The future of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway.

"About 30 permanent gates, that are easy to open and close, would be installed at roads ending on QED between Laurier Avenue and Dow's Lake." ("Reimagining the Queen Elizabeth Driveway, NCC Parkways for People Series, November 2021.")

"The NCC has a long-standing policy to retain federal riverfront land." (The Hon. Ron Stewart, Official Land Use Policy in City of Ottawa-June 1984.")

Report of the Federal District Commission, 1949, page 14/75  "The Federal District Commission is justly famous for the utilization of the scenic beauty of the federal capital. Wherever possible, parks and driveways are and will be located along the banks of the Rideau and Ottawa rivers, the Rideau Canal and Dow's Lake."

Land adjacent to the Rideau Canal is part of the NCC's National Interest Land Mass. NILM holdings include "The national institutions and symbols, rivers and canal banks, Confederation Boulevard, parkway corridors, Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt. Land forming the NILM will be retained by the NCC in perpetuity." 

 The scenic parkways in Ottawa cannot be de paved, off-limits to motor vehicles, given away or converted to parks.

1.) Ottawa River Parkway, Wellington Street to Carling Avenue. Also known as the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway. 254 ha.

2.) Rideau Canal lands from downtown to Hog's Back Rd. 90 hectares or 222 acres. The views of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site cannot be jeopardized by the loss of Queen Elizabeth Drive as a scenic highway route.

3.) Airport Parkway. 120 ha.

4.) Eastern Parkway, Hemlock Road to Hwy 417. 72 ha.

5.) Eastern Driveway and Rockcliffe Park from Sussex Drive to Greenbelt. 255 ha.

6.) Ottawa River shoreline proposed Voyageur Parkway. 184 ha. (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC.)

Scenic Driveways in Ontario, March 31, 1985.

• Ottawa River
• Airport
• Eastern Driveway
• Colonel By
• Eastern Parkway
• Queen Elizabeth Driveway
• Hog's Back Road
• Rockcliffe Parkway
• Queensway
• Island Park
• Station Boulevard
• Experimental Farm (Information is from the 1984-85 Report of the NCC, page 32/70.)

"Federal, scenic highways and parks in the National Capital Region are dedicated to the memory of Canadian soldiers who died fighting in foreign wars. They will be owned by the citizens of Canada in perpetuity." (The Greber Report of 1950, page 228/395.)

Queen Elizabeth Drive may be converted to a park:

The denationalization of 365 government office buildings-August 2, 2005.

 Already gone...

• RCMP Headquarters-1200 Alta Vista, Ottawa
• Public Works Canada-Sir John Carling Building, 930 Carling
• Public Works Canada - 1010 Somerset Street West, Ottawa
• CBC National Headquarters-Edward Drake Building, 1500 Bronson Avenue.
• Agriculture Canada-Animal Virus Laboratory, 100 Gamelin, Hull Quebec
• Public Works Canada-Greenbelt Animal Research Centre, Woodroffe Avenue, Nepean, 1,165.60 ha.-Transferred from Agriculture Canada to the NCC for $1 dollar
• NCC-Dows Lake parking lot-Preston and Prince of Wales-Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre discovered that the Dows Lake parking lot was worth more than $4 million dollars. Donated to a local hospital for parking and towers.
• DND-Beaver Barracks-Catherine, Metcalfe and Argyle
• DND-Wallis House, 589 Rideau Street, Ottawa-A military hospital.
• DND-Plouffe Park Armoury, 933 Gladstone, Little Italy, Ottawa.
• RCMP-Former RCMP Barracks-sold to the City of Ottawa
• Old Registry Office
• Former Ottawa Teachers College on Elgin Street-sold to the City of Ottawa, now part of Ottawa City Hall
• Former NCC headquarters on 401 Lebreton and Carling Avenue

The Public Service Alliance of Canada opposed the sale of government of Canada buildings.

August of 2007-The following buildings were sold for $1.64 billion dollars:

Canada Place-Edmonton, Alberta

Canada Revenue Agency Building-Montreal

RCMP Headquarters-Montreal

Skyline Complex (Towers 1-7) Baseline Road Nepean-Built on privatized Experimental Farm land.

Joseph Shepard-Toronto

Thomas D'Arcy McGee-Sparks Street Mall, Ottawa

Sinclair Centre-Vancouver

Government of Canada Building-401 Burrard, Vancouver

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NDP MP Peggy Nash (Parkdale-High Park): "Our job representing Canadians on the Government Operations and Estimates Committee is to ensure that spending from the federal government is in the best interests of Canadians. We are the democratic custodians and stewards of the tax dollars paid by Canadians. So you would think, that with a sale like this, hundreds of millions of dollars of Canadians assets, that we would be informed as to the details of such a huge sale that is going to affect the well-being of Canadians. Why do I say the well-being of Canadians? Well, not only us, but our parents and grandparents have worked very hard over the years and our tax dollars have paid for the buildings, for the assets of the people of Canada. These are our buildings."

