Photographs, news articles and documents pertaining to the Experimental Farm. From my blog savecfbrockcliffe.

Her Majesty Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands visit the Tulip Festival at Dow's Lake, Ottawa.

A May 13, 1988 Ottawa Citizen article.

Ottawa Journal newspaper articles from 1974:

Prime Minister of Canada Louis St-Laurent decreed that "The Central Experimental Farm should remain an open area in perpetuity." A March 15, 1954 Privy Council Cabinet document.

Queen Juliana Park, 870 Carling Avenue, Ottawa. "When these temporary buildings are torn down, nothing will be constructed on the site." A statement by the Hon. Howard Charles Green, Minister of Public Works, House of Commons Ottawa, June 16, 1958.

The green spaces are part of the 13-acre Queen Juliana Park.

A list of articles about the Central Experimental Farm by me, savecfbrockcliffe.

1.)  A medical centre will intrude upon National Historic Sites of Canada - August 26, 2021.

2.)  If a hospital is built near Dow's Lake, the Rideau Canal will lose designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. - August 17, 2021.

3.)  The new Civic Hospital will not protect views of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site. - August 5, 2021.

4.)  Why was the Dominion Observatory decommissioned in 1970. - August 4, 2021.

5.)  Federal properties that were annexes to the Parliamentary Precinct. - August 4, 2021.

6.)  Liverpool, England has been stripped of UNESCO World Heritage Designation. - July 22, 2021.

7.)  The Experimental Farm Annex.- July 16, 2021.

8.)  Petition-Investigate the Hospital Site Change From Tunney's Pasture to the Experimental Farm. Change.org. - July 14, 2021.

9.)  The Farm, Commissioners Park and land adjacent to Dow's Lake cannot be sold or given away. - July 13, 2021.

10.) "How to Save a Farm: Central Experimental Farm Designated a National Historic Site." - July 11, 2021.

11.)  Photos from the National Archives. - July 9, 2021.

12.)  Trees are already being chopped down on the Experimental Farm. - July 8, 2021.

13.)  Federal property in the National Capital Region-1985. - July 6, 2021.

14.)  The Farm is a National Interest Land Mass, it cannot be subdivided. - July 4, 2021.

15.)  Find another location for the hospital. - July 2, 2021.

16.)  Queen Juliana Park, Ottawa, Canada. - June 30, 2021.

17.)  The division between a hospital and a farm. - June 22, 2021.

18.)  A petition that was sent to the Office of the Auditor General of Canada. - June 21, 2021.

19.)  The Coalition to Protect the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site of Canada. - June 20, 2021.

20.)  Street signs on the Farm. - June 19, 2021.

21.)  The Farm is an inappropriate location for condominiums and a medical centre. - June 15, 2021.

22.)  Canada's Parliamentary Precinct cannot be subdivided or privatized. - June 13, 2021.

23.)  A letter from Member of Parliament Elizabeth May to the Hon. Catherine McKenna, Federal Minister of the Environment. - June 6, 2021.

24.)  Experimental Farm trees. - June 4, 2021.

25.)  The people of Ottawa are mere bystanders. - June 1, 2021.

26.)  All of the roads near the Farm will be affected, to handle the increase in traffic from a hospital. - May 28, 2021.

27.)  Is more Farm land being privatized? - May 26, 2021.

28.)  1949 Report of the Federal District Commission, Ottawa, Canada. - May 24, 2021.

29.)  The importance of green space in the National Capital. - May 23, 2021.

30.)  The government of Canada was prepared to demolish 24 buildings for a hospital. - May 22, 2021.

31.)  The Sir John Carling property is a poor location for a hospital. - May 19, 2021.

32.)  The Sir John Carling property, Part 2 - May 16, 2021.

33.)  Dominion Observatory-Ability to receive radio emissions from outer space. - May 15, 2021.

34.)  More information about the Farm. - May 15, 2021.

35.)  The Sir John Carling property, Part 1. - May 13, 2021.

36.)  The medical centre wants far more than 60 acres of land. - May 11, 2021.

37.)  A letter asking Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau to save the Farm. - May 11, 2021.

38.)  The new hospital will encroach upon buffer zones. - May 10, 2021.

39.)  Carling Avenue Ottawa - from "A Wall of Condos" to "Hospital Row." May 7, 2021.

40.)  The province of Ontario and the City of Ottawa have the power to save the Experimental Farm. - May 7, 2021.

41.)  Save the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa. - May 4, 2021.

42.)  Micromanaging activities on public land. - April 29, 2021.

43.)  Green spaces in Ottawa. - April 17, 2001.

44.)  Loopholes. - April 8, 2001. 

45.)  The architecture of national symbols. - April 2, 2021.

