Protected land and waterways in the National Capital Region.

  The following properties were part of the National Interest Land Mass, or National Historic Sites of Canada, Province of Ontario Cultural Heritage Districts Ordnance and Admiralty land, etc, 

Table 1, Category 1-Google: "urban natural features strategy, City of Ottawa, April 11, 2006".

• Airbase lands-Federal, Private
• Arboretum Woods-Federal
• Aviation Parkway North-Federal, City
• Brittania Bay-Federal, City
• Brittania Conservation Area-Federal, City
• By-Pass Woods-Federal
• Carlington Woods-Federal, City, Private
• Central Experimental Farm Woods-Federal
• Champlain Bridge Woods-Federal
• Champlain Bridge Islands-Federal
• Chaudiere Rapids-Federal
• Del Zotto Woods-Federal
• Deschenes Lookout-Federal
• Hampton Park Woods-Federal, City
• Hog's Back Woods-Federal, Private
• Lemieux Island-Federal, Private
• Leopold Woodlot-Federal, Private
• McCarthy Woods and Southern Corridor-Federal
• Montfort Woods-Federal, Private
• NRC Woods North-Federal
• Parliament Hill-Federal
• Pinecrest Woods-Federal
• Prince of Wales Woods-Federal, City
• RA Centre Woods-Federal
• Rideau River Islands-Federal
• Rideau River Park Woods-Federal
• Riverside Park-Federal
• Rockcliffe Park East-Federal
• Rockcliffe Park West-Federal
• Rockcliffe Shores-Federal

An August 3, 1998 front page article in the Ottawa Citizen.

The devolution of federal property in Ottawa.

 Environment Minister Jim Prentice refused to give the City of Ottawa 13,700 acres of the Greenbelt for housing. ("Ottawa Greenbelt Development Under Review" June 17, 2008--"The City of Ottawa has identified more than 13,700 acres of the Greenbelt that could be developed."). "Canada can build more homes 'without getting rid of Greenbelts' Poilievre says." August 23, 2023. Josh Pringle and Bill Carroll, CFRA, The Morning Rush.

The former Agriculture Canada Research Farm bordered by Hunt Club Road, Woodroffe Avenue, Fallowfield Road and Greenbank Road. 

Jacques Greber did not want the province of Ontario or the City of Ottawa to have any involvement with the Greenbelt. House of Commons October 26, 2009 Evidence Al Speyers, Alliance to Save Our Greenbelt: "Jacques Greber felt that the only way to have a Greenbelt and keep it was that the most senior level of government in Canada would have to establish it, maintain it, keep it and preserve it. Cities are essentially vehicles for development. Their election campaigns are over 90% financed by the development community."

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Federal properties in the National Capital that were decommissioned or they may be privatized in the future: Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan refused to give the National Capital Commission 700 acres of the Farm on Carling Avenue for housing.The Moffat Farm near Mooney's Bay. Senator Noel Kinsella and Senator Anne Cools were opposed to the sale of Moffat Farm.

Rideau Canal bridges, dams and corridors.Lazy Bay Commons in Mechanicsville.Earnscliffe.

Chateau Laurier. Major's Hill Park was part of Parliament Hill. Prime Minister Trudeau wanted to create a park on the land.

 Photo is from "Dreams of Major's Hill Park, 1969-1970." 

"Extensive demolition or relocation of buildings is required for the new build to proceed."

Sir John Carling Location  On this site we have at least 24 buildings including Buildings 1 to 9, the Natural Resources Campus including the Dominion Observatory. 

Building 49, William Saunders. Vacant.

Building 20, K.W. Neatby and Oilseed Research Centre.

Google: "New Civic Campus. A 21st century hospital in the heart of Canada's Capital" April of 2016, page 10/76.

HEADS UP! ROAD CLOSURE ON BIRCH DRIVE. 

• Section of Birch Drive closed on July 11, 2022 at the new hospital site.
• Birch Drive closure at Maple Drive and bulldozer, August 16, 2022.
• "Construction Site". Birch Drive closure near the William Saunders building, August 16, 2022. (friendsofthefarm newsletter, Fall of 2022, Volume 34, page 3/12. Photos are included in the article.)
  
  
  

24 Sussex Drive in Ottawa is a National Interest Land Mass.

 24 Sussex Drive cannot be flattened and the land cannot be sold. The citizens of Canada will own the National Interest Land Mass properties forever.

NILM holdings in Canada's Capital Region.. Reposting.  Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt are dedicated to the memory of Canadian soldiers who never returned after World War 11. The Greber Report of 1950.