"Surplus" federal buildings that were owned by all Canadians.

 National Capital Region, Ottawa and Gatineau  (The information is from "PWGSC Awards Contract with Respect to Certain Real Estate Assets, September 15, 2006.")

1.)  Tunney's Pasture

2.)  1010 Somerset Street and Plouffe Park including Dome. Adjacent to the Plant Bath. No height limitations on 1010 Somerset.

 3.)  Major General George R. Pearkes Building, 101 Colonel By Drive.

4.)  Sir John Carling Building, 930 Carling Avenue, Ottawa-demolished.

5.)  National Library and Archives, 195 Wellington Street, part of the Parliamentary Precinct.

6.)  Taxation Data Centre, 875 Heron Road, Confederation Heights, River Ward.

7.)  Thomas D'Arcy McGee Building, 90 Sparks Street Mall.

8.)  Skyline Towers, 1400 Merivale Road, Towers 1 to V11-owned by Larco. Located in River Ward.

9.)  Lester B. Pearson  Building - 125 Sussex Drive.

10.) RCMP Headquarters, 1200 Vanier Parkway-Sold to the City of Ottawa for affordable housing.

11.) Place du Portage Phase 1, 2 and and 3 in Gatineau. 

12.) Place du Portage Phase 4 in Gatineau. I visited my husband in Place du Portage Phase 4 when he was a Public Works and Government Services employee for nearly 28 years.

13.) National Printing Bureau, 45 Sacre-Coeur Blvd. Gatineau.

Toronto

1.) Government of Canada Building, One Front Street West, Toronto. Sold to Larco. Toronto City Councillor Mike Layton was opposed to the construction of 45 and 49 storey towers.

The Dominion Public Building is right next to Union Station.

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"Much of the government-owned owned Ottawa-Gatineau portfolio is obsolete. There is room for the private development sector to create new space." (From: a PWGSC announcement in October of 2010.)

House of Commons Ottawa November 22, 1991 MP Dennis Mills (Broadview-Greenwood): (Concerning Bill C-3, changes to the Federal Real Property Act): "...It concerns me that in one year, with the support of this bill, it is possible there will be no Crown land assets left. I think of Toronto, my own city, and the way the government has disposed of the Harbourfront land and the CBC land. This is a bill that is going to make the developers of every region and city of Canada ecstatic."

Land area by province

 House of Commons Ottawa December 14, 1970 MP Mr. Fortin (Ralliement Creditiste)" 1.) What is the area of land owned by the federal government in each province? 2.) Is there a complete and perpetual inventory of federally owned properties?"

Hon. Arthur Laing (Minister of Public Works) Liberal: "The area of land owned by the federal government as recorded in the Central Inventory of Federal Properties by province is:

Province                                                     Number of Acres

Newfoundland                                                 96,041

Prince Edward Island                                        1,353

Nova Scotia                                                     22,514

New Brunswick                                            318,532

Quebec                                                         280,485

Manitoba                                                       51,707

Saskatchewan                                              77,445

Alberta                                                       101,751

Ontario                                                       268.283

British Columbia                                       164,158

>Yukon Territories                                      21,125

VNorthwest Territories                              90,193 (V only includes property that is being utilized by federal departments or agencies.)      

House of Commons Ottawa March 18, 1971  MP John Gilbert: "In 1971 the citizens of Canada owned Crown property worth $20 billion dollars..."

Former Deputy Prime Minister of Canada Erik Nielsen told writer Stevie Cameron that federal real estate was worth $40 to $60 billion dollars when he was Minister of Public Works from 1979 until 1980.  ("On the Take" by Stevie Cameron.)                            

The Pineview Golf Course was part of the federal Greenbelt. (Reposting)

 House of Commons Ottawa May 25, 2010 MP Marcel Proulx (Hull-Aylmer, Lib.):"...The Liberal members of the National Capital Region, the member for Ottawa-Vanier, the member for Ottawa South and I as Liberal members of Parliament, have good reason to call for enhanced protection of the greenbelt. There are, as a matter of fact, no major regulations protecting this area. Together the City of Ottawa and the NCC can do what they like with it. We believe that this greenspace must be protected from developers."

Greenbelt properties

• Commissioners Park near Dow's Lake
• Agriculture Canada research farms on Woodroffe Avenue and Carling Avenue.
  
