFRP No. 08647. |
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| John G. Diefenbaker Site, 111 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. No. 54977. |
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| Taxation Data Centre Complex Site, 875 Heron Road, Ottawa. 13.7300 ha. No. 08651. |
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| Sir William Logan Building, 580 Booth Street, Ottawa. (Photo from relcontrols.ca.) |
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| Lester B. Pearson Building, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. |
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| The Wellington Building, 180 Wellington Street, Ottawa- A recently crafted Senate bill called Bill S-203 was created, to save all of the federal buildings in the Parliamentary Precinct from demolition or inappropriate alterations. 180 Wellington was sold to the Government of Canada in 1973. Photo is from "Lighting up 180 Wellington Street, e-architects." |
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| The East Memorial Building, 284 Wellington Street, Ottawa. Senate Bill S-203 would also save 284 Wellington Street. The photo is from Parks Canada. |
Friday, December 27, 2019
"Ottawa may sell off billions in real estate"| CBC News, September 21, 2004.
The following Crown assets are owned Public Services and Procurement Canada, the former PWGSC:
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| GC Site - Sydney Campus, 47-49 Dorchester Street, Sydney, Cape Breton Nova Scotia. 03710. |
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| GC Site - Sydney, 308 George Street, Sydney, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. 03711. |
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| GC Site, 126 Prince William Street, Saint John, New Brunswick. 03892. |
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| GC Site - St. Stephen, 93 Milltown Boulevard, St. Stephen, New Brunswick. 04075. |
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| Dominion Public Site, 1045 Main Street, Moncton, New Brunswick. |
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| Rene-Tremblay Site, 150 Dion Boulevard, lot 2 751 759, Matane, Quebec.05398. |
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| Marine House, 176 Portland Street, Dartmouth Nova Scotia. 05669. |
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| Customs Site-189 Prince William Street, Saint John, NB. 03891. |
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| Dawson B. Dauphinee Site, 77 Dufferin Street, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia.02665. |
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| Enos Collins Federal Building, 38-40 Havelock Street, Amherst, Nova Scotia. 03207. |
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| Site GC-New Glasgow, 340 East River Road, New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. 03289. (WORK IN PROGRESS) |
Thursday, December 26, 2019
Bill S-203 could save many buildings in the National Capital area.
Bill S-203, an Act to amend the National Capital Act (buildings or works of national significance) was created by Senator Serge Joyal, after the owners of the Chateau Laurier Hotel attempted to add a modern extension to the hotel.The NCC refused to intervene because the Chateau is private property.
The First Reading for the bill was in the Senate of Canada, December 10, 2019.
Senator Joyal told CBC News:
The objective of the bill is to "prevent demolition, restoration, addition, and destruction that would change the immediate vicinity of Parliament Hill."
a.) the grounds in the City of Ottawa bounded by Wellington Street, the Rideau Canal, the Ottawa River and Kent Street, known as Parliament Hill, and any buildings or works located on those grounds;
b.) the Senate of Canada Building, located at 2 Rideau Street in the City of Ottawa. (Note: the NCC wanted to demolish the Conference Centre in 1967. During the year 1981 I was a cleaning lady in the Conference Centre which is located across the street from the Chateau Laurier.---AC, creator of this blog.)
c.) the building located at 1 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
d.) the Victoria Building, located at 140 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa.
e.) the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, located at 144 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
f.) the Wellington Building, located at 180 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa. (Note: in 2006 the Wellington Building was placed on a list of 35 properties that the Government of Canada was reviewing. Many of the 35 properties have now been sold or demolished, Google: PWGSC Awards Contract with Respect to Certain Real Estate Assets.)
g.) the Confederation Building, located at 229 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
h.) the Justice Building, located at 249 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
i.) the Supreme Court of Canada Building, located at 301 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
j.) any place that has been commemorated as a historic place under paragraph 3 (a) of the Historic Sites and Monuments Act.
k.) a national historic site as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Parks Canada Act;
l.) any prescribed building or work.
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Historic landmarks in the Parliamentary Precinct that were on a PWGSC list of 35 Crown buildings that were "under review" in 2006:
1.) Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street. A new Archives building is being constructed on the LeBreton Flats which would have categorized 395 Wellington as surplus and eligible for transfer to the Canada Lands Company.
2.) The East Memorial Building, 284 Wellington.