46.)  What the people of Ottawa are losing. - March 29, 2021.

47.)  Landscapes in Canada's Capital have to be protected. March 23, 2021.

48.)  Highlights from the Carling-Preston District Secondary Plan - March 23, 2021.

49.)  City of Ottawa temporary buildings. - March 14, 2021.

50.)  The NCC and the City of Ottawa are not protecting important views. - March 6, 2021.

51.)  The National Capital Commission. - February 10, 2021.

52.)  The attempt to destroy Canadian nationalism. - February 11, 2021.

53.)  The mandate of the NCC is to beautify Canada's Capital. - February 9, 2021.

54.)  National Interest Land Mass properties. - February 7, 2021.

55.)  Federally owned public gardens in Ottawa and Hull-1950. - February 3, 2021.

56.)  Is it a coincidence. - February 2, 2021.

57.)  Surplus government of Canada propertoes. - January 24, 2021.

58.)  The privatization of public property. January 13, 2021.

59.)  The removal of vehicles from scenic highways. - January 11, 2021.

60.)  Save the Dominion Observatory. - January 10, 2021.

61.)  Out-of-control redevelopment. - January 4, 2021.

62.)  National Capital Commission controversies. - January 2, 2021.

63.)  The Greber Report of 1950. - December 31, 2020.

64.)  Why is park land being removed from the most densely populated area of Ottawa? - December 29, 2020.

65.)  The long-term preservation of the Experimental Farm. - December 28, 2020.

66.)  Federal green spaces in Ottawa are untouchable. - December 28, 2020.

67.)  The Experimental Farm in Ottawa is surrounded by buffer zones. - December 18, 2020.

68.)  The Preston-Carling Area Secondary Plan. - December 11, 2020.

69.)  Condominiums will be constructed on the Dow's Lake parking lot and Queen Juliana Park. - December 9, 2020.

70.)  Should the Experimental Farm be part of Ottawa's Greenbelt? - December 9, 2020.

71.)  Who owns a property once it is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site? - December 8, 2020.

72.)  "When the temporary buildings are torn down, nothing will be constructed on the site." - December 7, 2020.

73.)  Do not expropriate 50 acres of land from the Farm. - December 4, 2020.

74.)  A statement by Ottawa City Councillor Riley Brockington, December 1, 2020. - December 2, 2020.

75.)  The Rideau Canal is federal Crown property. - November 30, 2020.

76.)  Who owns Crown property in Canada? - November 30, 2020.

77.)  Endangered heritage buildings and landscapes. - November 29, 2020.

78.)  The Central Experimental Farm is a National Historic Site of Canada. - November 27, 2020.

79.)  The many reasons why a hospital cannot be built on the Experimental Farm. - November 26, 2020.

80.)  This is what happened to "untouchable" National Interest Land Mass properties. - November 5, 2020.

81.)  Keep hospitals and developers off the Farm. - November 4, 2020.

82.)  The government of Canada cannot sell the Central Experimental Farm.- November 2020.

83.)  NASA Earth Observatory Image of the Day-October 24, 2020. - November 1, 2020.

84.)  Federally Owned Real Estate 1970 - October 19, 2020.

85.)  Broken promises. - October 9, 2020.

86.)  Did the National Capital Commission have the authority to sell the following properties in Ottawa. - September 16, 2020.

87.)  Why not build a medical centre on the Plains of Abraham? - September 4, 2020.

88.)  The possibilities are endless... - August 29, 2020.

 

The intrusion of National Historic Sites of Canada, by a medical establishment.

 The Experimental Farm, Rideau Canal and Dominion Observatory are all National Historic Sites of Canada and they all have buffer zones:

Experimental Farm - 

Rideau Canal - 

The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Dominion Observatory complex - Bill S-203-An Act to Amend the National Capital Act- Section 2 - building or work of national significance means (k) a national historic site as defined in subsection 2 (1) of the Parks Canada Agency Act. 

Letter to Dr. Mark Kristmanson, National Capital Commission from the Friends of the Central Experimental Farm, February 7, 2017. 

"Dear Dr. Kristmanson: The Friends of the Central Experimental Farm (FCEF) were very supportive of the NCC process and review of the new site for the Ottawa Hospital. Unfortunately, the decision to choose a site on the Central Experimental Farm has prevailed. We believe that the potential impact of this decision on the grounds of the CEF needs to be stated."

"The specific site chosen for the hospital will challenge the public areas that are an integral part of the history and raison-d'etre of the Farm, and that objective is reinforced in the National Historic Site Management Plan."

"The Dominion Arboretum provides many benefits to residents and visitors to the Capital: removing air pollutants, reducing stress, cleaning groundwater, providing a cool retreat, reducing climate change, supporting wildlife and much more. In addition, the Arboretum provides a living historic record of trees planted on the Farm site since 1889."

