Why Lebreton should be a Canadian National Park.

1.) The Lebreton Flats were a recreational area for years:

House of Commons Debates Ottawa November 22, 1991. Mr. Mac Harb (Ottawa Centre) "...We have approximately 150 acres of land on Lebreton Flats...In the summer part of the flats is used for camping, balloonists and people who might want to take a walk."

2.)  Lebreton is the western annex to the Parliamentary Precinct.

3.) Politicians and writers have suggested that the land should remain public, including the Hon. John Baird, the Hon. John Manley, Lindsay Lambert and MP Barry Mather:

House of Commons Debates Ottawa October 22, 1969. Mr. Barry Mather, New Democratic Party: "Is the government of Canada giving favourable consideration to the establishment of a national park at the LeBreton Flats in Ottawa?"

4.)  The Lebreton Flats cannot be sold or subdivided because the land is part of a National Interest Land Mass. Gatineau Park is also part of the NILM:

House of Commons Debates Ottawa September 16, 2009. Hon. Gordon O'Connor(Minister of State and Chief Government Whip CPC) "...Gatineau Park is included within the National Interest Land Mass. Such designation indicates a formal expression of the federal government's interest in the long-term use of these lands to create a capital that will inspire Canadians with pride and be passed on as a legacy for future generations."

5.)  Many federal parks in Ottawa have been encroached upon or sold off:

a.) Major's Hill Park-in 1908 and 1990's.

House of Commons Debates Ottawa July 6, 1908. The Hon. Robert Laird Borden (Leader of the Official Opposition) Conservative: "The park is... a portion of the national domain, and a portion of the grounds of parliament." (CONSTRUCTION OF A GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY HOTEL ON MAJOR'S HILL PARK.)

b.)  Mile Circle near Rockcliffe-The meadow is still a federal park: House of Commons Presentation of Petition, April 9, 1986: Mr. Barry Turner (Ottawa-Carleton) Progressive Conservative: "Mr. Speaker, it is my honour to present another petition signed by 34 residents of the National Capital Region who are very much opposed to the National Capital Commission's proposal to turn the Mile Circle into an embassy row. They indicate that Mile Circle was designated in 1925 by the Ottawa Improvement Commission as a national park."

c.)  Land beneath the Daly Building.

d.)  Mooney's Bay Park.

e.)  Queen Juliana.

f.)  Rochester Field on Richmond Road.

g.)  The 84-acre Moffat Farm Veterans Park - City of Ottawa Planning and Development Committee Minutes, February 28, 2002. 1709 Prince of Wales Drive. "...The land in question was acquired by the federal government to commemorate World War 11 veterans and became NCC property in 1960. Mr. Lindsay indicated Moffat Farm was designated in the Regional Official Plan of 1977 and in subsequent amendments of 1988 and 1997 as Waterfront Open Space, which precluded residential development."

"The property was designated for federal land use as a capital park of national interest....Mr. Lindsay, in response to a question from the Ward Councillor noted no parcels along the Rideau River designated Waterfront Open Space have been rezoned to residential in the city in the last 20 years. The Councillor opined this proposal is a rather big first step, to change the use of land in the nation's capital that has been protected since expropriation."

h.) Dow's Lake.

House of Commons Debates Ottawa March 2,1939. Mr. Heaps, Co-operative Commonwealth Federation: "...I know that the federal government has laid out a number of parks here, and open spaces used for playgrounds. To get a fairly accurate understanding we should know what use is being made of these open spaces in order to find out if Ottawa is receiving a square deal from the federal government."

The Hon. Charles Avery Dunning(Minister of Finance and Receiver General.) "Take for example, certain properties of the federal district commission surrounding Dow's lake. What was their actual value before the federal district commission built them up and turned them into the beautiful park which now exists?"

 6.)  The only buildings permitted on the Lebreton Flats are Government of Canada buildings---museums; offices; Library and Archives Canada...:

House of Commons Debates Ottawa March 30, 1966.

The Hon. G.J.McIlraith (Minister of Public Works; Leader of the Government in the House of Commons; Liberal Party House Leader) Liberal: "...In order to improve the foreground to Parliament Hill, the area which can generally be described as consisting of those lands bounded by Wellington Street, Bronson Avenue extended northerly, Nepean Bay, the Ottawa river and Bronson channel, (this land will) be used for the construction of government buildings which need to be located in the central part of Ottawa. It is planned that the first government building to be located in the area will be the new headquarters for the Department of National Defence."