• Green's Creek Conservation Area
• Hornet's Nest soccer fields
• Pineview Golf Course
• Mer Bleue Conservation Area
• Hylands Golf Club
• The Log Farm
• Bruce Pit
• Conroy Pit
• Lime Kiln (Trail)
• Stoney Swamp Conservation Area
• Wesley Clover Park - The former Nepean National Equestrian Park and Ottawa Municipal Campground.
• The 19th Tee Driving Range
• Airport Land
• The Connaught National Army Cadet Training Centre
• Shirley's Bay  

Greenbelt holdings are also protected by the designation National Interest Land Mass, approved by the Treasury Board of Canada in 1988.NILM land cannot be subdivided, sold, or transferred to an entity such as a municipality, province, foreign government or developer. They must be owned by the Canadian federal government (the citizens of Canada) in perpetuity. (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC Land Holdings.)  The city wants 13,700 acres of the land. "The City of Ottawa has identified more than 13,700 acres of the Greenbelt that could be developed." (From: Ottawa Greenbelt Development Under Review" June 17, 2008.)

The Greenbelt is a living memorial to Canadians who gave their lives during World War Two.

"The Greenbelt consists of over 20,000 hectares of green space, forming a crescent-shaped band that surrounds the nation's capital. It is a living symbol of Canada's rural landscape and ecological sensitive areas-with a mix of farms, forests and wetlands-which also provides an important space for recreational uses, federal institution and research facilities.

"The Greenbelt is like an "Emerald Necklace" and exists as a living war memorial to the Canadians who gave their lives in the Second World War. Starting at Shirley's Bay just north of Kanata, it circles through Stoney Swamp and Pinhey Forest, then continues east through the experimental farm, where it arcs back northward through the Mer Bleue and then follows Green's Creek to the Ottawa River. The Greenbelt reaches over a distance of 45 kilometers and ranges in width from two to ten kilometers. The National Capital Commission (NCC)has begun a review of the 1996 Greenbelt Master Plan, which guides how the Greenbelt is used, managed and protected, now and in the future. NCC staff will be at the following locations to provide information, answer questions and receive comments." (From: HAVE YOUR SAY ABOUT THE GREENBELT'S FUTURE! Public Consultation.-skyscraperpage.com/forum/archive/index. Year 2008.waterloowarrior.)

The NCC is not responsible for traffic engineering.

 House of Commons Ottawa September 20, 1968: MP Lloyd Francis (Carleton-Ottawa West) "Mr. Speaker, the National Capital Commission is not responsible for providing the health, recreation, traffic engineering, street maintenance and other services that the city of Ottawa provides...I invite hon. members of this house, especially the new members, to drive along the magnificent western parkway which has just been created by the national capital commission. Drive west along the parkway from it's junction on Wellington Street to its termination on Carling Avenue, and then turn around and come back. As you approach Wellington Street from the west, you will pass beside Nepean bay which has been substantially beautified by the national capital commission's efforts. Look ahead and you will see Ottawa's skyline."

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"De pave the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway." "Remove all vehicles from the scenic parkways." "Reserve the Queen Elizabeth Driveway for active transportation." "Convert the Queen Elizabeth Driveway to a park." Donate Prince of Wales Drive on the Farm to the city of Ottawa. 

Proposed NCC policy aims to put the park back in parkway by Don Butler, Ottawa Citizen, May 2014: "The National Capital Commission is developing a new policy for its scenic parkways that will give priority to accommodating pedestrians and cyclists rather than automobiles. The proposal is aiming for a shift in paradigm, putting the park back into the parkway...The parkways should not be viewed as commuter routes. When completed next year the Capital Urban Lands Master Plan will be the first such plan covering federally owned parkways, riverbanks and employment areas such as Tunney's Pasture and Confederation Heights and the Central Experimental Farm." 

House of Commons Ottawa May 15, 1970 MP Duncan Gordon Blair (Grenville-Carleton) Liberal: "I would like to direct a question to the Acting Prime Minister, and I regret that I was not able to give him notice. Is the government aware of a statement or statements to the press by the Chairman of the National Capital Commission to the effect that he might close the national capital parkways for a week for the strange purpose of proving their importance in carrying traffic?

"The second part of my question is whether the Acting Prime Minister can assure the House that the government will not permit the people of this area to be inconvenienced by the disruption that this extraordinary and senseless experiment would cause?"

Hon. G.J. McIlraith (Solicitor General of Canada; Acting Prime Minister) Liberal: "The statement has caused concern. I am very doubtful that the Chairman of the commission has any such authority under the National Capital Act passed by this Parliament."