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| The Chateau Laurier Hotel extension. Image is from cbc.ca. |
Senator Joyal told CBC News:
The objective of the bill is to "prevent demolition, restoration, addition, and destruction that would change the immediate vicinity of Parliament Hill."
a.) the grounds in the City of Ottawa bounded by Wellington Street, the Rideau Canal, the Ottawa River and Kent Street, known as Parliament Hill, and any buildings or works located on those grounds;
b.) the Senate of Canada Building, located at 2 Rideau Street in the City of Ottawa. (Note: the NCC wanted to demolish the Conference Centre in 1967. During the year 1981 I was a cleaning lady in the Conference Centre which is located across the street from the Chateau Laurier.---AC, creator of this blog.)
c.) the building located at 1 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
d.) the Victoria Building, located at 140 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa.
e.) the Sir John A. Macdonald Building, located at 144 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
f.) the Wellington Building, located at 180 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa. (Note: in 2006 the Wellington Building was placed on a list of 35 properties that the Government of Canada was reviewing. Many of the 35 properties have now been sold or demolished, Google: PWGSC Awards Contract with Respect to Certain Real Estate Assets.)
g.) the Confederation Building, located at 229 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
h.) the Justice Building, located at 249 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
i.) the Supreme Court of Canada Building, located at 301 Wellington Street in the City of Ottawa;
j.) any place that has been commemorated as a historic place under paragraph 3 (a) of the Historic Sites and Monuments Act.
k.) a national historic site as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Parks Canada Act;
l.) any prescribed building or work.
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| A photograph I took of Princess Diana on Parliament Hill, June 21, 1983. The former Langevin Block, now the Office of the Prime Minister and Privy Council can be seen in the background. |
1.) Library and Archives Canada, 395 Wellington Street. A new Archives building is being constructed on the LeBreton Flats which would have categorized 395 Wellington as surplus and eligible for transfer to the Canada Lands Company.
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| Two Commissionaires in the lobby of the Library and Archives Building in 1967. The lobby looks exactly the same now. (LAC photo.) |
Wednesday, December 25, 2019
This is why a health care facility will not be built on Tunney's Pasture.
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| Tunney's Pasture. The illustration is from Reimagine Ottawa. |
1.) Tunney's Pasture - is the focus of a massive redevelopment agenda.
2.) The Sir John Carling Building, 930 Carling Avenue Ottawa - the Carling Building was demolished and the land was sold for $1 dollar to the Civic.
3.) Plouffe Park (includes Dome) - 1010 Somerset Street West, Ottawa - The Oak Park Armoury was sold for $1 dollar to Ottawa Community Housing.
4.) Skyline Tower 1 to V11, 1400 Merivale Road, Ottawa - The Agriculture Canada parcel was sold to Larco Investments.
5.) Thomas D'Arcy McGee Building - 90 Sparks Street, Ottawa - sold to Larco Investments.
6.) Lester B Pearson Building, 125 Sussex Drive, Ottawa.
7.) Harry Hays Building, 220 4th Avenue SE, Calgary, Alberta - sold to Larco Investments.
8.) Canada Place, 9700 Jasper Avenue NW, Edmonton, Alberta - sold to Larco Investments.
9.)Dominion Building, One Front Street West, Toronto, Ontario. Located next to Union Station. Sold to Larco Investments.
10.)Sinclair Centre, 757 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, British Columbia - almost sold to Larco Investments.
11.)Douglas Jung Building, 401 Burrard Street, Vancouver, British Columbia - sold.
12.) Place du Portage Phases 1 and 11, 50 Victoria Street, Gatineau, Quebec.
13.)Place du Portage Phase 111, 11 Laurier Street, Gatineau, Quebec.
14.)Place du Portage Phase 1V, 140 Promenade du Portage, Gatineau, Quebec.
15.)National Printing Bureau, 45 Sacre-Coeur Boulevard, Gatineau, Quebec.
16.)Wellington Building, 180 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario.
17.)Nicholson Building RCMP HQ and Trailers, 1200 Vanier Parkway, Ottawa, Ontario.
18.)National Library and Public Archives, 395 Wellington Street, Ottawa, Ontario.
19.)Major-General George R. Pearkes Building, 101 Colonel By Drive, Ottawa, Ontario.
20.)East Memorial Building, 284 Wellington Street (at Lyon), Ottawa, Ontario.
21.)Constitution Building, 305 Rideau Street, Ottawa-sold.
22.)Sir William Logan Building, 580 Booth Street, Ottawa-is part of the Natural Resources Canada complex on Booth.
23.)Lorne Building, 90 Elgin Street, Ottawa.
24.)Sir Charles Tupper Building, 2720 Riverside Drive, Ottawa.
25.) Temporary Building #8, 870 Carling Avenue, Ottawa, Queen Juliana Park-sold to the Civic Hospital for $1 dollar.
26.)Taxation Data Centre, 875 Heron Road, Ottawa, encompasses 150 acres of land.
(From: PWGSC Awards Contract with Respect to Certain Real Estate Assets.)
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House of Commons Evidence - OGGO Committee, December 10, 2007.
"I do not know how you came up with this $1.2 billion dollar shortfall, Ms. Bourgeois. It is not a shortfall, it is a surplus. What is more, at the end of 25 years taxpayers will not have to deal with what they have been dealing with for decades and that is worthless real property."
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John Lennon and Yoko Ono visit Tunney's Pasture, the Brooke Claxton Building.
Tuesday, December 24, 2019
Who owns Canada.
