National symbols.

 

MP Dennis Mills, House of Commons Ottawa, May 15, 1992.

House of Commons Ottawa February 7, 1994 Mr. Alex Shepherd (Durham) "Mr. Speaker, those of us who are proud Canadians are offended that CP Rail has decided to change its company logo into what in effect looks like the Canadian flag is becoming or being subsumed into the American flag.

It is not just Canadians who are offended by this logo. This logo has also been challenged in the United States for defaming the American flag. Regardless of CP's rights as a private company to choose any logo it wants, Canadians should have a voice in this matter. CP Rail is a company that Canadian taxpayers have helped to establish through subsidies, outright gifts of land and other means.

I note that most of the tracks in eastern Canada are owned by CN and more precisely the taxpayers of Canada. Currently CN, which displays the Canadian flag on its trains, and CP are in negotiation for consolidation of rail services in eastern Canada. I would like to bring this matter to the attention of the House so that we can convey our desire to have the Canadian flag and not the offensive logo of CP Rail flying over taxpayers' property in eastern Canada." 

House of Commons Ottawa May 18, 1995 Mr. Michel Guimond (Beauport-Montmorency-Orleans, BQ) "My question is for the Minister of Transport. The minister is about to privatize one of the most important crown corporations without restricting foreign ownership. CN, which was established at a cost of billions of dollars of public moneys, is an asset for Canada and Quebec. Should it be under foreign control it might not serve the interests of Canadians."

House of Commons Ottawa May 29, 1995 Mr. Guimond (Beauport-Montmorency-Orleans, BQ) "...What criteria should the government use in selling the assets other than the railway? What criteria should it use in selling the CN Tower for example? How much do you think its worth?"

The Chairman: "Get the most you can get for it."

House of Commons Ottawa December 7, 1987 Mr. Neil Young (Beaches) New Democratic Party: "Can you imagine, Mr. Speaker, the Government of Egypt selling off the Pyramids, the Chinese people placing the Great Wall on the auction block or the Eiffel Tower turned over to the private sector. Only in Canada we say "sell the CN Tower." 

And what is the CN Tower to be called; Alpo Dog Food Heights, Loblaws Skyscraper, Pizza Pizza Peak or perhaps Ronald Reagan Lookout. 

The Tower was built with $57 million of Canadian money. It does serve 15 media centres. It does accommodate two million visitors a year, and it does bring a sense of pride to Canadians. All of this, and the Tower turned a tidy $5 million dollar profit last year. If the Government insists on bequeathing the CN Tower to the private sector, it should at least attempt to secure a guarantee that the purchaser will find a small place for the Government's epitaph to be displayed for all Canadians to see."

Do not sell Canadian agricultural land to foreign countries.

 The first priority of a government is to look after its own citizens. Foreign countries are buying vast tracts of land in New Zealand, Australia and the continent of Africa, to grow food and bio-fuel for their own people.

House of Commons Ottawa May 9, 1972 Mr. Lorne Nystrom (Yorkton-Melville, Sask.) New Democratic Party: "...To go back to the Prairies and to rural Canada, we find that farm income there has dropped rapidly. We find also that the small towns suffer, businessmen are closing their doors or laying off workers. People then have to move from the small towns or village to the city. In essence, this contributes to the destruction of a lifestyle which I think is very much part of Canadian society. It is the fabric of our life from coast to coast. This is the kind of life that I want to protect..."

House of Commons Ottawa June 19, 1972 Mr. William Knight (New Democratic Party) "...At the national level we need legislation which prevents foreign ownership of land."

House of Commons Ottawa March 24, 1976 Mr. Don Mazankowski (Vegreville) "Mr. Speaker, may I direct my question to the Prime Minister. It has to do with foreign ownership of land in Canada. Can the Prime Minister advise the House what progress is being made with the provinces with respect to the establisment of measures to deal with the ownership of land by foreigners in Canada."

House of Commons Ottawa May 20, 1976 Mr. O'Connell (Liberal) "...I want to raise the matter of purchase of farm land increasingly by foreigners, and I will raise the matter in terms of the Foreign Investment Review Agency and is there a role to play in deciding whether or not such purchases are in Canada's interests. Is the foreign purchase of farm land, particularly prime land, in the interest of Canadians...I would appreciate knowing how successful are the effects made by farm credit institutions  to put funds in the hands of young people in order to encourage them to become another generation that will farm."

