NDP MP Richard Cannings presents a petition to save Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm.

Member of Parliament Richard Cannings in the Canadian House of Commons, February 11, 2022.

 

Experimental Farm zoning and legal protection. Part 1.

 National Capital Commission's Plan for Canada's Capital "For jurisdictional reasons, the lead planning document for land use decisions affecting CEF lands is the NCC's Plan for Canada's Capital (PFCC). It sets out the federal government's goals for use of federal lands in the National Capital Region. The NCC reviews all proposals for use of federal lands in conformity with this Plan through the Federal Land Use & Design Approvals and Land transaction processes."

"The PFCC 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 Greenspace, the Rideau Canal and nearby CEF shore lands as Waterway and Shore Lands, the Canada Agriculture Museum as National Cultural Institution, 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 also adopts the FHBRO Code of Practice while providing broad guidance for interpretation and visitor experiences...."

"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 Dr. south of the traffic circle as Scenic Entry, matching the designation in the City of Ottawa Official Plan. Due both 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 site Management Plan establishes guidelines for Prince of Wales Drive as an urban parkway within the CEF boundaries."

(Note: Prince of Wales Drive is being converted to a garbage truck and commercial vehicle route, and a temporary road was built from Prince of Wales to the Sir John Carling Building cafeteria site before the building was demolished.)

"The PFCC also designates recreational paths running through the CEF as 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. The NCC coordinates implementation of the latter with the City of Ottawa through its planning approval process. The CEF Management Plan establishes guidelines for the CEF recreational pathway system that differ in some respects from the NCC and City of Ottawa standards to ensure that the design and treatment of these paths are consistent with the historic landscape setting and character of the CEF National Historic Site. See section V.4 Paths."

(Note: A major pathway running through Queen Juliana Park is being removed and changes are anticipated for the NCC Driveway.)

"The CEF 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 cultural landscape qualities of the Capital. Implicit in the NILM designation is a formal expression of the Federal Government's interest in the long-term use of these lands. Most NILM lands are, or should be, under the custody of the federal government to ensure they are protected and enhanced. Generally, the majority of these lands is, or will be, owned by the NCC, while some NILM lands will be under the custody of other federal departments." (From: "Central Experimental Farm NHS Management Plan" (Part 7-20.)

Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada Management Plan.

The Hartwell Locks in 2003. Contentworks photo.

(more)

Why are the Civic Hospital and the Government of Canada determined to destroy the Dominion Observatory.

 1.)  The Dominion Observatory Campus was originally part of the land mass donated to the Ottawa Hospital.

2.)  An Ottawa City Councillor is hoping that the Civic will preserve the buildings. I doubt it, the hospital has already chopped down more than 100 trees, built a temporary road from Prince of Wales Avenue and plans to take over Maple Drive for an ambulance route. The South Azimuth will be removed when Maple Drive is widened.

3.)  In 1970 plans were underway to demolish the Astrophysical Observatory until astronomer Arthur Covington wrote a letter to Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau. The telescope was removed.

4.)  During the mid-1990's the government wanted to demolish more than 50 buildings on the Farm including the Observatory and Booth Barn. (From: Friends of the Farm newsletter-"The fight for the Farm goes on.")

5.) Light and noise pollution will scuttle any plans to re-open the site to star gazing by the general public. The trees separating the planetarium from Queen Juliana Park are being removed.

6.) The National Capital Commission has the power to remove the designations Classified Federal Heritage Building and Recognized Federal Heritage Building.

7.) The massive hospital will obliterate views of the Dominion Observatory.

A recent photo from the webpage Reimagine Ottawa showing trees being chopped down.

A discovery by astronomers at the Dominion Observatory.

Alleged denial to public of access to telescope at Observatory at Experimental Farm. House of Commons Ottawa April 29, 1974. Mr. Peter Reilly (Ottawa West) Progressive Conservative: "Mr. Speaker, this question should really be directed to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources but in his absence I will direct it to the right hon. Prime Minister. It has to do with the telescope at what used to be called the Dominion Observatory at the experimental farm, and for all I know may be called Stars Canada. Why has the governmernt decided to deny further access to this telescope by the general public, including as many as 10,000 students each year, by packing it up and getting rid of it?"

The Right Hon. P.E.Trudeau (Prime Minister): "Mr. Speaker, calling it Stars Canada shows how little regard the hon. member has for bilingualism in this country. As to the rest of the question, I am afraid I must refer it to the Minister of Energy, Mines and Resources..."

Mr. Reilly: "I rise on a point of order. I would be very happy to refer to the aforementioned installation as Etoiles Canada if it will please the right hon.gentleman."

"Under no conditions whatever should the ground now occupied by the Experimental Farm be used for other than park purposes...

 ...should its present use as a farm be abandoned." (page 126/238-Report of the Ottawa Improvement Commission on a general plan for the cities of Ottawa and Hull. 1915.) The OIC became the Federal District Commission in 1927 and the National Capital Commission in 1959. I have included only a fraction of the main document from 1915- savecfbrockcliffe.

Playgrounds  Six small parks and playgrounds between the Rideau and Ottawa Rivers north of the Experimental Farm and east of Holland Avenue.

Parks-Recommendations:  Rockcliffe Park to be extended and the ridge north of the quarries acquired.  The development of Dow's Lake as a recreational centre and its improvement by a revision of the shore line and the construction there of frontage for motor and pleasure boats, and its connection with the Experimental Farm; also the connecting of Dow's Lake with Brown's Inlet by means of a canal to allow circulation of water.

Parks, Parkways and Playgrounds:  "These parks will be accessible to the people, on the principle that parks should be brought to the people, instead of people being forced to travel long distances to the parks." (page 180/238).

Playgrounds encompassing 8 to 10 acres will be accessible to any citizen of Ottawa within half a mile of their location. Page 180. (Note: The City of Ottawa does not believe that parkland should be any larger than a hectare, and that "greenspace does not have to be green." Cement plazas are recommended. "The city's requirement for parks and open spaces may have to be revisited to ensure that the types of spaces required for developers reflect the need for quality spaces. The goals of a review of parks and recreational land should be 'Quality over quantity.' Parks don't have to be grassy to be green. The city should accept parkettes as part of the 5% parkland dedication."  (From:Recreational land strategy for Ottawa -2006-2031.) Pocket parks or parkettes are less than 0.5 hectares. No wonder the 22-acre Commissioners Park and 1,000 acre Experimental Farm are threatened with extinction-savecfbrockcliffe.

The main document is called "Report of the Federal Plan Commission on a general plan for the cities of Ottawa and Hull" - University of Toronto, Robarts Library.

Page 130. (The CEF in 1915 encompassed a much larger area.)

The Ottawa Hospital's new Civic development - Phase 2 parking garage, green roof and various supporting projects.

 Notice of Determination - Ottawa, Ontario - April 8, 2022: Public Services and Procurement Canada and the National Capital Commission have determined that the proposed project is not likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects with the application of all recommended mitigation measures. The determination was based on consideration of the following factors:

• impact on rights of Indigenous peoples
• comments received from the public
• technically and economically feasible mitigation measures
• the components of the environment that are within the legislative authority of Parliament identified in the "Definitions" section of the Impact Assessment Act. (2019.) 

