Parliament Hill - protection of views.

The Lebreton Flats and Dominion Observatory are annexes of the Parliamentary Precinct. Tall buildings are not permitted in the vicinity:

Lebreton Flats-House of Commons November 23, 1967 The Hon. George McIlraith (Minister of Public Works): "The Lebreton Flats were envisioned as a western extension of the Parliamentary Precinct. Buildings on or near the Parliamentary Precinct cannot be any taller than the Peace Tower."

Dominion Observatory - "The popularity of the Observatory occurred when it opened in 1905, due to the support of Prime Minister Sir Wilfrid Laurier. Laurier's advocation reinforced the idea that this Observatory was to be considered an arm of the parliamentary precinct." ("Journal of the Study of Architecture in Canada" "Astronomer Mary Grey and the Architecture of Canada's Dominion Observatory." RASC-Sharon Odell, page 10/67.)

House of Commons Ottawa May 7, 1970 Mr. Stanley Knowles (NDP House Leader, Whip of the NDP) Winnipeg North Centre: "Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the Minister of Public Works? In view of the increasing number of tall buildings being constructed in close proximity to Parliament Hill, would the Minister say whether the government is taking any steps to protect the view of the Peace Tower and to protect the environs of Parliament Hill for the sake of all the people of Canada?"

Hon. Arthur Laing (Minister of Public Works): "Mr. Speaker, a committee has been set up to deal with the requirements of Parliament and to bear in mind the necessity of protecting the Hill. There is an opinion that the Hill be protected and that if necessary we must look across Wellington Street to do that."

House of Commons Ottawa November 2, 1967 Mr. Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre): "Mr. Speaker, may I direct a question to the Minister of Public Works. Now that the commencement of construction of the national defence tower in Lebreton flats has been postponed, will the government reconsider the height of this proposed building in the hope that it will not be as tall as the Peace Tower?"

The Dominion Observatory Complex will be negatively affected by the new medical centre. The Ottawa Hospital's Tower A cannot be constructed if it creates an "irreversible and permanent" loss of views from the Observatory to the sky:

• Potential construction impacts
• Isolation of the complex from its surroundings
• Obstruction or diminishment of significant views of the Dominion Observatory
• Obstruction or impact to views of the night sky from the dome
• Impact of the lighting plan (Page 2/87, City of Ottawa Application #D07-12-22-0168.)
• Impacts to views from the Dominion Observatory dome to the sky---should a telescope ever be reinstated---will be irreversible and permanent once Tower A of the Hospital Building is realized.  Also, light spillage and pollution can reduce the amount of stars and astrological features visible. (Page 8/87, City of Ottawa Application #D07-12-22-0168.) 

  

  Building Number 4 is the South Azimuth, and it will most likely be removed because Maple Drive is being converted to an emergency vehicle route with more than 100 trips a day. 
  
  

  "We are now in a phase where there is going to be a road and traffic study being conducted. Already the South Azimuth is getting in the way of the road widening." (From: Point 27:36 minutes out of 32 minutes of the RASC YouTube video---

  

  The Royal Astronomical Society of Canada video.