House of Commons Ottawa November 6, 1975 Right Hon. P.E. Trudeau (Prime Minister) "Mr. Speaker, pursuant to Standing Order 41 (2) I should like to table copies in both official languages of the letters I have sent to the various premiers---on the subject of foreign ownership of land, and I hope to table shortly the report of the federal-provincial committee on the ownership of land."

House of Commons Ottawa April 27, 1977 Right Hon. P.E. Trudeau (Prime Minister) Liberal: "Mr. Speaker, might I take this opportunity to table an exchange of letters between the premiers and myself on the question of foreign ownership of land, in both languages."

House of Commons Ottawa January 21, 1985 Mr. Dyck (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of State (Government House Leader) Progressive Conservative: "...We must have a review and must know what foreign ownership there is now in this country. The Americans do it. Just last month I note that a Canadian who bought some land in Mississippi has now been ordered by the courts to turn it over because foreigners are not allowed to own land...In Texas it is illegal for a foreign country to buy up control of a Texas corporation....There are laws in the United States Midwest against the ownership of oil and gas and farming lands."

The government of Canada is selling thousands of acres of prime land to high-tech entrepreneurs and residential developers.

Agriculture Canada owned more than 1 million acres of research properties in 1985:

Corrections Canada decided to sell the prison farms. Canadian writer Margaret Atwood joined a rally in Kingston, Ontario to save the properties. Ms. Atwood also posted a letter to the door of a Corrections Canada building on 440 King Street West, and the note read: 

Prison farms belong to all Canadians

Stop ignoring democracy

Save the Farms Now!

Canadian writer Margaret Atwood in Kingston, Ontario.

Ownership of the building where Ms. Atwood posted the letter was in limbo a few years ago. "Joyceville and Pittsburgh farm land could be worth $2 million dollars. The Regional Headquarters at 440 and 462 King Street West in Kingston could net $17 million dollars." (From: A Roadmap to Strengthening Public Safety-Report of the Correctional Service of Canada.)

St. Helen's on King Street West.

Agricultural colleges closed their campuses. "Kemptville, Alfred schools may be set to close." "The University of Guelph will shut down its agricultural school campus in Kemptville, Ontario."

Lesser Slave Lake, Alberta.

 

The sale and giveaway of Canadian federal government property.

The Fraser Institute.

 Ottawa bridges - In 1995-96 the Commission signed an agreement to sell the Laurier and Mackenzie Bridges to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton for the consideration of one dollar. (NCC Annual Report for 1995 and 1996, page 45/111.)

CBC Jarvis Street Headquarters, Toronto - 

Dows Lake parking lot near Carling Avenue in Ottawa - owned by all the citizens of Canada, and worth $4 million dollars. Donated to a medical centre for $1 dollar.

Public Services and Procurement Canada is planning to transfer highways within Confederation Heights (Riverside Drive and Heron Road) to the city of Ottawa. Road Network- "City council shall support the ownership transfer from Public Works and Government Services to the City, those portions of Heron Road and Riverside Drive that traverse the Confederation Heights area to have them formally integrated as part of the arterial road network."

Other initiatives: "Discourage the use by employees of private automobiles." (Google: 7.0 Confederation Heights Master Plan-City of Ottawa.)

WEF pushes countries to outlaw private vehicle ownership for ordinary citizens. English and European royalty; billionaires; politicians and even Greta Thunberg do not have to abide by these measures. 

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The 1975-1976 Annual Report of the National Capital Commission - Selling and giving away federal government property in the National Capital Region for provincial and municipal projects is unconstitutional--- according to the document "The National Interest." That is why federal politicians John Baird and John Manley wanted the Lebreton Flats to be a national park. Why Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent refused to let Ottawa City Hall build on the Farm. Why the National Archives can be constructed on Lebreton Flats but not a city library.

THE NATIONAL INTEREST

"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 surroundings grew, other jurisdictions began to assume their own and proper responsibilities 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 for and assist in the development, conservation and improvement of the National Capital Region in order that the nature and 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 plans in the National Capital Region. The Commission holds that this view is unconstitutional.

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. If Parliament had not wanted to see a national character for the Capital it would not have created a national agency for that purpose, and there has been such a national agency since 1899.