Mitigation measures will be implemented to address potential adverse effects on the following components of the environment:

• migratory birds
• species at risk
• groundwater
• surface water
• soil quality
• air quality
• vegetation
• human health
• archaeological resources
• paleontological resources (Google: "Petitition 441-00177 Infrastructure" and go to "The Hon. Steven Guilbeault-https://iaac.gc.ca/050 evaluations/proj/83161"

The Federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change does not have the power to stop the Civic from chopping down 750 trees, demolishing more heritage buildings on the Farm, encroaching on the Arboretum and the Ornamental Gardens, polluting Dow's Lake/the Rideau Canal, building more roads, removing the Trillium Pathway...A temporary road was constructed from Prince of Wales Drive when the hospital demolished the Sir John Carling Building cafeteria. And the NCC has the power to remove designations from heritage buildings including the greenhouses, South Azimuth,William Saunders Building and Booth Barn.

A statement from Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Steven Guilbeault. Reasons why the minister cannot intervene on any decisions made by the hospital:

"Under the Impact Assessment Act, I, the Honourable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, must not make a designation if the carrying out of the physical activity has substantially begun or if a federal authority has exercised a power or performed a duty or function conferred on it under any Act of Parliament - other than the IAA - that could permit the physical activity to be carried out in whole or in part."

"Therefore, I cannot designate the physical activities for the following reason:

• Public Services and Procurement Canada exercised a power or performed a duty or function conferred on it under the Federal Real Property and Immovables Act that could permit the physical activities to be carried out in whole or in part.
• On February 23, 2018, a 99-year lease agreement was signed between Public Services and Procurement Canada and the Proponent to dispose of the land to the Proponent for the purpose of the construction and operation of an approved public hospital." (Google: "Petition 441-00177" and go to "The Hon. Steven Guilbeault-https://iaac-aeic.gc.ca/050 evaluations/proj/83161" then go to "Nearby assessments- The Ottawa Civic Campus Project, key documents, Ministers response, February 8, 2022.")

Why the Civic Hospital should vacate the Experimental Farm:

1.)  The location is wrong---the Farm and Dow's Lake are international tourist attractions. The CEF is a National Historic Site; National Interest Land Mass and part of a memorial for Canadian soldiers. 

2.)  Parks Canada, the Department of the Environment and Climate Change, the Heritage Department, Public Works and the National Capital Commission have abandoned all responsibility for protecting this land, which is owned by all Canadians. It is time for a public inquiry so that laws pertaining to federal real property can be updated and enforced. Otherwise, Canada's National Parks, the Rideau Canal, heritage rivers and lakes, Historic Sites and Monuments, etc. will be sold to foreign (and possibly hostile) countries that want to invade this nation, quietly. Billionaires like Bill Gates are buying up agricultural land in the United States. China is buying land in many countries including New Zealand to grow food and bio-fuel for its own citizens. It is time to defend my country's sovereignty---its natural resources, Crown corporations and historic monuments.

 I find it beyond belief that a corporation (the Civic) can tell the National Capital Commission that it does not want the Tunney's Pasture location; and then clear cut more than 100 trees on the Farm;demolish a heritage building, build a temporary road from Prince of Wales; demand more than 50 acres of land; establish the fact that the towers and parkade will be taller because they own the air rights, and promise to convert some of the fallen trees into furniture (is this a joke?).

3.)  A precedent is being set---will a hospital be built on the Plains of Abraham or Stanley Park? Is any historic site in this country off-limits to housing developers or highways or Light Rail Transit?

4.)  During the COVID-19 pandemic the 1,000 acre Farm kept scores people healthy, mentally and physically. Many Canadians are forced to live in high rise apartments and condominiums. And the National Capital Commission and City of Ottawa abused their power by preventing families from visiting parks during the lockdowns. How many children have been affected by Nature Deficit Disorder?  Access to the Sun, trees, flowers, grass, wildlife, the rain and fresh air is a universal human right.

 A Prince in England was recently photographed by his mother running on a beach---well, Canadian children have the right to run on beaches, and on the Fletcher Wildlife Gardens and federal and municipal park land.

As a child I had total access to my grandparents 100 acre farm, located between Merrickville and Jasper, Ontario. I  picked apples and raspberries; played in the barns, planted a vegetable garden; I saw bunny rabbits, turtles, horses, groundhogs, squirrels and fireflies, blue jays robins and cardinals. I played hide and seek in the hay fields. My Grandmother played Que Sera Sera by Doris Day and Teresa Brewer songs on the record player; and told me stories about the sandman and the tooth fairy.The years 1951 until 1962 were magical, the happiest years of my life.

Parliament of Canada Petition 441-00162 (Infrastructure)

 Keywords - Government lands.  Local development plans.  National Capital Commission.   The Ottawa Hospital.

PETITION TO THE GOVERNMENT OF CANADA

Whereas:

• The National Capital Commission (NCC) recommended the release of 53 acres of surplus federal office land at Tunney's Pasture for the new Ottawa Hospital.

• NCC ran a six-month public consultation, worked with the current hospital on 21 site criteria, and evaluated 12 different sites, in reaching their recommendation;

• The City of Ottawa seemed to accept the recommendation but 72 hours later switched the site to a pristine green space that is popular for outdoor activities;

• The decision to switch sites was made without any studies on the environmental, transportation or health impacts of the switch;

• The proposed private/public development plan contains 17 acres of parking, including a four-storey parking structure on what is now Queen Juliana Park.

• Queen Juliana Park was established to honour the 7,600 Canadians who died liberating the Netherlands, and serves as the site of popular Algonquin Pow Wows during the summer.

• The sudden switch to the farm made available three to four billion dollars worth of developable land at the NCC recommended site;

• A panel of Ottawa residents convened themselves to review the decision;

• The panel included a former Ontario Superior Court judge, Mme Monique Metivier, an internationally celebrated Canadian medical physicist, Dr. David W.O. Rogers, a distinguished Canadian environmental engineer, Dr. Frank Johnson, and an award winning investigative journalist, Dr. Declan Hill;

• The panel sought answers from the City of Ottawa but did not receive any.

• The panel unanimously resolved to call for a public inquiry; and

• More than 8,000 Canadians have signed a Change.org petition calling for a public inquiry.

We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:

• Restore the National Capital Commission's recommendation of Tunney's Pasture as the ideal site for the new Ottawa hospital;

• Preserve Queen Juliana Park and the entire Central Experimental Farm as green spaces; and

• Support the panel's request for a public inquiry, led by the Province of Ontario, into why the NCC's site recommendation was set aside so quickly and summarily.

Government response tabled. Response by the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food. Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Marie-Claire Bibeau, PC, MP. 

• The Central Experimental Farm (CEF) is an important cultural landscape contributing scientifically and culturally to the legacy of Canadian agriculture.

• AAFC takes its role as the custodian of the CEF very seriously.

• The CEF was designated a National Historic Site in 1998. As part of its obligation with respect to this designation, AAFC developed a National Historic Site Management Plan (Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site Management Plan (1-20)-agriculture.canada.ca) to guide future development on the site and to ensure that the Farm maintains its historical and cultural significance.

