Vincent Massey Park will most likely be redeveloped because of a housing shortage. In 1974 the National Capital Commission tried to remove 700 acres of land from the Experimental Farm using the "housing shortage" excuse.

Summary

• Property Number: 02922
• Custodian: National Capital Commission
• Interest: Crown Owned
• Restrictions: No Restriction
• Primary Use: Parks and Recreation
• Address: Heron Road
• Place Name: No Data
• Municipality: Ottawa
• Province/Territory: Ontario
• Federal Electoral District: Ottawa South
• Census Classification: Rural
• Land Area: 21.1995 ha. or 52.3851 acres
• Building Count: 7
• Floor Area: 1,336.92 sq. m.
• Record Created On: July 30, 1998
• Record Last Modified On: March 20, 2020 (The information and map are from the Federal Directory of Real Property website.)

Summary

• Property Number: 03038
• Custodian: National Capital Commission
• Interest: Crown Owned
• Restriction: No Restriction
• Primary Use: Parks and Recreation
• Address: Riverside Drive
• Place Name: No Data
• Municipality: Ottawa
• Province/Territory: Ontario
• Federal Electoral District: Ottawa South
• Land Area: 8.3247 ha. or 20.57 acres
• Building Count: 0
• Floor Area: 0 sq. m.
• Record Created On: July 30, 1998
• Record Last Modified On: March 20, 2020.

The federal department of Public Works is transferring Heron Road and Riverside Drive within Confederation Heights, to the City of Ottawa. "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." (Google: 7.0 Confederation Heights|City of Ottawa A. Road Network.)

Confederation Heights Final Report - Lessons for Confederation Heights, Page 34/84.

"Consider the opportunity to create a central community where stores and cafes spill out onto the traditional street network, mimicking a vibrant downtown to fulfil the "lifestyle" component of Confederation Heights. The Yards (in Washington D.C.) is attempting to become a cultural center and 18-hour destination as well as a place to live, work and play."

"Implement competitive design processes as a key way to increase the benefit to the community as well as maximize the use of space. The Yards architectural and design standards were increased through a competitive process for a master plan. The area can leverage existing transit networks to support higher density and a mix of uses that can entice the private sector to engage in development."

Vincent Massey Park now:

The Yards is a residential and commercial development in Washington, DC and the land was federal property, a Navy Yard. The NCC is a federal Crown corporation that is supposed to represent all Canadians. How many of us want to give up green space THAT WE COLLECTIVELY OWN. 

Vincent Massey Park is part of the National Interest Land Mass, and the National Capital Commission cannot transfer, sell or subdivide NILM properties---"Land forming part of the NILM will be retained by the NCC in perpetuity..." (A government order created by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Minister of Public Works Erik Nielsen, to "rein in" the Crown corporation, and to prevent federal properties from becoming a land bank for the City of Ottawa.-Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC).

The 42-acreYards Park in Washington DC.

A 1974 Ottawa Journal article. Agriculture Canada refused to give up 700 acres of the Experimental Farm.

"The NCC - Proponent's Guide to the NCC's Federal Land Use, Design and Transaction Approval Process" June 2021.

 National Interest Land Mass - "The 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 the NILM will be retained by the NCC in perpetuity." (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC.)

The Impact Assessment Act - Page 11/27 - "The NCC considers potential impacts on both the biophysical and socio-economical environment..."

Conservation of federal heritage buildings and sites. Page 13/27

Permanent damage to buildings, landscapes and views on the Farm.

-an average of 100 ambulance trips are expected every day, with 75% of the trips on Maple Drive and 25% on Prince of Wales Drive. (page 3/87.)

-inability of the Dominion Observatory to ever function again when the telescope is returned. "Impacts to views from the Observatory dome to the sky-should a telescope be reinstated-will be irreversible and permanent once Tower A of the Hospital Building is realized. Also, light spillover and pollution can reduce the amount of stars and astrological features visible." (Page 8/87)

-new roads will be constructed.

City of Ottawa Development Applications Search

•  Application #D07-12-22-0168
• Application Status: Active
• Date Received: 2022-12-07
• Addresses: 930 Carling, 520 Preston
• Ward: Ward 16-Riley Brockington
• Application: Site Plan Control
• Description: The development proposed are Phase 3 and Phase 4 of the Ottawa Hospital Master Site Plan; Phase 3 is the CUP (Central Utility Plant containing electrical, heating and cooling equipment located at the rear of the hospital---Phase 4 is the hospital main building consisting of a 2-storey podium, two towers (8 and 12 storey) and pavilion flanking main entrance.

Cultural Heritage Impact Statement Addendum 2 - D07-12-22-0168. Impact Statements.

"This phase of the development of the new hospital campus has the greatest potential to impact the cultural heritage landscape of the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site of Canada and the adjacent heritage resources including the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada and UNESCO World Heritage Site of Canada, the Federal Heritage Buildings of the Dominion Observatory Complex and other adjacent Federal Heritage Buildings." (Page 17/87.) 

