The Greenbelt in Ottawa cannot be used for housing---temporary or permanent.

The 50,000 acres are a living memorial to Canadian soldiers---"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.) Acceptable uses of the land---recreational facilities; athletic fields; hiking, skiing and bicycle trails; wildlife sanctuaries; agricultural research; the Eagleson Park and Ride; off-leash dog parks; the Canada Food Inspection Agency and other federal establishments; farming...  

Greenbelt properties

• Pinhey Forest--- the Nepean Sportsplex is located on the Pinhey Forest
• Commissioners Park on Carling Avenue
• Agriculture Canada research farms
• Greenbelt Research Farm on 1740 Woodroffe
• Green's Creek Conservation Area
• Hornets Nest soccer fields
• Pine View golf course
• Mer Bleue Conservation Area
• Hylands Golf Club
• the Log Farm
• Bruce Pit---an off-leash dog park
• Conroy Pit---another off-leash dog park
• Lime Kiln Trail
• Stoney Swamp Conservation Area
• Wesley Clover Park---the former Nepean National Equestrian Park and former Ottawa Municipal Campground
• the 19th Tee Driving Range
• Airport land
• the Connaught National Army Cadet Summer Training Centre
• Shirley's Bay

The Greenbelt is included in the National Interest Land Mass "Land forming part of the NILM will be retained by the NCC in perpetuity for purposes which lie at the core of the NCC's mandate." (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC.")

"The Greenbelt is like an Emerald Necklace and exists as a memorial to the Canadians who gave their lives in the Second World War. Starting at Shirley's Bay just north of Kanata, it circles down through Stoney Swamp and Pinhey Forest and then continues through the experimental farm, where it arcs back northward through Mer Bleue and then follows Green's Creek to the Ottawa River. The Greenbelt reaches a distance of 45 kilometers and ranges over a distance from two to 10 kilometers." (skyscraper page forum, Waterloo Warrior, May 29, 2009.)

Opposition Leader Pierre Poilievre said "Canada can build more homes without getting rid of Greenbelts." (From an interview with Josh Pringle and Bill Carroll on August 23, 2023--CFRA The Morning Rush.)

2067 Greenbelt Vision Statement "The Greenbelt will forever protect natural systems, agriculture, and opportunities for outdoor recreation--that will inspire Canadians and contribute to the sustainability and quality of life in Canada's Capital Region.The Greenbelt will remain in the public domain."Page 53/196.

Greenbelt Master Plan-January 2012

• Potential removal of Greenbelt designation from the Nepean Sportsplex.
• Potential removal of Greenbelt designation from the Eagleson Park and Ride.
• Possible disposal of Parcel 1, an idle agricultural field, bounded by Highway 416, Richmond Road and Baseline Road.
• Possible sale of Parcel 2, the site at the southwest corner of Woodroffe Avenue and Hunt Club Road with buildings.
• Possible sale of Parcel 3, the lands east of Conroy Road and south of Hunt Club with small trees.
• Possible sale of Parcel 4, an isolated parcel on the west side of Highway 417, which is a mixture of idle field and small trees.

The Hon. Barney Danson was a Federal Minister of National Defence. A front-page article from the Ottawa Citizen in 1974.

The Dalhousie Community Association and more.

Dalhousie Community Association report, August 19, 2021.

 Ottawa Councillor Ariel Troster---Protecting the Experimental Farm ",,,"Yesterday the Planning and Housing Committee heard from scientists at Agriculture Canada about the ways that tall buildings could impact important crop research---the kinds of experiments that lead to better food security across Canada. It was an interesting conversation but definitely a tough one."

" Our city's Official Plan calls for intensification in the core, particularly on Carling and Baseline. The more we expand suburban sprawl, the more we threaten precious farmland and undermine efforts to fight climate change. But we know that the Experimental Farm is a very special and cherished space in our city---a place that few want to see compromised by development. I voted against the development in question, but it did get approved by the Planning and Housing Committee. This was not particularly surprising, given that we do not currently have any guidelines to protect the Experimental Farm, or any real understanding of what kind of development could threaten its crucial crop research..." (Note: The National Capital Commission wanted 700 acres of the Farm in 1974 for housing---"The area was north of Base Line Road between Clyde Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive." The 1974 Ottawa Journal article is on my blog and the blog title is "The Farm on Carling Avenue.")

 The Farm is unprotected because too many entities want the land. Senator Serge Joyal created Bill-S-203-NATIONAL CAPITAL ACT---A Bill to Amend the National Capital Act--- Bill S-203 will safeguard the Parliamentary Precinct, Chateau Laurier, 24 Sussex Drive, the Farm and many more historic properties in Ottawa and Gatineau.

  Debates of the Senate of Canada, December 12, 2019 Senator Duffy:"...Do you think it would be a good idea to expand your bill, or would it require another piece of legislation, to preserve the unique nature of the capital so that the Greenbelt will be protected and that places like the Experimental Farm, which is in the middle of the city, will also be protected? Because of this pressure for urban development, we have developers looking at this land saying 'Hey, there's millions of dollars to be made here'..."

Some nasty surprises when the new Civic opens by Barbara Popel. 

Protesting the Destruction of Experimental Farm trees by Yasmen Amer.

Red flags for the proposed new Civic Hospital by Brian Murray Carroll.

Ottawa Councillor Sean Devine--- Knoxdale-Merivale newsletter-July 23 2024 "As many of you will remember, there has been significant discussion at Ottawa City Council and its committees over the future of the Central Experimental Farm (CEF). The CEF is a treasured part of the city's heritage..."

The Glebe Community Association.

The Glebe Report, February 11, 2022. Opinion by Walter Hendelman. "New Civic Hospital at the Farm-A call to action "

"Construction on the site of the Civic Hospital at the Central Experimental Farm (CEF) adjacent to Dow's Lake is about to start unless we all take action to stop it now!

• 40-plus acres of the heritage site of the Farm has been signed over for the new hospital site as well as the Dow's Lake parking lot.
• About five acres comprising Queen Juliana Park will be for a 2,500-vehicle, four-storey, above ground parking lot.
• A request for an environmental impact assessment has been submitted to the Minister of the Environment by Reimagine Ottawa and others.
• The hospital board of governors has not responded to a request to hold a public meeting about the site.
• Buildings called the Carling Village (presumably condos) are to be built by the hospital on the corner of Preston and Carling. (up to 55 storeys high.)

According to information available online, 34 high rises are now under construction or planned for the vicinity of the site, adding 9,000 apartments and condos and their vehicles to the traffic load in the area. The Dow's Lake area will be severely impacted by hundreds of cars each day, seeking to avoid the parking fees in the garage. Glebe streets will be overwhelmed by traffic cutting through the area, endangering the safety of the countless children who walk or bike to local schools. Forget about access to the Tulip Festival, Dow's Lake, Winterlude and the Ornamental Gardens.

When will all this construction begin? Since both the NCC and our City Council have already approved the site plan, effectively now---next month, in March, starting with the destruction of trees and the building of the garage."

What Can You Do? Go to the Reimagine Ottawa website, reimagineottawa.ca. Look for the headings GET INVOLVED and RESOURCES. Choose your target audience, then send an email to or phone one or two or as many as you'd like of the officials listed. Please tell them that this ecological and logistical disaster cannot, should not and must not proceed, and why. There is at least one perfectly suitable alternative available-Tunney's Pasture, where the ground is flat, parking lots are plentiful, very few trees need to be cut, and its already serviced by the main trunk line of the LRT.

The Glebe Community Association has spoken out clearly and strongly about the plans for the new hospital site-please go to glebeca/ca/advocacy. Ottawa-born Bruce Cockburn, a Canadian music icon and recipient of the Order of Canada and many music awards, has spoken out against the hospital development at the Experimental Farm. His video message is on the ReImagine Ottawa website, along with a rendition of Joni Mitchell's Big Yellow Taxi (...and put up a parking lot") by two Grade 11 students singing on the snow-covered site amongst trees that will be demolished. Perhaps it is time to re-read Dr. Seuss's LORAX.

The Glebe Annex Community Association.

From Carling to Bronson, to the Queensway to Lebreton South. Ottawa Civic Hospital update to GACA residents, September 2017. Some of the concerns include:

• The process by which this agreement occurred---a detailed NCC report recommended Tunney's Pasture for the best location for the civic hospital. The Ottawa Hospital rejected the report and location, pushing for the Central Experimental Farm land instead. Without further consultation a decision was quickly taken by the federal government to the give the board the location they wanted. (It should be noted, however, that while promised, the land has yet to be transferred.) This decision was felt by many to be unfair. 
• The parking lot at Dow's Lake, bounded by Carling Ave., Preston St. and Prince of Wales Dr., is included in the land that will be given from the federal government. (Queen Juliana Park is also part of this land deal and will also be lost.) Concerns were raised as to what the impact will be on the festivals that take place in the area, such as the Tulip Festival and Winterlude. The impact on local businesses is also a concern, particularly as thousands more people will be moving into the area after a series of high-rise condominiums are built in the area, squeezing parking yet further. 
• The need for the extra land as proposed in the zoning was also a point of concern. While there is a request to remove 5 hectares (more than 12 acres) of land from the Central Experimental Farm, no substantiation was provided as to why that land is required for the hospital site. (Of note, the current Civic Hospital is 23 acres of land-hospital officials are looking for a parcel more than twice that size, while only increasing the number of beds from 600 to 700 or 800.)
• There was a recommendation to increase the height of the buildings, so as to leave more land untouched. The question of "why do you need so much land" was in essence unanswered, although the hospital responded that the city is growing and that the hospital needs to be prepared. Officials also explained that measures such as individual rooms help to contain the spread of infections and make life better for the patients, to justify the need for more space. (They did not, however, answer why more height could not be the solution to this problem.)
• The request for additional height was particularly called for with respect to parking. Preliminary drawings indicate that more than a third of the land is planned to be dedicated to parking and internal roads, with parking and driving space planned to take up as much space as the hospital buildings itself. In the past, the hospital voiced that it was reticent to build a multiple storey parking garage (citing cost, even though approximately $4 million in parking revenue is generated annually at the current Civic Hospital.) When questioned about the type of parking envisaged for this space, and if it was to be multi-storey, the city responded that a parking strategy may be asked for in the future. (The hospital did not respond.) 
• There is much concern voiced over the fact that the public is asked to cite its concerns with respect to zoning now, when so much information is missing. Currently, there is no Traffic Study, Environmental Impact Study, Heritage Study, Site Plan, transportation plan or parking strategy. The city reassured attendees that all studies will be completed before the site plan application is approved, and that there would be a holding provision in place until that point, but,-this does not preclude a decision from being made on zoning. (Note: According to a letter from the Dow's Lake Residents' Association to Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault, an Environmental Impact Study was never conducted---"Necessary Action-An Independent Environmental Impact Assessment must be undertaken ."Part of the content is on my November 1, 2024 blog entry "A November 7, 2021 letter from the Dow's Lake Residents' Association..")

The Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association

"The CHNA provided a wide range of comments to the city on the Revised Final Draft of the Preston-Carling Secondary Plan. We strongly opposed the excessive height for the buildings in the Preston-Carling area which will overwhelm the existing community and flood neighbourhood streets with vehicular traffic...CHNA also opposed the city's proposal for development of Queen Juliana Park, arguing that with intensification, existing park and green space is more important than ever for a healthy community." A 55-storey building will be constructed at the corner of Preston and Carling.

 The Preston-Carling Secondary Plan is nothing more than a land grab. Preston-Carling District Secondary Plan (File No: D0I-01-14-0005):

• CHNA strongly opposes the closing of Queen Juliana Park and strongly opposes its development into an intensified work & residential block
• Unless the City demonstrates concrete actions to preserve and enhance existing parks and greenspaces, and until the City develops and releases the Greenspace Master Plan, references throughout this document (and others) to City support for "public parks" cannot be taken seriously. The City has lost all creditability re: its commitment to greenspace in the Preston-Carling District.  
• CHNA also strongly recommends that the City of Ottawa, in particular elected officials look to the example of a Toronto city councillor who fought to keep a parcel of federal land as a park, rather than be developed as condominiums.  ("How a Toronto Councillor fights for her constituents").The parallels with Queen Juliana Park are significant.

CHNA cannot understand how the City can acknowledge and decry the lack of greenspace in the Preston District while simultaneously endorsing the development of one of the most used and beloved parks in the district-Queen Juliana Park. CHNA is perplexed and infuriated that the City is lobbying to shut down Queen Juliana Park, the only "open space" field in the Preston-Carling district. CHNA encourages the City to envision a design for the greenspace around Dow's Lake.

The Preston-Carling Secondary Plan VISION: Some of the city's tallest and finest mixed-use buildings will cluster around the Carling Avenue O-Train/future light rail transit (LRT) Station. These buildings will form a new, exciting, and distinctive downtown skyline with transition towards the adjacent stable low-rise neighbourhood. Facing Dows Lake and the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site, one of the most significant tourism and recreation destinations in the National Capital Region, these buildings will collectively present an image that is important not only to the City but also to the entire country.

Greener and more urban, the District will see the return of large street trees that historically existed in the area and an expanded network of urban space. Ev Tremblay Park will be enhanced and expanded. (Ev Tremblay Park was never expanded, the Humane Society land on 101 Champagne was sold.)

A November 7, 2021 letter from the Dow's Lake Residents' Association

 Dear Minister Guilbeault, "The Dow's Lake Residents' Association (DLRA) and Reimagine Ottawa wish you well on your appointment as the Minister for the Environment and Climate Change. We reach out to you with a spirit of partnership and collaboration, with the shared goal of protecting and preserving the environment, and affecting climate change.

As you know, Ottawa is poised to use over 50 acres of federal land - central, urban green space only a 3.6 km walk from Parliament Hill, for the Ottawa Hospital's new Civic Campus.

In 2016, the NCC in partnership with the Ottawa Hospital undertook an exhaustive site review which engaged over 8000 people for the Civic Campus. In this review, Tunney's Pasture was selected as the ideal site based on the overall impacts of developing a new hospital and the criteria put forward by the Ottawa Hospital. Shortly after the review was made public, the Dow's Lake site was chosen for the new hospital without a clear supporting rationale. The choice to use the Dow's Lake site, next to the Rideau Canal-Ontario's only UNESCO World Heritage site, is one that sacrifices a significant portion of the last remaining Experimental Farm in Canada which has been deemed to be a National Historic Site. This choice will not only have environmental ramifications. It puts into question the value of "heritage" in our country and our commitment to preserving it for future generations. And what is very clear is that these lands will be sacrificed for a new hospital when other, better options were identified, selected, and continue to be available.

Using over 50 acres of federal land and urban green space which is known to be environmentally sensitive and ecologically sensitive, in the heart of the nation's capital-described as "Canada's symbolic focal point'' significantly places Canada's reputation as an environmental steward and partner at risk.

The Dow's Lake community stands at the sea wall of urban growth, tremendous change, and massive development-from a "village" of towers soaring as high as 190 meters or 55 storeys, to a new Civic Campus that will see 10000 staff ebb and flow each day to work, another 10000 ancillary jobs and 1 million hospital visitors per year-or an additional 2740 visitors each day.

The DLRA and Reimagine Ottawa fully support a new, state of the art hospital and centre of excellence. But we are deeply concerned about the lasting and irreversible impacts the new Civic Campus will have on surrounding areas, ecosystems and communities. 

Legislation in the form of the Impact Assessment Act (IAA) exist to address these very issues. This legislation is a reflection of our values, who we are as a People, and the need to build a better and sustainable future for all. Environmental Impact Assessments are central to the IAA and guided by the following principles:

• Reconciliation and Partnerships with Indigenous Peoples.
• Basing decisions on scientific evidence and Indigenous knowledge.
• Providing predictability, transparency, and timeliness.
• And, meaningfully engaging with the public.

If a new hospital is to be built at Dow's Lake, in the heart of Canada's capital city, then it is absolutely imperative that we get it right-for our children, for our city and for the future.

Necessary Action-An Independent Environmental Impact Assessment must be undertaken. 

Request There is currently around the world a collective climate conscience, a concerted effort to tackle climate change, and a desire to leave a healthy planet for our children. We know that urban green spaces are good for cities. They reduce air pollution. They keep cities cooler. They naturally manage stormwater. They keep people healthy. They keep people happy. more

"A portion of the Arboretum will be dug up."

The Arboretum on the Experimental Farm covers 64 acres of land between Prince of Wales Drive, Dows Lake and the Rideau Canal. A January 6, 2018 letter from Judy Dodds, President of the Friends of the Central Experimental Farm, to Federal Minister Catherine McKenna: "It has come to our attention that the City of Ottawa is proposing to claim (several) meters of the Farm's southern border along Baseline Road for a rapid transit route. Moreover, it is understood that a portion of the Arboretum next to the O-Train line will be dug up to double track that portion of the transit route, although this area will be replanted." 

The Ottawa hospital is planning to ban private vehicles from entrances to the property: "Emergency Vehicles Only signs will be posted at the Carling Avenue and Maple Drive intersection, Maple Drive and the Site entrance and Prince of Wales Drive and the Site entrance." (Google:" 2021-05-10 Design Brief and Planning Rationale-DO7-12-21-0059-friendsofthefarm.ca" page 25/76.) 

A February 1, 2016 letter from Judy Dodds to Minister McKenna: "Representatives of the Friends of the Central Experimental Farm (FCEF) would appreciate the opportunity to meet with you to discuss the importance of the Central Experimental Farm as a national heritage site, a renowned research facility and a public green space. We understand from recent media reports that you may review the previous government's decision to provide 60 acres of Farm land for a new hospital. We are also aware that City of Ottawa officials have suggested taking a strip of Farm land along Baseline Road to improve the city's East-West Transportation Corridor. We believe that any decision to radically change the nature of National Historic Sites such as the Farm should consider the full impact of that decision on the intrinsic value and significance of that site."

"The FCEF has been a supporter of the Farm for over 25 years. Our group of approximately 500 members and volunteers generously donates 10,000 hours annually to working in the gardens and through events or other activities, such as our quarterly newsletter that promote awareness of the beauty, scientific value and historical importance of the Farm and the work done there. As a tenant on the Farm we cannot take a position on the land transfer or other decisions regarding Farm property but we can share with you concerns our members have expressed."

"We are approaching you because of your interest in the transfer of Farm land for a new hospital and because the Farm is within your riding. We fully appreciate the tremendous demands on your time but hope that your schedule will permit an opportunity to meet with us to discuss the value and contribution of this wonderful heritage site. Thank you for your consideration."

A brand-new book about the Arboretum "A new book, Pathways to the Trees, highlights the hundreds of tree species at Ottawa's Dominion Observatory and the stories behind them. The CBC's Celeste Decaire met with one of the book's co-authors." (A video.)

Books 

• Building Canada's Farm - An Illustrated Guide to Buildings at the Central Experimental Farm. (A video that I created is on YouTube, "Buildings on the Experimental Farm, Ottawa Canada.")
• Ottawa's Farm by Helen Smith and Mary Bramley.
• Our Farm in the City - is a children's book by Kalli Dakos and Erin Mercer.
• Blooms: An Illustrated History of the Ornamental Garden at the Central Experimental Farm by Richard Hinchcliff.
• Ode to the Grand Central Experimental Farm of Canada by Susan Geraldine Taylor, 1987.
• Guide to the Central Experimental Farm by William Saunders. "This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization." 

Videos

• Ottawa prepares to hand over Historic Federal Farmland to Corporate Developers (Vimeo)
• RASC 2019 GA-The National Heritage of the Dominion Observatory
• RIP Queen Juliana Park-Reimagine Ottawa

Movies

• "The Perfect Assistant" with Josie Davis, Chris Potter and Rachel Hunter.

