The Tower of Babel and the Lebreton Flats.

The reasons why high rise condominiums cannot be built on the Flats:

1.) The Peace Tower on Parliament Hill is 296 feet tall. A Lebreton Flats tower, unbuilt so far, is 656 feet tall or 50 storeys.

House of Commons Debates Ottawa  June 16, 1966.

MP Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre.) 

Mr. Knowles: ".....I understand that the height of the Peace Tower, from its base to the top of the tower is 296 feet. The information given me concerning the proposed national defence headquarters is that the height of the building from the ground floor to the top would be 460 feet...The proposed national defence headquarters would be 164 feet taller than the Peace Tower...However, as everyone knows, the LeBreton Flats area west of Parliament Hill is lower than Parliament Hill...The elevation at the corner of Fleet and Booth is 184 feet."

"I think the skyline of the city of Ottawa is something of which we can be proud...A tower that is only going to be a few blocks away (from Parliament Hill) rising higher than the Peace Tower would spoil the skyline of the city of Ottawa...I think that a government that is only in power for a short time, has to be careful when it takes a course of action that has an effect for decades, perhaps half a century or for a century. Mr. Speaker, one newspaper says that I am living in the past and (do) I not realize that skyscrapers reflect progress. I think the story of the Tower of Babel gives the answer to that. I hope we are not going to build another."

2.)  The Lebreton Flats are a National Interest Land Mass. Permitted on the Flats: national museums; memorials; Library and Archives; gardens; statues; land for Canada's First Nations; Canada Day festivities and Bluesfest; parks and playgrounds and art galleries.

 House of Commons Debates   Ottawa  June 12, 1970. MP John Gilbert (New Democratic Party). ".....The hon. member for York South (Mr. Lewis) asked the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Laing) questions with regard to the development of land on the Kingston area waterfront. We were told at this time that a private developer by the name of Teron is interested in developing property in the Kingston area which should be used for public recreation purposes...To sell this property, which really belongs to the public, to private interests would be indicative of a preference for individual profit rather than a concern for the public of Kingston."

 "Marina City would cover the site of the old Canadian Locomotive Works and adjacent areas, some of which are owned by the federal government. The project would include some 750 apartments in three towers, townhouses, shops, offices, a hotel and a convention centre, and a marina. The site extends to the west from a Holiday Inn Teron built three years ago....A total of 1,300 parking spaces are provided. (Architecture Canada newsmagazine, July 20, 1970, page 5/10.)