Government property cannot be used as a land bank.

 Canadian Prime Minister Brian Mulroney and Deputy Prime Minister Erik Nielsen created the National Interest Land Mass designation in 1988: 

• to prevent government entities (especially the City of Ottawa) from using federal property as a land bank
• to stop the privatization of Crown assets that belong to all Canadians.

National Interest Land Mass holdings in Quebec in 1988

• Gatineau Park-32,000 ha or 79,073 acres. Gatineau Park is part of a 900 square mile memorial to Canadian soldiers who were killed fighting in foreign wars. 
• 3 parcels- Ottawa River shoreline at Portage Bridge and beside Eddy Street.
• Parts of Laurier St. in front of Place du Portage.
• Ottawa River shoreline at Alexandra Bridge approach
• Hull wharf Ottawa River lot only.
• Museum site Laurier Ave.
• Ottawa River shoreline S of Brewery Creek.
• 8 parcels on E side of Brewery Creek.
• Ottawa River shoreline proposed Voyageur Parkway.
• Leamy Lake Park and part of the Philemon Wright Corridor.

National Interest Land Mass holdings in Ontario in 1988

• The Greenbelt-14,000 ha or 34,594.753 acres. In 1998 the land mass encompassed 45,000 acres.
• 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.
• Confederation Square-0.15 ha.
• Pts of Wellington in front of the Chateau Laurier and 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. (City Hall is now the John George Diefenbaker Building.)
• 4 Parcels E of Sussex Dr. between Stanley Avenue & Rideau Gate.
• PM's Residence.
• 7 Rideau Gate (Guest House).
• G.G.'s Residence, Rideau Hall.  
• Ottawa River Parkway, Wellington Street to Carling Ave.
• Champlain Bridge, Island Park Drive
• Rideau Canal land 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. (For all information Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC Land Holdings.)

Lady Grey Drive behind the Royal Canadian Mint and other notable buildings. The 1920's photo is from the National Archives.