• AAFC works with partners such as Parks Canada in support of protecting the CEF's heritage and historic value, including both the site and the structures/buildings found within its its boundaries.

• Development on the site is subject to the National Capital Commission Federal Land Use Design and Transaction Approvals process, where all elements of any development are considered including the national historic components. These elements complement the consultative nature of the process, including heritage impact assessments and engagement with key stakeholders.

• Through the Central Experimental Farm Advisory Council, AAFC representatives work with community stakeholders in the interest of preserving the site. Membership includes Friends of the Central Experimental Farm, the Canadian Agriculture Museum, the 4H Council of Canada, Heritage Ottawa, the Canadian Society of Landscape Architects, Federation of Citizen's Associations of Ottawa, the National Trust for Canada, and the Canadian Institute of Planners.

• Although AAFC is no longer the owner of the land on which the new Civic Campus will be located, we continue to work with federal partners and the Ottawa Hospital in the interest of respecting the historic value of the property as a whole including the ongoing operation of the Central Experimental Farm and the Ottawa Research and Development Centre.

Response by the Minister of Public Services and Procurement. Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Anthony Housefather. The Government acknowledges its receipt of Petition 441-00162 regarding the proposed site for the Ottawa Hospital (TOH).

The National Capital Commission does not have responsibility for the Ottawa Hospital or any decisions regarding location of a new site. The Government remains committed to the important research that the Central Experimental Farm undertakes, which provides benefits to farmers and the agricultural industry across Canada.

Response by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change. Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable STEVEN GUILBEAULT. 

Under the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) every authority that exercises a power, performs a duty or function conferred to it under an Act of Parliament, provides financial assistance, or is the proponent of a proposed project on federal lands is required to make an environmental effects determination unless the project is designated by Ministerial Order under section 88 of the IAA.

There may be multiple authorities required to make an environmental effects determination for an individual project. Both the National Capital Commission and Public Services and Procurement Canada are required to undertake an environmental effects determination for the new Ottawa Hospital project proposed on federal lands. As part of these obligations, public notices are posted on the Canadian Impact Assessment Registry (the Registry) to invite comments and announce their environmental effects determination decision.

Information related to the Ottawa Hospital's new Civic development Phase 2 parking garage, green roof and various supporting projects was posted on the Registry on November 15, 2021 (https://iaac - aeic.gc.ca/050/ evaluations/proj/83161.)

The scope of the determination must include a consideration of impacts to indigenous rights, indigenous and community knowledge (if provided), public comments, and mitigation measures. The IAA does not prescribe how an authority must conduct these environmental effects determinations. The responsibility for conducting the effects determination rests with the relevant authorities. The Impact Assessment Agency of Canada has issued a public guidance to authorities to assist them in meeting their obligations under the IAA, shares best practices, and hosts the Registry site, but does not review determinations nor the analysis conducted by authorities.

Parks Canada is the federal government's lead on the protection and presentation of national significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage, and the lead for Canada's participation in the World Heritage Convention. Parks Canada's interest in the Ottawa Hospital project relates to its impact on the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site and the neighbouring Rideau Canada National Historic Site and World Heritage Site.

The City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission are responsible for review and approval processes related to development of the new Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital. Parks Canada is providing comments to both the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission in the context of their approval processes on the development of the Civic Campus of the Ottawa Hospital and its potential impacts on the heritage values of the national historic sites and world heritage site.

HISTORY - PRESENTED TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS - Elizabeth May (Saanich-Gulf Islands) February 9, 2022 (Petition No. 441-00162.)

GOVERNMENT RESPONSE TABLED - March 25, 2022.

A Lifesaver During the Pandemic.

• With COVID-19 in our midst my (our) daily walks in the Farm have been a lifesaver. I think this pandemic is making many realize how fortunate we are to have this jewel in our midst.

• We are very fortunate to have the Farm in our city. We must do all we can to preserve this space. During the time of COVID-19 I have never seen the Farm so busy with people out walking. It creates a place of calm and that is extremely important now and moving forward.

• This is the best agricultural display and open farm exhibit in all of Canada. Being able to appreciate where food comes from is so valuable especially through COVID-19.

• The Farm is particularly important to me now during the COVID-19 pandemic as I do almost all my walking there. It has the space to get away from people and I really feel the need for nature. I feel like my mental health is failing because of the stress of the pandemic and my outings to the Farm really help. Thank you.

• It's a amazing gem in this city, especially during this time of COVID-19 - lots of space to walk and avoid others.

• This Farm needs to remain. COVID-19 has reminded us how fragile our world is and how the rich rape this earth to become richer. Research needs to continue. It is of the upmost importance if we are to continue to thrive in this world. We also need this rare space in the middle of the city to be able to get away...

• The research conducted at the farm is very important to feeding our nation and securing trade with other countries. Just as COVID-19 has appeared, crops are also affected by new diseases. We need on-going research. The fact that the city has grown around the farm has provided the city with a natural Central Park. It is beautiful and provides a recreational space. It has also proven to also be important to filtering polluted air for the city. (Comments are from the Friends of the Farm newsletter, Winter 2021.)

What the people of Canada are losing when the Farm is taken over.

 1.) The DARA Tennis Club and all the trees, and the Historic Hedge Collection. Parking lots and a central utility plant will occupy that space: (from: Friends of the Experimental Farm newsletter, Fall of 2021.)

The DARA Tennis Club.

The Historic Hedge Collection.

2.) Access to the National Historic Site including the Dominion Observatory when Maple Drive is restricted to ambulances.

3.) "...The NCC Driveway, Winding Lane and the remaining portion of Birch Drive are likely to be affected...There is also concern that Prince of Wales Drive may have to be widened and could lose its appeal as a scenic driveway through the CEF." (From: Friends of the Farm newsletter, Summer of 2021.)

I think it is important to repost these photos on my blog savecfbrockcliffe.

Federal Members of Parliament stated that that the only buildings permitted on the Experimental Farm would be Agriculture Canada buildings, when the temporary offices were removed:

Temporary Building #8 was located below the Sir John Carling Building escarpment, while Temporary Building #5 was near Dows Lake. Photo is from West Side Action, Eric Darwin.

The trees are all facing destruction because the Carling site is ground zero for the Civic Hospital relocation.

House of Commons Ottawa June 16, 1958 Mr. McIlraith (future Minister of Public Works; Solicitor-General of Canada and Senator) Liberal. "Mr. Chairman, I wondered if the minister is now prepared to make the statement he said he would make concerning the policy of the government with respect to buildings on the experimental farm."

Mr. Howard Charles Green (Minister of Public Works; Leader of the Government in the House of Commons; Progressive Conservative Party House Leader) Progressive Conservative. "The policy is that no buildings will be built on the central experimental farm except buildings for the Department of Agriculture."

Mr. Mcilraith: "If I may pursue the first question a bit further, has the minister come to any conclusion as to what will be done with the land on the experimental farm now occupied by the temporary buildings when they are removed?"

Mr. Green: "I take it that the hon. member for Ottawa West refers to temporary buildings Nos. 5 and 8. For some years the policy has been that when these...buildings are torn down nothing will be constructed on the site."

