Wednesday, September 16, 2020

Did the National Capital Commission have the authority to sell the following properties in Ottawa.

1.  The Mackenzie King Bridge and the Laurier Avenue Bridge that span the Rideau Canal.

2.)  The 88-acre Moffat Farm, part of the Veterans Affairs Canada portfolio. Moffat Farm is adjacent to the Rideau River.

Prime Minister Brian Mulroney created the designation "National Interest Land Mass" after 91 acres of the Central Experimental Farm were sold to the Municipality of Ottawa in 1988:

House of Commons Debates  Ottawa May 13, 1988. Mr. David Daubney (Ottawa West) Progressive Conservative......"Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. He will agree that the Central Experimental Farm partly located in my riding is the flagship of Agriculture Canada's excellent research effort, and contributes greatly to the unique beauty and character of the nation's capital. Will he confirm for the House that the Government has no intention of disposing any part of the Experimental Farm property and in particular that part bordered by Merivale and Fisher Avenues in the City of Ottawa?"

Hon. John Wise, Federal Minister of Agriculture:....."Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the Hon. Member's continuing interest in the future of the Experimental Farm here in Ottawa. I want to take this opportunity to indicate to him that Agriculture Canada, my Department, has no plans or thoughts whatsoever concerning disposing of any portion of that property at any time. There is no question about that."

     "I appreciate also the complimentary remarks the Hon. Member made with reference to that very unique facility. It has made a tremendous contribution to Canadian agriculture. It is one of the four original experimental farms established across Canada over 100 years ago. In fact next to the Parliament Buildings the Experimental Farm is the second most popular tourist attraction here in Ottawa."

Some Hon. Members:

     "Hear, hear!"

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The National Interest Land Mass (NILM) consists of "national shrines, the river and canal banks, the Confederation Boulevard, the Gatineau Park, and the Greenbelt in the National Capital Region,...considered essential to the realization of the vision of the Capital...There are 37 individual parcels of property in this category currently owned by the NCC totalling some 44,200 ha. in area. (94 per cent of the total NCC holdings in area.)"

"Land forming part of the NILM will be retained by the NCC on behalf of the government in perpetuity, for purposes which lie at the core of the NCC's mandate; and will be managed by the NCC with little or no further management involvement by the Treasury Board Secretariat." Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC.

The Rideau Canal Lands from downtown to Hog's Back Road encompass 90 hectares.

The United Nations may remove the designation "UNESCO World Heritage Site" from the Rideau Canal, if a medical centre is built on The Farm and if the Chateau Laurier Hotel is expanded.

UNESCO State of Conservation Report, May of 2018: 1.) Various Federal Infrastructure Investment projects along the length of the Rideau Canal World Heritage property.

2.)  Rideau Canal Crossing pedestrian bridge. (Ottawa.)

3.)  Chateau Laurier proposed expansion. (Ottawa.)

4.)  Highway 417 bridge rehabilitation. (Ottawa.)

5.)  Third Bridge Crossing (Kingston.)

6.)  Rideau Marina (Kingston.)

7.)  Former Davis Tannery Brownfield Site Redevelopment (Kingston.)

8.)  New Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus (Ottawa.) Google: "May 2018, State of Conservation Report, Rideau Canal"---go to "November 14, 2019."

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