The Sir John Carling property is a poor location for a medical centre.

From: "NCC Federal Site Review for the New Civic Campus of the Ottawa Campus", November 2016, pages 67 and 68 out of 256 pages. 

Central Experimental Farm East.

Historical Context. This parcel formed part of the original CEF landscape when it was first established in 1886. While it was originally partly experimental fields and partly meadow, it was later the site of the Sir John Carling Building. That building was demolished in 2014, leaving only the West Annex (the former cafeteria.)

Formal Heritage Recognition. Part of the CEF National Historic Site of Canada. The Sir John Carling Building, a Recognized Federal Heritage Building, was demolished in 2014, but the West Annex was retained.The West Annex is planned for re-evaluation by the FHBRO.

Key Heritage Considerations. Only a portion of the proposed site is located within the National Historic Site boundary, but it would still affect the "present boundaries and spacial balance of the Farm." The site is also in the vicinity of several designated federal heritage buildings and this context would need to be considered in the design of a potential new building on the site.

Proposed Rating. Poor in that there are multiple heritage considerations including intrusion into the present boundary of the CEF National Historic Site of Canada and proximity to the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site and several Federal Heritage Buildings.

References

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The Province of Ontario will never permit the redevelopment of the Farm.The 2014 Provincial Policy Statement under the Planning Act, Page 28/56:

2.3. Agriculture 2.3.1. Prime agricultural areas shall be protected for long-term use for agriculture. (Construction of a medical facility will contravene) (i) The Ontario Heritage Act; (ii) The Planning Act; (iii) The Provincial Policy Statement. The 2014 Provincial Policy Statement declares that:"Significant built heritage resources and significant built heritage landscapes shall be conserved."

Definition of a Cultural Heritage Landscape in Ontario. "means a defined geographical area that may have been modified by human activity and is identified as having cultural heritage value or interest by a community, including by an Aboriginal community."

"The area may involve features such a structures, spaces, archeological sites or natural elements that are valued together for their interrelationships, meaning or association. Examples may include but are not limited to, heritage conservation districts designated under the Ontario Heritage Act; villages, parks, gardens, battlefields, mainstreets, and neighbourhoods; cemeteries, trailways, viewsheds, natural areas and industrial complexes of heritage significance; and areas recognized by federal or international designation authorities (e.g.) a National Historic Site or a UNESCO World Heritage Site." (From:Dan Schneider, University of Waterloo, May 26, 2018.)