Mr. Mcilraith: "I want to commend the minister for continuing the policy set out a few years ago by the Liberal administration in that regard. I believe he will agree that it is a very satisfactory policy."

A letter from Heritage Ottawa to the City of Ottawa regarding the Civic Hospital relocation.

Impact to the Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site of Canada, Federal-Designated Structures and the Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada and World Heritage Site - June 18, 2021.

1.) Buffering between the Hospital and the Farm seems to be a modest line of trees, which does not appear to rise to the height or width of an effective separating berm. This has significant impacts to the Dominion Observatory Complex, the Saunders Building and the Nutrition Building (Building #60), all Recognized Federal Heritage Buildings.

2.) There does not appear to be any kind of buffer between the staff parking and the Dominion Observatory Complex.

3.) Surface Parking: The Hospital originally asserted that there would be no surface parking, but now the Master Site Plan indicates a considerable amount of the site as surface parking.

4.) Parkade:  The Hospital also originally promised no above-grade parking. While only rising four-storeys above grade, the parkade nevertheless presents a prominant elevation towards the Rideau Canal NHSC & WHS...UNESCO has already identified the proposed hospital as a potential threat to the integrity of the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site.

5.) The Dominion Observatory Complex

6.) Bird Life

7.) Planning for a Winter City

8.) The entrance off Maple Drive

9.) Maple Drive and the entrance off Prince of Wales Drive.

10.) In addition, mitigation to the heritage buildings as indicated by the Cultural Heritage Impact Statement.

11.) A changing vision.

(work in progress)

A letter from MPP Joel Harden to the Federal Minister of the Environment regarding the Experimental Farm.

 Friday, November 5th, 2021.

The Honourable Steven Guilbeault

Fontaine Building 12th floor

200 Sacre-Coeur Blvd. Gatineau QC K1A OH3

Dear Minister Guilbeault:

Congratulations on your recent appointment as Canada's Environment Minister. I hope this note finds you well as you work for change at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

We write in our capacity as MPP for Ottawa Centre and City Councilor for Capital Ward in the City of Ottawa to flag an urgent issue with significant climate impacts: the construction of the new Civic Hospital that will substantially take place on federal lands in the Central Experimental Farm and the extend and impact of the working hospital will be very close to the World Heritage site of the Rideau Canal and Dows Lake. We need your help to ensure we properly understand how this project fits within Canada's commitment to respond to our world's climate change emergency and that it complies with the need for an independent environmental assessment under federal environmental legislation.

For years, the Ottawa Hospital promised to hold public consultation to ensure "the best possible integration with the surrounding community." Pledges were made to ensure the new Civic Hospital would be linked to public transit, that parking would be half of what is now proposed (and buried underground), and that active transportation would be encouraged. These assertions have been proven false.

A massive parking garage for 2500 cars, comparable to what exists at the Ottawa Airport, is slated for construction in March 2022. The parking garage will replace Queen Juliana Park and interrupt the Trillium Bike Path, a key node of active transportation in Ottawa. Moreover, unless 65% of the arrivals at the site are by public transit, bicycle or on foot, the garage, and the multiple on-grade parking lots planned for the site will be insufficient for the number of cars destined to arrive on the site. Six large buildings - the Civic Hospital including a Rehab Centre, the Research Tower, 3 "multi-use" towers along Carling Avenue and the Heart Institute - are planned for this site. These will have a much greater population than the current Civic Hospital site.

The new Civic Hospital and its parking garage will also remove at least 524 mature trees from a key part of Ottawa's urban tree canopy which lies within federal lands. This flies in the face of the federal government's public commitments to preserve and increase the nation's tree canopy, to combat global climate change. 

Decades of funding cuts has led to a situation where 13 percent of hospital revenue now comes from fees charged for parking and other discretionary items. It is no exaggeration to say parking revenue buys MRI machines and other critical medical equipment. The Ontario Hospital Association has noted this "represents core funding sources and are not discretionary forms of "extra revenue." Moreover, drainage from medical equipment could impact on the fish bearing waters of Dows Lake and the Rideau Canal. Such potential pollution of federal waterways should be subject to an independent environmental assessment as required under federal environmental legislation. 

The federal government leased the lands in question for 99 years to the Ottawa Hospital for $1 in 2018, and did so without conducting an environmental assessment that was made available to the public. 35 % of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) in Ontario are due to personal and commercial transportation, representing the single largest source of GHG; the new Civic Hospital project does nothing to change that trend. Encouraging active and public transportation and protecting our urban tree canopy on federal lands are crucial sustainability measures. These are undermined by this project as it stands.

It is also questionable about the extent to which Algonquin leadership has been consulted on the environmental impacts of this project, and this land rests on the unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin territory. We need an inspired healing hub in the heart of our city, but we cannot do this at the expense of our environment.

Residents of Ottawa Centre are deeply concerned about how no evidence has been presented for this project's compliance with an independent environmental assessment and its long term sustainability. This project is being rushed through existing municipal, provincial and federal approval processes, and connected lobbyists are working hard to make this happen.

Minister Guilbeault, we need your help to ensure transparency, sustainability and reconciliation with Indigenous peoples are at the heart of the new Civic Hospital campus. We are petitioning you for an urgent (and public) Environmental Impact Assessment under the Impact Assessment Act for this project, and we need you to take immediate action in this regard.

Joel Harden, MPP for Ottawa Centre.

Shawn Menard, Ottawa City Councillor.

CC:  Yasir Naqvi, MP for Ottawa Centre.

Jeff Leiper, Ottawa City Councillor.

Algonquin Anishinabeg Tribal Council.

Dow's Lake Residents Association.

Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association.

Member of Parliament Elizabeth May presents a petition to save Ottawa's Central Experimental Farm, February 9, 2022.

Canada's House of Commons in Ottawa.

A letter sent by Leader of the Green Party Elizabeth May to Minister of the Environment and Climate Change Catherine McKenna:

Earth Day 2022.

 Hundreds of trees on the Sir John Carling Building site that are slated for destruction. The photo is from The Glebe Report and Reimagine Ottawa.

 

If a hospital is built on the Farm, the government of Canada will be violating several treaties and agreements.

1.)  The land is unceded and unsurrendered Algonquin First Nations territory.

2.)  The 2016 Paris Agreement on Climate Change, an international treaty.

3.)  A 1954 Privy Council Order-in-Council approved by Canadian Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent.

4.)  A 1949 Privy Council Order-in-Council approved by Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King that 900 square miles of land in the National Capital Region would be "a living memorial" to fallen Canadian soldiers. Greber Report of 1950.

5.)  A UNESCO treaty whereby land adjacent to the Rideau Canal at Dows Lake would be off-limits to developers. UNESCO is threatening to remove the designation "World Heritage Site" from the Rideau Canal if a hospital is built.

6.)  An agreement by federal politicians George McIlraith and Howard Charles Green, Minister of Public Works, that no buildings would be constructed on the Experimental Farm when the World War 11 Temporary Buildings were removed. House of Commons Ottawa June 16, 1958: The Hon. Howard Charles Green: "...When these temporary buildings are torn down nothing will be constructed on the site."