An important aspect of this agency - now the NCC - has always been its non-partisan character. The agency has always enjoyed the confidence of successive Parliaments and governments since Laurier's day and progress in the National Capital has never been identified with the policies of a particular government. The resultant continuity and stability are at least partly responsible for the quality of development so far.

The Commission has functions different from those of a government department. Its special advisory committees - on planning, on design and on property transactions - are able to assess federal projects in the region from a national viewpoint. The committees, like the 20 Commissioners themselves, are drawn from all regions and provinces of Canada and they give Parliament and the government independent professional advice in the fields of architecture, urban planning, environment, transportation and land use and development.

In short, the emphasis in the Commissions policies and operations is on the national view in the planning and development of the Capital."

Buffer zones will prevent the sale of Agriculture Canada holdings.

 The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the buffer zone is 30 metres or 100 feet.

Apparently 200 federal government buildings in the National Capital Region are now surplus.The Sparks Street Mall was 'Public enemy Number 1' so I would assume that the north side of the Mall is facing demolition. A foreign architect is redeveloping the Parliamentary Precinct.

Sparks Street: "It's crown against town and sparks are flying as the National Capital Commission prepares to demolish an entire block in downtown Ottawa. City officials, businessmen and private citizens alike fear that the NCC's plan to raze Sparks Street and replace it with office towers, apartments, stores and restaurants will destroy rather than revitalize the downtown core." (Globe and Mail, May 2, 2001.)

"The five-block, east-west pedestrian mall and surrounding area is the NCC's public enemy No.1." ("Tidying up a mess"/Macleans Magazine, September 3, 2001.)

Protective zones around National Observatories.

Canadensis is planning to take over the Experimental Farm's Arboretum, Fletcher Wildlife Garden and part of Commissioners Park.

Canadensis Le Breton Flats 

 

The Experimental Farm was designated a National Historic Site of Canada in 1997. The Arboretum and Fletcher Wildlife Garden are off-limits to housing developers and commercial enterprises.

 Redeveloping the landscape.

1974 - The Chair of the National Capital Commission Douglas Fullerton wanted 600 acres for housing. Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan told the NCC the land would be transferred "over my dead body."

1988 - 91 acres are sold to the city of Ottawa and eventually to a builder:

2001 - The Botanical Garden Society plans to redevelop 108 acres Farm land east of Prince of Wales Drive including Department of National Defence property at Dow's Lake and PWGSC holdings.

2016 - PWGSC and the NCC charge the Ottawa Civic Hospital $1 dollar for historic, irreplaceable properties including the Dominion Observatory, Queen Juliana Park, the DARA Tennis Club (the Department of Agriculture Recreational Association), roads, pathways, hundreds of trees, the Historic Hedge Collection...

2019-2022 - The Botanical Garden Society/Canadensis has not given up on their plan to build upon federal land that is now open to the general public and free.

2022 - Hundreds of trees in QJP and along the Dow's Lake parking lot are chopped down.

2022 (?) - The city of Ottawa plans to expropriate Farm land at the Baseline Road border for an OC Transpo endeavour.

House of Commons Ottawa November 22, 1991 Mr. Dennis Mills (Broadview-Greenwood): "Madame Speaker, when I got up this morning and headed to the House I actually had no intention of speaking. Then in my office I read part of Bill C-3, an act respecting the acquisition, administration and disposition of real property by the Government of Canada....As I started to reflect on what was really going on in this bill I became concerned. There is another aspect of this bill that disturbs me immensely. It concerns me that in one year, with the support of this bill, it is possible that there will be no Crown land assets left."

How long will the tulips be located in Commissioners Park? "NCC considers fences to keep people away from blooming tulips this year." "No photographs" and "No stopping" signs appeared around Dows Lake and Commissioners Park."

The major threats to "Canada's Farm".

• The transfer of 60 acres of land along Carling Avenue. At present, Carling Avenue serves as a buffer against localized environmental and light conditions associated with a large institutional complex, such as shadows, noise, air movements and gas and fine particulate matter from vehicle emissions.
• A proposal to build a botanical garden and related infrastructure on the eastern portion of the site, which remains an idea and project supported by groups in Ottawa.
• Proposals to widen Fisher Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive. (Also, Maple Drive will be widened and the National Capital Commission may prohibit private motor vehicles on the NCC Driveway, widen the parkway or de-pave the road and supposedly "give the land back to the people." savecfbrockcliffe.) )

(more threats-The City of Ottawa is expropriating Farm land along Baseline Road for an LRT or OC Transpo bus route.