Gatineau Park - 79,073.722 acres in 1988. Google: 1988-09-15-TB-re-NCC

The 50,000 acre Greenbelt. House of Commons Ottawa August 11, 1987 MP Don Boudria (Glengarry-Prescott-Russell, Liberal) "...It is the responsibility of the NCC to protect and maintain the Greenbelt."

Victoria Island

Shoreline behind Parliament Hill

Chambers Building, Elgin and Queen

Confederation Square

Daly Building, corner of Rideau and Sussex

PM's residence

7 Rideau Gate (Guest House)

G.G.'s residence, Rideau Hall

Lebreton Flats House of Commons Ottawa November 23, 1967 The Hon. George McIlraith (Minister of Public Works) "...The Lebreton Flats were envisioned as a western extension of the Parliamentary Precinct. Buildings on or near the Parliamentary Precinct cannot be any taller than the Peace Tower...The particular building under discussion will be some 4,450 feet from the Peace Tower, which is close to a mile."

The Experimental Farm on Carling Avenue in Ottawa: "The Central Experimental Farm National Historic Site is designated in its entirety as part of the National Interest Land Mass..." (From: "CEF National Historic Site Management Plan" Part 7/20.)

Champlain Bridge, Island Park Drive

Eastern Driveway and Rockcliffe Park from Sussex Drive to Greenbelt

Lower Duck Island Ottawa River

Rideau Canal lands from downtown to Hogs Back Rd. 

The federal government wanted to designate the following land as part of the NILM:

• Experimental Farm Dr. Corridor, Queensway to Experimental Farm - 76.0 ha.
• Western Parkway Corridor, Carling Avenue to Queensway - 40 ha.
• Alta Vista Corridor, Kitchener Avenue to Smyth Road - 69.0 ha.
• Hull South Parkway, Lucerne Blvd. to Gatineau Park - 275 ha.
• Part of Philemon Wright Corridor - 103 ha. (Google: 1988-09-15-TB) 

Catalogue of trees and shrubs at Ottawa's Experimental Farm.

More than 700 trees at the National Historic Site of Canada are facing  destruction. Agriculture Canada employees will be forced to dig up the Historic Hedge Collection. And the City of Ottawa will encroach upon the Arboretum for their transit plan.

The beautiful Prince of Wales Drive that runs through the Farm is slated to be widened from 2 lanes to 4. I have no idea what the future holds for the cherry blossom trees.

Maple Drive is being restricted to emergency vehicles, so how will people access the Dominion Observatory and all the other Natural Resources Canada  buildings. As I mentioned before, the Dominion Observatory is part of the Parliamentary Precinct and is partly made of Nepean sandstone---the same material that the Parliament Buildings and many other landmarks in Ottawa are constructed with.

The Main Lawn on the Experimental Farm extends from the William Saunders Building to the Driveway. The Main Lawn is being taken over by the Civic Hospital. The vacant William Saunders Building is visible behind Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev and Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan.

Her Royal Highness Princess Anne and Agriculture Minister Eugene Whelan visit the Ottawa Experimental Farm.

 

Leave the Experimental Farms in Prince Edward Island alone.

The Upton Farm in Charlottetown encompassed 100.2000 ha or 247 acres. Agriculture Minister Gerry Ritz refused to sell or give away the Ravenwood Farm in Charlottetown. The province of PEI has the least amount of federal land in Canada and now the feds want to use that land for housing:

House of Commons Ottawa December 14, 1970: MP Andre-Gilles Fortin (Ralliement Creditiste) "What is the area of land owned by the federal government in each province?"

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

• Prince Edward Island  1,353 acres
• Newfoundland           96,041 acres
• Nova Scotia               22,514 acres
• New Brunswick       318,532 acres
• Quebec                     280,485 acres
• Ontario                     268,283 acres
• Manitoba                   51,707 acres
• Saskatchewan           77,445 acres
• Alberta                    101,751 acres
• British Columbia    164,158 acres
• Yukon Territories     21,125 acres
• Northwest Territories90,193 acres     (Includes only property that is being utilized by federal departments and agencies.) 

"Surplus" Agriculture Canada Experimental Farms

1.  Gamelin Farm including the Animal Virus Laboratory, 100 rue Gamelin. The land was transferred to the National Capital Commission.

2.  Jean-Charles Chapais Experimental Farm, Levis, Quebec. Jean-Charles Chapais was Canada's first Minister of Agriculture.