7.)  A 1976 agreement whereby the vacant land near the Sir John Carling Building (Queen Juliana Park) would be a gift to the people of Canada from the Department of Public Works.

8.)  A proposal brought forward by Ottawa City Councillors Katherine Hobbs and Jeff Leiper that Queen Juliana Park should remain a greenspace. 

9.)  The Central Experimental Farm is a National Interest Land Mass. NILM properties are off-limits to private, provincial and municipal projects:

The National Interest, from the 1975- 1976 National Capital Commission Annual Report. "Up until recent years, the NCC and its predecessors were in effect the only long-range planners for the National Capital Region. But as Ottawa, Hull and their surrounding communities grew, other jurisdictions began to assume their own and proper responsibilites for planning. Naturally, administrative conflicts have resulted."

"Under the National Capital Act, the Commission is responsible for protecting and promoting the national interest in the Capital. The objectives and purposes of the Commission are set out in the Act: 'To prepare plans for and assist in the development, conservation and improvement of the National Capital Region in order that the nature and character of the seat of the government of Canada may be in accordance with its national significance,"

"It has been argued by some that only municipal authorities have the responsibility for promulgating and implementing region-wide planning in the National Capital Region. The Commission holds that this view is unconstutional."

"Provincial and municipal authorities have responsibility for local concerns in their respective jurisdictions in the Region. But their responsibilities cannot be construed as representing the national interest. Neither can they be substituted for national concerns and interests. If Parliament had not wanted to see a national character for the Capital, it would not have created a national agency for that purpose.

10.)  CEF National Historic Site Management Plan-Part 7/20. "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 structures and natural and cultural landscapes 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...Most NILM lands are, or should be under the custody of the federal government to ensure they are protected and enhanced. Generally, the majority of these lands are, or will be, owned by the NCC, while some will be under the custody of other federal custodians or departments." 

12.) Management Plan - Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada. Buffer zones and viewscapes will be negatively impacted.

13.)  Dominion Observatory National Historic Site of Canada - Buffer zones, and light intrusion will prevent the Observatory from re-opening. "There does not appear to be any kind of buffer between staff parking and the Dominion Observatory Complex." (From: A June 18, 2021 letter from Heritage Ottawa to Sean Moore, Planner, City of Ottawa - Impact to the CEF NHS, Federal-Designated Structures and Rideau Canal.)

The Paris Agreement on Climate Change was signed by Canada...

...a few weeks before the government decided to decimate a landmark. The Paris Agreement is a legally-binding international treaty on climate change. A key aspect of the agreement- save the trees.

House of Commons Ottawa February 26, 2016 The Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of Environment and Climate Change, Lib.) "Mr. Speaker, we are very delighted that next week the Prime Minister will be sitting down with the premiers of the provinces and the territories to talk about how we are going to tackle climate change together. We believe that we need to be doing this together. The provinces and the territories have shown leadership on climate change, and now is the time for us to step up to the plate and do something because the Conservatives did nothing for 10 years."

"Mr. Speaker, we were elected by Canadians to take action on climate change, something the previous government did nothing on....We are going to take action, and we are going to do this in co-operation with the Provinces and Territories."

House of Commons November 4, 2016 MP Deb Schulte ( King-Vaughn, Lib.) "Mr. Speaker, today the Paris agreement comes into force...A year ago 195 counties came together to tackle climate change. Can the Minister of Environment and Climate Change please update the House on how this historic agreement will support our economy and the environment?"

Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Lib.) "Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member for King-Vaughn and the Chair of House of Commons environment committee for her great question."

"I am extremely proud that on the anniversary of our government, the Paris agreement has come into force. The signs of climate change are clear. Climate change is real, it is man made, and the world is taking action now to address it. We are working hard at home and abroad to tackle climate change and to grow a clean economy."

(In December of 2016 government officials including Catherine McKenna and Yasir Naqvi approved the Sir John Carling site as the location for a new hospital-savecfbrockcliffe.) 

 The Greber Report of 1950 - "Extensive parks and playgrounds were recommended, including the acquirement of lands in 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." (page 199/395.)

House of Commons Ottawa November 4, 1974 The Hon. Pierre De Bane (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of State for Urban Affairs) Liberal. "...I can assure the hon. member that there is no question of replacing the green spaces already existing in the national capital region with buildings...I also wish to remind the hon. member that the NCC will very soon make public its planning concept for the whole region.This document will be studied by a special joint committee of the Senate and the House of Commons. The long-term preservation of these resources must be preserved, and at the same time the public must have access to them. A typical example of this of course, the Experimental Farm in the centre of the city of Ottawa."

House of Commons Ottawa March 10, 1986 MP Barry Turner (Ottawa Carleton) Progressive Conservative."...The National Capital Commission will be making a fundamental planning and political error if it recommends to the Government that the Mile Circle be used to house embassies. The local, regional and indeed national outcry of opposition to this proposal should in itself be a proper, clear, concise message to the Commission that it is making a big mistake. The duly-elected members of the four levels of Government directly affected are unanimously opposed to the proposal. Those representatvies are myself, Mr. Gilles Morin, the provincial Member, Mr. Marc Laviolette, the local alderman, and the Reeve of Rockcliffe Village which borders on the site, Mr. Pat Murray."

"The Mile Circle land has been held in trust since 1904 by the federal Government as parkland. I cannot believe that today, in 1986, with all of our collective knowledge and experience that the National Capital Commission is actually threatening to destroy these parklands."

"I cannot accept the arguments that any development will be done in such a way as to maintain open spaces and a parkland setting. That is impossible since thousands and thousands of tons of concrete and steel will be sewn together by architects, engineers and construction workers to build embassies on the Mile Circle."

"My professional background is in conservation and tourism development, and I know what impact infrastructure can have on parklands. If parks are for people, and I truly believe they are, then you put any or all development outside of them. Thomas Keefer meant for the Mile Circle to be used by people-people of all ages and from all places, not just from the National Capital region. I have received letters from across Canada opposed to this proposal, from Canadians who feel that the Commission is compromising one of its fundamental philosophies, namely to conserve many of the natural parkland settings of our great capital."

"As someone who has lived in Ottawa all my life, I am proud to defend the Mile Circle from being raped by the Commission. There are certain sections of our city that are sacrosanct and this is one of them."

(The row of trees on the Sir John Carling Building escarpment will be removed.)

Family-owned images from the 1960's and 1970's.

Ottawa airport.

My brother was a miner in Timmins, Ontario.

1968 photo taken in Canada's Capital.

The future of Commissioners Park in Ottawa.

 Queen Juliana Park is located very close to Commissioners. A Reimagine Ottawa photo.

1.)  A Glebe Report article stated that the Ottawa Hospital needs Commissioners Park for parking:

 "There is a high probability that car arrivals at the campus in 2028 will far exceed parking capacity. The impact of this parking shortage on staff, patients and visitors, as well as neighbourhoods will be severe...My best guess is that mitigation will eventually include TOH asking the NCC for more acreage on the Experimental Farm, probably in the Arboretum and along Maple Drive and even in Commissioners Park for another parking garage and more surface parking lots." (From: The Glebe Report, Risk management and the new Civic campus, March 17, 2022.)