The municipal councillor is not promising that the Astrophysical Buildings will be retained. savecfbrockcliffe.)

(Google: Central Experimental Farm: HCNT Nomination Form for Top Ten Endangered Sites.)

Light pollution was a major problem for Carling Avenue residents living across from the street from a brand-new psychiatric hospital. For one year people complained to their municipal councillor and for a year they were ignored.

Royal Ottawa's glowing sign sparks anger. - Ottawa Citizen 2008. Comments: 

"We spent a year asking them nicely and they spent a year ignoring us."

"The area is close to the Experimental Farm, which provided the area with relief from the effects of overillumination. 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 facilities."

"I just think it's bizarre. It's not Vegas."

A nightime photo of the glowing sign that was intruding into nearby Veterans Housing living rooms and bedrooms. Carling Avenue is a future Hospital Row and a Wall of Condos. 

My 4-day visit to Slave Lake, Alberta in October of 2022.

 

Thousands of trees will have to be chopped down to make this concept a reality.

A letter to the Ottawa Citizen on June 26, 2019: "Canadensis has attempted on multiple occasions to carve away the southeast corner of the Central Experimental Farm - effectively privatizing public land - ignoring that in Ottawa our garden was always focused on trees..."

"The Central Experimental Farm is a jewel in the heart of the capital. It is by and large open to the public for free. Canadensis's proposal is redundent, misguided and ahistorical. Peter Anderson, Ottawa. 

The image is from a Randall Denley Ottawa Citizen article in the year 2019.

The plans for the botanical garden keep changing, intensifying. (2022). 

The Farm (left), Rideau Canal Hartwell Locks and trees.

Agriculture Canada rejected the Botanical Garden's plan for the Experimental Farm - June 7, 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 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 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.

Best regards...Mike Nowosad, Chair, CEFAC.

The information is from the Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital, General Meeting, June 12, 2002.

"The cultural landscape of the Canal corridor is under threat from incompatible development."

From: The Rideau Canal national historic site of Canada Management Plan-page 29/98.

Department of Transport Act 

TRIPPING the Rideau Canal can be viewed on YouTube.

Historic Canals in Canada

Rideau Canal including the Tay Canal.

Trent-Severn Waterway

Canadensis plans to encroach upon Commissioners Park, the Arboretum, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, Ornamental Flower Gardens and Agricultural Museum.

 I thought you were going to save the Experimental Farm MP Yasir Naqvi.

"Construction of this major infrastructure project will provide jobs and economic benefits. There will be a measurable boost to the construction industry.The project will feature a Design Lab, Conservatory, Urban Agricultural Exhibits, Climate Change Laboratory and many more..." parking lots, an amphitheatre, stores and restaurants.

265 Fairmont is being renamed Princess Margriet Park. All of the tulips, the memorial plaques and the statue of "The Man with Two Hats" are probably being relocated from the federal Commissioners Park to Princess Margriet Park. The 22-acre Commissioners Park is part of the NCC Greenbelt.

"Located along Prince of Wales Drive and adjacent to the Historic Rideau Canal at Hartwells Locks, our National Botanical Garden occupies a 34-acres parcel of land at the southeast corner of the Central Experimental Farm."

The people of Ottawa have been lied to repeatedly, we were told that

• the DARA Tennis Club is not being relocated.
• the hospital is being modelled after small, Scadinavian-type medical centres.
• the Astrophysical buildings, Dominion Arboretum and nearby roads and pathways are not being infringed upon.
• the Sir John Carling Building cafeteria annex will be a visitor's centre and a museum.

The many reasons why Canadensis on the Experimental Farm will never proceed.

 

A recent image from "Canadensis, the Garden of Canada." This is far more than 34 acres, Canadensis.

1.) Before he was elected as a Member of Parliament, Yasir Naqvi promised that he would save what was left of the Experimental Farm---after the Civic Hospital built parking lots, towers and medical buildings on the land.

2.) The Arboretum Woods are legally protected.