Affected Visual Presentations

• views from Prince of Wales Scenic Entry---Include views toward proposed loading docks.
• view from entrance to Queen Elizabeth Drive/Dows Lake (at Preston/Prince of Wales).
• views from Dows Lake to main hospital buildings.
• views from Carling Avenue both east and west of the main hospital building.
• views identified in the Commemorative Integrity Statement for the Central Experimental Farm.
• views from adjacent CEF heritage buildings (e.g. Dominion Observatory Complex, Saunders Building, along Commissioners Drive and/or Maple Drive.
• views identified in the NCC Visual Assessment Views Analysis (2009 and 2013.)
• view from/along the Rideau Canal including from Commissioners Park, Hartwells Lockstation and Colonel By Drive (that were assessed for the Campus Master Plan and parking garage applications.) ( Page 18)

How the Dominion Observatory Campus will be affected by the mega-hospital:

• Potential construction impacts
• Isolation of the complex from its surroundings
• Obstruction or diminishment of significant views of the Dominion Observatory dome
• Obstruction or impact to views of the night sky from the dome
• Impact of the lighting plan (Page 2/87)

"Historic structures, particularly those built of masonry, are susceptible to damage from vibration caused by pavement breakers, plate compactors, utility excavations and increased heavy vehicle travel in the immediate vicinity. Like any structure, they are also threatened by collisions with heavy machinery, subsidence from utility line failures or excessive dust." (Page 4/87.)

The Dominion Observatory was "constructed of the highest quality materials and craftsmanship, the public and functional facades of the buildings are unified by the masonry work." (Google: Canada's Historic Places.) 

A YouTube video.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Central Experimental Farm Commemorative Integrity Statement - 1.1. National Historic Sites Objectives - The federal government's objectives for Canada NHS programmes are:

• to foster knowledge and appreciation of Canada's past through a national program of historic commemoration; and
• to ensure the commemorative integrity of national historic sites by protecting and presenting them for the benefit, education and enjoyment of this and future generations, in a manner that respects the significant and irreplaceable legacy represented by these places and their associated resources. 

4.0 Defining the Designated Space - The Central Experimental Farm is situated in the urban setting of Ottawa. The boundaries of the designated place are defined as those lands which are bounded on the north by Carling Avenue, on the west by Fisher Avenue as far as Kingston Avenue, excluding the complex of Fisher Heights, and by Merivale Road as far as Baseline Road; on the south by Baseline Road north to Prince of Wales Drive (Highway 16); and on the east by Prince of Wales Drive as far as the bend in the road; by the western edge of the Rideau Canal property as far as Queen Elizabeth Drive and by the Central Experimental Farm Property as far as Carling Avenue, as illustrated on the map, Appendix 1. These boundaries define the place designated as a National Historic Site.

NCC Visual Assessment Views Analysis (2009 and 2013)

United Nations UNESCO World Heritage Sites - views of the Rideau Canal cannot be blocked by new construction.

A letter from Member of Parliament Elizabeth May to Catherine McKenna, Minister of Environment and Climate Change.

Governments and organizations that are trying to save a National Historic Site.

• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority
• Friends of the Farm
• Reimagine Ottawa
• A National Capital Commission document "The NCC's Plan for Canada's Capital." 

  

  The Booth Barn is now protected by Part 1V of the Ontario Heritage Act.

• The Province of Ontario-the hospital project will contravene the Ontario Heritage Act, the Planning Act and the Provincial Policy Statement of 2014. The Provincial Policy Statement specifies that "significant built heritage resources and significant heritage landscapes shall be preserved."
• National Trust for Canada
• Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
• Canadian Council on Food Sovereignty and Health
• Save the Experimental Farm (the year 1975)
• savecfbrockcliffe
• Save the Farm-Protest to save our trees and greenspaces-Ecology Ottawa
• Contentworks-Coalition fights to save the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa
• Protect the Farm-Home|Facebook
• Save the Dominion Observatory
• Save Queen Juliana Park|Facebook
• " A historic garden at the Central Experimental Farm is about to be replaced by the new Civic Hospital's parking lot." A March 21, 2022 letter to the Ottawa Citizen by Mr. Beauchamp and Mr. Cretien, former supervisors at the Arboretum.
• Saving the Experimental Farm-Heritage Ottawa
• Sierra Club
• We Stand with Trees, Ottawa
• Sustainable Youth Canada
• Dalhousie Community Association - includes the Chinatown and Little Italy neighbourhoods.
• Glebe Annex Community Association
• National Farmers Union of Ontario
• Champlain Park Community Association
• Botanica Residents association
• The Arboretum Woods, Central Experimental Farm Woods and Prince of Wales Woods are protected by "The City of Ottawa urban natural features strategy" April 11, 2006.

YouTube videos

• Ottawa prepares to hand over historic federal farmland to corporate developers - 2017.
• Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site-Protecting a Canadian Treasure
• Canadian Government's begin destruction of Queen Juliana Park.
• Ottawa Hospital snatches Historic Site

Petitions

• Petition 441-00274 (Infrastructure) Government of Canada
• Petition 441-00195 (Infrastructure) Government of Canada
• Reimagine Ottawa-Change.org-9,570 supporters as of December 19, 2022.
• Elizabeth May presents a petition in the House of Commons to save Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm from destruction. (see the YouTube video.)
• Elizabeth May presents a second petition in the House of Commons to save the Farm. (see the YouTube video.)
• MP Richard Cannings presents a petition in the House of Commons to save Ottawa's Experimental Farm. (see the YouTube video.)
• Petition to the Auditor General of Canada

An August 18, 1977 Ottawa Journal article. Two ginkgo trees are located between the DARA Tennis Club, which was evicted by the Civic Hospital, and the William Saunders Building. Birch Avenue will no longer exist. The ginkgo trees are one of the oldest tree specimens in the world, dating back to the era before dinosaurs roamed the earth.

