Experimental Farm Ottawa.

A mega-hospital will be located within 150 metres of the following buildings:Classified Federal Heritage Buildings. The Dominion Observatory, South Azimuth and Photo Equatorial building.

Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings. Arc Biotech, William Saunders, Main Greenhouse Range, Nutrition building, Seismology Survey, Observatory House, Geophysical Laboratory, Machine Shop, Heritage House, Horticulture Building/Botanical Laboratory.

The affect on several landmarks and landscapes of blasting, light pollution, increase in traffic, etc.

Queen Elizabeth Driveway Cultural Landscape. "The portion of the landscape that is impacted by the proposed development is the section south of Preston Street along Prince of Wales Drive through the Central Experimental Farm to the traffic circle."

Dominion Observatory Complex. 

• Consideration of how lighting and new construction may impact the use of the Observatory for its intended function in the future.
• The interface between the complex and the surface parking to the east should be better screened with vegetation to mitigate the impact on the complex and its relationship to the farm.
• Consideration of the impacts should go beyond the potential physical impacts on the South Azimuth building as a result of emergency vehicles using Maple Drive and consideration of how the isolation of this resource from the rest of its context and the farm will impact its cultural heritage value.

The City received comments related to heritage issues from the public which could be categorized as follows:

• Impact on the Dominion Observatory-particularly regarding the sight lines from the 40 cm (16 inch) refractor telescope, impacts from additional lighting and concerns with the physical impacts on the South Azimuth building.
• General construction impacts on nearby heritage buildings.
• Protection of the pastoral and rural character of Maple Drive within the CEF.
• Protection of edge conditions related to the CEF and the Hospital site, such as the proposed central utility plant of the hospital and buffering to the CEF.
• Concerns with traffic volumes, including ambulance usage on internal roads to the CEF and adverse impacts to the character of the farm.
• Concerns with the changes to conditions along Prince of Wales Drive as it impacts edge conditions of the CEF. (Note: As a result of comments received from Heritage Staff, the NCC and the public the CHIS was revised and resubmitted on July 23, 2021.)

From: The Joint Meeting of Planning Committee and Built Heritage Sub-Committee/ October 1, 2021. Subject: Heritage Considerations. Master Site Plan Control, Ottawa Hospital, 930 Carling Avenue and 520 Preston Street.

Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev and federal Minister of Agriculture Eugene Whelan. The William Saunders building can be seen in the background. Mr. Whelan was a Trudeau government minister of agriculture from 1972 until 1984, and he said the Experimental Farm would be encroached upon "over my dead body."

H.R.H. Princess Anne and Minister Whelan visit the Experimental Farm on July 5,1982.

As I have mentioned before, plans were underway during the mid-1990's to demolish 50 buildings on the property and sell the land to developers.(Google:"The fight for the Farm goes on",Heritage Ottawa newsletter, Spring 1997.)

The new hospital will not be located beside a National Historic Site of Canada, it will be inside a National Historic Site. I cannot imagine a medical facility being constructed on the Plains of Abraham in Quebec City; Fort Henry in Kingston Ontario and Vancouver's Stanley Park.

The Rideau Canal buffer zone.

According to Senate Bill S-203, new construction is banned within 500 metres of the Rideau Canal. However, the City of Ottawa Official Plan states that the Rideau Canal buffer zone is far less:

"The City will conserve the natural environment, cultural heritage, scenic quality, and recreational potential of the Ottawa River, Rideau River and Rideau Canal by:

1.) Reviewing development applications adjacent to those rivers and canal to ensure that the visual quality of the waterway as well as natural and cultural features are evaluated."

"In this respect, a cultural heritage impact statement, as described in Section 4.6.1, will be required for any development application under the Planning Act within 30 metres of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site and its landscaped buffer in the urban area, which will be reviewed in consultation with Parks Canada and the National Capital Commission." (From: The Joint Meeting of Planning Committee and Built Heritage Sub-Committee, October 1, 2021. Subject: Heritage Considerations, Master Site Plan Control, Ottawa Hospital, 930 Carling Avenue and 520 Preston Street, page 9.)

Senate Bill S-209 was introduced in the year 2019 by Senator Serge Joyal.