3.  Delhi Research Farm, Ontario.

4.  Kapuskasing Research Farm, Ontario.

5. Upton Experimental Farm, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

6.  Ravenwood Experimental Farm - Minister of Agriculture Gerry Ritz refused to decommission Ravenwood.

7.  Fort Vermillion Experimental Farm, Alberta.

8.  Vegreville Research Farm near Edmonton.

9.  Cereal Research Centre, Winnipeg, Manitoba.

10. Smithfield Experimental Farm, City of Quinte West Ontario.

11. Greenbelt Research Farm, Ottawa Ontario, "As of March 31, 1998, the Greenbelt Research Farm, which covers 1,200 ha or 2,965 acres bordered by Hunt Club Road, Woodroffe Avenue, Fallowfield Road and Greenbank Road, ceased to function as an Agriculture and Agri-Food Research Centre. This was announced in the 1995 budget." The National Capital Commission paid $1 dollar for the 2,965 acres of land. House of Commons Ottawa May 25, 2010: MP Marcel Proulx (Hull-Aylmer, Liberal) "The Liberal members from the National Capital Region, the member for Ottawa-Vanier, the member for Ottawa South and I as members of Parliament, have good reason to call for enhanced protection of the greenbelt. There are, as a matter of fact, no major regulations protecting this area. Together the City of Ottawa and the NCC could do what they like with it. We believe this green space must be protected from developers."

12. Senator Herve J. Michaud Research Farm, Bouctouche, New Brunswick. MP Dominic LeBlanc was opposed to the closure and sale of the property.

13. Frelighsburg Experimental Farm was closed in 2012 and reopened by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in  2016. The property is 90 km south-east of Montreal.

14. Vineland Research Farm, Lincoln, Region of Niagara, Ontario.

15. Kamloops Research Farm, British Columbia. Closed in May of 2013.

16. L'Assomption Research Farm, Quebec. L'Assomption is a off-island suburb of Montreal.

17. La Pocatiere Research Farm, Quebec. 

18. Sheffield Research Farm, Upper Canard, Nova Scotia.

A song on YouTube called "Help Save Old Upton Farm"

Agriculture Canada is sacrificing more Farm land.

 

A 1974 front page article in the Ottawa Journal. 

The National Capital Commission wanted 700 acres of the Experimental Farm in 1974 because of a housing shortage. Agriculture Canada minister Eugene Whelan told the NCC that the land was untouchable and would be sold "over my dead body."  

The word compromise means "To make a deal between two parties whereby each party gives up part of their demand." Agriculture Canada told City of Ottawa politicians that compromises will be made regarding property on the Farm. (From: "A great central park. Tower debate turns to the future of the experimental farm" by Arthur White-Crummy, CBC News, November 29, 2023.)

Federal politicians who tried to preserve the Farm in its entirety.  Reposting.

Prime Ministers of Canada Mackenzie King, Louis St-Laurent, John Diefenbaker, Pierre Trudeau and Brian Mulroney.

Agriculture Ministers Sidney Fisher, James Gardiner, Douglas Harkness, Eugene Whelan, Bud Olson, John Wise and Gerry Ritz.

Ministers of Public Works Erik Nielsen, Howard Green, 

Senators

• Senator Anne Cools - "The public fears that many other parklands, like the Experimental Farm and the Arboretum are on the National Capital Commission's list for sale."
• Senator Mike Duffy Debates in the Senate of Canada December 12, 2019 Mr. Duffy: "Congratulations Senator Joyal on your two pieces of legislation...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 of Ottawa will also be protected. Because of this pressure for urban development we have developers looking at this land and saying "Hey, there's millions of dollars to be made here".

Members of Parliament who wanted to preserve the Experimental Farm

•  Speaker of the House Lloyd Francis. House of Commons Ottawa October 10, 1974: SPEECH FROM THE THRONE-CONTINUATION OF DEBATE - Mr. Francis (Ottawa West, Liberal) "...I do not think that (Mr. Fullerton) was right when he proposed that part of the Experimental Farm should be used for housing. Despite the fact that there is a serious housing shortage in this area I do not think that my constituents would choose to sacrifice an open space which is such a precious thing for the community."

Some Hon. Members: "Hear, hear!"

• MP Marlene Catterall
• MP Elizabeth May   
• MP Monique Pauze
• Minister of National Defence Barnett Danson
• MP George McIlraith 
• MP David Daubney
• MP Walter Baker House of Commons Ottawa November 4, 1974 Mr. Baker (Grenville-Carleton) Deputy House Leader of the Official Opposition; Progressive Conservative Party House Leader "...There really is no open or green space available for those who live in high-rise housing, in condominiums or densely populated areas. The 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."