Opposition to redevelopment on the Central Experimental Farm--more names added.

A February 5, 1908 Ottawa Journal headline.

• Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier
• Agriculture Minister Sydney Arthur Fisher
• Former Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson--"Why I love Ottawa"---Former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson's favourite places are the Farm, 277 Sussex Street, Rideau Hall, the National Arts Centre and the Precinct of the War Memorial. (Ottawa Magazine, June 20, 2017.)
• Senator Mike Duffy-Senate of Canada, December 12, 2019
• Angela Keller-Herzog, a member of The People's Official Plan
• MP Richard Cannings presented a petition in the House of Commons, February 11,2022
• MP Monique Pauze, House of Commons December 2,2022
• Hon Lloyd Francis, SPEECH FROM THE THRONE, CONTINUATION OF DEBATE-"...Despite the fact that there is a serious housing shortage I do not think that my constituents would choose to sacrifice an open space which is such a precious thing for the community..." October 10, 1974.
• Mr. Winfred McLure, House of Commons June 1, 1951
• Mr. Walter Baker, House of Commons October 7, 1974
• Hon. Barnett J. Danson, House of Commons October 7, 1974
• Hon. George McIlraith, House of Commons June 16, 1958
• Hon. Charles Howard Green, House of Commons June 16, 1958
• Mr. Hazen Robert Argue, House of Commons August 1, 1958
• Mr. David Bruce Daubney, House of Commons May 13, 1988
• Prime Minister Mackenzie King
• Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent - in a November 4, 1954 Privy Council Order in Council, Prime Minister St-Laurent said that the Experimental Farm will be "an open space" in perpetuity
• Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau
• Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
• Hon. Erik Nielsen, Deputy Prime Minister of Canada and Minister of Public Works
• Agriculture Minister James Garfield Gardiner, House of Commons July 13, 1956
• Agriculture Minister Douglas Harkness
• Agriculture Minister Bud Olson
• Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan
• Agriculture Minister John Wise
• Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz
• Mr. Lyle Vanclief, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-food, House of Commons September 23, 1994.
• Mr. Murray Cardiff, Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Privy Council; Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Agriculture-House of Commons January 23, 1990
• Senator Anne Cools, Senate of Canada April 23, 2002 - "The public fears that many other parklands, like the Experimental Farm and the Arboretum are on the National Capital Commission's list for sale." A comment after an 81-acre Veterans Affairs property near Mooney's Bay was sold for a housing development on 1709 Prince of Wales Drive.The Moffat Farm was supposed to be recreational land in perpetuity.
• MP Marlene Catterall, House of Commons February 9, 1998 
• Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson
• Ms. Maude Barlow, Honourary Chairperson of the Council of Canadians
•  Singer and songwriter Bruce Cockburn
• MP Elizabeth May
• MP Pierre De Bane, House of Commons November 4, 1974
• MPP Joel Harden
• Former and current Ottawa Councillors Clive Doucet, Katherine Hobbs, Jeff Leiper, Catherine McKenney, Rawlson King and Shawn Menard  more...

Encroachment into the Greenbelt.

A letter sent to the Ottawa Citizen from former City Councillor Alex Cullen, August 24, 2019: 

"The City of Ottawa recently released its discussion paper '5 Big Moves' as part of its Official Plan Review...Much of it is laudable, but Policy 3 is not. The policy states 'Where urban expansion may be required in the future, consider the potential to expand into the Greenbelt."

"Whoa! Ottawa is already at one million people and is expected to grow more, but nowhere are they manufacturing any more green space. Once you permit urban development in the Greenbelt that greenspace is gone forever. In short, don't bother considering this option." Alex Cullen, Ottawa.

Federal Environment Minister Jim Prentice refused to give the City of Ottawa 13,700 acres of the Greenbelt.

Selling and giving away federal government property in the National Capital Region for provincial and municipal projects is unconstitutional.

 Read "The National Interest" in the 1975-1976 Annual Report of the National Capital Commission. more...

A scorched earth policy.

This is what happened to the Sir John Carling cafeteria annex:

Eventually the trees along the ridge will be chopped down.

 Do you really think the heritage buildings along Maple Drive, greenhouses, apple trees and Historic Hedge Collection will be preserved?

Buildings that will either be demolished or heavily damaged by the Civic Hospital:

• the Dominion Observatory #1
• Photo Equatorial #9
• South Azimuth #8
• Geophysical Laboratory #3
• Observatory House #2
• Seismology Survey #7
• Animal Laboratory #12
• William Saunders #49
• Bee Building at Maple Drive and Winding Lane (From: "Submission on Civic Hospital Development Plan by Botanica Residents Committee, Ward 15, Kitchissippi, August 12, 2021, page 10/15.)

Why are the most irreplaceable buildings in Canada being bulldozed, privatized or converted into condominiums? Dominion Buildings were located in practically every town, city and village in Canada. They featured clock towers, and housed Manpower, Canada Post, Canada Customs and Immigration and many other federal departments. The Dominion Building in Lethbridge, Alberta was recently sold. Half of the Royal Canadian Mint was disassembled before Prime Minister Brian Mulroney happened to drive by and find out what was happening. The PM told the workers to go home and then phoned the department responsible for the destruction.

