Major's Hill Park.

Note: Major's Hill Park was part of Parliament Hill, and it was a National Interest Land Mass and Ordnance and Admiralty property.

House of Commons Ottawa July 6, 1908: Mr. Robert Laird Borden: "The park (is) a portion of the national domain and a portion of the grounds of parliament."

Interface of proposed Fairmont Chateau Laurier Hotel addition with surrounding NCC lands including Major's Hill Park, the Rideau Canal Terrace, and Mackenzie Avenue/Rideau Street (Confederation Boulevard.) (The federal properties are part of the National Interest Land Mass and cannot be sold or subdivided. Google: 1988-07-re-ncc-treasury board.They are reserved for the national interest and for the beautification of Canada's Capital.)

"The current design proposal for the addition provides 159 new long-term stay suites, along with meeting rooms and associated lobby, and proposed cafe/bistro at grade. The proposal includes the following elements:

• Removal of the existing surface parking lot and replacement parking with a building addition composed of an Eastern Pavilion of 10 storeys and a Western Pavilion of 11 storeys linked by a two-storey section.
• Improvements to Mackenzie Avenue, adjacent to the new addition, existing port cochere, new forecourt and loading dock/bus drop-off area.
• Construction of an exterior walkway aligned on an east-west axis along the back of the property which links Mackenzie Avenue with the Rideau Canal Terrace.
• Integration of a new primary public entrance in the new addition which connects Major's Hill Park with Rideau Street through the public spaces on the main floor (the "Adam Room Corridor.")
• Construction of a new interior courtyard between the existing hotel and the addition enhancing the existing ballroom facilities with a grand staircase connected down to the lower level of the Rideau Canal Terrace.
• Implementation of a new five-level underground parking garage containing 301 spaces. "While the majority of the work will be situated within the existing Chateau Laurier Hotel property limits, there will be implications on the adjacent NCC lands and assets, which surround the proposed addition on the east, north and west sides. Permanent impacts include:

1. Alterations to Mackenzie Avenue (Confederation Boulevard) as described above;

2. Alterations to Major's Hill Park, including hard and soft landscape, to provide direct pedestrian access and facilitate the link to/from the publicly-accessible main floor of the hotel (the "Adam Room Corridor" and lobby.)

3. Removal of a small portion of the upper Rideau Canal Terrace (building shell behind 1 Wellington Street) to allow for an improved link between the upper and lower terraces via the grand staircase and new interior courtyard; and

4. Installation of new sewer lines below Major's Hill Park to connect the new addition with the municipal system and a water main connection under the forecourt on Mackenzie Avenue.

Major's Hill Park: Vision and South Interface-"The proposed hotel addition along with several other major projects under development in the vicinity have prompted the NCC to consider the vision for Major's Hill Park. This exercise is being undertaken as part of the NCC's renewal of the Core Area Sector by the Long-Range Planning  and Transportation Team.

"A number of trees in Major's Hill Park will be impacted by the construction process." (From: Page 5 of the document "Interface between Chateau Laurier and NCC Lands" 21-06-23.)

Many trees in the federal park are endangered.The Temporary World War 11 buildings were located next to the Revenue Canada/Connaught Building. When they were demolished during the early 1970's, Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau said that the land would be returned to the park. Just as Queen Juliana Park and the Dow's Lake property were given back to Canadians in 1976, when Temporary Buildings No. 8 and No. 5 were demolished. However, during the 1990's the property near the Byward Market was sold to the American Embassy. See the Internet document "Urbsite-Dreams of Major's Hill Park."