Her Majesty's Privy Council for Canada is the full group of personal consultants to the Monarch of Canada on state and constitutional affairs. Cabinet Conclusions are the records that summarize discussions of federal Cabinet meetings. These documents are prepared for every meeting of Cabinet by the Secretary to the Cabinet, who is also the Clerk of the Privy Council.
The Canada Lands Company is an agent of Her Majesty, and the federal Crown corporation had two offices in London, England. The mandate of the Canada Lands Company is to privatize all Crown-owned federal property in Canada. Government of Canada properties are sold via Privy Council Orders-in-Council:
---museums;
---post offices;
---employment centres (Tunney's Pasture; Confederation Heights; NRCan Booth Street Complex);
---Canadian Broadcasting Corporation buildings and land;
---Agriculture Canada Experimental Farms
---Fisheries and Oceans Canada lighthouses;
---Canada Mortgage and Housing;
---Veterans Affairs wartime housing and health care centres;
---Penitentiaries - Prison for Women; Kingston Pen; St. Vincent de-Paul Pen; New Westminster BC facility; eventually Collins Bay Institution and it's thousands of acres of land; Joyceville...
----CN Real Estate/CLC privatized the Chateau Laurier, Jasper Park Lodge; Queen Elizabeth Hotel; Bessborough Hotel; Macdonald Hotel; Hotel Vancouver, Fort Garry Hotel...
---RCMP Detachments;
---Expo 67 Montreal pavilions and land.
---Expo 86 Vancouver pavilions and land;
---1976 Montreal Olympics athletes villages;
---Royal Roads Military College, Victoria, British Columbia.
---the Greenbelt that surrounds Ottawa. The City of Ottawa has identified more than 18,000 acres of the Greenbelt that could be removed from the land mass without destroying it's integrity.
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No wonder:
1.) Parks Canada was planning to sell billions of dollars worth of infrastructure in our National Parks.
2.) The National Capital Commission and Canada Lands Company have the power to remove heritage designations from buildings and land.
3.) The National Capital Commission can appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board when the City of Ottawa disagrees with their decisions-for example, the City of Ottawa did not want Moffatt Farm sold to Phoenix Developments, they wanted to preserve the green space.
4.) The NCC is determined to wring as much money out of LeBreton Flats as it can, when politicians John Baird and John Manley wanted the Flats to be "Ottawa's Central Park."
5.) The NCC and Public Services and Procurement Canada want to redevelop Confederation Heights to create a high-density residential and commercial zone.
6.) The Greenbelt may be sold off by a Crown corporation, despite the fact that urban planner Jacques Greber wanted the land to be a "living memorial to Canadians who died fighting in foreign wars."The Greenbelt was supposed to be untouchable, a memorial "in perpetuity."
7.) The National Capital Commission and Canada Lands Company are commercial Crown corporations that operate at arms-length from the Canadian government.
8.) Canadians do not own the CN Tower.
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| Cabinet Conclusions from March 19, 1954. |
---museums;
---post offices;
---employment centres (Tunney's Pasture; Confederation Heights; NRCan Booth Street Complex);
---Canadian Broadcasting Corporation buildings and land;
---Agriculture Canada Experimental Farms
---Fisheries and Oceans Canada lighthouses;
---Canada Mortgage and Housing;
---Veterans Affairs wartime housing and health care centres;
---Penitentiaries - Prison for Women; Kingston Pen; St. Vincent de-Paul Pen; New Westminster BC facility; eventually Collins Bay Institution and it's thousands of acres of land; Joyceville...
----CN Real Estate/CLC privatized the Chateau Laurier, Jasper Park Lodge; Queen Elizabeth Hotel; Bessborough Hotel; Macdonald Hotel; Hotel Vancouver, Fort Garry Hotel...
---RCMP Detachments;
---Expo 67 Montreal pavilions and land.
---Expo 86 Vancouver pavilions and land;
---1976 Montreal Olympics athletes villages;
---Royal Roads Military College, Victoria, British Columbia.
---the Greenbelt that surrounds Ottawa. The City of Ottawa has identified more than 18,000 acres of the Greenbelt that could be removed from the land mass without destroying it's integrity.
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No wonder:
1.) Parks Canada was planning to sell billions of dollars worth of infrastructure in our National Parks.
2.) The National Capital Commission and Canada Lands Company have the power to remove heritage designations from buildings and land.
3.) The National Capital Commission can appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board when the City of Ottawa disagrees with their decisions-for example, the City of Ottawa did not want Moffatt Farm sold to Phoenix Developments, they wanted to preserve the green space.
4.) The NCC is determined to wring as much money out of LeBreton Flats as it can, when politicians John Baird and John Manley wanted the Flats to be "Ottawa's Central Park."
5.) The NCC and Public Services and Procurement Canada want to redevelop Confederation Heights to create a high-density residential and commercial zone.
6.) The Greenbelt may be sold off by a Crown corporation, despite the fact that urban planner Jacques Greber wanted the land to be a "living memorial to Canadians who died fighting in foreign wars."The Greenbelt was supposed to be untouchable, a memorial "in perpetuity."