Bridges and highways are also being sold off. I will not talk about the hundreds of CN Rail bridges. I travelled on the Glacier Highway in Alberta a few years ago and the people of Canada paid for this infrastructure and we have the right to own it.

The National Capital Commission wants to de-pave the beautiful parkways in Ottawa that were created by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Jacques Greber. The scenic driveways were built beside the Ottawa River, Rideau River and Rideau Canal so that people could enjoy the waterways, trees and greenspaces; not cement walls. House of Commons Ottawa.

Developers only have to provide 1 hectare of parkland for every project in Ottawa. Parkettes are less than 1 acre of land--- they will replace the 1,000 acre Experimental Farm; Vincent Massey Park, Hog's Back Park:

Recreational Land Strategy for Ottawa 2006-2031 - 4.4.2 Parks and Open Spaces "The City's requirements for parks and urban spaces have to be revisited to ensure that the types of spaces required (by) developers reflect the need for quality spaces of all sorts, 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 land should be the guiding principle.' Parks don't have to be grassy to be green. One of the many types of green space is the plaza...The city should accept parkettes as part of the 5% parkland dedication."

.Is there a nefarious reason why the 15-minute neighbourhood idea is being promoted? These neighbourhoods are nothing more than reservations, a control mechanism.

 Will the residents of 15-minute neighbourhoods be forced to shop, attend school, socialize and conduct business within a confined area? Instead of locking us down in our homes, keep us monitored 24/7 in enclosed areas. To leave the space, permission will have to be granted at checkpoints, and residents had better have a good excuse to leave these prisons without walls and use up their rations of gas. During another public health incident, tall gates will prevent unauthorized flight. Am I living in China, the Twilight Zone or in a Fahrenheit 451 scenario? 

Forget about visiting Gatineau Park, Smiths Falls, provincial parks, carnivals, stadiums...During the lockdown in 2020 the National Capital Commission told us to enjoy visiting the Tulip Festival remotely, on our computers. We will be permitted to communicate with family and friends online; to shop, work and receive medical advice remotely. 

Fight back. Do not permit the decimation of the Experimental Farm. Do not try to brainwash us into living in boxes in the sky, with no backyards or front yards. I grew up in single family homes with trees in the backyard--- on military bases and my grandparents farm near Merrickville. Children are now suffering from "Nature Deficit Syndrome" because green spaces are being taken over by real estate companies.

We need this land:

House of Commons Ottawa November 4, 1974 Mr. Walter Baker (Grenville-Carleton): "...There really is no open or green space available to those who live in high-rise housing, row housing, in condominiums or in densely populated areas.

 That green and open space which normally is provided by one's backyard, or by the neighbourhood park, must be provided in those urban areas by greenbelt areas such as the Experimental Farm..."

Senate of Canada December 12, 2019. NATIONAL CAPITAL ACT- Bill to Amend, Second Reading: The Hon. Acting Speaker: "Senator Duffy?"

Senator Duffy: "...Do you think it would be a good idea to expand your bill, or would it require another piece of legislation, to preserve the unique nature of the capital so that the Greenbelt will be protected and that places like the Experimental Farm, which is in the middle of the city of Ottawa will also be protected?

Because of this pressure for urban development, we have developers looking at this land and saying "Hey, there's millions of dollars to be made here."..."

 

 

42 acres of the Farm are no longer a National Historic Site of Canada.

"Minister of Heritage Melanie Joly removed 42 acres of the designation National Historic Site" on December 2, 2016. (Google: "New Civic Hospital location-the story behind the story." by Greg Roger, Glebe Report, October 13, 2022.)

No wonder the Ottawa Hospital has free rein to chop down 700 trees and cut off public access to Maple Drive, Prince of Wales Drive and Birch Drive. No wonder the Observatory, barns, greenhouses and laboratories are being demolished.

Is it surprising that a botanical garden society wanted 108 acres of land east of Prince of Wales Drive, and that included the Arboretum, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ornamental Gardens and part of Commissioners Park. The botanical garden society is reviving their plan in the year 2022.

Is it surprising, that the City of Ottawa is removing large parcels of land from the Baseline Road boundary for public transit .The city is also removing land from homeowners, businesses and the Pinecrest Cemetery.

A document from the downtown Ottawa public library, 1990's.

 The Farm is no longer included on a list of Parks Canada National Historic Sites in Ontario:

• Battle Hill
• Battle of Cooks Mills
• Battle of the Windmill
• Battle of Fort George
• Bead Hill
• Beausoleil Island
• Bellevue House
• Bethune Memorial House
• Bois Blanc Island Lighthouse
• Butler's Barracks
• Carrying Place of the Bay of Quinte
• Fort George
• Fort Henry
• Fort Malden
• Fort Mississauga
• Fort St. Joseph
• Fort Wellington
• Glengarry Cairn
• HMCS Haida
• Inverarden House
• Kingston Fortifications
• Laurier House
• Merrickville Blockhouse
• Mississauga Point Lighthouse
• Mnjikaning Fish Weirs
• Murney Tower
• Navy Island
• Peterborough Life Lock
• Point Clark Lighthouse
• Queenston Heights
• Rideau Canal
• Ridgeway Battlefield
• Saint-Louis Mission
• Sault Ste. Marie Canal
• Shoal Tower
• Sir John Johnson House
• Southwold Earthworks
• Trent-Severn Waterway
• Waterloo Pioneers Memorial Tower
• Woodside (From: Government of Canada National Historic Sites.)