"The Ornamental Gardens are of historic and national significance to all Canadians, as explained in the new FCEF publication, Blooms: An Illustrated History of the Ornamental Gardens at Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm. These gardens comprise unique plant collections found nowhere else in Canada. FCEF volunteers provide thousands of hours annually, under the direction of AAFC staff, demonstrating invaluable community involvement."

"The first challenge to both of these areas by the intended development can be seen in the layout plan for the new hospital, including the location of parking areas. Buildings and paved surfaces will be located across Prince of Wales Drive from the Arboretum, changing both sight and sound of the area. The construction will also displace many trees and hedges that were planted on the northwest side as an extension of the Arboretum. It's also worth noting that while a number of Farm buildings,i.e. the Dominion Observatory complex and other heritage buildings, will be in the buffer zone between the research fields and the new construction, there won't be a similar buffer zone on the east side of the development."

"The second significant challenge will come from the re-design of roads and traffic management on the repurposed site. Any widening of Prince of Wales Drive to accomodate increased traffic will diminish both the Arboretum and the Ornamental Gardens. Any change to the NCC Driveway, Birch Drive or Maple Drive will have a similar impact. Both will interfere with the intended landscape design as specified in the CEF National Historic Site Management Plan."

"A third and most significant threat will come from the precedent set that this project will make for future development. New encroachment could come from another border of the Farm, or it could come from the hospital administration's interest in continuous improvement to its facilities."

"The Friends of the Farm are dedicated to preserving and enhancing the public areas of the Farm. We believe that the NCC should be very specific in its guidance on this project, drawing on the NHS Management Plan, the CEF Advisory Council, and all resources available to protect these invaluable grounds. The NCC will be in a unique position to influence the design and construction so as to minimize the damage and additional encroachment on this National Historic Site. We urge you to exercise your full oversight responsibilities to ensure the Farm is preserved for all Canadians."

Yours sincerely, Judy Dodds, President, Friends of the Central Experimental Farm.

(The following individuals received copies of the above letter that Judy Dodds wrote to Dr. Mark Kristmanson, head of the National Capital Commission:

 The Hon. Melanie Joly, Minister responsible for the National Capital Commission; the Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food; the Hon. Catherine McKenna, Minister Responsible for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board and Federal Heritage Review Office; the Hon. Yasir Naqvi, Attorney General; and Mr. Jim Watson, Mayor, City of Ottawa.

The Arboretum Woods, Central Experimental Farm Woods and Prince of Wales Woods (Experimental Farm) are protected landscapes, Google:"urban natural features strategy, City of Ottawa, April 11, 2006." Table 1, Category 1.

"Canada's Farm" and the Rideau Canal Hartwell Locks. The photo is from smallpond.ca.

680 trees on the Experimental Farm will be chopped down for the medical centre. In 1995 a Member of Parliament made the following comment regarding the removal of old growth trees:

House of Commons Ottawa October 23, 1995. MP Beryl Gaffney (Nepean, Liberal). "Mr. Speaker, I have two sets of petitions to present. The first group of petitioners, some 63 of them, is saying that the cutting of old growth forests diminishes the national diversity of our environment, our country, our culture and our people. The petitioners request that Parliament order an immediate moratorium on the cutting of old growth forest reserves to promote the policy internationally."

The Greenbelt that surrounds Ottawa cannot be privatized.

Properties included in the landscape are:Wesley Clover Park; Commissioners Park at Preston and Carling Avenue; the Greenbelt Research farm that is bordered by Fallowfield, Hunt Club, Woodroffe and Greenbank Road;Mer Bleue; more...

Letter to Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson from CPAWS regarding encroachment on Mer Bleue:  The Mer Bleue Conservation Area is protected by the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat. The Canadian government signed the Ramsar Treaty on May 15, 1981.

Federal politicians who saved the Greenbelt: MP Marcel Proulx; MP Marlene Catterall; Environment Minister Jim Prentice; Environment Minister John Baird; MP Beryl Gaffney; the Hon.Walter Baker; the Hon. Mauril Belanger; MP Don Boudria; MP Royal Galipeau; the Hon. Gordon O'Connor; the Hon. Jean-Robert Gauthier; MP Steven Blaney.

House of Commons Ottawa September 16, 2009. Hon. Mauril Belanger (Ottawa-Vanier, Liberal) "Bill C-37, which is before us now, talks about protecting the ecological integrity of Gatineau Park. That is clearly what it says. Nothing is said at all about protecting the ecological integrity of the greenbelt..."