3.) The entire Experimental Farm is a National Interest Land Mass. The NILM legislation was created by Prime Minister Mulroney in 1988, to rein in the NCC and to prevent the City of Ottawa from using federal properties as a land bank.

4.) The Rideau Canal from the Chateau Laurier to Hog's Back is designated a National Interest Land Mass, and the National Capital Commission cannot sell, lease or subdivide land beside the Rideau Canal.

5.) The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and buffer zones cannot be breached.

6.) The Experimental Farm and the waterway are National Historic Sites of Canada.

7.) Prince of Wales Drive is part of Jacques Greber's Memorial in perpetuity to Canadian soldiers who were killed fighting in foreign wars. From: The Greber Report of 1950.

Letter to Minister Guilbeault on protecting the Experimental Farm-May 19, 2022.

"I am committed, as Member of Parliament for Ottawa Centre, to work with my colleagues to introduce legislation that will protect the lands of the Central Experimental Farm from further development, forever."

"The federal Minister of the Environment and Climate Change has been tasked by the Prime Minister to develop comprehensive legislation to protect federally-owned historic places." more 

"Botanical garden plan alarms Farm fans. Nature lovers fear Experimental Farm will become theme park."

 by Carolynne Wheeler, Ottawa Citizen, August 3, 2001.

 (The first attempt to commercialize the Arboretum and Fletcher Wildlife Garden. And National Defence land at Dow's Lake was part of the project.)

---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 Dominion 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."

"The proposed botanical garden on the east side of Prince of Wales Drive would surround but not swallow, the arboretum that is now a haven for nature lovers. A first, $10 million phase of the proposal from the Ottawa Botanical Garden Society is being studied by an advisory council appointed by Agriculture Canada."

"Phase 1 of the project would fence off about 44 hectares (108 acres) of land now designated for research. It would improve the existing arboretum and (Fletcher) wildlife garden and build a children's garden, a perennial garden, a heritage garden, a First Nations traditional garden, an herb and medicial  garden and a home garden centre with demonstration centres."

"Later stages are expected to include a conservatory with nine greenhouses with sales to the public, a butterfly house, washrooms and small cafes. The non-profit society would charge admission to the butterfly house and garden though not to the arboretum."

(The Fletcher Wildlife Garden currently has a butterfly garden, a fish pond and bridges and they are completely free. savecfbrockcliffe.)

"While the Department of Agriculture has pledged no commercial operations like shops or restaurants on its land, later phases of the project may involve land from National Defence and Public Works, which lacks those restrictions."

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(How dare you suggest that profit-making enterprises take over National Defence property. This is Ordnance and Admiralty land used for the defence of Canada.savecfbrockcliffe.)

Navy Private is 1 minute or 160 metres away from the Dow's Lake parking lot. 

"The Department of National Defence has maintained its presence at the northeast corner of the CEF since the Second World War. HMCS Carleton now functions as a naval reserve unit in the buildings adjacent to Dow's Lake. The property is the last remaining land from the British Ordnance reserve of the mid-1800's. (CEF National Historic Site Management Plan (5 0f 20)."

The Ordnance and Admiralty Lands Act of 1927 Military properties in Canada transferred to the government of the late province of Canada --- (Locations in the Capital) Rideau and Ottawa Canals, City of Ottawa Barracks, Blockhouses and Adjuncts of the Canals.

Major's Hill Park was Ordnance and Admiralty land House of Commons Ottawa, July 6, 1908. Grand Trunk Hotel Site: MP Haughton Lennox "...You are practically giving the company the use of a large park which is the most beautiful in the city of Ottawa. It is idle to talk of $100,000 for so many feet of property. I get angry when I talk about this. I get so indignant at this proposal that I find it hard to keep my temper. But if we are going to dispose of this property, I would point out that there are special provisions that have to be met before we sell ordnance land."

The future of the Arboretum and Fletcher Wildlife Garden?? Court challenges will prevent this from happening.

 

The blue gates are blocking the entrance to the Arboretum and a sign on the left reads "New project." I thought you were going to save what was left of the Farm, MP Yasir Naqvi, after the Civic ruined 50 acres, a memorial park and observatory. Apparently you are not saving anything. And the Arboretum Woods are untouchable, Google: Protected Land and Waterways in the National Capital- Table 1, Category 1. "urban natural features strategy, City of Ottawa April 11, 2006".