7.) The National Capital Commission and Canada Lands Company are commercial Crown corporations that operate at arms-length from the Canadian government.
8.) Canadians do not own the CN Tower.
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| Land at the CFB Downsview military base in Toronto, Ontario was sold via an Order-in-Council and the transaction was authorized by the Governor General of Canada. The Governor General is the Queen of Great Britain's representative in this country. |
Why were so many train station properties converted to liquor stores?
160 Nicholas Street, Ottawa was a CNR building.
At least the following buildings are still standing:
At least the following buildings are still standing:
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| 380 York Street, Fredericton, New Brunswick. CNR and VIA. |
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| Angus Shops Montreal CPR. |
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| The centre part of Jean Talon Station Montreal sold alcohol.CPR. |
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Summerhill CPR station, North Toronto. |
Sunday, December 22, 2019
"An Act to amend the National Capital Act (buildings or works of national significance)" will stop a hospital from occupying the Farm.
Senator Serge Joyal recently introduced the Bill to the Senate:
"It would apply to both building and demolition within several hundred metres of the Hill and other national historic sites." (From: Senator wants NCC to have power to limit development near Parliament" by Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, December 13, 2019.)
Bill S-203 could be amended to include all of the endangered heritage buildings and landscapes in the National Capital. Right now the bill applies to the Parliamentary Precinct:
"The objective of the bill is to "prevent demolition, restoration, addition, and destruction that would change the immediate vicinity of Parliament Hill." (December 2019 comment by Senator Serge Joyal to CBC News.)
The Central Experimental Farm is a National Historic Site and the hospital will be located metres away from the Dominion Observatory campus and the William Saunders Building.
The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, South Azimuth and Photo Equatorial buildings are Classified Federal Heritage Buildings.
The William Saunders building is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.
The bill was created in response to an attempt to construct a modern addition to the Chateau Laurier Hotel, which is located in the Parliamentary Precinct.
SENATE OF CANADA BILLS - 203
An Act to amend the National Capital Act (buildings or works of national significance.)
First Reading December 10, 2019.
(1) Section 2 of the National Capital Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:
building or work of national significance means
...
...
(j) any place that has been commemorated as a historic place under paragraph 3(a) of the Historic Sites and Monuments Act.
(k) a national historic site as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Parks Canada Agency Act;
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An amended Bill S-203 will stop any redevelopment of the Sir John Carling Site (except by Agriculture Canada officials who want to create a visitor's centre and a museum in the Sir John Carling Building cafeteria annex.)
An amended bill will also veto construction of condominiums on a nearby park and a parking lot. The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site and bill specifies that a 500 metre buffer zone will separate new developments from Parks Canada designated properties.
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In the year 1998 the Central Experimental Farm located at 960 Carling Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario (River Ward) became a National Historic Site of Canada, designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board:
"It would apply to both building and demolition within several hundred metres of the Hill and other national historic sites." (From: Senator wants NCC to have power to limit development near Parliament" by Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, December 13, 2019.)
Bill S-203 could be amended to include all of the endangered heritage buildings and landscapes in the National Capital. Right now the bill applies to the Parliamentary Precinct:
"The objective of the bill is to "prevent demolition, restoration, addition, and destruction that would change the immediate vicinity of Parliament Hill." (December 2019 comment by Senator Serge Joyal to CBC News.)
The Central Experimental Farm is a National Historic Site and the hospital will be located metres away from the Dominion Observatory campus and the William Saunders Building.
The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, South Azimuth and Photo Equatorial buildings are Classified Federal Heritage Buildings.
The William Saunders building is a Recognized Federal Heritage Building.
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| The National Capital Commission, Agriculture Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada gave the health care facility all of the land within the purple lines. This photo of the CEF is from the Ottawa Citizen. |
SENATE OF CANADA BILLS - 203
An Act to amend the National Capital Act (buildings or works of national significance.)
First Reading December 10, 2019.
(1) Section 2 of the National Capital Act is amended by adding the following in alphabetical order:
building or work of national significance means
...
...
(j) any place that has been commemorated as a historic place under paragraph 3(a) of the Historic Sites and Monuments Act.
(k) a national historic site as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Parks Canada Agency Act;
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An amended Bill S-203 will stop any redevelopment of the Sir John Carling Site (except by Agriculture Canada officials who want to create a visitor's centre and a museum in the Sir John Carling Building cafeteria annex.)
An amended bill will also veto construction of condominiums on a nearby park and a parking lot. The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a National Historic Site and bill specifies that a 500 metre buffer zone will separate new developments from Parks Canada designated properties.
 |
| The map is from Google Maps. |
In the year 1998 the Central Experimental Farm located at 960 Carling Avenue in Ottawa, Ontario (River Ward) became a National Historic Site of Canada, designated by the Historic Sites and Monuments Board:
More revelations about the Baseline Road Rapid Transit Plan in Ottawa.