2.)  An alternate venue for the many tulips has already been found, Princess Margriet Park on 265 Fairmont Avenue.

3.)  The Preston-Carling District Secondary Plan recommended that high-rise condominiums be clustered around Light Rail Transit; in a few years the Dow's Lake LRT station will be constructed.

The Preston-Carling District Secondary Plan, March 14, 2016.

PLANNING AREA - Bounded on the north by Highway 417, on the east by Rochester Street, on the south by Carling Avenue, Prince of Wales Drive and the Central Experiment Farm, on the west by Bayswater Avenue, Sherwood Drive, Breezehill Avenue South, Hickory Street, Loretta Avenue South, Beech Street and Railway Street. (page 1)

VISION - "Some of the city's tallest and finest mixed-use buildings will cluster around the Carling Avenue O-Train future light rail transit (LRT) station. Facing Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site, one of the most significant tourism and recreation destinations in the National Capital Region, these buildings will collectively present an image that is important not only to the City but to the entire country." (page 1)

4.)  The National Capital Commission has no problem converting green space to parking lots, for example the land adjacent to the Museum of Nature, 240 McLeod Street, Ottawa. Until the year 2011 or 2012 the land was an open space and I used to see people enjoying picnics there.

5.)  Commissioners is part of the Greenbelt, and the Greenbelt is included in a 900-square mile area dedicated in perpetuity to the memory of Canadian soldiers who lost their lives fighting in foreign wars. See "The Greber Report of 1950." The land should always be in federal control---Google: 1988-07-re-ncc-National Interest Land Holdings.

Nature-deficit disorder.

"Nature-deficit disorder is the idea that human beings, especially children, are spending less time outdoors than they were in the past, and the belief that this change results in a whole range of behavioral disorders." Wikipedia.

"Why should we tolerate a diet of weak poisons, a home in insipid surroundings, a circle of acquaintances who are not quite our enemies, the noise of motors with just enough relief to prevent insanity?" Rachel Carson, Silent Spring. 

House of Commons Ottawa November 24, 2016 MP Wayne Stetski (Kootenay-Columbia, British Columbia) New Democratic Party: "Mr. Speaker, when we live in an urban area and have small pockets of important ecological areas, those ecological areas are important not only on their own but for their educational value to the people who live around them."

"We can use these areas to teach people about the importance of conservation and national parks...We absolutely need more national urban parks across Canada. They are good for the soul. They are good for helping with nature deficit disorder."

Causes of nature-deficit disorder:

• Urbanization without nature.
• A culture of fear.
• Silicon faith.
• Cultural devaluing of nature.  (From: Richard Louv, September 13, 2014, author of Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from nature-deficit disorder.")

Carlington North may be designated a Heritage Conservation District under Part V of the Ontario Heritage Act.

 September 10, 2021 - " The City of Ottawa has directed heritage planning staff to conduct a heritage analysis of the veterans' housing subdivisions in Carlington North to determine cultural heritage value and consider strategies for conservation and commemoration."

 It is well-known that the head of the Ottawa Hospital Corporation wants to convert this part of Carling Avenue into a Hospital Row, similar to Toronto's Hospital Row on University Avenue.

For more than a year many residents were subjected to high-intensity light beaming into their homes from a Royal Ottawa Hospital sign:

"I think its bizarre they put it up. Its not Vegas."

"Royal Ottawa's glowing sign sparks anger." (From: The Ottawa Citizen, February 11, 2008.) Comments: "The area is close to the Experimental Farm, which provided the area with relief from the effects of over illumination. The sign has reduced the darkness and visibility of the night sky."

"The Royal Ottawa is a mental health facility, not a hospital with emergency services." "We spent a year asking them nicely and they spent a year ignoring us." "If you really care for your neighbours' mental health you wouldn't be irritating us so much."  Graham Bird, who oversaw the redevelopment, said it's important to keep the sign glowing: "The sign is symbolic of our pride in this; this isn't something to be ashamed of. It's part of the gesture. And in terms of the Royal, we wanted to make something that was striking. It's important to stand tall about this and say 'This is the right thing.'"

Why is the Rouge National Park protected and not a 1,000 acre National Historic Site in Ottawa.

Mandate of the Department of the Environment and Climate Change: "To minimize threats to Canadians and their environment from pollution; equipping Canadians to make informed decisions on weather, water and climate conditions; and conserving and restoring Canada's natural environment." December 16, 2021.

 The Rideau Canal, Arboretum, Dows Lake area, Dominion Observatory, etc. are threatened with ecological destruction; noise and light pollution. When thousands of hospital employees, patients, residents of Carling Village and visitors take over this property every day. When thousands of vehicles occupy the asphalt parking lots and the 4-storey parkade. When more than a dozen high rise condominiums are constructed nearby.

(One week after spending so much time focused on the Rouge National Park, irreplaceable land in Ottawa was transferred to a medical centre:)

House of Commons Ottawa November 24, 2016 The Hon. Catherine McKenna (Minister of the Environment and Climate Change, Lib.) "Mr. Speaker, I would like to thank the member opposite for all the work he does when it comes to protecting the ecological integrity of our parks. We take this very seriously. That is why we were able to get an arrangement whereby the first order is to protect the ecological integrity of the Rouge National Urban Park.."

"Our priorities for Canada's 150th are highlighting the role of youth, highlighting the role of indigenous peoples in our history, and celebrating our heritage. This is going to be a great opportunity. This national urban park is within a one-hour drive and is accessible by public transit for seven million Canadians, 20% of our population. This is very exciting." (work in progress)

"Bytown Museum presents the History of the Experimental Farm."

 
The presentation can be viewed on Zoom.

Federal properties that the government of Canada reopened or refused to sell.

 1.)  Frelighsburg Experimental Farm - Brome-Missisquoi, Quebec.

2.)  Ravensborough Experimental Farm-Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

3.)  Kitsilano Coast Guard Station-Vancouver, British Columbia.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and the Duchess of Cambridge visiting the Kitsilano Coast Guard Base.

4.)  The Mile Circle near Rockcliffe in Ottawa.

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

6.)  Stanley Park - Vancouver, British Columbia.

The Prime Minister of Canada has the power to control or ban development of Crown property in Ottawa.

Similarities between Major's Hill Park and Experimental Farm. 

1.)Major's Hill Park and the Farm were cherished by the people of Ottawa. 2.) The sale of Major's Hill Park land had to be approved by a Privy Council Order in Council. And a federal OIC in 1954 prevented the Experimental Farm from being redeveloped.

House of Commons Ottawa July 6, 1908 GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY HOTEL SITE. Bill No. 89 will authorize the sale to the GTR of Canada of a portion of Major's Hill Park in the city of Ottawa as a hotel site:

Mr. William Pugsley (Minister of Public Works) "It was understood that when the Bill came up for consideration in committee, I would produce the plans of the proposed hotel, and I now lay them on the table...Apart from the towers, the height will be about 100 feet. There are five floors above ground, in addition to the attic floor and also a basement and a sub-basement."

Mr. William Pugsley (Minister of Public Works): "(Bill No. 89) ratifies the order in council, and the plans and specifications are to be approved by the Governor in Council. So that passing this Bill will not conclude the matter, but the plans will then come formally before the government for approval."