NATIONAL HISTORIC SITES - Parks Canada 1980 - Ottawa-Carleton Regional Municipality.

• The Rideau Canal
• Laurier House
• Ottawa Teacher's College
• The Parliament Buildings
• Public Grounds of the Parliament Buildings - Canada's Capital

First Reading of a Bill that will save irreplaceable sites in Canada.

 Debates (Hansard) No. 83. June 7, 2022 House of Commons Ottawa

Historic Places of Canada Act Discussed Topics - Cultural Heritage. The Hon. Steven Guilbeault moved for leave to introduce Bill C-23, an Act respecting places, persons and events of national historic significance or national interest, archaeological resources and cultural and national heritage. (Motions deemed adopted, bill read for the first time and printed.) 

 Indigenous Affairs (1510). To see the video pertaining to the legislation go to: Mr. John Aldag (Cloverdale-Langley City, Lib.) Time 15:13.

Mr. John Aldag- Discussed Topics - Indigenous policy, Commemorations, Climate change and global warming, Indigenous peoples, Cultural heritage. "Mr. Speaker, in the 42nd Parliament I introduced Bill C-374, an act to amend the Historic Sites and Monuments Act. That bill responded directly to the call to action 79, which calls for the development of "a reconciliation framework for Canadian heritage and commemoration." It would also help to promote recognition and understanding of the history of indigenous peoples, including their significant ongoing contributions to Canada. This ensures representation for indigenous peoples on the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada. Could the Minister of Environment and Climate Change tell the House how we are advancing on calls to action 79?"

The Hon. Steven Guilbeault (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.) "Mr. Speaker, I want to congratulate my colleague from Cloverdale-Langley City for the important work he did on advancing this very important issue,

The Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada plays a central role in our country's official historic designations. Ensuring representation for indigenous people on the board is an important step in responding to the call to action 79.

Today, I introduced Bill C-23. The strong legislative framework, the first of its kind in Canada, would help to ensure that Canada's treasured historic places are protected. The proposed legislation not only strengthens indigenous voices at the table, but also provides flexibility to adapt and reuse historic places as substantive ways of addressing the climate change crisis."

Federal Bill C-23 will protect National Historic Sites in Canada.

Bill C-23 The Historic Places of Canada Act. Endorsed by Minister of Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault, and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons of Canada, Mark Holland.

House of Commons Ottawa December 2, 2022 Member of Parliament Monique Pauze (Repentigny, BQ) talked about:

• the fact that Queen Juliana Park is a memorial to the more than 7,000 Canadian soldiers who were killed during the World War 11 liberation of the Netherlands
• the lack of protection for the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site
• the impending loss of heritage buildings and 500 trees
• Bill C-23 will enable the government to honour its commitments under the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
• The Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site 
• The Arboretum
• the Civic Hospital
•  National Capital Commission

To see the video, go to House of Commons, December 2, 2022 (1025) "Mr. John Aldag, Caucus: Liberal; Cloverdale-Langley, British Columbia" Video: ParlVu-Google Chrome. The speech by MP Monique Pauze begins at 12:31:06.

House of Commons Ottawa February 9, 1998 MP Marlene Catterall (Ottawa West-Nepean, Lib.) "Mr. Speaker, last week the Secretary of State for Parks and the minister of agriculture designated the Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa as a national historical site.

This does not mean that the farm will be frozen in time. It will continue to evolve as it has for 111 years but it will evolve in a way that is consistent with the important contribution it has made to agriculture in Canada and internationally.

It will be a permanent visible reminder in the nation's capital to all Canadians of the importance of agriculture to our economic and social development.

The people of this region are proud of the nation's capital and its national institutions. I know they will want to contribute to and be part of planning the future of the Central Experimental Farm, our newest national historical site."

Second Reading of Bill C-23, the Historic Places of Canada Act, December 2, 2022.

 Bill C-23 is currently being debated in the House of Commons in Ottawa. National Historic Sites of Canada will be protected, including the trees, landscapes and heritage buildings on the properties.

Bill C-23: Historic Places of Canada Act   A legislative project to give our past a future.

"The Government of Canada administers over 300 historic sites in every province and territory, including rural, remote and Indigenous communities. Besides providing a wide range of benefits to their communities, these places tell the story of who we are and connect us to our past, enriching our understanding of ourselves, others and our country.

Currently, Canada does not have a comprehensive set of laws to ensure the protection and conservation of historic places across the country. To address this, Parks Canada undertook a major project to modernize the protection and conservation framework for historic places administered by the federal government. As a result of this work, Bill C-23, the Historic Places of Canada Act, was tabled in Parliament on June 7, 2022.

If passed, this new legislation will:

• ensure that the Parliament Buildings and other treasured places administered by Parks Canada are protected and conserved into the future.
• ensure that Canada's historic places are representative of the country's history and meaningful to all Canadians, including Indigenous peoples, youth and members of diverse groups across the country.