The Central Experimental Farm in Ottawa should be protected by UNESCO.

 Canada signed the UNESCO World Heritage Convention document on July 23, 1976. "State Parties agree to identify and nominate properties on their national territory to be considered for inscription on the list." "The 1970's marked the beginning of a dramatic change in heritage designation. By signing the 1972 Convention Concerning the Protection of the World Cultural and Natural Heritage in 1976, the federal government committed itself to protecting world heritage sites within Canada. The highest possible standards of conservation would be followed." 

The many reasons why the Experimental Farm should be included on the list:

1.)  More than 700 mature trees will be clear-cut to make room for a hospital. According to the Friends of the Farm---Remarkable Trees of Central Experimental Farm: "Trees were obtained from nurseries in Germany, Japan, Korea, China, Russia, France, England and the USA." Widening Prince of Wales Drive will decimate the cherry blossom trees. The Experimental Farm Woods and Arboretum Woods are protected by the City of Ottawa, Google "urban natural features strategy, City of Ottawa April 11, 2006."

2.)  Views of the Rideau Canal UNESCO World Heritage Site have already been compromised by a massive parking garage, as big as the Ottawa Airport parking garage. 

3.) A Canadian Privy Council Order signed by Prime Minister Louis St-Laurent stated that: "The Central Experimental Farm should remain an open space in perpetuity; if it were ever desirable to move all or part of the Farm, the land should not be used for building projects but for a park or other open area." March 19, 1954. A copy of the actual Privy Council Order-in-Council is on my savecfbrockcliffe blog entry on February 24, 2024.

4.)  The entire property is part of the National Interest Land Mass.

5.)  The Dominion Observatory: 

• is part of the Parliamentary 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 this Observatory was to be considered an arm of the parliamentary precinct." (From: "Journal of the Study of Architecture in Canada" and "Astronomer Mary Grey and the Architecture of Canada's Dominion Observatory." Page 10/67. Information was presented by Sharon Odell of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada.)
• is modeled after the Greenwich Royal Observatory in London, England. Maritime Greenwich is a UNESCO World Heritage site.
• attempts have already been made to demolish Farm properties---in the year 1970; in 1996 when more than 40 buildings were endangered. And fairly recently: "Extensive demolition or relocation of buildings may be necessary for the new build (the hospital) to proceed." 
• the astrophysical observatory is a Classified Federal Heritage Building. That designation can easily be removed.
• nearby towers and noise and light pollution will prevent the Dominion Observatory from ever reopening. As I mentioned before, my classmates and I visited the landmark in 1965 and we all looked through the telescope. 
• the Ottawa Hospital does not want "irregular parcels of land." The Dominion Observatory buildings are creating an "irregular parcel of land" on Maple Drive. The South Azimuth is the first building that will be demolished because Maple Drive is being widened and converted to an emergency vehicle route.

6.)  If the Farm is included on the World Heritage List, buffer zones may prevent the creation of high-rise residential towers on Carling Avenue and Baseline Road. The towers would be detrimental to scientific research and the growth of food on agricultural land. And CEF property along Baseline Road has been earmarked for a mass transit endeavor. Buffer zones are an "important tool for the conservation of properties inscribed on the World Heritage List."

7.) World War 11 temporary buildings were located on the Farm--- No. 5 was on the Dow's Lake parking lot and No. 8 was on Queen Juliana Park below the Sir John Carling Building. House of Commons Ottawa, June 16, 1958:The Hon. George James McIlraith (Ottawa West): "Has the Minister come to any conclusion as to what will be done with the land on the farm now occupied by the temporary buildings when they are moved?" 

The Hon. Howard Charles Green (Minister of Public Works): "I take it that the hon. member for Ottawa West refers to temporary buildings Nos. 5 and 8. For some years the policy has been that when these temporary buildings are torn down nothing will be constructed on the site."

Mr. McIlraith: "I want to commend the minister for continuing a policy set out a few years ago by the Liberal administration. I believe he will agree that it is a very satisfactory policy."

8.)  Permitted uses of land in the L-3 Central Experimental Farm Zone:  The purpose of the L-3 CEF Zone is to: Allow a range of uses on land designated as A Research Area in the Official Plan that will help to support and conserve the cultural, scientific and historical value of the Central Experimental Farm for present and future generations. 

Allowed

• agricultural use
• environmental preserve and education area
• museum - limited to agricultural museum
• on farm diversified use, limited to a place of assembly (see Part 3, Section 79, By-law 2019-41)
• park
• research and development centre limited to agricultural research
• urban agriculture (see Part 3, Section 82, By-law 2017-48)

Buildings on the Farm cannot be any taller than 5.5 storeys. (The information about L-3 Zoning can be found on "Open Space and Leisure Zones" Sections 173-180, a City of Ottawa document, page 13/19.)

9.) A mega-hospital will have a terrible impact on Dow's Lake/the Rideau Canal, wild life, tourism, agricultural research, the Arboretum Woods, Experimental Farm Woods, Fletcher Wildlife Garden, the Macoun Memorial Garden, Historic Hedge Collection, Ornamental Gardens, heritage buildings, traffic, the scenic parkways (Queen Elizabeth Driveway, Prince of Wales Drive, the NCC Parkway), Preston Street, Maple Drive, Birch Drive and nearby neighbourhoods.

10.)  Major Cultural Landscapes in Ottawa:

• Parliament Hill
• Major's Hill Park
• Rideau Hall
• Rockcliffe Park
• Queen Elizabeth Driveway
• Central Experimental Farm ("All dating from the 19th century, together they have played a key role in shaping people's image of the federal realm.") The information is from 'Definition and Assessment of Cultural Landscapes of Heritage Value on NCC Lands' by Julian Smith and Associates, Contentworks, December of 2004, page 43/109 Greenspace Alliance.

11.)  House of Commons Ottawa May 13, 1988: The Hon. John Wise (Minister of Agriculture)"...Next to the Parliament Buildings, the Experimental Farm is the second most popular tourist attraction here in Ottawa."  The Tulip Festival and Winterlude are celebrated on the Farm.

Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, the National Capital Commission and PWGSC gave Queen Juliana Park to the people of Canada.

Stop the rezoning of Parks to Condos-Queen Juliana Park in Little Italy "The City of Ottawa Planners are rezoning Little Italy to medium to high density condos for the area bounded by the 417 north to Carling south to Rochester east and the railroad tracks west. By doing this rezoning it is elimination of one park in our area used by the community at large. The park is Queen Juliana Park located at 870 Carling Avenue."

"The Queen Juliana Park was founded in 1976 when the Federal government tore down the Temporary Buildings. The purpose was to honour Queen Juliana of Holland who donated thousands of tulip bulbs to Ottawa---and to relocate community uses of Commissioners Park to Queen Juliana Park in 1976 when Italian Week and St. Anthony's Church used Commissioners Park for its activities to celebrate Italian Canadian Culture. In 1976 Mr. Edes of the NCC convinced Public Works to create the park for community use because the NCC was not going to allow Associations to use Commissioners Park for its festivities. Accordingly the local community has used Queen Juliana Park for many of its festivities including the Victoria Day May 10 to 24th, the Native Indian Pow Wow June 16th to 20th and the Canada Day festival June 27th to July 2."

"It would be very shameful for the City of Ottawa Planners to Rezone these two parks for high rise condos. Our local community has very few parks for the amount of residents in the area. If they were destroyed the Community would have to go to the Experimental farm or Vincent Massey Park to which locations they would have to drive. This is defeating the policy of not driving and going green implemented by the City of Ottawa Council. Please sign our petition to keep the parks in Little Italy. Thank you for your support in this matter." Angelo Filoso, President. Italian Canadian Community Centre of the National Capital Region Inc.

A November 5th, 2021 letter to the Hon. Steven Guilbeault.

 Dear Minister Guilbeault: Congratulations on your recent appointment as Canada's Environment Minister. I hope this note finds you well as you work for change at the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.

We write in our capacity as MPP for Ottawa Centre and City Councillor for Capital Ward in the city of Ottawa to flag an urgent issue with significant climate impacts: the construction of the new Civic Hospital that will substantially take place on federal lands in the Central Experimental Farm and the extent and impact of the working hospital very close to the World Heritage site of the Rideau Canal and Dows Lake. We need your help to ensure we properly understand how this project fits within Canada's commitment to respond to our World's climate change emergency, and that it complies with the need for an independent environmental assessment under federal environmental legislation.

For years, the Ottawa Hospital promised to hold public consultations to ensure "the best possible integration with the surrounding community." Pledges were made to ensure the new Civic Hospital would be linked to public transit, that parking would be half of what is proposed now (and buried underground) and that active transportation would be encouraged. These assertions have been proven false.

A massive parking garage for 2500 cars, comparable to what exists at the Ottawa Airport, is slated for construction in March 2022. The parking garage will replace Queen Juliana Park and interrupt the Trillium Bike Path, a key node of transportation in Ottawa. Moreover, unless 65% of the arrivals at the site are by public transit, bicycle or on foot, the garage and the multiple on-grade parking lots planned for the site will be insufficient for the number of cars destined to arrive on the site.

Six large buildings-the Civic Hospital including a Rehab Centre, the Research Tower, 3 "multi-use" towers along Carling Avenue and the Heart Institute are planned for this site. These will have a much greater population than the current Civic Hospital site. The new Civic Hospital and its parking garage will also remove at least 524 mature trees from a key part of Ottawa's urban tree canopy lies within federal lands. This flies in the face of the federal government's public commitments to preserve and increase the nation's tree canopy, to combat global climate change.

Decades of funding cuts have led to a situation where 13% of hospital revenue now comes from fees charged for parking and other discretionary items. It is no exaggeration to say that parking revenue buys MRI machines and other critical medical equipment. The Ontario Hospital Association has noted this "represents core funding sources and are not discretionary forms of 'extra revenue'. Moreover, drainage from the medical equipment could impact the fish bearing waters of Dows Lake and the Rideau Canal. Such potential pollution of federal waterways should be subject to an independent environmental assessment as required by federal environmental legislation.