There is intense opposition to the Baseline Road Rapid Transit Plan.
Petitions from the Carleton Condominium Association.
Comments from the Copeland Park Community Alliance-"Huge internal initiative at City Hall. Buses routed down centre of Baseline Road will have problems but can't be stopped. 14 houses will be expropriated plus the Harvey's at Merivale and Baseline to accommodate 2nd bike lane." (copelandpark.ca)
Joint submission from the Coalition to Protect the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site and Heritage Ottawa.
A City of Ottawa document pertaining to the transit plan.
"Baseline Road is a major transportation corridor that facilitates movement of people and goods in east-west direction. Land use in the area includes
Bayshore Shopping Mall
Queensway Carleton Hospital
Pinecrest Cemetery
Algonquin College
College Square
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Experimental Farms
Confederation Heights
Billings Bridge Plaza
Schools, parks, retail centres, homes, townhouses, apartment buildings.
Other arterial's that intersect the proposed BRT corridor are:
Richmond Road
Greenbank Road
Woodroffe Avenue
Clyde Avenue
Merivale Road
Fisher Avenue
Prince of Wales Drive
Riverside Drive which accommodate substantial north-south travel demand throughout the day with high traffic volume during peak periods. Google: "Baseline Road Rapid Transit corridor (Bayshore Station to Heron Station..."
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What the City, National Capital Commission and Public Services and Procurement does not want us to know:
1.) The entire Experimental Farm may eventually be sold to housing developers and Ottawa Community Housing. For more than 100 years the city and NCC have been trying to get their hands on this prime real estate. Councillor Riley Brockington wants the federal government to clarify what their long-term plans are for this landmark. During the 1990's a politician stated that the government was getting "out of the business" of running experimental farms. The Chretien government wanted to demolish 40 buildings on the site including the Dominion Observatory and the Booth Barn.
2.) The 256-acre Confederation Heights federal government employment hub is the focus of a National Capital Commission and Public Services and Procurement Canada study called "A Long-Term Vision-Confederation Heights 1950-2050."
On page 7 of this 124 page document I saw a drawing that shows at least 25 residential towers.
3.) During the late 1990's I watched Ottawa City Hall meetings on a cable television channel called CPAC. During one meeting a local politician stated that "a wall of condominiums" would line both sides of Carling Avenue one day. I did not believe her because I thought the Experimental Farm was off-limits to real estate developers; and no one would dare build housing on Queen Juliana Park---a park that honours Canadian war veterans. I was wrong.
Well now I believe that Baseline Road will be invaded by "a wall of condominiums." Why is the city so determined to build this transit line, so obsessed that they are expropriating land from the Pinecrest Cemetery, hundreds of homeowners, Agriculture Canada and commercial establishments.?
Similarities between the Baseline project and the Spadina Expressway controversy during the 1960's.
Another update on Experimental Farm land grabs.
1950 - The Government of Canada refused to give the City a parcel of land to build a new city hall. "Farm site rejected-Cannot build City Hall there." Evening Citizen, February 2, 1950.
June 1950 - The National Capital Commission considers moving the Farm away from it's urban area, but relents under pressure. Ottawa Citizen, 2007-12-31/150 years of memories-PressReader.
1954 - The City tries again to obtain land from the CEF to build a new city hall. The Privy Council of Canada declares that the CEF "will remain an open area in perpetuity."
1974 - The Chairman of the National Capital Commission tries to convince Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan to give the NCC 700 acres of the Farm for housing.
1988 - 150 acres of the CEF are sold to the Municipality of Ottawa, and a further 10 acres were also available to the highest bidder. See: Marlene Catterall, House of Commons Debates, Hansard, April 14, 1988. (Ten years later Member of Parliament Marlene Catterall told the House of Commons that the Experimental Farm was now a National Historic Site and basically said that the property was off-limits to further encroachment.)
1998 - The National Capital Commission pays $1 for more than 2,000 acres of land at the Greenbelt Research Farm in Nepean. The Research Farm was an extension of the CEF. The NCC is now leasing part of the land to commercial entities.
2008 - Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz refuses to give the Civic Hospital 50 acres of land.
2016 - The National Capital Commission rejects the Sir John Carling site as a location for a new hospital.
2016 - A week later the NCC reverses that decision. The hospital pays $1 dollar for Agriculture Canada property, Queen Juliana Park and the $4 million dollar Dow's Lake parking lot.
2017 - The City of Ottawa receives approval from the National Capital Commission, Agriculture Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada to annex Farm property for public transit. A 7 m or 22 foot wide strip of land will be removed all along the Baseline Road parcel. Another 50 feet will be a buffer zone or a shelterbelt.
Petitions from the Carleton Condominium Association.