Hon. Gordon O'Connor, Conservative: "...With respect to the greenbelt in my own riding and the greenbelt itself, the NCC has the mandate to maintain that greenbelt. I believe it is part of our heritage and it must last as long in the future as possible...."

MP Pierre Lemieux (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture, CPC) "...The NCC is the largest federal land owner in the National Capital Region. It owns 470 square kilometres of land including Gatineau Park, the greenbelt, 2,100 acres of land in the urban area, 40 kilometres of parkways, 170 kilometres of recreational pathways and 1,300 buildings, 63 of them being heritage propertoes. The NCC also owns and operates six official residences in this region."

"Given the important mandate of the NCC to plan the development of the capital region and maintain the assets under its custody, Parliament decided many years ago that the NCC should be subject to more oversight with respect to its real estate transactions. This Bill (Bill C-37) introduces a definition of  "National Interest Land Mass" and requires regulations governing the relevant criteria and process."

Hon. Mauril Belanger (Ottawa-Vanier, Liberal.) "Mr. Speaker, I will ask the member for Glengarry-Prescott-Russell the same question I asked the member for Carleton-Mississippi Mills. Would he support an amendment that would address the concerns of many citizens vis-a-vis the greenbelt?"

MP Steven Blaney (Levis-Bellchasse, CPC) "...The greenbelt brings together several pieces of land along the Ottawa River on the Ontario side. It covers nearly 20,000 hectares of green space including farms, forests and wetlands...The Mer Bleue Conservation Area is located east of Ottawa. A boardwalk protects the acidic water and the bog that shelters unusual species and other plants. In 1995, the area was designated a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention, a treaty for the conservation and wise use of wetlands. Other properties found in the Greenbelt are Commissioners Park where there is a display of over 100,000 tulips each spring, and Bate Island on the Ottawa River.

House of Commons Ottawa June 23, 1992. Mrs. Beryl Gaffney (Nepean) Liberal. "Mr. Speaker, my question is to the Minister of Public Works...Recent actions by the National Capital Commission have Nepean and other area municipalities concerned that there is a movement away from the original objectives for these lands. Does the government plan on maintaining the status quo on all greenbelt lands or are these lands in fact up for sale piece by piece."

Canadian architectural and engineering wonders.

1.)  The Parliament Buildings, Ottawa.

2.)  Union Station, 2 Rideau Street, Ottawa where I was employed 40 years ago. During the Centennial plans were underway to demolish the Conference Centre.

3.)  The Dominion Astrophysical Observatory, Carling Avenue, Ottawa is facing demolition, either deliberate or collateral from blasting during construction of a medical centre.

4.)  The Chateau Laurier Hotel.

5.)  Dominion Buildings that were constructed in nearly almost every city and town.

6.)  The Rideau Canal from Ottawa to Kingston, Ontario.

7.)  The Kingston,Ontario buildings that were owned by Corrections Canada//the people of Canada.

8.)  The Martello Napoleonic Towers.

9.)  Lighthouses.

A YouTube video called "The Great Reset of the 19th Century: The Lost History of Flat Earth" suggested that many landmarks were created by out-of-this-world entities.

Dominion Buildings that still exist:

A former post office on 10 Toronto Street, Toronto. Canadian businessman E.P. Taylor saved the Greek Revival building from demolition.

If a hospital is built near Dow's Lake, the Rideau Canal will lose designation as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Google: "Letter from UNESCO regarding inappropriate development -Rideau Canal." I am getting the impression that Parks Canada wants the property to be de-listed because they are privatizing it: "Parks Canada to look at divesting highways, bridges, dams - Cash-strapped agency examining whether to transfer or divest non-heritage assets worth $8.3 B." by Dean Beeby, CBC News, August 26, 2017.

The Rideau Canal has 52 dams, 47 locks, many bridges and a tunnel at Patterson Creek.

A TV Ontario documentary that can be viewed on YouTube.

A Fraser Institute document.

 National Parks located in British Columbia are Yoho, Kootenay, Glacier, Mount Revelstoke, Pacific Rim, Gulf Islands and Gwaii Haanas.

Are the Mooney's Bay, Hog's Back and Vincent Massey Parks being transferred to the City of Ottawa?

Confederation Heights redevelopment plans.  A Road Network. iii "City Council shall support the ownership transfer from Public Works and Government Services Canada to the City, those portions of Heron Road and Riverside Drive that traverse the Confederation Heights area to have them formally integrated as part of the arterial road network."

iii "Council shall consider the appraisal of any lands to be transferred in the context of their current use as open space, their classification as open space in the City of Ottawa Official Plan and in consideration that they will remain as open space."