The federal government leased the lands in question for 99 years to the Ottawa Hospital for $1 in 2018, and did so without conducting an environmental assessment that was made available to the public. 35% of greenhouse gas emissions (GGE) in Ontario are due to personal and commercial transportation, representing the single largest source of GGE; the new Civic Hospital does nothing to change that trend. Encouraging active and public transportation and protecting our urban tree canopy on federal lands are crucial sustainability measures. These are undermined by this project as it stands.

It is also questionable about the extent to which Algonquin Leadership has been consulted on the environmental impacts of this project, and this land rests on the unceded and surrendered Algonquin territory. We need an inspired healing hub in the heart of our city, but we cannot do this at the expense of our environment.

Residents of Ottawa Centre are deeply concerned about how no evidence has been presented for this project's compliance with an independent environmental assessment and its long term sustainability. This project is being rushed through existing municipal, provincial and federal approval processes, and connected lobbyists are working hard to make this happen.

Minister Guilbeault, we need your help to ensure transparency, sustainability and reconciliation with Indigenous people's are at the heart of the new Civic Hospital campus. We are petitioning you for an urgent (and public) Environmental Impact assessment under the Impact Assessment Act for this.

•  Joel Harden is the MPP for Ottawa Centre and Shawn Menard is the City Councillor for Capital Ward. Copies of the letter were sent to:
• Yasir Naqvi, MP for Ottawa Centre
• Jeff Leiper, Ottawa City Councillor
• Algonquin Anishinabeg Tribal Council
• Dow's Lake Residents Association
• Civic Hospital Neighbourhood Association

The Ottawa Hospital relocation will affect Maple Drive, Prince of Wales Drive, the NCC Driveway, Winding Lane and what is left of Birch Drive. (From: the Friends of the Farm newsletter, summer of 2021.)

Greenspaces.

 House of Commons Ottawa March 10, 1986 Mr. Barry Turner (Ottawa-Carleton): Regarding the sale of Mile Circle for embassies-reposting: "...The Mile Circle land has been held in trust since 1904 by the federal Government as parkland...I cannot believe that today, in 1986, with all of our collective knowledge and experience, that the Commission is actually threatening to destroy these parklands. I cannot accept the arguments that any development will be done in such a way as to maintain open spaces and a parkland setting. That is impossible since thousands and thousands of tons of concrete and steel will be sewn together by architects, engineers and construction workers to build embassies on the Mile Circle."

"My professional background is in conservation and tourism development, and I know what impact infrastructure can have on parkland. If parks are for people, and I truly believe they are, then you put any or all development outside of them...I am very proud of our magnificent city and I credit the Commission with making it that way. There are certain sections of our city that are sacrosanct and this is one of them."

The 2067 Greenbelt Vision Statement "The Greenbelt will forever protect natural systems, agriculture and opportunities for outdoor recreation that will inspire Canadians and contribute to the sustainability and quality of life in Canada's Capital Region. The Greenbelt will remain in the public domain."(Page 53/196).

The Greber Report of 1950, page 167/395 and a photo is included The Experimental Farm forms a central park within a residential area of the city of Ottawa."

Preservation of the Rideau Canal.

 House of Commons Ottawa November 27, 1964 Mr. Ralph Cowan, Liberal: "Many years ago the federal government built the Rideau Canal. I was born on the banks of the Rideau and I was raised on the banks of the Trent in Peterborough. These two canals were built at government expense. A commission recommends that they should be sold, or turned over to the province of Ontario as tourist attractions because they are of no future value to the federal government..."

House of Commons Ottawa February 9, 1966 Mr. Hopkins: "What steps have been taken by the government to preserve the unoccupied lands adjacent to the Rideau system and to prevent pollution of the waters and despoliation of the area by indiscriminate land speculation?"

Mr. J.A. Byrne (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport): "For several years the Department of Transport has withheld action on disposal of any substantial parcels of federal lands owned by that department adjacent to the Rideau system which might be suitable for general public recreational development...The problem of pollution referred to would appear to be a matter within the jurisdiction of the provincial government."

House of Commons Ottawa June 1, 1950 Mr. George Taylor Fulford (Leeds) Liberal: "...The great chain of Rideau lakes form an integral part of the Rideau Canal system. As we all know, the Rideau Canal is of particular historic importance. It was built after the War of 1812 by British army engineers. There was a rather quaint treaty signed between Great Britain and Canada when the canal system was handed over to Canada. One of the clauses of the treaty said that Canada would maintain the canal system as long as the grass was green and the skies were blue above. In that respect the canal is being well maintained."

 Provincial Public Works and Property to be the Property of Canada, page 36/37: The Rideau Canal cannot be sold by virtue of the B.N.A. Act of 1867: "The Government of Canada will own Canals, with Lands and Water connected therewith."

. The waterway is also protected by the following designations:

• Rideau Canal National Historic Site of Canada
• Department of Transport Act of 1985.

Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital, Ground lease agreement 2018, page 10/70: "Surrounding Space" means the lands abutting or lying beside and around the Lands (which includes without limitation HMCS Carleton, Carling Avenue, Preston Street, Prince of Wales and the AAFC or Agriculture and Agri-food Canada Lands.)

How to destroy a major landmark and tourist attraction in Ottawa.

•  Sell 91 acres of the Experimental Farm to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa: "On July 8th 1987, Regional Council approved the purchase of approximately 91 acres of vacant land on the west side of Merivale Road north of Baseline Road, formerly part of the Central Experimental Farm." Agriculture Minister John Wise never wanted the land sold. House of Commons Ottawa May 13, 1988: "I want to take this opportunity to indicate to you (Mr. Daubney-Ottawa West) that Agriculture Canada, my Department, has no plans or thoughts whatsoever concerning disposing of any of that property at any time. There is no question about that...Next to the Parliament Buildings the Experimental Farm is the second most popular tourist attraction here in Ottawa."
• Let the National Capital Commission expropriate 60 acres of the Farm and give it to a hospital. This is just the beginning. The hospital zone is being expanded.
• Who knows what happened to the $4 million dollar Dows Lake parking lot.
• Remove the designations National Interest Land Mass, National Historic Site of Canada, Classified Federal Heritage Building, Recognized Federal Heritage Building and Part 1V of the Ontario Heritage Act.  Now the Booth Barn, Agriculture Museum, greenhouses, William Saunders Building, Observatory campus and at least 40 other buildings can be pulverized. Apparently "Extensive demolition or relocation of buildings is required for the new build to proceed."
• Obliterate Queen Juliana Park, a memorial to the 7,600 Canadian soldiers who died during the liberation of the Netherlands in World War 11.
• Tell us that the Sir John Carling Building cafeteria will be preserved. Tell us that the 700 trees will be replaced. Exactly where?
• Place "Do not enter" "Private Property" and "Emergency vehicles only" signs at the entrance to Maple Drive/ Carling Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive. I would not be surprised if private vehicles are permanently banned on the Queen Elizabeth Driveway.
• Do not invite King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima to the Tulip Festival when they visited  Canada. Dutch royalty always attended the Tulip Festival---Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard, Princess Margriet. I inherited photos of Queen Juliana and Prince Bernhard at Dows Lake in 1968.
• Turn Commissioners Park into a parking lot or a condo village.

Federal land.

"Waterfront Open Space is land intended to be in public ownership and intended for public recreation and environmental conservation uses." The Hon. Anne Cools, the Senate of Canada, April 23, 2002. Moffat Farm near Mooney's Bay was an 84-acre park owned by Veterans Affairs Canada. The park was part of the Greenbelt and it was untouchable:

"It was confirmed that the land in question was acquired by the federal government to commemorate World War 11 veterans and became NCC property in 1960. Mr. Lindsay indicated Moffat Farm was designated in the Regional Official Plan of 1977 and in subsequent amendments in 1988 and 1997 as Waterfront Open Space which precluded residential development. The property was designated for federal land use as a capital park of National Interest." (City of Ottawa Planning and Development, Moffat Farm February 28, 2002.) 

As I mentioned before, National Interest Land Mass holdings cannot be sold and they will be owned by the NCC/the people of Canada in perpetuity. The NILM  includes Gatineau Park, the Ottawa Greenbelt, the Experimental Farm on Carling Avenue, scenic parkways, land beside the parkways, 24 Sussex Drive, Rideau Hall, etc (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC.) 

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Senator Anne Cools:"Honourable Senators, this inquiry is about the destiny of our national capital city's parklands, the vocation of parkland to serve Canadian mothers, fathers and children's needs to interact with nature, Ottawa's greenspace and the historic Rideau Canal. The Rideau Canal, its waterfront parklands, greenspaces, historic locks, bridges and stonework are part of the heritage and beauty of our capital city."

"... This inquiry is about the National Capital Commission and its endeavors to sell a national capital parkland. These are public lands. They are not the private land holdings of a private developer...There is burgeoning public unhappiness about the destiny of the national capital parklands and historic land sites. The public has great affection for Moffat Farm and the other parklands, like Vincent Massey Park and Hog's Back Park, which are similarly zoned and similarly at risk. The public fears that many other public parklands, like the Experimental Farm and the Arboretum are on the NCC's list for sale." (From: Proposal to sell Moffat Farm - Inquiry, Senate Debate, April 23, 2002.)

"Some of the city's tallest and finest mixed-use buildings will cluster around the Carling Avenue O-Train/future LRT."

Information supplied in a City of Ottawa document called "The Preston-Carling District Secondary Plan, March 14, 2016. Planning Area "This chapter applies to the Preston-Carling District, bounded

• on the north by Highway 417
• on the east by Rochester Street
• on the south by Carling Avenue, Prince of Wales Drive and the Central Experimental Farm
• on the west by Bayswater Avenue, Sherwood Drive, Breezehill Avenue South, Hickory Street, Loretta Avenue South, Beech Street and Railway Street.