"Naqvi proposes protection law for Experimental Farm while Civic Hospital project rolls on" by Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, September 3, 2021. "Yasir Naqvi's fight to become the MP for Ottawa Centre includes a promise to legislate the protection of the Central Experimental Farm as plans move ahead to bulldoze the eastern portion of the federal land to build a new hospital."

Politicians who wanted to save the Experimental Farm.

An update: Ottawa Mayoral Candidate and City Councillor Catherine McKenney,City Councillors Shawn Menard, Jeff Leiper, and Rawlson King; MPP Joel Harden, writer and politician Clive Doucet.

In the past: Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson "I think the Central Experimental Farm is a real gem in the city and I don't think the public wants to take an open and green space and have it developed." (friendsofthefarm newsletter, summer of 2013, page 10/12.)

Prime Ministers of Canada Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Mackenzie King, Louis St-Laurent, Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney.

Agriculture Ministers Sydney Fisher, William Motherwell, Thomas Crerar, James Gardiner, Douglas Harkness, John James Greene, Bud Olson, Eugene Whelan, John Wise, Gerry Ritz,

Senator Anne Cools.

Ministers of Public Works George McIlraith, Howard Charles Green, Lucien Cardin,

Members of Parliament Elizabeth May, Richard Cannings, Marlene Catterall, David Daubney,

Minister of National Defence Barnett Danson.

Speaker of the House of Commons Lloyd Francis.

Deputy House Leader of the Official Opposition Walter Baker.

Agriculture Minister Sydney Fisher and Canadian Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier on the grounds of the property, early 1900's. The photo is from the National Archives.

YouTube videos

"Ottawa prepares to hand over historic federal farmland to corporate developers." Filmed at the Dominion Observatory in 2017.

"Snow Music: Color/Dance" with music by George Winston.

"Ottawa Snow Drive and Walk, NCC Scenic Driveway Experimental Farm" January 3, 2021.

Petitions

Organizations that want to preserve the land

• friendsofthefarm
• reimagine Ottawa
• Friends of the Central Experimental Farm
• Protect the Farm-Home|Facebook
• Saving the Experimental Farm|Heritage Ottawa
• COALITION TO SAVE THE CENTRAL EXPERIMENTAL FARM
• Canadian Council on Food Sovereignty and Health
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (1974)
• Save the Experimental Farm (1975)
• Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
• Contentworks "Coalition fights to save Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa."
• National Trust for Canada
• SAVE THE FARM - Protest to save our trees and greenspace - Ecology Ottawa

A 1974 Ottawa Journal article.

The Arboretum was never part of a land deal between the federal government and Civic Hospital.

Member of Parliament Pierre Poilievre received the following information from Public Services and Procurement Canada in the year 2016: The precise boundary of Experimental Farm land donated to the Civic Hospital:

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.)

Protected Land and Waterways in the National Capital. Table 1. - Category 1.

Airbase Lands - Federal, Private.

Arboretum Woods - Federal.

Aviation Parkway North - Federal, City.

Brittania Bay - Federal, City.

Brittania Conservation Area - Federal, City.

By-Pass Woods East - Federal.

Carlington Woods - Federal, City, Private.

Central Experimental Farm Woods - Federal.

Champlain Bridge Woods - Federal.

Champlain Bridge Islands - Federal.

Chaudiere Rapids - Federal.

Del Zotto Woods - Federal.

Deschenes Lookout - Federal.

Hampton Park Woods - Federal, City.

Hog's Back Woods - Federal, Private.

Lemieux Island - Federal, City.

Leopold Woodlot - Federal, Private.

McCarthy Woods and Southern Corridor - Federal.

Montfort Woods - Federal, Private.

Nepean Creek Corridor - Federal, Private.

NRC Woods North - Federal.

Parliament Hill - Federal.

Pinecrest Woods - Federal.

Prince of Wales Woods - Federal, City.

RA Centre Woods - Federal.

Rideau River Islands - Federal.

Rideau River Park Woods - Federal.

Riverside Park - Federal.

Rockcliffe Park East - Federal.

Rockcliffe Park West - Federal.

Rockcliffe Shores - Federal.

(Google: "urban natural features strategy, City of Ottawa, April 11, 2006.)

A Wikipedia description: The Dominion Arboretum is an arboretum part of the Central Experimental Farm. Originally begun in 1889, the Arboretum covers about 26 hectares (64 acres) of rolling land between Prince of Wales Drive, Dow's Lake and the Rideau Canal.