 "In lieu of payment the parkland levy by the Federal Government and/or partners involved in the development of lands within the Confederation Heights Employment Centre, with the exception of the Canada Post Headquarters, may direct the developers to pay the NCC the cash equivalent of the levy, subject to a further agreement between the City and the NCC to transfer title of Federal lands now leased to the City of Ottawa for park purposes."

If the municipality ever gets its hands on Mooney's Bay, Hog's Back and Vincent Massey Park, they will not be open spaces for very long:

Recreational Land Strategy for Ottawa, 2006-2031. 4.4.2. Parks and Open Spaces. "The City's requirements for parks and open spaces may have to be revisited to ensure that the types of spaces required of developers reflect the need for quality spaces of all sorts (active, passive, programmed, soft-surface and hard-surface) at the right location, and at the right sizes. The goals of a review of parks and recreational land should be "Quality over quantity of space should be the guiding principle." Parks don't have to be grassy to be green. One of the many types of public green space is the plaza. Sized right and positioned at the heart of a community, it becomes a genuine focal point. The city should accept parkettes as part of the 5% parkland dedication." (A parkette or pocket park is less than 0.5 hectares---savecfbrockcliffe.)

Federal properties divested to the City of Ottawa---the Laurier Avenue Bridge and Mackenzie King Bridge that span the Rideau Canal; the Normal School on Elgin Street that is part of Ottawa City Hall; the Beaver Barracks; 1010 Somerset Street West.

Similarities to the Moffat Farm, 1709 Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa. Moffat Farm was an 84-acre Veterans Affairs property located near Mooney's Bay and Hog's Back. Mayor Bob Chiarelli and the entire City Council wanted to buy the land so that it would remain a green space.

Federal parks located beside the Rideau Canal/Rideau River cannot be sold or subdivided because they are part of the National Interest Land Mass: "The National Interest Land Mass (NILM) consists of "national shrines, the river and canal banks, the Confederation Boulevard, the Gatineau Park, and the Greenbelt in the National Capital Region...considered essential to the realization of the Vision of the Capital."

"Land forming part of the NILM will be retained by the NCC on behalf of the government in perpetuity, for purposes which lie at the core of the NCC's mandate." Rideau Canal lands from downtown to Hog's Back Road-90 hectares or 222 acres. (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC.)

The Greber Report of 1950 designated 900 square miles of greenspace in the National Capital Region as a memorial in perpetuity to Canadians who were killed fighting in foreign wars. That includes includes Gatineau Park, the Greenbelt and federal parks. Commissioners at Preston, Major's Hill and Wesley Clover Park are part of the memorial.

The Farm was supposed to be off-limits to residential developers: "It was confirmed that 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 in 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." (The Moffat Farm was a National Interest Land Mass-savecfbrockcliffe.) (Google: City of Ottawa planning and development Moffat Farm February 28, 2002.")

A "surplus" property that was owned by Public Works and Government Services//the people of Canada, 1010 Somerset Street West.

The Greenbelt-"The City of Ottawa has identified more than 13,700 acres of the Greenbelt that could be developed." (White Paper-Development in the Greenbelt-May 27, 2008.) The Greenbelt is untouchable, it is part of the 900 square mile memorial to Canadian soldiers, see the Greber Report.

The possible takeover of Canada's National Parks.

 House of Commons Ottawa March 19, 1998. MP Rick Laliberte (Churchill River, Sask.) New Democratic Party. (Bill C-29, the Canada Parks Agency Act..) "Mr. Speaker, the hon. member spoke at the beginning of this about hope, and at the end he also spoke of hope. How much hope do we have in the government? I listen to this party every day which talks about the obligations of the government and the patronage appointments. Now we are allowing another agency with a chief executive officer to be created by this government for another plum patronage appointment."

"(The Canada Parks Agency Act) is a capitalist form of commercializing of our national parks and eventual privatization when hon. members take their children...and enter the Walt Disney national park." more...

House of Commons Ottawa March 15,1972.(Government of Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. Canada's federal parklands will be owned by the citizens of this country forever): The Hon. Martin O'Connell, Minister of Labour, Liberal: "In our government's four years in office our national parks have increased from 18 to 28...There is a 50 per cent increase in the area set aside in perpetuity for national parks. Canada leads all nations in the world in land set aside for future generations."

House of Commons Ottawa February 24, 1970. The Hon. Jack Marshall (Humber-St. Georges-St. Barbe) Liberal: "National parks are a national domain set aside by the Parliament of Canada for all the people."

"In one year, with the support of this bill, it is possible that there will be no Crown land assets left."