Station Area - page 3/16 - "Centred around the Carling Avenue O-Train/ future LRT Station along Carling and Champagne Avenues, the Station Area will see the tallest buildings and the highest densities in the entire district. A gradual reduction in height and density from the centre towards the surrounding neighbourhoods as well as Dows Lake and the Central Experimental Farm will be necessary. Opportunities for a nationally significant building will be explored on land owned by the National Capital Commission south of Carling Avenue east of the O-Train/future LRT."

"Keep developers off the Farm."

"A 1998 survey found that 74% of Ottawa-Carleton residents wanted to keep housing subdivisions off the Central Experimental Farm land; and even more (78%) did not want major office or commercial buildings there. Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson was not surprised by the results, saying "I think the Central Experimental Farm is a real gem in the city and I don't think the public wants to take open and green space and have it developed." (The survey by COMPAS was published in the Ottawa Citizen on August 3, 1998. The comment by Mayor Jim Watson can be found in the friendsofthefarm newsletter, summer of 2013, page 10/12.) 

House of Commons Ottawa May 13, 1960 The Hon. Douglas Harkness (Minister of Agriculture) Progressive Conservative: "I think my views with respect to the experimental farm are well known and have been very well publicized in the local Ottawa papers. I have stated on numerous occasions that I am opposed to any of this land being alienated for building purposes. Greenhouses, barns, scientific laboratories, etc. are permitted.

"Threats to the Rideau Canal World Heritage Site."

1.) An attempt to sell the Rideau Canal in 1964.

2.) "Parks Canada to look at divesting highways, bridges and dams. Cash-strapped agency examines whether to sell or divest non-heritage assets worth $8.3 Billion dollars." by Dean Beeby, CBC News, August 26, 2017. The highways, roads, bridges, dams, culverts and railway tracks are located in Canada's National Parks.

Parks Canada believes that the Rideau, Chambly, Lachine and Trent Severn canals do not have any heritage value. The United Nations would disagree with that assessment---the Rideau Canal was honoured by a UN agency called UNESCO. Parks Canada was willing to sell all the infrastructure on the waterway, including bridges, dams, locks, etc.

3.) Redevelopment on land that is adjacent to the site.

4.) The designation UNESCO World Heritage Site will be removed from the waterway if the following projects go ahead:

• The new Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus.
• The Chateau Laurier proposed expansion. (Ottawa)
• The Rideau Marina redevelopment. (Kingston)  
• Highway 417 bridge rehabilitation (Ottawa)
• Rideau Canal Crossing pedestrian bridge (Ottawa)
• Third Bridge Crossing (Kingston) (Note: it proceeded.)
• Former Davis Tannery Brownfield Site Redevelopment (Kingston)
• Various Federal Infrastructure Investment Program projects along the length of the Rideau Canal World Heritage property. (Google: "State of Conservation Report, Rideau Canal, May 2018.)

5.) Parks Canada told UNESCO that the department does not have the staff and money to prevent inappropriate use on or near the Rideau Canal:

• Given the number of planning and development applications and limited staff and resources, Parks Canada has a limited capacity to participate in the review and comment on municipal plans and development activities.
• There are insufficient resources to educate or consult with landowners, developers and municipalities on their role in protecting the heritage values of the Canal and the use of guidelines for waterfront development. (The letter from Parks Canada is much longer, Google: SAVE OUR RIDEAU. Parks Canada reply to UNESCO Letter of Concern - 2019-11-04.)

House of Commons Ottawa February 19, 2007 Mr. Gord Brown (Leeds-Grenville) CPC: "Mr. Speaker, it is appropriate that I am speaking about the Rideau Canal on Heritage Day...It encompasses many communities, all with unique heritage: Seeley's Bay, Newboro, Westport, Portland, Perth, Rideau Ferry, Smiths Falls, Merrickville. Kemptville and Manotick. It is a heritage river, a national historic site and hopefully, will soon be a World Heritage Site."

House of Commons Ottawa June 1, 1994 Mr. Jim Jordan (Leeds-Grenville): "...The Canal offers 202 kilometers of clear, pristine waters through a total of 47 locks."

The 125-acre Hog's Back Park

"Desirous of providing a park in the southern part of Ottawa comparable to the Rockcliffe Park in the eastern part of Ottawa, the Commission continued, in 1957, the progressive development of Hog's Back Park. Located as it is in the new government group of office buildings where thousands of employees will be housed within the next 5 years, this park in addition to its use by the general public will be used for picnics on a large scale."

"The plans for the additional service buildings at Hog's Back picnic area have been approved by the Commission. These plans comprise a refreshment pavilion, a general shelter, a bus stop and rest rooms. Among its main features will be a parking area for a total of 540 cars and a bus terminal; two softball diamonds; 400 picnic tables; several overlooks and 30 outdoor fireplaces and drinking fountains. The formal opening of the 125-acre Hog's Back Park picnic grounds are scheduled to take place early next summer." Location - the east side of the Rideau River, north of Hog's Back Falls. (Information is from the 1957 Annual Report of the Federal District Commission, page 17/49).

Traffic

How the new Ottawa Hospital will affect traffic "An average of 100 ambulance trips are expected every day, with 75% of the trips on Maple Drive and 25% on Prince of Wales." (Note: Maple Drive, Prince of Wales and all of the other highways on the Farm are being widened. Maple Drive is being "realigned" to create more space for emergency vehicles.  The City of Ottawa owns Prince of Wales Drive within the Farm. I would not be surprised if the Agricultural Museum is demolished or if  nearby land is removed. Prince of Wales will not only be an ambulance route but a major trucking route for suppliers of hospital equipment. The road was a  scenic entryway to the Experimental Farm. Plans are now underway to destroy another scenic highway, the Queen Elizabeth Driveway along the Rideau Canal.

 Maple Drive was the gateway to the Dominion Observatory campus, DARA Tennis Club and the William Saunders Building. The Dominion Observatory is in the path of destruction, the danger zone. The South Azimuth on Maple Drive is endangered. In 1973 the National Capital Commission wanted 700 acres of the Experimental Farm. Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan said the land would be transferred "over my dead body." A few days ago I saw the massive parking garage--- I wonder how many acres of the Farm are really being taken from Canadians in 2024/2025.) 

Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site Management Plan Part 7. Existing conditions in the year 2019:

Road Name and Section  Baseline Road Merivale to Prince of Wales. Divided arterial. 4 lanes. Peak Directional Volume (veh/hr) - 2,000 

Road Name and Section Carling Ave. Hwy 417 to Booth. Divided arterial.6 travel lanes. Peak Directional Volume (veh/hr) - 2,000.

Road Name and Section Merivale Rd. Clyde to Baseline. Undivided arterial. 4 travel lanes. Peak Directional Volume - (veh/hr) - 900

Road Name and Section  Merivale Rd Baseline to Kingston.  Divided arterial. 4 travel lanes. Peak Directional Volume - (veh/hr) - 1,200 

Road Name and Section Merivale Rd. Kingston to Carling. Undivided arterial. 4 traffic lanes - (veh/hr) - 1,200

Road Name and Section Merivale Rd. Carling to Hwy. 417. Undivided arterial. 2 traffic lanes - (veh/hr) -n/a.

Road Name and Section Fisher Ave Dynes to Carling. Undivided arterial. (veh/hr) - 1,000

Road Name and Section Prince of Wales Dynes to Preston Undivided arterial. 2 lanes - (veh/hr) 1,500

Road Name and Section Preston Ave. Prince of Wales to Carling Undivided arterial. 4 lanes (veh/hr) 1,100

Road Name and Section Preston Ave. Carling to Hwy 417. Undivided arterial. 4 lanes - (veh/hr) 800

Road Name and Section Parkdale Ave. Carling to Hwy 417. Undivided arterial. 2 lanes - (veh/hr) 600

Road Name and Section Holland Ave. Carling to Hwy 417. Undivided arterial. 2 lanes - (veh/hr) 800

Road Capacity "Arterial road capacity typically ranges from 800 veh/hr and 1,500 veh/hr per lane. The results of the analysis suggest that Baseline Road and Prince of Wales Drive are currently at capacity during the peak commuter hour and there is spare capacity on the balance of the arterial road network within the study area." 

Parks and Parkways Proposed by The Ottawa Improvement Commission.

• Rockcliffe Park
• Rideau Hall Boulevard
• Anglesea Square
• Strathcona Park
• Rideau Park
• Rideau River Parkway
• Metcalfe Street Square
• Patterson Creek Park
• Gladstone Avenue Square
• Rideau Canal Parkway
• Central Experimental Farm
• Preston Street Square
• Victoria Parkway
• Hull Park
• Chaudiere Park
• Chaudiere Parkway
• Somerset Square
• Gatineau Parkway (the information is from: "The Ottawa Improvement Commission" Frederick G.  Todd, 1903.)

NCC Parkland in 1992. Reposting. All of the land was federally owned.

• Confederation Park, Ottawa Centre, Laurier Avenue West, 2.5473 ha. 
• Bronson Ave & Sparks St., Ottawa Centre. 0.4000 ha. 
• LeBreton Flats, Ottawa Centre. 70.0900 ha. 
• Vincent Massey Park, Ottawa South. Riverside Drive & Heron Road. 29.5600 ha. (Note: PWGSC gave Riverside Dr. and Heron Rd. to the City of Ottawa. "City Council shall support the ownership transfer from Public Works and Government Services Canada to the City those portions of Heron Rd. and Riverside Dr. that traverse the Confederation Heights area to have them formally integrated as part of the arterial road network." Vincent Massey Park will probably be demoted to a parkette or pocket park, less than 1 ha. Regional Land Strategy for Ottawa 2006-2031. 4.4.2 Parks and Open Spaces - "The City's requirements for parks and open spaces may have to be revisited to ensure that the types of spaces required of developers reflect the need for quality spaces...The City should accept parkettes as part of the 5% parkland dedication.")
• The Greenbelt, Ottawa South. Hwy 417 and Walkley Rd. (land reserve) 47.6300 ha. 