Comments from the Copeland Park Community Alliance-"Huge internal initiative at City Hall. Buses routed down centre of Baseline Road will have problems but can't be stopped. 14 houses will be expropriated plus the Harvey's at Merivale and Baseline to accommodate 2nd bike lane." (copelandpark.ca)
Joint submission from the Coalition to Protect the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site and Heritage Ottawa.
 |
| View west along Baseline Road. The City of Ottawa is taking a 22 foot wide strip of this property. And a 50 foot "Shelterbelt" or buffer will supposedly protect the land from pollution, wind, erosion and salt spray. The Farm is a National Interest Land Mass and a major tourist venue but that means nothing to the National Capital Commission, City of Ottawa and Public Works. |
A City of Ottawa document pertaining to the transit plan.
"Baseline Road is a major transportation corridor that facilitates movement of people and goods in east-west direction. Land use in the area includes
Bayshore Shopping Mall
Queensway Carleton Hospital
Pinecrest Cemetery
Algonquin College
College Square
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Experimental Farms
Confederation Heights
Billings Bridge Plaza
Schools, parks, retail centres, homes, townhouses, apartment buildings.
Other arterial's that intersect the proposed BRT corridor are:
Richmond Road
Greenbank Road
Woodroffe Avenue
Clyde Avenue
Merivale Road
Fisher Avenue
Prince of Wales Drive
Riverside Drive which accommodate substantial north-south travel demand throughout the day with high traffic volume during peak periods. Google: "Baseline Road Rapid Transit corridor (Bayshore Station to Heron Station..."
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
What the City, National Capital Commission and Public Services and Procurement does not want us to know:
1.) The entire Experimental Farm may eventually be sold to housing developers and Ottawa Community Housing. For more than 100 years the city and NCC have been trying to get their hands on this prime real estate. Councillor Riley Brockington wants the federal government to clarify what their long-term plans are for this landmark. During the 1990's a politician stated that the government was getting "out of the business" of running experimental farms. The Chretien government wanted to demolish 40 buildings on the site including the Dominion Observatory and the Booth Barn.
On page 7 of this 124 page document I saw a drawing that shows at least 25 residential towers.
3.) During the late 1990's I watched Ottawa City Hall meetings on a cable television channel called CPAC. During one meeting a local politician stated that "a wall of condominiums" would line both sides of Carling Avenue one day. I did not believe her because I thought the Experimental Farm was off-limits to real estate developers; and no one would dare build housing on Queen Juliana Park---a park that honours Canadian war veterans. I was wrong.
Well now I believe that Baseline Road will be invaded by "a wall of condominiums." Why is the city so determined to build this transit line, so obsessed that they are expropriating land from the Pinecrest Cemetery, hundreds of homeowners, Agriculture Canada and commercial establishments.?
Similarities between the Baseline project and the Spadina Expressway controversy during the 1960's.
Another update on Experimental Farm land grabs.
1950 - The Government of Canada refused to give the City a parcel of land to build a new city hall. "Farm site rejected-Cannot build City Hall there." Evening Citizen, February 2, 1950.
June 1950 - The National Capital Commission considers moving the Farm away from it's urban area, but relents under pressure. Ottawa Citizen, 2007-12-31/150 years of memories-PressReader.
1954 - The City tries again to obtain land from the CEF to build a new city hall. The Privy Council of Canada declares that the CEF "will remain an open area in perpetuity."
1974 - The Chairman of the National Capital Commission tries to convince Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan to give the NCC 700 acres of the Farm for housing.
1988 - 150 acres of the CEF are sold to the Municipality of Ottawa, and a further 10 acres were also available to the highest bidder. See: Marlene Catterall, House of Commons Debates, Hansard, April 14, 1988. (Ten years later Member of Parliament Marlene Catterall told the House of Commons that the Experimental Farm was now a National Historic Site and basically said that the property was off-limits to further encroachment.)
1998 - The National Capital Commission pays $1 for more than 2,000 acres of land at the Greenbelt Research Farm in Nepean. The Research Farm was an extension of the CEF. The NCC is now leasing part of the land to commercial entities.
2008 - Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz refuses to give the Civic Hospital 50 acres of land.
2016 - The National Capital Commission rejects the Sir John Carling site as a location for a new hospital.
2016 - A week later the NCC reverses that decision. The hospital pays $1 dollar for Agriculture Canada property, Queen Juliana Park and the $4 million dollar Dow's Lake parking lot.
2017 - The City of Ottawa receives approval from the National Capital Commission, Agriculture Canada and Public Services and Procurement Canada to annex Farm property for public transit. A 7 m or 22 foot wide strip of land will be removed all along the Baseline Road parcel. Another 50 feet will be a buffer zone or a shelterbelt.
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| The typical width of a street is 29 feet. |
Saturday, December 21, 2019
Facts about the Baseline Road, Ottawa rapid transit system.
---Land will be taken from the Pinecrest Cemetery.
---A strip of land at least 22 feet wide will be annexed from the Central Experimental Farm along Baseline Road.
---232 properties will be affected, both commercial and residential.
---Up to 15 private properties will be expropriated.