House of Commons Ottawa November 22, 1991. Bill C-3, the Federal Real Property Act: MP Dennis Mills (Broadview-Greenwood) Liberal: "...In my office I read part of Bill C-3, an act respecting the acquisition, administration and disposition of real property by the Government of Canada...I know that all of us were in support of this bill, but as I started reflecting on what is really going on in this bill I became concerned. I think of my own city of Toronto and the way the government has disposed of the Harbourfront lands...and the disposition of the CBC lands. This is a bill that is going to make the developers of every region and every city of Canada ecstatic." 

The Hon. Mac Harb (Ottawa Centre) Liberal: " The hon. member says one year...Where do we start? Everything we stand for as a country is being questioned in the name of deficit reduction. Everything that is going to be sold as a result of the enactment of Bill C-3 will be justified by any minister who is selling something by pointing out that the proceeds will go to the deficit reduction fund. It is a fund that will not kick in until 1996."

MP John Nunziata (York South-Weston) Liberal: "Madam Speaker, I would like to ask a general question about the disposition of publicly owned land or publicly owned assets. We know that the provincial NDP government in Ontario has sold the public interest in the SkyDome. The taxpayers of Ontario had an interest in the SkyDome. It was revealed this week that the proceeds of that particular sale would be used to reduce the deficit. In order to accomodate some fiscal responsibilities that the provincial New Democratic Party self-authored it is selling off public assets---at one seventh of the value, as my friend from Broadview-Greenwood indicates, to deal with a short-term financial problem....Is there anything (in this bill) that would restrict where the money can go after a publicly owned asset is sold?"

Federal properties that were given away: The Paul Martin Federal Building, Windsor, Ontario; the CBC Headquarters on Jarvis Street in Toronto were donated to the National Ballet School of Canada; the Laurier Avenue Bridge and Mackenzie King Bridge that span the Rideau Canal were given to the Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton; 60 acres of Central Experimental Farm land on Carling Avenue were donated to the Ottawa Hospital Corporation.

"In 1995-96, the (National Capital) Commission signed an agreement to sell the Laurier and Mackenzie King Bridges to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa Carleton for the consideration of one dollar." (Report of the NCC, 1995-96 Annual Report, Page 45/111.)  According to a treaty signed by the governments of Great Britain and Canada, the Rideau Canal would always be owned and maintained by the Government of Canada: House of Commons Ottawa June 1, 1950. George Taylor Fulford (Leeds) Liberal: "There was a rather quaint treaty signed between Great Britain and Canada when the canal was turned over to Canada. One of the clauses stated that Canada would maintain the canal system as long as the grass was green and the sky was blue."

How to preserve Canada's sovereignty.

1.)  Preserve the symbols that define Canada---our Maple Leaf Flag, Coat of Arms and Official Anthem "O Canada."

2.)  Do not let Parks Canada privatize $8 billion dollars worth of infrastructure in the National Parks.

3.)  Do not privatize any more Crown corporations; the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada Post and Via Rail should always be owned by the citizens of this country.

4.)  If the Alberta government wants to sell or lease dozens of provincial parks, give the federal government an opportunity to buy the properties. Dinosaur Provincial Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

5)  Try to convince the UN to designate Portsmouth Village in Kingston, Ontario a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The Kingston Pen, Prison for Women, land surrounding the Church of the Good Thief, St. Helen's, Isabel MacNeill Halfway House, Portsmouth Olympic Park and Rockwood should not be sold to housing developers.

6.) Give the Historic Sites and Monuments Board the power to protect historic buildings and landscapes.

7.) Do not let the City of Ottawa use federal property as a land bank. The Greenbelt should be off-limits.

8.)  Do not denationalize the National Parks or Rideau Canal:

House of Commons Ottawa March 19, 1998. Bill C-29, an Act to Amend the National Parks Act. Mr. Nelson Riis (Kamloops, B.C.) New Democratic Party: "...Members can probably tell that I do not support Bill C-29 at his point....This bill involves a great deal of Canada: 31 national parks, 786 historical sites, a number of historical canal systems (Rideau Canal), 661 sites that are managed by third parties that are ecologically or environmentally significant, 165 heritage railroad stations and 31 river systems."

Mr. Howard Hilstrom (Selkirk-Interlake, Manitoba) Reform: "Mr. Speaker, I am quite interested in the financial aspects of this bill. Is there a possibility of foreign interests getting involved in our parks systems?"

Mr. Nelson Riis: "Obviously the answer is yes. We lack a national parks policy just as we lack a national waterways policy or a national highway policy."

Big changes may be on the horizon for Major's Hill Park.

 Canada Day and Tulip Festival celebrations may be banned in the park: "The design and contractual sale condominium agreements must fully resolve noise generated by continued events in Major's Hill Park." (From: Proposed addition to Chateau Laurier, February 2018.)

In the year 1957, the Chateau Laurier lobbied the Federal District Commission for 3 acres of Major's Hill land for parking. The Commission turned down the proposal. The FDC is now known as the National Capital Commmission.