• River Rd. Park, Ottawa-Vanier. 14.0500 ha. 
• Dow's Lake Park, Rideau Canal. Ottawa Centre. 4.000 ha. 
• Rideau Canoe Club, Ottawa Centre. 1.67 ha. 
• Commissioners Park, Rideau Canal. Ottawa Centre. 6.800 ha. 
• Hog's Back Park, Ottawa South. Hog's Back Rd. & Riverside Dr. 3 buildings. 24.2300 ha. 
• Moffat Farm, Ottawa Centre. Prince of Wales Dr. & Melfa Cr. 2 buildings. 2.0900 ha. Gone.
• Nepean Point Park, Ottawa-Vanier. St. Patrick St. & Sussex Dr. 1.4600 ha. 
• Victoria Island, Ottawa Centre. Middle Street, 4 buildings. 7.9120 ha.
• Stanley Ave. Park, Ottawa-Vanier. Minto Bridge, Maple & Green Islands. 5.0400 ha.
• Riverside Dr. Park, Ottawa South. Queensway to Bronson Ave. 22.14 ha.

I believe that many powerful entities have their sights on Ottawa's Greenbelt; land beside the parkways and a de paved Sir John A. and Queen Elizabeth parkway; and the 1,000 acre Experimental Farm. They want to "animate" the Sparks Street Mall by building more residential towers. 

"Why I love Ottawa."

Former Governor General of Canada Adrienne Clarkson's favourite places in the National Capital are:

• the Central Experimental Farm on Carling Avenue
• 277 Sussex Street
• Rideau Hall
• the National Arts Centre
• the Precinct of the War Memorial (The information is from "Ottawa Magazine" June 20, 2017.)

"Canadian parklands are not for sale."

 House of Commons Ottawa February 7, 1986 Mr. Don Boudria (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell) Liberal: "Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada has embarked on a policy of selling the Crown jewels. First it was the threat of logging national parks, then selling our national aircraft manufacturer, then the possibility of privatizing Air Canada, and finally the potential sale of Mile Circle Park right here in the city of Ottawa to build a U.S. embassy."

"As the opposition critic for the Department of Public Works, I call upon the Government to reject any American offers to buy or lease Mile Circle Park. I call on  the Government to send a clear signal that Canadian parklands, our national treasures, are not for sale. I call upon the Government to state clearly that it will not act improperly by selling Mile Circle Park or locating an embassy on it."

House of Commons Ottawa February 25, 1986 Mr. Barry Turner (Ottawa-Carleton): "Mr. Speaker, I have the honour and privilege to present another petition signed by over 900 people who live in the National Capital Region, and in particular residents who live near Mile Circle Park...who are strongly opposed to the potential destruction of the parkland within the Mile Circle for commercial use by foreign embassies."

House of Commons Ottawa August 11, 1987 Mr. Don Boudria (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell) Liberal: "It is the responsibility of the NCC to protect and maintain the Greenbelt."

"Under no conditions whatever should the ground now occupied by the Experimental Farm be used for other than park purposes, should its present use as a farm be abandoned." (From: Report of the Ottawa Improvement Commission, 1915, page 126/238. The OIC became the Federal District Commission in 1927 and the National Capital Commission in 1959.)

____________________________________________________

June 19, 2021, the Rockcliffe Park News: "Mile Circle and Aviation Museum Area Lands to be Preserved from Development." "The following response was received to a request seeking confirmation that Mile Circle and lands to the east of Birch Street and lands around the Aviation Museum and the Rockcliffe Airport, whose designations have been changed to allow for development, will be preserved as green space."

 February 11, 2023, the Manor Park Chronicle: "NCC plan for George-Etienne park includes Mile Circle "A 'medium scale facility' could be built on Mile Circle...a 13-kilometer stretch of the park has been identified as falling within the scope of the plan."

The pending destruction of Canada's Parliamentary Precinct. Ottawa is not Manhattan North.

MEASURES TO PROTECT ENVIRONMENT - STATEMENT BY MINISTER

House of Commons Ottawa July 20, 1973 The Hon. Jean-Charles Dube (Minister of Public Works): "...Concern has been expressed about the danger of visual encroachment on the beauty of the parliamentary precinct, which is one of the great symbols of Canada. We must ensure that nearby developments do not adversely affect it."

"We have all been aware that to properly house the expanded requirements of Parliament for the generations ahead in a way that would both complement and preserve the existing architectural beauty of the Parliament Buildings we must enlarge the present parliamentary grounds. I wish therefore to announce, Mr. Speaker, that I have today, on behalf of the government, filed a notice of intent to expropriate all the land and buildings in the area bounded by Wellington Street, Elgin Street, Sparks Street and Bank Street. The purpose of this expropriation as I have indicated is to protect the environment of Parliament from any development which could adversely affect it, and simultaneously provide the land for an appropriate expansion of parliamentary facilities and other government requirements. The property of the United States Embassy has been excluded from this expropriation but discussions are well advanced for its acquisition."

"I should like to add a few words, Mr. Speaker, with respect to the existing properties and especially the Sparks Street Mall. It is the government's intention that until Parliaments needs have been fully defined, there will be no disturbances whatsoever of the existing properties. The present character of the Mall will be preserved and enhanced." (emphasis mine.)

Some hon. Members: Hear, hear!

Mr. Walter Baker, Progressive Conservative (Grenville-Carleton): "Mr. Speaker, let me say on behalf of Her Majesty's Loyal Opposition we welcome this announcement today and commend the government for taking this important step..The most significant aspect of this announcement is the aspect of control. Parliament Hill is recognized as a place unparalleled in architectural beauty. More than that it is the symbol and centre of our national life. As such it deserves protection from the conflicts and differences in points of view that arise between municipalities and developers on land use, even though they may be well intentioned. This announcement today will ensure that the people of Canada, whose national capital this city is will have a part in the development of its centre."

Some hon. Members: Hear, hear! 

Mr. Stanley Knowles, NDP (Winnipeg North Centre): "...From the side of the street on which I live I can see the Peace Tower. Woe betide any developer who puts a high rise building between my bedroom window and the Peace Tower. We are concerned not only about the beauty and the attractiveness of the area from the river over to Sparks Street but we are also concerned about the view of Parliament Hill from all parts of the city...Sir, we approve of the decision to expropriate the area between Wellington and Sparks Street, and between Bank and Elgin, for this purpose indicated by the Minister of Public Works (Mr. Dube,)

Mr. Real Caouette, Social Credit (Temiscamingue): "Mr. Speaker, I thank the minister for sending me a copy of that statement which should have been made to Parliament some 20 years ago, I think, in order to protect the environment of Parliament. We must acknowledge that the most important structure in Canada is the Parliament of Canada, our institution. The thousands of visitors who come to Ottawa do not come here to see the City Hall, but to visit the Parliament Buildings. For one who comes from my region, the first thing they do is to visit Parliament."

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Senate of Canada (Issue 12) Ottawa - December 12, 2019 Senator Serge Joyal: "...Parliament Hill does not enjoy any legal protection. Not only does it not benefit from that protection, but the immediate area is a jungle for development."

Land is being removed from Parliament Hill and the Supreme Court of Canada for a Gatineau-Ottawa tram project. Cars will be banned on Wellington Street and eventually from all of downtown Ottawa and the scenic parkways: House of Commons Ottawa June 1, 1970. Mr. Skoberg (New Democratic Party): "Is the Government of Canada, through the National Capital Commission, giving favorable consideration to a plan which would eliminate automobiles from down-town Ottawa?"            

Mr. Abram Epp; Mr. Martin O'Connell (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Regional Economic Expansion): "At present, no plan exists for the elimination of automobiles from down-town Ottawa."

House of Commons Ottawa May 15, 1970. Mr. Duncan Gordon Blair (Grenville-Carleton) Liberal: "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 in this region for a week, for the strange inquiries 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 this inconvenience, the disruption that this extraordinary and senseless experiment will cause."

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

Why were 60 acres of the Experimental Farm given to the National Capital Commission?

House of Commons Ottawa June 14, 2016 Hon. Pierre Poilievre, Conservative: "With regard to the 60 acres of the Experimental Farm that was assigned to the National Capital Commission in 2014: (a) within the last ten years (1) what specifically has this portion of the farm been used for, (11) what species of plants have been grown there, (111) what experiments have been conducted there (1V) what significant or successful research has come specifically as a result of this 60 acres of land. 

(b) has the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food conducted any studies in order to ascertain what the impact of this loss of land will be, in general and on experimental research capability; (c) what has the Department of Agriculture and Agri-Food done to mitigate the impact of losing this land."

The National Capital Commission is removing far more than 60 acres of land from the Farm--- for a hospital, residential towers and parking lots:

• 2024-2029 - Research Tower
• 2029-2039 - Carling Towers A,B and C
• 2035-2039 - New Hospital Expansion
• 2045-2048 - University of Ottawa Heart Institute Expansion

Experimental Farm property that is already gone: The people of Canada have lost Queen Juliana Park, a memorial to 7,600 Canadian soldiers who were killed during the World War 11 liberation of the Netherlands; the Sir John Carling Building and cafeteria; the Historic Hedge Collection; Prince of Wales Drive; hundreds of trees including Isabella Preston's crabapple trees...

The Farm was targeted for extinction in 1997. More than 50 buildings including barns and greenhouses were slated for demolition.("The fight for the Farm goes on" a Heritage Ottawa newsletter from the spring of 1997.) I am beginning to wonder why Canadians do not deserve a beautiful Capital City:

• Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau prevented the demolition of the magnificent Conference Centre which is located across from the Chateau Laurier. I was employed by the Conference Centre during the early 1980's.
• the Chateau Laurier addition---need I say more.
• The Central Experimental Farm - the powers that be are determined to obliterate the 1,000 acre historic site.
• parkland is sold to builders of residential towers. The City of Ottawa promised that the Humane Society land on 101 Champagne would be an extension of Ev Tremblay park. 
• the Sparks Street Mall 
• the scenic parkways are facing extinction.

Permitted uses of land on the Farm.