----Councillor Riley Brockington is concerned about the loss of more of the Experimental Farm. He wants the federal government to clarify what their long-term plans for The Farm are.
The Baseline Road project was unanimously approved by City of Ottawa councillors on January 17, 2017.
Property Requirements
"The Recommended Plan requires additional rights-of-way from adjacent properties. The land taking requirement ranges from less than a metre to full acquisition (up to 15 private properties.) A total of 232 properties are identified to be affected, which includes 222 private properties.
Strips of land are also required from 10 properties owned by the National Capital Commission, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada.
Exact property requirements will be determined during the detailed design stage of the project."
(Google: [pdf] Baseline Road Bus Rapid Transit and Complete Street.." Page 21/28.)
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"Figure 7-Baseline Road (Merivale to Prince of Wales). The project requires a strip of land (the typical widening being in the range of 7 m) from the Central Experimental Farm to accommodate median BRT lanes."(Google: [pdf] Baseline Road Bus Rapid Transit and Complete Street..."Page 18/28.)
(Note: 7 m is 22 feet wide. A typical street is 29 feet wide - AC.)
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Comments from River Ward councillor Riley Brockington about the Baseline Rapid Transit System development.
Continued erosion of the Experimental Farm.
"I acknowledge and recognize that very little private property within River Ward is being used/expropriated for this project. As a trade-off, land from the Central Experimental Farm is being used. The staff reports describe "a strip of land to accommodate median BRT lanes is to be used. How much land is a "strip" and what is the land currently used for by Agriculture Canada.
"I would like to echo my on-going concerns first raised in 2015 shortly after the announcement was made to relocate the Ottawa Civic regarding the long-term plans for education and research on Central Experimental Farm lands by Agriculture Canada.
" I believe the federal government needs to clarify what the long-term plans are for the Farm. Additionally, if pieces of the Farm can be given up for other projects deemed to be in the public interest, the federal government needs to publicly indicate what criteria they are using to determine what is and what is not in the public interest."
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Trolleys or streetcars are envisioned for Carling Avenue according to the Preston-Carling District Secondary Plan. During the 1950's, the Dominion Observatory lost the North Azimuth building when the street was widened.
---A strip of land at least 22 feet wide will be annexed from the Central Experimental Farm along Baseline Road.
---232 properties will be affected, both commercial and residential.
---Up to 15 private properties will be expropriated.
----Councillor Riley Brockington is concerned about the loss of more of the Experimental Farm. He wants the federal government to clarify what their long-term plans for The Farm are.
The Baseline Road project was unanimously approved by City of Ottawa councillors on January 17, 2017.
Property Requirements
"The Recommended Plan requires additional rights-of-way from adjacent properties. The land taking requirement ranges from less than a metre to full acquisition (up to 15 private properties.) A total of 232 properties are identified to be affected, which includes 222 private properties.
Strips of land are also required from 10 properties owned by the National Capital Commission, the Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and Public Services and Procurement Canada.
Exact property requirements will be determined during the detailed design stage of the project."
(Google: [pdf] Baseline Road Bus Rapid Transit and Complete Street.." Page 21/28.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Figure 7-Baseline Road (Merivale to Prince of Wales). The project requires a strip of land (the typical widening being in the range of 7 m) from the Central Experimental Farm to accommodate median BRT lanes."(Google: [pdf] Baseline Road Bus Rapid Transit and Complete Street..."Page 18/28.)
(Note: 7 m is 22 feet wide. A typical street is 29 feet wide - AC.)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Comments from River Ward councillor Riley Brockington about the Baseline Rapid Transit System development.
Continued erosion of the Experimental Farm.
"I acknowledge and recognize that very little private property within River Ward is being used/expropriated for this project. As a trade-off, land from the Central Experimental Farm is being used. The staff reports describe "a strip of land to accommodate median BRT lanes is to be used. How much land is a "strip" and what is the land currently used for by Agriculture Canada.
"I would like to echo my on-going concerns first raised in 2015 shortly after the announcement was made to relocate the Ottawa Civic regarding the long-term plans for education and research on Central Experimental Farm lands by Agriculture Canada.
" I believe the federal government needs to clarify what the long-term plans are for the Farm. Additionally, if pieces of the Farm can be given up for other projects deemed to be in the public interest, the federal government needs to publicly indicate what criteria they are using to determine what is and what is not in the public interest."
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| The Baseline Road Rapid Transit Corridor, with the station on a median. No wonder the Farm, Pinecrest Cemetery and 222 private residences will be forced to give up property. And 15 families will lose their homes. This reminds me of the Spadina Expressway debacle in Toronto, Ontario during the 1960's. The author of "The Death and Life of Great Cities" Jane Jacobs, saved Toronto from the Spadina Expressway. |
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| Views east along Carling Avenue. |
Friday, December 20, 2019
Government of Canada buildings that were filming locations.