Trees and shrubs are being removed including the row of trees that separate the Chateau from the park. If the NCC is on board with the loss of 680 trees on the Farm, why would they care about the gardens and trees in the park.

The NCC is deciding if any new access points to the park should be created. A private company and a publicly-funded Crown corporation should not have the power to decide if any entrances to Major's Hill Park should be created or removed. Tall fences (barriers) can easily be installed as well as checkpoints. I would not be surprised if benches are removed to prevent members of the public from sitting down and enjoying views of Parliament Hill, the Ottawa River and the Rideau Canal. Will park "ambassadors" be hired to monitor how long people can enjoy the venue? Will they encourage visitors to "stay on the pathways" and not check out the statues, or take photographs? 

The new Civic Hospital will not protect views of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site.

"Parks Canada's Rideau Canal Management Plan serves as a key land use planning document for lands situated in the immediate vicinity of the Rideau Canal National Historic Site i.e. CEF lands abutting Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal. In particular, back shore land use and development is expected to protect open space and ensure compatible activities with the historic character of the Canal...Views to the Canal from the Arboretum and from other lands east of Prince of Wales Drive are also to be protected." (From: The CEF National Historic Site Management Plan (7 of 20) Government of Canada and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada.) 

CEF National Historic Site Management Plan (20 of 20.) 4.3 Objectives for the Designated Place. "The designated place will be unimpaired and not under threat when: the present boundaries and spacial balance of the Farm are safeguarded and preserved; the surviving 19th century landscape plan, including the core administration, scientific and farm buildings, plus the arboretum, lawn, ornamental gardens and display beds, experimental fields, plots and shelterbelts, and circulation patterns set in a Picturesque composition, is safeguarded and maintained in accordance with recognized heritage conservation principles; a sufficiently large area to carry out the scientific research function is maintained; the character of a "farm" as defined by fields, utilitarian buildings and circulation patterns is recognized; and "the farm within a city" remains sufficiently large to provide a contrast to the scale of urban development."

The Greber Report of 1950, page 199/395. "Extensive parks and playgrounds were recommended, including the acquirement of the Laurentian Hills for a National Park, and the development of Dow's Lake and its adjacent lands as a recreational centre was strongly urged."

National Capital Commission Plan for Canada's Capital-2017-2067. Pertaining to the CEF:

Lands east of Prince of Wales Drive are Capital Urban Green Space; the Rideau Canal and nearby CEF shore lands are Waterway and Shore Lands; the Canada Agriculture Museum lands are National Cultural Institution; the research fields are Rural Lands; Lands near Carling Avenue are Federal Node.

Report of the Federal District Commission, 1949-page 14/75. "Wherever possible, the parks and driveways are and will be located along the banks of the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers, the Rideau Canal and Dow's Lake."

House of Commons Ottawa March 10, 1986. The NCC has a long-standing policy "to retain federal riverfront land in Canadian ownership for public use." The Hon. John B. Stewart (Parliamentary Secretary to Minister of Public Works.) Liberal: "This policy acts to ensure direct access by the public to the river shore."

Why was the Dominion Observatory decommissioned in 1970.

 House of Commons Ottawa April 13, 1965. Ability to Receive Radio Emissions from Outer Space? MP John Angus MacLean (Queens.) "I would like to direct a question to the Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys and ask him if the Dominion Observatory has the ability to listen to and evaluate radio transmissions from outer space, which a Russian astronomer claims are transmitted by intelligent beings."

Hon. W.M. Benidickson, (Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys.) Liberal Labour: "I want to assure my hon. friend that up to now the Observatory has not indicated to me it has such capabilities."

All Astrophysical Observatories in Canada had buffer zones- they were located in Ottawa; Victoria, British Columbia; Penticton, B.C.; Gatineau Park and Kingston, Ontario. 

House of Commons Ottawa 1961/06/01. MP William Peters (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation). "Do we carry out regular tracking of satellites and other phenomena? Do we do all this from the dominion observatory and correlate reports from other observatories on the continent and from across the world? Do we now have facilities for communication between these observatories in order to maintain our share of a world-wide observatory system?"

The Hon. Paul Comtois (Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys) Progressive Conservative: "Yes, we do track satellites...we collect and compute all information which is obtained from other observatories in the world."

Mr. Douglas Mason Fisher (CCF): "...I am interested in the whole question of defence from missiles of various kinds. I know this may sound fantastic, but there is speculation that space platforms may be built."

House of Commons Ottawa July 5, 1956. Hon. George Prudham (Minister of Mines and Technical Surveys) Liberal: "...The dominion observatories in Ottawa and Victoria. B.C. are maintained by this department. Observations of stars are essential to the maintenance of a time service. This is given with a precision that is essential for longitude determination as well as public use."