This legislation is the first of its kind in Canada. It will give Indigenous peoples stronger voices in determining the heritage considered to be of national historic significance and national interest in Canada. The legislation will also allow for transparent decision making, information and sharing with Canadians and Parliamentarians, and the sustainable protection of historic places administered by the federal government."

Definition of inclusion - Inclusion means measures that promote inclusive participation in the designation of diverse places, persons and events of national historic significance or of national interest.

Definition of sustainability - Sustainability means measures that set out the Government of Canada's leadership role in the conservation of federal historic places, and establishes common benchmarks for the stewardship of these places.

Definition of transparency - Transparency means measures that establish clear and consistent processes, and accessible public information about designations of places, persons and events of national historic significance or of national interest and about federal historic places.

Preston Street and Prince of Wales Drive, Ottawa.

The HMCS Carleton Naval Base can be seen in the distance. April 2022. Reimagine Ottawa photo.

 See the YouTube video "Canadian Government's begin destruction of Queen Juliana Park." March 2022.

Most of Birch Drive on the Experimental Farm will disappear.

 HEADS UP! ROAD CLOSURE ON BIRCH DRIVE. (Photos are included in the friendsofthefarm article.)

 1. Section of Birch Drive closed on July 11, 2022 at the new hospital site.

2. Birch Drive closure at Maple Drive and bulldozer, August 16, 2022.

3. "Construction Site". Birch Drive closure near the William Saunders Building, August 16, 2022. (From: friendsofthefarm newsletter, Fall of 2022, Volume 34, page 3/12.)

The Civic Hospital has taken over property north of the William Saunders Building. However, the Experimental Farm is protected by:

•   a 1954 Privy Council Order-in-Council approved by Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent;
•  the 1988 National Interest Land Mass designation created by Prime Minister Brian Mulroney;
•  the 1950 plan created by PM Mackenzie King and Jacques Greber that designated 900 square miles of land in the National Capital Region as a memorial in perpetuity to Canadian soldiers;
•  the National Capital Commission's "Plan for Canada's Capital" and
•  a document called "The National Interest" in the 1975-1976 NCC Annual Report, page 9/52.

The William Saunders Building and The Central Green.

Permanent changes to Maple Drive.  "It is imperative that supplemental trees be planted to preserve the beauty and recreational nature of Maple Drive for the numerous pedestrians, cyclists and visitors passing the historic buildings, ornamental shrubs and greenhouses." (Page 10 of the document "Civic Hospital Development Plan by Botanica Residents Committee" Ward 15, Kitchissippi, Ottawa, August 12, 2021.)

What historic buildings? What ornamental shrubs? The Civic has already indicated that the Dominion Observatory campus is not included in future plans. (See the information below, The Sir John Carling Location.) Agriculture Canada employees were told to dig up the Historic Hedge Collection. And "Emergency Vehicles Only" signs will be posted at the Maple Drive and Prince of Wales Drive entrances. Google: "New Civic Development for the Ottawa Hospital" page 27/83.) savecfbrockcliffe.) 

The Sir John Carling Location:

• On this site we have at least 24 buildings, including Buildings 1 to 9: Natural Resources Campus including the Dominion Observatory.
• Number 20, the K.W. Neatby Building and Oilseed Research Centre.
• Extensive demolition or relocation of buildings is required for the new build to proceed. (Google: "New Civic Campus. A 21st century hospital in the heart of Canada's Capital, April 2016, page 10/76.)

  

  The Dominion Observatory and South Azimuth were stripped of the designation Classified Federal Heritage Building. And the Geophysical Laboratory, Machine Shop Building and Seismology Survey are no longer Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings. (Google: Federal Directory of Real Property website, and go to Agriculture Canada property number 08625.)

  Damage to nearby heritage buildings. 

• The Romanesque Revival style Dominion Observatory (1905), which is an Ottawa landmark. Its future use will be impacted by proximity to a towering hospital building and the use of Maple Drive as an emergency vehicle entry point.
• The South Azimuth (1912) is endangered by the emergency route.
• Building 12 (1904) the historic Animal Laboratory and Forage Crops Building at Maple and Carling.
• The Bee Building (1915) near the corner of Maple Drive and Winding Lane.
• The former Poultry Building #34 at the what is currently the intersection of Maple and Birch Drive. Behind it is a collection of smaller poultry houses, one of which is currently being renovated for ceremonial use by First Nations.
• William Saunders Building. (From: Submission on Civic Hospital Development Plan by Botanica Residents Committee, Ward 15-Kitchissippi, August 12, 2021, page 10/15.)

Ontario's Bill 23 cannot dismantle the Greenbelt in Ottawa.

1.) 900 square miles of federal land in the National Capital Region is dedicated to the memory of Canadian soldiers. The Hon. Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs, and the government of France recently prevented a developer from building condominiums on the beaches of Normandy. Canadian soldiers landed on Juno Beach during the D-Day invasion, June 6, 1944. The governments of Canada and France bought the Normandy property.

 2.) "The National Interest" - 1975-1976 NCC Annual Report, page 9/52.  

Defenders of Ottawa's Greenbelt - Prime ministers of Canada; Cabinet ministers (Canada Mortgage and Housing; Agriculture Canada; Minister of Urban Affairs; Environment Canada.); Members of Parliament; Greenbelt Alliance of Canada's Capital, more....