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| Robert de Niro as "Nick" is walking towards the Montreal Customs House, 105 McGill Street, Montreal. The movie was called "The Score."(From: themoviedistrict.com.) |
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Project Runway Canada was produced in the Canada and the World Pavilion located at 50 Sussex Drive, Ottawa. Stars of Project Runway were the model Iman, Elisha Cuthbert and fashion designer Brian Bailey.(cbc.ca photo.) |
Access Denied. I was denied permission to read the 99-year lease agreement between the federal government and the Ottawa Hospital.
The lease agreement pertains to 50 acres of public land at 930 Carling Avenue and 520 Preston Street. The reasons why I cannot gain access to the voluminous document:
---A third party is involved.
---I do not have a valid reason for wanting to see the document.
---The lease may not have been finalized. (Note: There is a "hold" on the project because several investigations have not been carried out.-AC, creator of this blog.)
Reasons why I should be allowed to see the lease.
1.) I am a citizen of Canada and I own this land.
2.) Canada is not a plutocracy where public land is funneled to entities behind closed doors. Whenever federal real estate is sold or given away there should be transparency and accountability. As the collective owners of Crown assets, the people of Canada should have the power to veto any disposal of real estate that will:
-take away green space.
-result in the demolition of designated heritage buildings.
-result in the foreign ownership of Dominion Buildings, landmarks including 1,000 lighthouses, our National Parks...
---result in the ownership of Crown properties by multinational corporations including CN Rail, Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart, Fairmont Hotel's and Resorts...
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The Preston-Carling District Secondary Plan is a pack of lies.
The lie:
"Ev Tremblay Park will be enhanced and expanded through design and extensive programming to service the existing and new residents and families."
The truth:
Ev Tremblay Park will never be expanded because the Humane Society parcel at 101 Champagne was sold to a developer who constructed a couple of condominiums.
The lie:
"Preston Street as well as the neighbourhood known as Little Italy are defining elements of the District's identity...The enhanced public realm throughout the area will allow for festivals such as the traditional Italian Week to continue to celebrate the culture and people of this colourful District."
The truth:
Italian Week was celebrated at Queen Juliana Park which was recently given to the Ottawa Hospital. The park was also a venue for:
---The Tulip Festival.
---The JDRF Diabetes Foundation Walk.
---Ottawa Humane Society events.
---Canada Day celebrations.
(Google: Proposed Secondary Plan text - 2018-05-14, City of Ottawa, page 2/31.)
Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association newsletter-September 15, 2017.
"The Mixed Use Centre (MC F (1.5) zoning has been designated for Queen Juliana Park and the existing parking lot at the corner of Preston and Carling. The MC zone allows for a parking garage, a parking lot, a drive-through facility, but does not include the notion of a park (even a small park) as one of the uses."
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---A third party is involved.
---I do not have a valid reason for wanting to see the document.
---The lease may not have been finalized. (Note: There is a "hold" on the project because several investigations have not been carried out.-AC, creator of this blog.)
Reasons why I should be allowed to see the lease.
1.) I am a citizen of Canada and I own this land.
2.) Canada is not a plutocracy where public land is funneled to entities behind closed doors. Whenever federal real estate is sold or given away there should be transparency and accountability. As the collective owners of Crown assets, the people of Canada should have the power to veto any disposal of real estate that will:
-take away green space.
-result in the demolition of designated heritage buildings.
-result in the foreign ownership of Dominion Buildings, landmarks including 1,000 lighthouses, our National Parks...
---result in the ownership of Crown properties by multinational corporations including CN Rail, Amazon, Microsoft, Walmart, Fairmont Hotel's and Resorts...
--------------------------------------------------------------------
The Preston-Carling District Secondary Plan is a pack of lies.
The lie:
"Ev Tremblay Park will be enhanced and expanded through design and extensive programming to service the existing and new residents and families."
The truth:
Ev Tremblay Park will never be expanded because the Humane Society parcel at 101 Champagne was sold to a developer who constructed a couple of condominiums.
The lie:
"Preston Street as well as the neighbourhood known as Little Italy are defining elements of the District's identity...The enhanced public realm throughout the area will allow for festivals such as the traditional Italian Week to continue to celebrate the culture and people of this colourful District."
The truth:
Italian Week was celebrated at Queen Juliana Park which was recently given to the Ottawa Hospital. The park was also a venue for:
---The Tulip Festival.
---The JDRF Diabetes Foundation Walk.
---Ottawa Humane Society events.
---Canada Day celebrations.
(Google: Proposed Secondary Plan text - 2018-05-14, City of Ottawa, page 2/31.)
Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association newsletter-September 15, 2017.
"The Mixed Use Centre (MC F (1.5) zoning has been designated for Queen Juliana Park and the existing parking lot at the corner of Preston and Carling. The MC zone allows for a parking garage, a parking lot, a drive-through facility, but does not include the notion of a park (even a small park) as one of the uses."
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| A few of the members of Save Little Italy. Former Somerset Ward Councillor Diane Holmes is pictured on the left. |
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