"The investigations carried out by two field stations in Meanook and Newbrook in Northern Alberta are in relation to the rate of meteor travel in the high atmosphere. This is a subject that is of interest to national defence in connection with the use of high velocity projectiles. We maintain a terrestrial magnetism section at Ottawa."

Save the Portsmouth Olympic Harbour Greenspace.

 Before the 1976 Montreal Olympics the taxpayers of Ontario bought a greenspace at the Portsmouth harbour. The  province gave the land to the people of Kingston but there were conditions: "The City of Kingston agreed to take over responsibility for maintainance at the end of the Olympics, and said it would be open to the public as a park." (From: Kingston Penitentiary and Portsmouth Olympic Harbour-Opportunities and Constraints, page 18/140.) Now the City is planning to sell the land to condo developers. savecfbrockcliffe.

Games of the XX1 Olympiad, Montreal 1976. Official Report, Volume 2, Page 215/238.

"The site of the Olympic Yachting Centre was Portsmouth Harbour, originally a nineteenth-century commercial port for sailing ships which had fallen into a state of some disrepair. Reconstruction of the site began in March, 1974. Since the facility would later remain available to the public, the government of Ontario provided funds for the purchase of the land, and the federal government undertook to share the cost of installations. The work itself, carried out by the federal Ministry of Public Works, through the Marina Policy Assistance Program of Environment Canada, included the repair and extension of of the existing breakwater and the dredging of the harbor. The City of Kingston also requested the same ministry to design and build the facewall and walkways, as well as all services to be located on the site."

Federal properties that were annexes to the Parliamentary Precinct.

The Dominion Observatory. "The popularity of the Observatory occurred when it opened in 1905, due to the support of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Laurier's advocation reinforced the idea that this Observatory was to be considered an arm of the parliamentary precinct; a building that would have remained on that central city site as part of the building (site) if it were not for light pollution. At the time it was recognized as a national achievement, where the nation's time would be kept, and would be a symbol of Canada's progress in astronomical science. (From: Journal of the Society for the Study of Architecture in Canada, page 10/67 and page 14/67.)

The Lebreton Flats. House of Commons Ottawa November 23, 1967. The Hon. George McIlraith (Minister of Public Works.) "The Lebreton Flats were envisioned as a western extension to the Parliamentary Precinct. Buildings on or near the Parliamentary Precinct cannot be any taller than the Peace Tower."

Major's Hill Park land cannot be sold.

House of Commons Ottawa July 6, 1908. Mr. Robert Laird Borden (Leader of the Official Opposition.) Grand Trunk Railway Hotel Site. "...The park is a portion of the national domain, and a portion of the grounds of parliament."

Major's Hill Park in Ottawa, behind the Chateau Laurier, was Ordnance property that was used for the defence of Canada.

Legal Title of Parliament Hill. House of Commons, Ottawa, December 21, 1963. "Notes on civil law respecting their ownership, management and control and the rights and interests therein of Federal and provincial Crown Parliamentary and Judicial authorities. With the exception of the years 1802-1823, Parliament Hill has been owned by the Crown-successively the Crown Imperial, the Crown Provincial and the Crown Federal. Since 1823, the Crown has always held these lands for public purposes-either of defence or generally."

"In 1802, the British Crown granted the area to Jacob Carman who deeded it in 1812 to Thomas Fraser by whose son Hugh it was inherited. In 1823 the Earl of Dalhousie, the Governor, purchased the Hill from Hugh Fraser on behalf of the British Crown and, by letter, entrusted its control and management to Colonel John By with instructions that the Hill, together with Major Hill and Nepean Point, be reserved for military purposes. About 1857 the British Crown transferred the Ordnance (or military) lands-these including the Hill together with the Rideau Canal lands-to the Government of Upper Canada. With Confederation the Hill and the buildings then thereon were included in those public lands and works transferred from Upper Canada to Canada by section 108 of the B.N.A. Act and clause 9 of the 3rd Schedule therefore. Thereafter the Hill has continued in the ownership of Canada." 

"The statutory phrase is that the Parliament Hill lands are absolutely vested in Her Majesty in right of Canada for the purposes of Canada. See: Public Lands Grants Act, R.S. ch. 224, the Governor in Council holds the power of disposition of title and the power of appointment over the control and management. By virtue of the Public Land Grants Act, R.S. ch. 224, the Governor in Council may classify public lands as those necessary for the defence of Canada and those not so necessary." (more)

Major's Hill Park was Ordnance or Admiralty land. 1959 photo.

The photo is from "Dreams of Major's Hill Park---1969-1970."