Monday, July 28, 2025

Ottawa Councillors who tried to save Rochester Park in Westboro.

  • Jeff Leiper
  • Rick Chiarelli
  • Jean Cloutier
  • Allan Hubley
Ottawa Councillors who wanted to see the park on 529 Richmond Road redeveloped:
  • Stephen Blais
  • Tobi Nussbaum
  • Riley Brockington
  • Tim Tierney
  • Shad Qadri
  • Jan Harder 
(All information is from "City planning committee approves new Rochester Field deal with NCC" by Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, January 23, 2018.)

Rochester Field has been added to the Canada Public Land Bank---"There are currently 90 properties listed, representing the potential for the construction of thousands of housing units on a total of 473 hectares of land across Canada."
I mentioned this before---Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau, Minister of State for Urban Affairs Barney Danson and Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan prevented the expropriation of 700 acres of the Experimental Farm on Carling Avenue, for 7,000 housing units.
A front-page article in the Ottawa Citizen from 1974.

An Ottawa Journal article from 1974. "Mr. Fullerton has suggested that a 700-acre, 7,000 unit housing development replace crops growing in the area north of Base Line Road between Clyde Avenue and Prince of Wales Drive."

Sunday, July 27, 2025

529 Richmond Road in Ottawa is off-limits to housing.

 Maplelawn, the walled garden and Rochester Park were sold to the National Capital Commission in 1952. The Deed stipulated that the entire property would remain a public space in perpetuity. The government of Canada has now added the 9.39 acre park to an affordable housing project:

"Federal land in Ottawa's west end now available for housing" by Josh Pringle, CTV News, October 8, 2024.

"NCC looks to revive 'controversial' Rochester Field development through the land bank. The federal government has added the site at 529 Richmond Road to the Canada Public Land Bank" by Catherine Morrison, Ottawa Citizen, November 19, 2024.

Maplelawn and the greenspace are designated a National Historic Site of Canada. Recognition Statute: Historic Sites and Monuments Act 1985. Designation Date: 1989-06-22.

The 2014 Ontario Provincial Policy Statement documents the fact that "Significant built heritage resources and significant heritage landscapes shall be preserved..."

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Keep your hands off Maplelawn, the walled garden and Rochester Park--- National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa. Maplelawn is a National Historic Site of Canada, Classified Federal Heritage Building and is protected by Part 1V of the Ontario Heritage Act.

City of Ottawa-Richmond Road/Westboro Secondary Plan Amendment-June 24, 2009.

  • Retain all usable green space. (Page 1/7.)
  • Increase recreational facilities. (Page2/7.) (The park is a popular soccer venue and a location for people walking their dogs.)
  • Confirming all of the Rochester Field Maplelawn parcel and the Atlantis-Selby lands as major components of the greenspace network strategy. (Page 4/7.)
  • Confirming the entire Rochester Field parcel as open space. (Page 5/7.)
  • Heritage Buildings---City Council shall encourage the preservation and adaptive use of heritage buildings within the City of Ottawa's heritage policies. (Page 7/7.) (I have included information from the Secondary Plan that only pertains to Maplelawn and Rochester Park:savecfbrockcliffe.)

Friday, July 25, 2025

Vintage photos







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Photos that were purchased from the USSR Pavilion at Expo 67.
Petrodvorets, Leningrad.

The fountain "Danaide", Leningrad.
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From the closing credits of my Dad's television program "The House Detective"---1962.

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Crown Princess Margrethe and Prince Henrik of Denmark visit Parliament Hill---1967.

Tuesday, July 8, 2025

Reposting---Properties that cannot be privatized and sold to developers.

 1.) National Parks and Historic Sites---Parks Canada Act of 1998-"This Act establishes the Agency for the purpose of ensuring that Canada's national parks, national historic sites and related heritage areas are protected and presented for current and future generations."

2.) The Ottawa Greenbelt - "The Greenbelt is like an Emerald Necklace and exists as a memorial to the Canadian soldiers who gave their lives in the Second World War. It consists of over 20,000 hectares of greenspace. The Greenbelt reaches a distance of 45 kilometers and ranges over a distance from two to 10 kilometers. (From: "The Greenbelt-Have your say about the Greenbelt's future" by the National Capital Commission, June 10, 2009.)