(work in progress)

Bill 23 will remove the power from conservation groups to protect endangered animals and landscapes. A 1974 Ottawa Journal article.

The National Capital Commission's Plan for Canada's Capital.

The NCC wanted to preserve the entire Central Experimental Farm. 

"The PFCC (Plan for Canada's Capital) contains broad, high-level policies that place the CEF within the context of other federal lands in the National Capital Region:

• identifying the lands east of Prince of Wales as Capital Urban Green Space
• the Rideau Canal and nearby CEF shore lands as Waterway and Shore Land
• the Agriculture Museum Lands as National Cultural Institutional
• the research fields as Rural Lands, and
• the lands near Carling as Federal Node.

"In the context of this plan, the CEF's role as a National Historic Site and a cultural landscape of national historic significance underlies all its other federal land use roles. The PFCC further designates several roadways situated both within and connecting with the CEF:

• Prince of Wales Drive north of the traffic circle and the NCC Driveway are designated Capital Parkway, connecting with Queen Elizabeth Drive on the east and Island Park Drive on the northwest.
• The PFCC designates Prince of Wales Drive south of the traffic circle as Scenic Entry, matching the designation in the City of Ottawa Official Plan. Due to the connectivity of Prince of Wales Drive with the NCR federal capital Parkway system, and the potential of this roadway to sever historic and contemporary landscape and land use patterns within the National Historic Site, the CEF National Historic Management Plan establishes guidelines for Prince of Wales Drive as an urban parkway within the CEF boundaries."

Recreational Pathways in the Farm are part of the Capital Pathway Network, requiring the implementation of a number of design, maintenance, safety and signage standards and guidelines contained in the "Integrated Network of Recreational Pathways for the NCR" report...They are mostly gravel, with a few major routes paved in asphalt.

 The Arboretum.

The Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site is designated in its entirety as part of the National Interest Land Mass. These lands are essential for the long-term symbolism, functions, physical structure, and natural and landscape qualities of the Capital. Implicit in a NILM designation is a formal expression of the Federal Government's interest in the long-term use of these lands. 

NILM lands are, or should be, under the custody of the federal government to ensure they are protected and enhanced. (Google: "CEF National Historic Site Management Plan (7 of 20.")

 Definitions.

Capital Urban Green Space - 

Waterway and Shore Land - 

National Cultural Institution - 

Rural Lands - the research fields.

Federal Node - land and buildings near Carling Avenue. 

Capital Parkway - Prince of Wales Drive north of the traffic circle.

Scenic Entry - The NCC's Plan for Canada's Capital designates Prince of Wales Drive south of the traffic circle as Scenic Entry, matching the designation in the City of Ottawa Official Plan.

Capital Pathway Network - most of the network should not be paved.

Core Zone - An ordered, structured landscape. A varied mix of building sizes and use to accommodate agricultural research and related activities. Remnants of historic vegetation research collections. Shared use by the public and the research community. An informal, non-rectilinear grid of local roads. 

The Entry Zone - Expansive lawn areas with mature specimen trees and curving paths. Long, framed vistas and varied, dramatic topography. Overlooks Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal. Roadways designed in the parkway tradition.

Central Green - land north of the William Saunders Building.

Internal Roadways - No internal road widenings should be permitted.

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EXPERIMENTAL FARM LAND EAST OF PRINCE OF WALES DRIVE IS DESIGNATED AS CAPITAL URBAN GREEN SPACE - From: "The National Capital Commission's Plan for Canada's Capital." Google: CEF National Historic Site Management Plan Part 7 0f 20.

A fairly recent image. The Arboretum, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ornamental Flower Garden, the Red Barn and trees are involved in the botanical garden project. The Arboretum Woods are a legally protected landscape.

Agriculture Canada rejected the botanical garden's request for 108 acres at the same location in the year 2002:

"Please be advised that on May 8, 2002 Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada wrote to Mr. Ian Efford of the OBGS informing him that AAFC would not consider their application for a garden at the Central Experimental Farm as a number of conditions had not been met in their application. These conditions were as follows:

1. It must not include any use of land on the west side of Prince of Wales Drive.

2. The use of any land or facilities on the east side of Prince of Wales Drive must meet the Canadian Heritage (Parks Canada) criteria (e.g.) it must not have a negative impact on the heritage values of the Canal nor impede the operation of the Canal, specifically at the Hartwells lock station but also navigation in general.

3. The Arboretum, if included, must remain free and open to the public. 

4. The Fletcher Wildlife Garden must remain as it is.

5. The Commemorative Integrity Statement must be observed.

6. The land use must be compatible with other jurisdictions (e.g. NCC, Parks, City of Ottawa, etc.) and designations (e.g.) National Interest Land Mass (NILM) of the Central Experimental Farm and

7. It must clearly demonstrate financial viability/self sufficiency. (Google: Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital General Meeting, June 12, 2002.)

Botanical garden plan alarms Farm fans. Nature lovers fear Experimental Farm will become theme park by Carolynne Wheeler, Ottawa Citizen, August 3, 2001.

- The Ottawa Botanical Society will charge $10 to $15 dollars for access to gardens it plans to build south of the arboretum. For the time being access to the Arboretum is free.