House of Commons July 6, 1908 Mr. Haughton Lennox, Conservative: " We want to know something about the cost of the building. What the minister has done is this: He has passed this order in council without knowing anything at all, without having the first tittle of information as regards the cost. He lets these negotiations all go on with the city; he says the city is vitally interested, but it is not nearly so much as the people of Canada, as we who represent the people of Canada."

"I can think of no greater outrage perpetrated on a people than this very transaction - going right to the centre of the property of the people, the beauty spot of the city of Ottawa, the place of which we are so proud, Major's Hill Park, to plant in the centre of that park a commercial ediface, a money-making institution---that is surely an absolute outrage upon the rights of the people."

"...Now I asked if there were outlets from this hotel direct to the park. The minister does not know. So little attention has been paid to this matter, so little interest has the minister taken in the preservation of the public rights that he does not know to-day if there are one or a dozen outlets from that hotel to the public park. He does not know whether this is to be the backyard of a hotel...the hotel might just as well own the whole park...The people's rights could be interfered with if there is not a fence placed between the hotel property and the park."

(A few years ago the National Capital Commission said that they cannot approve or disapprove the architectural design of the Chateau Laurier addition because the hotel is "private property." However, the government of Canada had to power to reject the architectural design of the GrandTrunk hotel in 1909 and the GTR was a private corporation.)

 Documents pertaining to the Central Experimental Farm:

A March 19, 1954 Privy Council Order in Council approved by Prime Minister of Canada Louis Saint-Laurent and the Cabinet: "The Central Experimental Farm should remain a open area in perpetuity." In the year 2016 did the Governor General of Canada ratify or give formal consent to CEF land being turned over to a local medical centre? Did the Parliament of Canada create a Bill or Law that ceded 50 acres of a National Historic Site to a hospital?

Small-scale cultural landscapes within the Rideau Canal corridor:

• Queen Elizabeth Driveway and Commissioners Park.
• Colonel By Driveway.
• The Experimental Farm - the NCC owns recreational pathways and the Driveway that crosses the CEF. 
• Island Park Drive.

"The protection of the landscapes of national value in the Capital, through the cooperation with all levels of government, the community and the private sector is identified as a goal in the NCC's Plan for Canada's Capital". (1999), page 48.

Government regulations that protect the integrity of the Experimental Farm including the trees, buildings and important views: "The Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site is affected by a number of overlapping federal, provincial and municipal land use policies...Four main federal and municipal planning documents will continue to provide land use planning guidance for the CEF lands. These include:

• The National Capital Commission's Plan for Canada's Capital (1999).
• Parks Canada's Rideau Canal Management Plan (1996), to be replaced by the (draft) Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada Management Plan.
• City of Ottawa Official Plan (2003).
• City of Ottawa Zoning By-Law sets out certain land use regulations affecting the CEF lands."

House of Commons Ottawa May 15, 1970 The Hon. G.J. McIlraith (Acting Prime Minister)Liberal: "I do not want to be in a position of giving a legal opinion on the National Capital Commission, but it is quite clear in the Act that the function of that commission is to advise the government on the planning of the national capital region. The responsibility for decisions is that of the government and not the commission. The commission has certain ancillary powers to carry out certain works supplementary to the main objective."

"One of the finest beauty spots in this beautiful city of Ottawa."

House of Commons Ottawa June 1, 1951 Winfield Chester Scott McLure: "I want to say that the experimental farm is one of the finest beauty spots in this beautiful city of Ottawa. It is a place where visitors and tourists should be taken because nowhere in America will you find a spot as beautiful." 

House of Commons Ottawa June 26, 1952 John Sylvester Aloysius Sinnot (Liberal): "Mr. Chairman, I have just a few words to say and suggestions to make to the Minister of Agriculture. We have heard rumours that there is a possibility of losing the great experimental farm here in Ottawa. I would be absolutely opposed to that farm being given up to any housing project. Not only are the people of Ottawa and those who live in the immediate vicinity proud of this farm, it is worthy of the pride of all Canadians. I am sure if the farm were advertised more, it would be a great attraction to United States visitors."

House of Commons November 25, 1968. Mr. Walter Gilbert Dinsdale: "The national capital parkways, the experimental farm and many other specialized and beautiful park areas are supported by the people of Canada through public funds expended by the National Capital Commission whose estimates we are now discussing."

All of the land and trees north of the William Saunders Building are being taken over by a major medical centre. A 1940 photo from the Archives.

House of Commons October 10, 1974 The Hon. Cyril Lloyd Francis (Ottawa West) MP and future Speaker of the House of Commons: " I wish to pay tribute to Mr. Fullerton for his imaginative use of public funds and public lands. However, I wish to take issue with him on one score and express quiet but firm disagreement with him. He may have been right in a number of things, but I do not think he was right when he proposed that part of the Experimental Farm should be used for housing. Despite the fact that there is a serious housing shortage in this area I do not think my constituents would choose to sacrifice an open space which is such a precious thing for the community."

Some Hon. Members: "Hear, hear!"

MP Pierre Poilievre had reservations about the Ottawa Hospital relocating to the Experimental Farm.

House of Commons Ottawa March 20, 2017: MP Pierre Poilievre (Carleton) Conservative: "With regard to the government's Ottawa Hospital Site Review, which concluded with a National Capital Commission recommendation to the Minister of Canadian Heritage on November 24, 2016: (a) when did the Environment Minister decide that she would order this review; (b) when did the Environment Minister ask that the Heritage Minister take over this review; (c) did the government estimate the cost of delaying the construction of the new hospital by at least a year, and if so, what are the costs; (d) what was the total cost of the review as of November 24, 2016, broken down by (i) employees' salaries; (ii) contractors; (iii) consultants; (iv) land use surveys or studies; (v) other expenses incurred;

(e) what will be the total cost of this review, broken down by (i) employees' salaries; (ii) contractors; (iii) consultants; (iv) land use surveys or studies; (v) other expenses incurred; (g) what price does the government plan to charge the Ottawa Hospital as rent for the Sir John Carling Site or site #11 by the National Capital Commission; (h) how much payment in lieu of taxes does the federal government pay the City of Ottawa for the Sir John Carling Site, known as site #11 by the National Capital Commission; and (i) what will be the costs of preparing the site for the Ottawa Hospital to be built, and which level of government or organization will pay them?"

