Canada's Farm

 House of Commons Ottawa May 13, 1988 Mr. David Daubney (Ottawa West): "Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. Will he agree that the Central Experimental Farm partly located in my riding is the flagship of Agriculture Canada's excellent research effort and contributes greatly to the unique beauty and character of the nation's capital. Will he confirm for the House that the Government has no intention of disposing of any part of the Experimental Farm proper, and in particular that part bordered by Merivale and Fisher Avenue in the city of Ottawa?"

The Hon. John Wise (Minister of Agriculture):"Mr. Speaker I appreciate the Hon. Member's continuing interest in the future of the Experimental Farm here in Ottawa. I want to take this opportunity to indicate to him that Agriculture Canada, my Department, has no plans or thoughts whatsoever concerning disposing of any portion of that property at any time. There is no question about that."

"I appreciate also the complimentary remarks the Hon. Member made with reference to that very unique facility. It has made a tremendous contribution to Canadian agriculture. It is one of the four original experimental farms established across Canada over 100 years ago. In fact, next to the Parliament Buildings, the Experimental Farm is the second most popular tourist attraction here in Ottawa."

Some Hon. Members: "Hear, hear!"  (Agriculture Canada was kept in the dark about the fact that 91 acres had already been sold to the city of Ottawa. Reminiscent of the Department of Agriculture and NCC not receiving notice about a recent city planning meeting, about shadows from proposed high rise buildings having a negative effect on Farm research. Thousands of houses, a Walmart and strip malls were built on Farm land at Merivale and Clyde.

The Scouts Canada Headquarters on 1345 Baseline Road is being demolished, the totem pole removed, and at least three high rises will be constructed on the vacant land. The City of Ottawa is taking property from Agriculture Canada, private homes, businesses and Pinecrest Cemetery for a Baseline Road transit project.)

Politicians who wanted to save the land (updating and reposting)

• Prime Ministers of Canada Mackenzie King, Louis St-Laurent, Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney.
• MP Elizabeth May
• MP Richard Cannings
• MP Monique Pauze
• MPP Joel Harden  
• Senator Anne Cools
• 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.)
• MP Marlene Catterall
• MP David Bruce Daubney
• City of Ottawa Councillors Jeff Leiper, Catherine McKenney, Shawn Menard and Rawlson King.
• Writer and politician Clive Doucet
• Barnett Danson (Minister of National Defence) (Minister of State for Urban Affairs).
• Agriculture Ministers Sydney Fisher, William Motherwell, Thomas Crerar, James Gardiner, Douglas Harkness, John James Greene, Bud Olson, Eugene Whelan, John Wise and Gerry Ritz.
• Speaker of the House Lloyd Francis
• Deputy House Leader of the Opposition Walter Baker
• Federal Ministers of Public Works Erik Nielsen, George McIlraith, Howard Greene and Lucien Cardin.

Organizations that wanted to save the land. (reposting)

• 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's fight to save Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa"
• National Trust for Canada
• SAVE THE FARM - Protest to save our trees and greenspace - Ecology Ottawa
• The Western Producer - Ottawa research farm under threat, November 24, 2016
• National Farmer's Union of Ontario - September 2, 2016.
• Ontario Chapter-Sierra Club of Canada
• Royal Astronomical Society of Canada-Preservation of the Dominion Observatory-A Proposal
• Glebe Community Association
• Glebe Annex Community Association
• Dalhousie Community Association
• Botanica Residents Association
• Champlain Park Community Association

Protected buildings, land and parkways.

• the Dominion Observatory is part of the Parliamentary Precinct. Buildings on or near the Precinct cannot be any higher than the Peace Tower and the campus is surrounded by buffer zones.
• the Booth Barn - The Booth Barn is protected by Part 1V of the Ontario Heritage Act, after attempts were made to demolish it during the mid-1990's.
• Commissioners Park is included in the Greenbelt. Several people fear that the park will be converted to a parking lot for the Ottawa Hospital in 2028 when the hospital needs more land.
• Scenic Driveways including the Queen Elizabeth, Prince of Wales and NCC Driveway. All of the parkways in the National Capital Region are part of a 900-square-mile National War Memorial that was created in 1945 by Prime Minister Mackenzie King and Jacques Greber. ("The National Capital Commission Scenic Driveway is a tree-covered route flanked with bike trails. All the roads serving the site, with the exception of Prince of Wales Drive are expected to be widened to accommodate a greater density of traffic." From: Regenerating the Experimental Farm, page 30/74.) 
  

  

  A 1974 Ottawa Journal article. Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan refused to give the National Capital Commission 700 acres during a "housing emergency" in 1974.