NCC driveways in 1969-1970

• Ottawa River 
• Rideau River  
• Western Parkway
• Eastern Parkway
• Colonel By Drive
• Airport Parkway
• Philemon Wright - Hull
• Parkways in Gatineau Park
• Lac de fee
• Promenade des Voyageurs

NCC driveways in 1979-1980 Ontario

• Ottawa River
• Eastern Parkway
• Western Parkway
• Colonel By 
• Eastern Driveway
• Eastern Ottawa River Parkway
• Queen Elizabeth 
• Rockcliffe Park Driveway
• Island Park
• Experimental Farm Drive
• Other parkways.

Quebec

• Voyageur
• Gatineau 
• Fairy Lake Parkway
• Secteur Fournier
• Other parkways.

Assets in 2015-2016

• 450 km2 of land in Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt
• 15 urban parks and greenspaces including the Confederation, Vincent Massey, Major's Hill and Jacques-Cartier parks.
• 106 km of parkways
• more than 200 km of recreational pathways
• 40 bridges including the Champlain and Portage interprovincial bridges
• 1,664 properties

Forgetting history. (Reposting)

High rise buildings cannot be built on the Lebreton Flats. Lebreton is an annex of the Parliamentary Precinct. House of Commons Ottawa 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." 

Dream Lebreton.

The Dominion Observatory on the Experimental Farm is also an annex of the Precinct: "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 the Observatory was to be considered an arm of the parliamentary precinct. At the time it was recognized as a national achievement where the nation's time would be kept. The buildings would be symbols of Canada's progress in astronomical science." (From: "Astronomer Mary Grey and the Architecture of Canada's Dominion Observatory". Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, Sharon Odell, page 10/67.)

The Ottawa Hospital's Tower A cannot be built because it will create 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 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 #D07-12-22-01-68.)

  

  The Dominion Observatory campus along Carling Avenue in Ottawa. The South Azimuth is Building # 4 and it will probably be removed.
  
  

  ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Civic Hospital will demolish the Observatory campus for the following reasons: a) The hospital does not want irregular parcels of land. b) Maple Drive is being restricted to emergency vehicles, more than 100 trips per day. c) The South Azimuth is interfering with plans to widen Maple Drive. d) The Observatory campus buildings are partly made with Nepean sandstone and they will be impacted by nearby blasting, construction; light, shadow and noise pollution from the rooftop helicopters, towers, hundreds of cars in the parking garage, etc. The Parliament Buildings are also partly made with Nepean sandstone. savecfbrockcliffe.

Saving the green spaces in Little Italy

• The City of Ottawa promised that the Humane Society land on 101 Champagne would be an extension of Ev Tremblay park. But two residential towers were constructed.
• 50 acres of a National Historic Site near Preston were donated to a hospital, including a 14-acre park at Preston and Carling.
• The hospital will need more land by 2028. I believe that Commissioners Park will be given to the hospital for more parking and condos.
• Property behind the High School of Commerce (which I attended) has been earmarked as a development site.
• Plouffe Park may be the location of a school.
• Several politicians (John Baird, John Manley, Barry Mather) and a Mr. Lambert suggested that the Lebreton Flats should be a National Park.

House of Commons Ottawa January 12, 1970 MP Barry Mather (New Democratic Party): "Is the government of Canada reconsidering its plans regarding LeBreton Flats and, if so, is it giving favorable consideration to turning the Flats into a National Park?"

The 130 acre Flats in 1983. The land is 4,450 feet from the Peace Tower, or less than a mile. (House of Commons Ottawa November 23, 1967. The Hon. George McIlraith, Minister of Public Works.)

The 1,200 acre Farm in 1983.

 

The land at Clyde and Merivale was sold to the City of Ottawa. Despite the objections of Agriculture Minister John Wise.  

House of Commons Ottawa May 13, 1988 MP David Daubney (Ottawa West) Progressive Conservative: "Mr. Speaker, my question is directed to the Minister of Agriculture. He will 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 Avenues in the city of Ottawa?"

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 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 refused to give the National Capital Commission 700 acres of the Experimental Farm in 1974. From Clyde Avenue to Prince of Wales Drive. The NCC told the federal government that the land was needed because of a "housing emergency."

(Reposting) Politicians who wanted to save the Experimental Farm:

• Prime Ministers of Canada Louis St-Laurent, Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney...
• Agriculture Ministers Eugene Whelan, Bud Olson, Douglas Harkness, James Gardiner, John Greene, John Wise, Gerry Ritz
• Minister of National Defence Barnett Danson
• MP Marlene Catterall
• MP Richard Cannings
• MP David Daubney
• Senator Anne Cools
• Senator Mike Duffy
• MP Elizabeth May
• Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson
• Ministers of Public Works George McIlraith, Howard Charles Green, Lucien Cardin 
• Speaker of the House of Commons Lloyd Francis
• Deputy House Leader of the Official Opposition Walter Baker 
• MP Monique Pauze
• Governor General Adrienne Clarkson