Ottawa's Hyde Park.

House of Commons Ottawa June 18, 1954 Mr. Gardiner (Minister of Agriculture): "...I find that no matter where I go, whether I am in Europe or in Washington, a great deal of attention has been paid to keeping areas in their natural state. For example, when I go to London and look out over Hyde Park, I wonder why we do not have areas like that in our cities in Canada. The experimental farm in Ottawa is the nearest that we could possibly have to that."

"Even if it becomes necessary at some time to move some of the activities a little farther away, I do not believe that farm should be closed up or eliminated by allowing people to build on the area or do anything else with it. I believe it should remain there just as it is now." 

  House of Commons Ottawa June 18, 1954 MP Alexander Malcolm Nicholson (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, C.C.F.) Mr. Nicholson: "I want to draw the Minister's attention to the applause he received a few minutes ago when he intimated the experimental farm in Ottawa would not be made available for subdivisions. I think it is a great pity that in the development of Canada we have kept so little park land in our centres. I am sure I speak for every member in the House when I say that the experimental farm is one place that everyone who visits Ottawa would like to see and agrees that it is a place that should give us a great deal of pride."

House of Commons Ottawa April 12, 1961 MP Hazen Robert Argue (Co-operative Commonwealth Federation, C.C.F.) Mr. Argue: "There has been a good deal of discussion in the House regarding the government's policy in respect of construction of buildings on the experimental farm and I think it has been accepted at least it was by the ministers predecessor and by former ministers of the Department of Agriculture, particularly the Right Hon. J.G. Gardiner that the CEF should not be encroached upon by the construction of buildings....It is considered to be a valuable piece of property with historical records built up over many decades. It was felt that any reversion or change of this land to some other use would destroy the continuity of these records, and that the farm should remain intact at its present location."

The Natural Open Space System (NOSS) report, prepared by the City of Ottawa, identifies a number of significant natural resources on or adjacent to the Central Experimental Farm site. The Arboretum ranks in the highest category for social value, reflecting the importance Ottawa residents attach to this area for its visual and natural relief and for its contribution to the quality of life in an urban context. The NOSS study recommends protection of the Arboretum, an adjacent open water wetland habitat, two nearby watercourse reaches and the CEF woods near Fisher Avenue. 

The 4.500 acre Greenbelt Research Farm was protected by the designation National Interest Land Mass (1988) and by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Jacques Greber "The Greenbelt will be a memorial to Canadian soldiers."