The Chateau Laurier Hotel redevelopment.

Reasons why this proposal has to be re-examined:

1.)  The hotel and the American Embassy were built on Parliament Hill:

House of Commons Debates Ottawa July 6, 1908. The Hon. Robert Laird Borden (Leader of the Official Opposition): "...We take this national property immediately contigious to and indeed forming part of the grounds of this parliament, and we propose to build a hotel upon it."

2.)  "I believe all of the properties facing Parliament Hill should be owned and controlled by the government in order to prevent structures being erected thereon which may destroy the harmony and beauty of the buildings on this hill." Prime Minister of Canada William Lyon Mackenzie King, in a speech before the House of Commons, April 24,1928.

3.)  During the year 1969 land was expropriated from Major's Hill Park for the hotel parking garage. In 1995 the American government built an embassy on Major's Hill Park. Now the park will be integrated into the Chateau property:

"Given that the Fairmont Chateau Laurier is on private lands, the National Capital Commission's role is to work with the proponent to integrate the new addition with Major's Hill Park and the Rideau Canal terraces." (From: Proposed addition to the Chateau Laurier-Transparency.) Members of Parliament never wanted federal parkland to be the back yard for a commercial enterprise:

House of Commons  Ottawa July 6, 1908. George Halsey Perley, Conservative: "...The hotel is going to get the benefit of the whole of Major's Hill Park. Even if there is a space left as an entrance, the park really will be the back garden for the hotel."

Haughton Lennox, Conservative: "The people's rights could be interfered with if there is not a fence placed between the hotel and the park."

4.)  The National Capital Commission does not have the power to approve or reject the architectural designs for the landmark because it is privately owned. However, the Grand Trunk Railway was not nationalized until 1918--- and the government had control over the GTR hotel design in 1908:

House of Commons Ottawa July 6, 1908. William Pugsley (Minister of Public Works) Conservative: "Before giving a conveyance, we must have the plans submitted to us and approved by the government...The Governor in Council will not allow any departure from these plans unless, on the advice of our chief architect, we think they should be altered."

5.) Views of the Parliament Buildings will be impacted:

Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton Response to NCC's Draft "Plan for Canada's Capital": 

"...Councillor Legendre also noted in the Urban Design section of the NCC's report, the policy spoke to protecting the views and symbolic primacy of the Parliament Buildings. He said similar words had long been used in the NCC's vision documents, yet he felt when a project or specific proposal came forward, the NCC offered no support. The Councillor said the most recent example of this was the new American Embassy. He recounted he had been on City Council when the proposal came forward, and the NCC had offered no support with regard to protecting the views and vistas of Parliament Hill, particularly from the Byward Market, along Clarence Street looking toward Parliament Hill." (From: Confirmation of minutes, City of Ottawa September 2, 1998.)

6.) The NCC has a duty to protect national historic sites: .One of the key objectives in 1988---to safeguard and preserve national treasures. (From: The National Capital Commission-The Canadian Encyclopedia,)

7.)  New buildings constructed beside the Rideau Canal have to follow the guidelines outlined in "The Rideau Canal National Historic Site-Principles of Good Waterfront Development."

8.)  Buffer zones will be breached. The Connaught Building, Rideau Canal and the Chateau are National Historic Sites of Canada and they are protected by a 500-metre buffer zone. The Connaught Building is located at 555 MacKenzie Avenue. "There will be a space of 120 feet from the hotel to the other side of MacKenzie Avenue". (Sir Wilfred Laurier, Prime Minister and President of the Privy Council, House of Commons, July 6, 1908.)

Parliament Hill 

June 18, 2020, CBC News image. Parliament Hill in Ottawa has already been sold to the Grand Trunk Railway/Chateau Laurier Hotel and American Embassy. Land has now been expropriated for the City of Ottawa's Light Rail Transit and another entity dug a giant crater in front of the Centre Block of Parliament.