The National Capital Commission and City of Ottawa are discriminating against older and handicapped individuals.

 As a 69-year-old woman with mobility problems, I believe the following actions by the NCC and City will have a negative impact on my ability to travel and to enjoy scenic attractions:

1.)  They are planning to remove OC Transpo buses from the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. I always look forward to travelling on the SJAM Parkway on a bus and seeing the beautiful scenery. "It's not about the destination, it's the journey." Ralph Waldo Emerson.

2.) Public Works, the NCC and city are taking away federal green spaces that are now accessible to people who cannot drive cars, ride bicycles or walk for long distances--- the Central Experimental Farm for example. Unlock the gates from 933 Gladstone; the Greenbelt Research Farm, 1740 Woodroffe Avenue; and Lebreton Flats and turn the land into National Parks. To view the Gladstone property Google: "933 Gladstone Ottawa" then go to the "Maps" icon at the top of the page.

3.) The trifecta is envisioning the removal of motor vehicles on Wellington Street in the Parliamentary Precinct. I would not be surprised if the public is banned altogether from Parliament Hill, that idea has already been suggested.  The royal family in England can escape from the so-called commoners, the proles, by using helicopters to travel around London. 

4.)  It is disrespectful to herd "the masses" into downtown subways. Ottawa is one of the most beautiful cities in the world and one of the highlights of my existence is driving by historic buildings and landmarks; watching people on the streets; and looking at statues, trees and flowers. I am not a mole or another subterranean creature that lives underground. 

5.)  When motor vehicles are banned from parkways---for example the Queen Elizabeth Parkway--- you are shutting out very sick individuals and the aged population. When my grandparents and my parents were elderly they loved to go daytripping and see the leaves change colour in the countryside, or view the scenery in Rideau Ferry and Merrickville. Do not permanently take away the celebrations and spaces that make our lives worth living---graduations; weddings---my daughter is having a Zoom wedding in a couple of days--- the Tulip Festival; park land; museums; entertainment venues like the National Arts Centre; gyms; beauty parlours; restaurants, bars, theatres and sporting facilities.  Do not turn the Capital City of Canada into another Hong Kong. Or a ghost town.

6.) It is hypocritical for politicians to extoll the virtues of saving the environment by riding bicycles and recycling. And then turn around and permit the construction of 50-storey condominium towers that block out the sun, kill unsuspecting birds; and ruin the viewscape of Little Italy and other locations. "Urban heat islands occur when cities replace natural land cover with dense concentrations of pavement, buildings and other surfaces that absorb and retain heat. This effect increases energy costs (e.g. for air conditioning) air pollution levels, and heat-related illness and mortality." (United States Environmental Protection Agency - Green Infrastructure.)