-Curfews are being imposed that prevent amateur astronomers and joggers from enjoying the site during the evening.

-A proposal to fence off part of the Central Experimental Farm to create a $35 million botanical garden has alarmed cyclists, joggers and other people who fear nature trails will give way to concession stands, parking lots and swarms of visitors.

-Phase 1 of the project would fence off about 108 acres of land now designated for research. It would improve the existing arboretum and (Fletcher) wildlife garden.

-Later phases of the project may involve land from National Defence and Public Works.

The N95 mask is dangerous for children. It is a filtering facepiece respirator.

Masking-Ottawa Public Health "Parents and caregivers may have questions about the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NOSH) approved respirators (such as N95's) for children...Although respirators may be available in smaller sizes, they are typically designed to be used by adults in workplaces and therefore have not been tested for broad use in children."

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"An N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to achieve a very close fit and very efficient filtration of airborne particles. Note that the edges of the respirator are designed to form a seal around the nose and mouth."

 Call these devices what they are---filtering facepiece respirators or FFR's.

Safety Precautions - 

"If your child has a hard time breathing, gets dizzy, or has other symptoms while you are trying to get the mask to fit better while using an ASTM 53502 or a respirator, choose a regular cloth or disposable mask."

 A quote from Dr. Nili Kaplan Myrth---"Months ago, I advocated as a delegate to the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board for educators across Ontario to have access to improved masks, and finally, now, educators will be given N95's. But students are literally given inferior cloth masks." Ottawa Public Health does not recommend that young people wear N95's, Dr. Kaplan Myrth.

N95's must form a seal to the face to work properly. Wearing an N95 can make it harder for a person to breathe.

I returned to the Capital a few weeks ago, after visiting several Alberta cities and towns---Grand Prairie, Calgary, Peace River, La Crete, Slave Lake and High Prairie...I did not see one person wearing a filtering facepiece respirator. 

Read Section 17 of the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Medical exemptions include anxiety (many people with anxiety hyperventilate and their breathing cannot be constricted), asthma, allergies, lung and heart problems. Individuals who are deaf have to communicate by reading lips. 

Leave the children alone.

Prince of Wales Drive is off-limits to the Civic Hospital redevelopment.

 The corporation wants to build a mega-hospital between Carling Avenue, Preston Street and land west of the Dominion Observatory. The Canada Agriculture and Food Museum is located at 901 Prince of Wales Drive:

However: "The scenic highways in the NCR are dedicated to the memory of Canadian soldiers who died fighting in foreign wars. They will be owned by the citizens of Canada in perpetuity." (From: The Greber Report, page 288/395.) 

 Prince of Wales Drive is part of a network of scenic highways that were created by Frederick Todd, Herbert Holt and Jacques Greber: 

"Approximately 13.5 kilometres of scenic parkways were constructed by the Ottawa Improvement Commission and the Federal District Commission preceding 1945. That network included the former Lady Alexandra Drive along the banks of the Ottawa River through Rockcliffe Park to Government House; Lady Grey Drive; Island Park Drive; the Champlain Bridge; and Queen Elizabeth Drive along the Rideau Canal and through the Experimental Farm to Carling Avenue.'

"The Experimental Farm Drive was completed in 1936 as part of a central parkway loop that linked Queen Elizabeth Drive, Island Park Drive and Prince of Wales Drive." (From: Updated NCC Policy for Parkways, March of 2014.)

Land beside the Ottawa River, Rideau River and Rideau Canal, and the parkways are protected by a federal designation called the National Interest Land Mass (1988). "The NILM consists of the national shrines, the river and canal banks, the Confederation Boulevard, the Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt in the National Capital Region...Land forming part of the NILM shall be retained by the NCC in perpetuity..." (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC.) 

Scenic highways in the National Capital Region. 

• Ottawa River Parkway, Wellington Street to Carling Avenue - 254 ha.
• Champlain Bridge, Island Park Drive - 15 ha.
• Airport Parkway - 120 ha.
• Eastern Parkway, Hemlock Road to Hwy 417 - 72 ha.
• Eastern Driveway and Rockcliffe Parkway from Sussex Drive to the Greenbelt - 255 ha.
• Ottawa River shoreline proposed Voyageur Parkway - 84 ha.
• Leamy Lake Park and part of Philemon Wright Corridor - 285 ha.

Proposed NILM Lands.

• Experimental Farm Dr. Corridor Queensway to Experimental Farm - 76.0 ha.
• Western Parkway Corridor, Carling Avenue to Queensway - 40.0 ha.
• Alta Vista Corridor, Kitchener Avenue to Smyth Road - 69.0 ha.

The National Capital Commission transferred Prince of Wales Drive to the Municipality of Ottawa: "The parkways which now run through the Farm, the Driveway which is owned by the National Capital Commission and Prince of Wales Drive which is owned by the Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton are scenic roadways which link the Farm to the city and reinforce the distinctive character of the historic place." (From: The Ottawa Hospital-Official Documentation for the Hospital Master Plan, pages 7 and 8.)

"Prince of Wales adjacent to the the Farm is being widened from 2 lanes to 4 lanes." (Google: Dow's Lake-Glebe Report - June 11, 2010.)

Canadian Armed Forces Review. A magazine that was created by my Dad.