Purpose of the Zone  The purpose of the L-3 Central Experimental Farm Zone is to: (1) Allow a range of uses on land designated as Agricultural Research Area in the Official Plan that will help to support and conserve the cultural, scientific and historical value of the Central Experimental Farm for present and future generations.

Permitted Uses in the L-3 Zone

• agricultural use
• environmental preserve and education area
• museum limited to agricultural museum
• on-farm diversified use, limited to a place of assembly. (see Part 3, Section 79, By-law 2019-41)
• park
• research and development centre limited to agricultural research
• urban agriculture (see Part 3, Section 82, By-law 2017-48)

Buildings on the Experimental Farm cannot be any taller than 5.5 storeys Table 177-L3 ZONE REGULATIONS

• Minimum Lot Width (m) - No minimum
• Minimum Lot Area (m2) - No minimum
• Minimum Front Yard Setback (m) - 7.5
• Maximum Height (m) - 18.3.  When 18.3 meters is converted to storeys, the result is 5.5. storeys. The information about the L-3 Zone is from "Open Space and Leisure Zones" Sections 173-180, a City of Ottawa Document page 13/19.

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The Ottawa Hospital Master Site Plan "...Two patient care towers will flank the Central Podium, with the South Tower intended to be 12 storeys and will include a helipad on the 12th floor, and the North Tower is intended to be 8 storeys. The proposed 8 storey North Tower is anticipated to be expanded vertically in future phases." Emphasis mine.

• 2024-2029 - Research Tower
• 2029-2039 - Carling Tower A; Carling Tower B and Carling Tower C
• 2024-2028 - Rehabilitation Unit
• 2035-2038 - New Hospital Expansion Emphasis mine. (As I mentioned before, the NCC wanted 700 acres of the Experimental Farm during the 1970's. But Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan and Agriculture Minister Bud Olson refused to hand over the land. As I also mentioned before, 91 acres of the Experimental Farm were sold to the City of Ottawa in 1988-89---the Clyde-Merivale lands north of Baseline Road. Real estate that was owned by all Canadians is now occupied by Walmart, different stores and a subdivision called Central Park. Agriculture Minister John Wise never wanted any Farm land sold, Google: House of Commons Ottawa May 13, 1988.)
• 2045-2048 - University of Ottawa Heart Institute Expansion. Emphasis mine.

If a medical centre is built on the Experimental Farm, the landscape will be damaged.

•  views from Prince of Wales Scenic Entry---a loading dock will be visible.
• view from entrance to Queen Elizabeth Drive and Dows Lake, at Preston Street and Prince of Wales Drive.
• views from Dows Lake to the main hospital building.
• views from Carling Avenue both east and west of the main hospital building. 
• views identified in the Commemorative Integrity Statement for the Central Experimental Farm.
• perspectives from adjacent CEF heritage buildings, for example the Dominion Observatory complex and the William Saunders Building along Commissioners Drive and/or Maple Drive.
• views identified in the NCC Visual Assessments and Views Analysis (2009 and 2013.)
• landscapes along the Rideau Canal including from Commissioners Park, Hartwells Lock station and Colonel By Drive---that were assessed for the Master Plan and parking garage applications.

Google: City of Ottawa Development Application Search-Cultural Impact Statement---Addendum 2---D07-12-22-0168. Date Received: 2022-12-07. Addresses: 930 Carling, 520 Preston.

  

Members of Parliament were adamant that high-rise buildings would never ruin the beauty and history of the Parliamentary Precinct. Well, the Lebreton Flats and Dominion Observatory are part of the Parliamentary Precinct. And the Dominion Observatory campus is a National Historic Site of Canada.

 The Experimental Farm is a National Interest Land Mass, and most of the buildings are protected by the designations Classified Federal Heritage Building, Recognized Federal Heritage Building and Part 1V of the Ontario Heritage Act (The Booth Barn.)

• Prince of Wales Drive will no longer be a federal scenic route. The parkway was donated or sold to the City of Ottawa. And it will be widened. The Agricultural Museum is located on PoW Drive. Will the Museum be flattened if it interferes with the City of Ottawa's housing agenda? The cherry blossom trees are located right next to PoW Drive.
• The hospital has indicated that demolition or relocation of buildings on the Sir John Carling site are necessary "for the new build to proceed." Included on the list are the Dominion Observatory campus.
• Now that the $4 million dollar Dows Lake parking lot was donated to the hospital, more parking spaces are needed. Commissioners Park is in focus.
• Maple Drive will no longer be a public street. Look for "No Trespassing" and "Private Property" signs. And tall fences.

All of the highways on Farm will be widened "The National Capital Commission Scenic Driveway is a tree covered route flanked with bike trails. All of the roads serving the site with the exception of Prince of Wales are expected to be widened to account for a greater density of traffic." (From: Regenerating the Experimental Farm, page 30/74.)

"The green belt and the Experimental Farm are precious."

House of Commons Ottawa November 4, 1974 Mr. Walter David Baker (Deputy House Leader of the Official Opposition; Progressive Conservative Party House Leader) Progressive Conservative. Mr. Walter Baker (Grenville-Carleton): "Mr. Speaker, on October 7 I directed a question to the Minister of State for Urban Affairs (Mr. Danson) regarding something which had arisen on a television program, namely, a theory he advanced in the course of "Question Period", that the government certainly would have to consider the adoption of a trade-off in respect of green spaces in Canadian cities."

"Subsequently, the Minister indicated that at least insofar as the two places I had mentioned in the National Capital Area, namely the Experimental Farm and the Ottawa green belt, he regarded these as areas of special sensitivity and shared my view and the view of many other members of the House in respect of the necessity to preserve them."  

"I want to say that when we are dealing with the National Capital Area, which is certainly an area of special sensitivity, or with any other urban area in this country, we must regard, and government policy must look at green space in urban areas as a very precious commodity. It is becoming more precious each day as there is a tendency in our society to pack more and more people into fewer acres of land. Municipal government is becoming vertical rather than horizontal. Indeed, we must consider the impact that this type of development will have on open space, particularly agricultural land. The green belt and the Experimental Farm in the National Capital Area are precious for the reasons I have mentioned."

"I want to make clear that we regard the trade-off in respect to the Experimental Farm, the green belt or any other area in an urban part of Canada as a principle we would have to approach with great caution in order to ensure that there is open space available."

"There really is no open or green space available to those who live in high-rise housing, row housing or condominiums, or in densely populated areas. That green and open space which normally is provided by one's backyard, or by the neighbourhood park, must be provided in those urban areas by green belt areas such as the Experimental Farm. I hope the parliamentary secretary tonight will give us some assurance in respect of the policy of the government on the matter of green space in urban areas. This matter is of great concern not only to the National Capital Area but to other areas."

Mr. Pierre De Bane (Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of State for Urban Affairs) Liberal: "Mr. Speaker, I want to assure the hon. member that the National Capital Commission is fully aware of the matter which he has raised, namely that we must preserve the green spaces of this area." 

"I can assure the hon. member that there is no question of replacing the green spaces already existing in the National Capital Region with buildings. I also wish to remind the hon. member that the NCC will very soon make public its planning concept for the whole region. This document will be studied by a joint special committee of the Senate and the House of Commons. The long-term preservation of these resources must be ensured, and at the same time the public must have access to them."

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"Greenbelt land should have clearly defined boundaries protected by federal statutes, preventing commercial and residential development and other incompatible activities." (Greenbelt Coalition of Canada's Capital Region-Position Paper for the NCC's Greenbelt Master Plan Review--September 2010--Legal protection, Part 4.5.)

Politicians who wanted to save the Ottawa Greenbelt 

• Leader of the Opposition Pierre Poilievre
• MP Don Boudria
• MP Beryl Gaffney
• Minister of National Defence Gordon O'Connor
•  MPP and Councillor Alex Cullen
• MP Marcel Proulx
• MP Mauril Belanger
• MP David McGuinty
• Environment Minister Jim Prentice

Organizations trying to preserve national properties 

• Save the Greenbelt! Ottawa plans to turn 1/3rd of the Greenbelt into subdivisions./Keep Ottawa's Greenbelt Green.
• Greenbelt Coalition of Canada's Capital Region
• Alliance to Save Our Greenbelt
• Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)
• Sierra Club of Canada
• Heritage Canada Foundation
• Historical Society of Ottawa - The Sparks Street Mall
• Royal Astronomical Society of Canada - The Dominion Observatory campus on the Experimental Farm
• Save the Kingston Portsmouth Harbour and Greenspace
• Save the Peggy's Cove Lighthouse in Nova Scotia

Politicians who wanted to preserve the Experimental Farm

• Prime Ministers of Canada Sir Wilfrid Laurier, Mackenzie King, Louis St-Laurent, Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney.
• Agriculture Ministers Sydney Fisher, William Motherwell, Thomas Crerar, James Gardiner, Douglas Harkness, John James Greene, Bud Olson, Eugene Whelan, John Wise, Lyle Vanclief, Gerry Ritz.
• Ministers of Public Works George McIlraith, Howard Green and Lucien Cardin
• Speaker of the House of Commons Lloyd Francis
• Senator Anne Cools
• Senator Mike Duffy
• Minister of National Defence and Urban Affairs Barney Danson
• Mayor of Ottawa Jim Watson
• Member of Parliament Walter Baker
• MP Marlene Catterall
• MP Elizabeth May
• MP Richard Cannings
• MPP Joel Harden
• City Councillors Catherine McKenney, Shawn Menard, Jeff Leiper and Rawlson King
• Writer and politician Clive Doucet 

Organizations that tried to preserve the greenspace

• 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
• Rideau Valley Conservation Authority (1974)
• Save the Experimental Farm (1975)
• Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital
• National Trust for Canada
• Save the Farm-Ecology Ottawa

The Experimental Farm in Ottawa will expand.

 House of Commons Ottawa August 1, 1958 The Hon. Hazen Robert Argue, C.C.F., MP and Senator: "I wonder if the Minister could tell the house whether in regard to the central experimental farm it is the policy of his government to maintain that farm in its present location in the city of Ottawa for further scientific research. And whether there is anything to the rumour one hears from time to time that because of extensive city development and increasing property values some other use in the future may be made of part of the property now."

