The Chateau Laurier addition ignores official guidelines.

 Glossary of terms that pertain to the hotel, Major's Hill Park and the Rideau Canal:

Blanket Height Control-A view protection tool that establishes a single and broadly applicable maximum permitted height of any new development within a designated area. Usually listed in metres above ground or metres above sea level.

Buffer Zone - An area of land designated for view protection achieved by utilizing various planning tools such as height limits, zoning and/or development restrictions.

Central Capital Landscape- The symbolic centre of the Capital Core, including the Parliament Buildings as well as the Supreme Court, Major's Hill Park, and green space on the Gatineau waterfront.

Cultural Landscape-A geographic area, including both cultural and natural resources exhibiting cultural or aesthetic values.

National Symbols-The Parliament Buildings and other major public buildings and physical landforms within the Parliamentary Precinct and around Confederation Boulevard.

View Controls-A set of policies and/or guidelines that aim to protect views of national symbols, natural features, or other landmarks. (The glossary is from "New Tools for View Controls in Canada's Capital-2016", page 28/76.)

"When determining the heirarchy of view protection policies, it is important to note that there are additional secondary national symbols within the Central Capital Landscape whose views are to be protected, preserved and enhanced. This includes national symbols on both sides of the Ottawa River such as the National Gallery, the Notre-Dame Cathedral, the Museum of History, the Supreme Court and Chateau Laurier." ("New Tools for View Controls in Canada's Capital-2016",page 37/76.)

House of Commons Debates Ottawa November 26, 1909. Regarding the Chateau Laurier Hotel.

Mr. George Eulas Foster (Conservative) "This is the first vote for the construction and we would like to know what the proposed buildings are to cost, what their capacity and what use they will be put to."

Mr. William Pugsley (Minister of Public Works) Liberal: "...The building will have one frontage on Sussex street and another on Major Hill park, length 590 feet and width 250 feet; two large courts 154 by 79; the building will have six stories and a basement on the park and seven stories and a basement on Sussex street; it will be 125 feet high on MacKenzie avenue and 150 feet high above Sussex street; the centre of the building will face York street which is quite a wide street. The lower end of the building will be 503 feet from St. Patrick street and the upper end 247 feet from the Lindsay property. It will be built of stone."

Mr. Foster: "What kind of stone?"

Mr. Pugsley: "Something similar to that in the Museum."

(Note: The National Capital Commission refuses to become involved in the Chateau Laurier debate because "the hotel is private property." However:

1.) The Grand Trunk Railway was a private corporation in 1908 and 1909, when it was negotiating for land on the federal Major's Hill Park. The park was part of Parliament Hill.

2.) The federal government had the power to approve or reject the Grand Trunk hotel architectural designs.

3.) The hotel parking garage did not obliterate views of the Chateau Laurier from Major's Hill Park. The new addition, built on the grounds of the garage, will obstruct views of the Chateau from Major's Hill Park. It will also remove sightlines of the Rideau Canal and Parliament Hill from the Mile of History.

4.) Why is the City of Ottawa involved in this project and not the Governor General of Canada, Senate of Canada, Public Works, National Capital Commission and Federal Department of Heritage? This is not a delapidated barn we're talking about---the hotel is a National Historic Site of Canada; protected by Part 1V of the Ontario Heritage Act; a former Canadian National Railway property; the Canada pavilion at Epcot in Orlando, Florida is a replica of the castle; Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau refused to sell the CN hotels to Hilton during the 1970's and television shows and movies are filmed here ("Little Gloria, Happy at Last").

5.) Does anyone even care about the fact that the designation "UNESCO World Heritage Site" will be removed from the Rideau Canal if the extension is built?