House of Commons Ottawa March 20, 2017: MP Pierre Poilievre (Carleton) Conservative: "With the government's transfer of land to the Ottawa Hospital for the future site of the Civic Campus, known as the Sir John Carling Site or site #11 by the National Capital Commission: (a) what analysis did the departments of Public Services and Procurement Canada (formerly Public Works and Government Services Canada), Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, the National Capital Commission and Canadian Heritage, conduct at each of the 12 sites; (b) what did the National Capital Commission estimate the total land preparation costs of each of the 12 sites would be;

(c) what concerns did the National Capital Commission raise regarding potential contamination of each of the 12 sites; (d) what are the boundaries of the Sir John Carling Site which will be leased to the Ottawa Hospital; (e) are the metal piles that were used for the foundation of the former Sir John Carling Building still present at the site; (f) if the answer to (e) is affirmative, will they have to be removed in order to accomodate the new Ottawa Hospital;

(h) if the answer to (f) is negative, what is the government's plan to accomodate the new Ottawa Hospital around the existing piles; (i) what is the estimated cost of preparing the site for the Ottawa Hospital to be built, and which level of government or organization will pay them; (j) what contamination currently exists at the Sir John Carling Site, and how will it be mitigated or removed prior to the hospital's construction; (k) what is the estimated cost of remediating any contamination, and which level of government or organization will pay for this; and (l) does the government foresee any other factors specific to the Sir John Carling Site that would increase the costs to or delay construction of the new hospital, and if so what are they?" (Questions Passed as Orders for Return)

House of Commons Ottawa June 21, 2017: MP Pierre Poilievre (Carleton) Conservative: "With regard to the government's transfer of land to the Ottawa Hospital for the future site of the Civic Campus, known as the Sir John Carling Site or site No. 11: (a) what is the current status of the transfer of land to the Ottawa Hospital; (b) on what date does the government anticipate the land transfer will be complete; (c) did the Ottawa Hospital incur any costs as a result of delaying the construction by a year; (d) if the answer to (c) is affirmative, what are the costs, and will the government reimburse the Ottawa Hospital; 

(e) how many trees are there at site No. 11; (f) what buildings are currently located at site No. 11, broken down by (i) name and address, (ii) purpose and current use, (iii) whether the building will be demolished or moved to another location; (g) what will be the total cost of preparing the site for the Civic Campus to be built (h) what will be the additional costs specific to to building the Civic Campus at site No. 11, including (i) the cost of building on a sloped surface, (ii) the cost of being located near a fault line,

(iii) the cost of removing or transplanting the trees referred to in (e); any other costs due to the site's unique features; (I) which organization or level of government will pay for the at least $11 million in contamination remediation costs, as estimated by by Public Services and Procurement Canada; (n) is there any other contamination that needs to be remediated that is not captured in the $11.1 million figure; (o) if the answer to (n) is affirmative, what is the contamination and what is its expected remediation cost; (p) what design, cultural, esthetic or architectural elements will the National Capital Capital Commission require the Ottawa Hospital to incorporate into the hospital, and what will be the cost of these elements; (q) will the federal government cover the costs of the elements referred to in (p); (r) has the government estimated the additional costs costs of constructing any building or structure on site No. 11, due to the nearby fault line and, if so, what are the costs;

(s) what would have been the total cost of preparing the Central Experimental Farm site directly across the street from the current Civic Campus, known as either site No. 9 or No. 10; (t) are there any known challenges associated with building on Site No. 11 and if so, what they; and (u) does the government foresee any other factors specific to the Sir John Carling Site that would increase costs or delay construction of the new hospital and if so, what are they?"

 (Questions Passed as Orders for Return)

Answers to some of the questions: The market value of the Dow's Lake parking lot is $4,021,000. The number of trees removed will be 750, in addition to the Historic Hedge Collection near the DARA Tennis Club.The South Azimuth is part of the Dominion Observatory National Historic Site of Canada and it will be demolished because Maple Drive is being widened and converted to emergency vehicle route.

The land mass on the Sir John Carling Site allocated to the hospital in the year 2016 - North Boundary - Carling Avenue between Bayswater and Preston Street. East Boundary - From Preston Street to Prince of Wales Drive. South Boundary - From Prince of Wales Drive (600 metres) to 90 degrees west to Birch Drive. West Boundary - From Birch Drive /Maple Drive up to Winding Lane and back to Carling Avenue at Bayswater (quarter of a circle around the Dominion Observatory). (From: A Public Services and Procurement document given to MP Pierre Poilievre.)

The Hedge Collection on the Experimental Farm. 

A March 29, 2017 Ottawa Citizen article by Elizabeth Payne: "Concerned about ballooning costs, Poilievre wants hospital site revisited." "You've got a sloped surface, contaminated land and you are building on a fault line. All of those things combined may lead to an extraordinary price tag and if thats true then we should know about it before we put shovels in the ground."

To see how many Experimental Farm trees have been removed in the past week, go to reimagine ottawa twitter, the video "After/B4 of deforestation carnage in the heart of Ottawa the Nation's Capital." And to see what the area looked like one week ago Google "870 Carling Avenue Ottawa".

"REQUEST FOR GOVERNMENT DIRECTIVE PROHIBITING SALE OF NATIONAL PARKLAND"

House of Commons Ottawa March 24, 1986: Jean-Robert Gauthier (Chief Opposition Whip; Whip of the Liberal Party) (Ottawa-Vanier): "...My question is directed to the Deputy Prime Minister. Will he tell the House if it is federal policy to sell federally owned parklands? NCC Chairman Jean Pigott recently said she wants to sell part of an Ottawa riverfront park known as Mile Circle to the United States of America for an embassy compound. Is the Government in favour of selling our natural parklands?"

Hon. Erik Nielsen (Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Defence): "Mr. Speaker, I believe this question has been answered several times before and I simply refer the hon. gentleman to the records of the House."

Mr. Jean-Robert Gauthier: "Mr. Speaker, could the Deputy Prime Minister inform the House whether he intends to act responsibly and give clear and precise instructions to all those responsible for our national parks, indicating clearly that none of our national parks are for sale?"

Insanity.

Trees on Queen Juliana Park/the Experimental Farm. To the politicians, multinationals and entities that control my country----You do not care about its environment or history. The photo is from Reimagine Ottawa.

Parks Canada abandoned its duty to protect the Experimental Farm:

                                         Parks Canada Mandate and Charter

The Mandate On behalf of the people of Canada, we protect and preserve nationally significant examples of Canada's natural and cultural heritage, and foster public understanding, appreciation and enjoyment in ways that ensure the ecological and commemorative integrity of these places for present and future generations.

Our Role We are guardians of the national parks, the national historic sites and the national marine conservation areas of Canada.

Our Commitment To protect as a first priority, the natural and cultural heritage of our special places and ensures that they remain healthy and whole.

(You should have been a gatekeeper--- Canadians have lost a National Historic Site and a park that honoured the memory of Canadian soldiers who liberated the Netherlands during World 11 - savecfbrockcliffe.)

The Farm will never be the same:

"...Why designate a site to be of historical significance if years later it is destroyed. And there is no question about this, it will be utterly destroyed. There is time to correct this decision. For our future and the future of generations to come." (Google: The Ottawa Hospital-Official Documentation - Friends of the Farm.)

A Timeline

2021 - Widen the O-Train trench, enabling the construction of a parking garage.

2022 - Start of on-site parking garage to be completed end of 2023; select the preferred proponents and long-term partners for the new Civic development.

2023 - Establishing the services and utilities for the site.

2024 - Construction begins for four years.

2025 to 2027 - The transit connection to TOH campus will be improved with the opening of Dow's Lake Light Rail Transit (LRT) Station.

2027 - Transition management to the New Civic Hospital.

2028 - Grand opening.

2030 to 2048 - Future expansions.  (Google: "The Ottawa Hospital - Official Documentation - Friends of the Farm" and go to City of Ottawa, "The Ottawa Hospital Master Plan.")