  • Mer Bleue Conservation Area
  • Commissioners Park near Dow's Lake
  • Green's Creek Conservation Area
  • Stony Swamp Conservation Area
  • Hornet's Nest soccer fields
  • Greenbelt Research Farm
  • Pine View Golf Course
  • Hylands Golf Club 
  • The Log Farm
  • Shirley's Bay
  • Bruce Pit
  • Conroy Pit
  • Lime Kiln Trail
  • Canadian Food Inspection Agency
  • Wesley Clover Park
  • Pinhey Forest
  • The 19th Tee Driving Range
  • The Canadian Space Agency
  • The Southern Farm
  • Airport land
  • The Connaught National Army Cadet Summer Training Centre
3.) 900 square miles in the National Capital Region Privy Council of Canada Document No. 6721. (Greber Report of 1950, page 15/395.)

4.) "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.) Park land:
  • Confederation
  • Jacques Cartier
  • Rockcliffe
  • Rideau Falls
  • Major's Hill
  • Commissioners
  • Hog's Back/Vincent Massey
  • Lebreton
  • Brebuef
  • Gatineau
  • The Greenbelt
5.)  The National Interest Land Mass - "Land forming part of the National Interest Land Mass will be retained by the National Capital Commission on behalf of the government in perpetuity." (Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC Land Holdings.)
  • GG's residence (Rideau Hall)
  • PM's residence 24 Sussex Drive
  • Rideau Gate (Guest House)
  • Central Experimental Farm
  • Greenbelt Research Farm - (Across from the Nepean Sportsplex)
  • Shoreline behind Parliament Hill
  • Chambers Building
  • Confederation Square
  • Part of Lebreton Flats N of Transitway
  • Victoria Island
  • Pts of Wellington in front of Chateau Laurier and Conference Centre and land to the E of the Conference Centre. Also, lands N of Wellington between Rideau Canal Locks & the Chateau Laurier & Major Hill Park. And the approach to the Alexandra Bridge and the new Art Gallery site. 
  • Lady Grey Drive and the Ottawa River W of Sussex Drive
  • Daly Building at the corner of Rideau and 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 S of Macdonald Cartier Bridge
  • 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 and Rideau Gate
  • Ottawa River Parkway Wellington to Carling
  • Champlain Bridge, Island Park Drive
  • Rideau Canal lands from downtown to Hog's Back Road---222 acres
  • Rideau River land from Green Island to Revelstoke Drive
  • Airport Parkway
  • Eastern Parkway Hemlock Road to Highway 417
  • Eastern Driveway and Rockcliffe Park from Sussex Drive to Greenbelt
  • Lower Duck Island Ottawa River
  • The Greenbelt
6.) National Historic Sites of Canada in Ottawa
  • The Parliament Buildings
  • Public Grounds of the Parliament Buildings
  • Rideau Hall and Landscaped Grounds
  • Rideau Canal
  • Aberdeen Pavilion
  • Beechwood Cemetery
  • Billings House
  • Central Chambers at the corner of Elgin Street and Queen Street
  • Central Experimental Farm
  • Confederation Square
  • Connaught Building
  • Diefenbunker
  • Former Geological Survey of Canada Building
  • Hart Massey House
  • John R. Booth Residence
  • Langevin Block
  • Laurier House
  • Maplelawn & Gardens
  • National Arts Centre
  • Notre-Dame Roman Catholic Basilica
  • Royal Canadian Mint
  • Victoria Memorial Museum
7.) The Parliamentary Precinct in the Nation's Capital
  • Parliament Buildings and the Hill
  • Library of Parliament
  • Supreme Court of Canada
  • Senate of Canada---2 Rideau Street
  • The Lebreton Flats are the western annex of the Parliamentary Precinct
  • Library and Archives
  • Buildings and land opposite Parliament Hill
  • The northern half of the Sparks Street Mall
8.) Parliament Hill Legal Title House of Commons Ottawa December 21, 1963---With the exception of the years 1802-1863, Parliament Hill has been owned by the Crown---successively by the Crown Imperial, the Crown Provincial and the Crown Federal. Since 1823 the Crown has always held these lands for public purposes---either for defence or generally.



1992