"I would express the hope that the central experimental farm may be kept in its present form and its present location. I think it is doing tremendous work and is, amongst other things, a most valuable tourist attraction in the capital city. I think it would be in keeping with the view of the Canadian people as well as the people of Ottawa that the central experimental farm be maintained in its present location."

The Hon. Douglas Scott Harkness (Progressive Conservative) Minister of Agriculture: "I am very glad to tell the hon. member for Assiniboia that the central experimental farm is going to be not only retained but expanded. The plans we have, of which there has been some indication in the press, are that the present experimental farm will be used entirely for plant breeding and plant research activities. The animal husbandry branch of the experimental farm service will be established at a new experimental farm which will of course still be part of the central experimental farm, a few miles south and west of the present farm property in what will be the green belt surrounding Ottawa."

"We expect to secure from the federal district commission something in the neighbourhood of 4,000 acres of land in the green belt, and the animal husbandry activities of the experimental farm will be established there. The amount of land will provide us with sufficient grazing and sufficient area on which to raise forage for the animals, so that we can very considerably extend the animal husbandry activities. The present farm is much too small to enable us to carry on nearly as much research in the animal husbandry field as we feel necessary and is desired to be carried out."  

The Hon. Hazen Robert Argue (C.C.F) Mr. Argue: "I very much appreciate the minister's statement but does he mean that the present acreage of the experimental farm will be retained and that the 4,000 acres to which he refers is entirely in addition to the lands now held?"

The Hon. Mr. Harkness (Minister of Agriculture) "Yes, that is correct, Mr. Chairman. The present acreage will be retained and, as I say, will be used entirely for plant breeding and associated activities, such as horticultural activities and so on of the science service and the experimental farm service."

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The National Capital Commission has the power to remove the classification National Interest Land Mass from federal real estate. A few of the landscapes and buildings that should always be protected by the NILM:

• Gatineau Park
• The Greenbelt ( Including the Agriculture Canada Greenbelt Research Farm, 4,000 acres in 1958.)
• Confederation Square
• PM's residence
• GG's residence (Rideau Hall)
• The scenic parkways in the National Capital Region
• Jacques Cartier Park
• Rideau Canal lands from downtown to Hog's Back Rd.

NCC Bylaws-Powers 3.24.14. The designation or revocation of all or part of any real property or immovable as part of the National Interest Land Mass. (From: Page 5/19 of NCC Bylaws, last amended on January 25, 2018.)

The Lebreton Flats are part of the National Interest Land Mass.

 The National Capital Commission cannot sell, give away or subdivide the Lebreton Flats in Ottawa.

Definition of the NILM - The National Interest Land Mass (NILM) consists of "National shrines, the river and canal banks, the Confederation Boulevard, the Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt in the National Capital Region considered essential to the realization of the Vision of the Capital. There are 37 individual parcels of property in this category currently owned by the NCC totaling some 44,200 ha in area. Land forming part of the NILM will be retained by the NCC on behalf of the government in perpetuity for purposes which lie at the core of the NCC's mandate and will be managed by the NCC with little or no further management by the Treasury Board Secretariat." (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC-Land Holdings.)

The Standing Committee on Transport, Infrastructure and Communities. House of Commons Ottawa Monday, October 26, 2009. Evidence. Mr. Jean-Paul Murray (Co-Chair, Gatineau Park Protection Committee): "The government established the National Interest Land Mass in 1988 following a recommendation by the Nielsen Commission that it curtail the NCC and impose a managerial discipline on it and on its real estate transactions."

"In addition, the Auditor General and the NCC Mandate Review Panel emphasized that the NCC was managing the NILM in an ambiguous and inconsistent manner and that the agency should be more transparent in this regard."

"Gatineau Park is the cornerstone of a great memorial dedicated to the 42,000 Canadian soldiers who died defending our democratic values in World War 11. Yet it is the least 'democratic' park in the country and the only one that doesn't have the benefit of parliamentary oversight...The time has come to give the park back to the people, Mr. Chairman." 

The National Interest Land Mass properties in 1988 - Ontario

• The Greenbelt - 14,000 ha or 34,594.753 acres. The Greenbelt was 45,000 acres in 1998. Google: "With no one allowed to watch and listen, members of the National Capital Commission ponder making deals with Nortel, battling El Nino and buying the Experimental Farm for $1 dollar." (Ottawa Citizen, August 24, 1998. The article was written by Tom Spears and the researcher was Ken Rubin.)
• Part of Lebreton Flats N. of Transitway - 65.37 ha or 161.53279 acres
• Agriculture Canada Experimental Farms on Carling Avenue and 1740 Woodroffe, the Greenbelt.
• Victoria Island - 6.35 ha
• Shoreline behind Parliament Hill - 2.91 ha
• Chambers Bldg. Elgin and Queen - 0.27
• Confederation Square - 0.15
• Pts of Wellington in front of Chateau Laurier and the Conference Centre and land to the E. of the Conference Centre. Also lands N. of Wellington between the Rideau Canal Lock & the Chateau Laurier & Major Hill Park. Also the approach to Alexandra Bridge & the new Art Gallery site.
• Lady Grey Drive and the Ottawa River W of Sussex Drive
• Daly Building, corner of Rideau & Sussex
• 8 parcels of land E of Sussex (Mile of History) from Rideau Street to MacDonald Cartier Bridge.
• Pt of the Mint property W of Sussex Drive. 

• Small park on W side of Sussex Drive S of MacDonald Cartier Bridge. Parking lot at Earnscliffe and water lot.
• 4 parcels on the Rideau River around City Hall
• 4 parcels E of Sussex Drive between Stanley Ave & Rideau Gate
• PM's residence
• Rideau Gate (Guest House)
• GG's residence (Rideau Hall)
• Ottawa River Parkway, Wellington Street to Carling Ave. (Plans may be underway to de pave the former Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway and several more federal highways including the Queen Elizabeth and Experimental Farm sites. Apparently the scenic parkways are "relics of the 20th century." If I lived elsewhere in Canada, I would be appalled by the fact that national assets are cavalierly given or sold to the City of Ottawa---the Mackenzie King Bridge ($1 dollar) and Laurier Avenue Bridge ($1 dollar); Wellington Street; government office buildings; CBC buildings; Prince of Wales Drive that runs through the Experimental Farm; Heron Road and Riverside Drive within Confederation Heights..).
• Champlain Bridge, Island Park Drive
• Rideau Canal lands from downtown to Hog's Back Road - 90 ha or 222 acres.
• Rideau River lands Green Island to Revelstoke Dr.
• Airport Parkway
• Eastern Parkway Hemlock Rd to Hwy 417
• Eastern Driveway and Rockcliffe Park from Sussex Drive to Greenbelt
• Lower Duck Island Ottawa River

NILM holdings in Quebec in 1988

• Gatineau Park - 32,000 ha or 79,073.722 acres
• 3 parcels-Ottawa River shoreline at Portage Bridge & land beside Eddy Street
• Parts of Laurier St in front of Place du Portage
• Ottawa River shoreline at the Alexandra Bridge approach   
• Hull wharf Ottawa River lot only
• Museum site Laurier Ave.
• Ottawa River shoreline S of Brewery Creek
• 8 parcels on the E side of Brewery Creek
• 4 parcels; Jacques Cartier Park
• Ottawa River shoreline proposed Voyageur Parkway
• Leamy Lake Park and part of the Philemon Wright Corridor. (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC-Land Holdings)

LeBreton Flats can be Canada's 'Central Park' former ministers say.

 John Manley, John Baird urge NCC to keep land public. CBC News, September 4, 2019. "Let's start with a vision for the public space before we start hiving off pieces of it for private development."-John Manley.

House of Commons Ottawa June 16, 1966 MP Stanley Knowles (Winnipeg North Centre):PUBLIC BUILDINGS IN OTTAWA-HEIGHT OF PROPOSED DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS ON THE LEBRETON FLATS: "...I understand that the height of the Peace Tower, from its base to the top of the tower is 296 feet. The information given us concerning the proposed national defence headquarters is that the height of the building from the ground to the top would be 460 feet."

"I think that the skyline of the city of Ottawa is something of which we can be proud...A tower that is only a few blocks away, rising higher than the Peace Tower, would detract from the Peace Tower and spoil the skyline of the city of Ottawa."

"I think that a government that is in power for only a short time, has to be careful when it takes a course of action that has an effect for decades, perhaps for half a century or a century...Mr. Speaker, one newspaper in an editorial against me says that I am living in the past and asks if I do not realize that skyscrapers reflect progress. I think the story of the Tower of Babel gives the answer to that. I hope we are not going to build another one." (Note: The Dream LeBreton condominiums on the LeBreton Flats will be 31 and 36 storeys high. Developers can appeal to the City of Ottawa and the Ontario Municipal Board if they want taller buildings. And parkland will be converted to parking space.) 

House of Commons Ottawa November 23, 1967 The Hon. George McIlraith (Minister of Public Works) " The Lebreton Flats are 4,450 feet from the Peace Tower, or less than a mile. The LeBreton Flats were envisioned as a western extension of the Parliamentary Precinct. Buildings on or near the Precinct cannot be any taller than the Peace Tower." 

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. I think there is an opinion that it is essential that the Hill be protected and that if necessary we must look across Wellington to do that."

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"The LeBreton Flats should remain public property and be devoted entirely to public and social use." Lindsay Lambert, The Province, August 5, 2020.

House of Commons Ottawa November 22, 1991 Mr. Mac Harb (Ottawa Centre): "We have approximately 150 acres of land on Lebreton Flats. In the summer part of the Lebreton Flats is used for camping, balloonists and people who might want to take a walk."

House of Commons Ottawa October 22, 1969 MP Barry Mather, New Democratic Party: "Is the government of Canada giving favorable consideration to the establishment of a national park at the LeBreton Flats in Ottawa?"