Endangered trees on the Experimental Farm.

The Farm (left) and the Rideau Canal Hartwell Locks. Public Works and Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada were prepared to sell 108 acres of land near the Hartwell Locks to an entertainment company. The Honourary Chairperson of the Council of Canadians Maude Barlow criticized the plan: "(Ms. Barlow) said the project would create a theme park atmosphere and lead to the privatization of the Experimental Farm." (Ottawa Citizen, August 3, 2001.) Photo is from smallpond.ca.

friendsofthefarm - 2022, Endangered Trees of the Dominion Arboretum - The collection contains many trees which are part of a "threatened" conservation status. (IUCN Red List.)

International Union for Conservation of Nature. The IUCN was created in 1964 and is headquartered in the United Kingdom.

"Urban lands are inherited---representing a legacy to be passed on to future generations." (From: Capital Urban Lands Plan [PDF]page 35/123.)

"In coming years, the long-term ecological and scientific outlook for preserving the Central Experimental Farm and the Arboretum should be validated in an update to the existing 2005 master plan." (From: The Plan for Canada's Capital, 2017-2067 - page 40/95.)

"Key federal holdings in the Urban Lands Study Area, such as the Central Experimental Farm (a National Historic Site of Canada) and the Rideau Canal (a UNESCO World Heritage Site) are of rich heritage value." (From: Capital Urban Lands Plan [PDF] page 16/123.)

The potential loss of Canadian landmarks.

Prime Minister Mulroney prevented the transfer of Stanley Park to the City of Vancouver.

The federal government did not permit the transfer of all the National Parks in BC to the province.

The sale of the entire Rideau Canal.

The sale of Lazy Bay Commons in Mechanicsville, Ottawa to foreign countries for an embassy row.

The loss of Mile Circle near Rockcliffe for an embassy row.

The Greenbelt that surrounds the National Capital.

Landmarks that are no longer federal property.

The Department of Public Works sold the Gonzales Observatory to the City of Victoria for $1 dollar, then changed their minds and upped the price to $35,000 dollars. The land north of 302 Denison Road was sold for housing.

More questions pertaining to Ottawa's Experimental Farm.

 House of Commons Ottawa March 20, 2017 Mr. Pierre Poilievre (Conservative): "With regard to the governments Ottawa Hospital Site Review, 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 were 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;

(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;

(f) what are the precise boundaries of the property to be leased to the Ottawa Hospital, known as the Sir John Carling Site or site # 11 by the National Capital Commission;

(g) what price does the government of Canada plan to charge the Ottawa Hospital as rent for the Sir John Carling Site, known as site # 11 by the National Capital Commission;

(h) how much payment in lieu of taxes does the federal government pay to 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 for them?"

Topic: Routine Proceedings. Subtopic: Questions Passed as Orders for Return. Sub-subtopic: Question No. 810.

The precise boundary of land that will be allocated to the Ottawa Hospital in 2016. An answer to MP Pierre Poilievre's Question 810:

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.) (The information is from Public Services and Procurement Canada.)

House of Commons Ottawa March 20, 2017 Mr. Pierre Poilievre (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 # 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 at 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;

(g) if the answer to (f) is affirmative, what will be the cost of removing the piles;

(h) if the answer to (f) is negative, what is the government's plan to accomodate the 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 for 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 will pay for this;

(l) 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?

Topic: Routine Proceedings. Subtopic: Questions Passed as Orders for Return. Sub-subtopic: Question 811.

Questions pertaining to Ottawa's Experimental Farm.

House of Commons Ottawa June 21, 2017 Hon. Pierre Poilievre, 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 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 on 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 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), (iv) any other costs due to site No. 11's unique features;

(i) which organization or level of government will pay for the land preparation and additional costs noted in (g) and (h);

(j) does the government have any estimates on the cost of preparing site No. 11 for a large institutional occupant and, if so, what are the details;

(k) what is the market value of the land at site No. 11;

(l) what will be the rental rate or sale price of site No. 11 to the Ottawa Hospital;

(m) which organization or level of government will pay for the at least $11.1 million in contamination remediation as estaimated 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 (h) 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 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 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 are 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 Order for Returns. Question Number 1040.