Policies & Threats Related to Greenspaces
The Sir John Carling site now destined to receive the new Civic Hospital campus is not quite the same site that was considered earlier. The Hospital’s 2007 evaluation exercise provided no specific definition for any site but in the 2016 report for the Hospital by HDR, the SJC site was described as “Located on the northeast portion of the CEF. The parcel is bounded by Carling Avenue, Maple and Birch
On May 20, 2016 Canadian Heritage Minister Mélanie Joly tasked the National Capital Commission with a review of possible locations for a new Hospital. A report is due in November. (Ottawa Citizen; CBC News; more in the Citizen here and here) The Coalition wasted no time meeting with NCC officials. We received assurances that the assumption of a 60-acre requirement will be questioned and that our input is welcomed. At
On March 10, 2016 Joanne Chianello on CBC News puts the key question: Why does TOH need 60 acres? Cameron Love gives five reasons why they need so much space and makes a comparison with a new hospital in Dallas; it, however, serves a metropolitan area of 7 million. He concedes that some parts of the desired campus will have 8 to 10 stories. Three letters to the Editor of
Dear Supporter of the Central Experimental Farm, Thank you for your expression of support for the Central Experimental Farm. The Coalition feels we are at a critical juncture with respect to the choice of site of the Hospital. Now is the time to contact the decision-makers in the federal and provincial governments, since undoubtedly the Hospital will end up on federal land in Central Ottawa. Therefore, we are asking you
Eight years after The Ottawa Hospital decided it wanted land on the Central Experimental Farm for a new Civic campus, and sixteen months after then Minister Baird granted its wish, the public was finally invited to a public meeting under the banner “A Community Discussion on a 21st Century Hospital in the heart of Ottawa.” Some 500 people attended the event at the Conference Centre on Coventry Road. Among those
January 30, 2016 Documents obtained through Access to Information lift the veil off the much-repeated assertion that, absolutely, 60 acres across the road from the Civic Hospital is the best and only option for a new campus. In March 2014 a senior official of The Ottawa Hospital (TOH) responded to the National Capital Commission answering the question “Why this piece of land?” Attached was a… 2007 Memo! Also attached was
January 28, 2016 – Minister Catherine McKenna expresses concern about the lack of paperwork leading to the November 2014 “gift” of 60 acres of the Experimental Farm. She agrees that Ottawa needs a new hospital but will look at all the options — CBC News story & video. An overwhelming number of the large number of comments consider this very good news. More on the Heritage Ottawa web site. January
After following the evolution of this file over the last year, the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital has decided to take a position on the development proposal brought forward by Windmill Developments at the Chaudière islands on the Ottawa River. It is a complex situation, involving a respected developer, several levels of government, aboriginal title and land claims, and complicated legal and ownership history, all just below what is arguably to most significant natural feature in the National
‘+ Shortly after the federal announcement, on November 26, 2014, a scientist at the Farm provided an Agriculture official involved in the negotiations with a summary of experiments taking place at Field No. 1. In response, the official asked the scientist: “When would these experiments naturally end or would we ever stop the experiments/data collection?” The answer: “The plan is to keep the experiments running as long as possible for
‘+ On March 11, 2015 Heritage Ottawa sent a letter to the Hon. Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment and Minister responsible for Historic Sites. Here is Min. Leona Aglukkaq‘s reply. On April 21, Heritage Ottawa sent similar letters to the Ontario Ministers for Health and Long Term Care; Tourism, Culture and Sport (Min. Michael Coteau replied); and Agriculture and Rural Affairs (Min. Jeff Leal replied). Min. Yasir Naqvi (local MPP
