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Sparks Street development announced again"The proposed development between Sparks and Queen streets may not win any awards for creative or unpredictable design..." An intro like that can herald only one thing - a new building from those master builders at the NCC. And so it is, as the NCC announced that a developer had finally been found for its 'Canlands A' project on Sparks Street between Metcalfe and O'Connor. When last heard from two years ago, the The NCC this week approved a two-building complex at its "Canlands A" property, which is between Sparks and Queen streets, just west of Metcalfe Street and within easy walking distance of Parliament Hill. Today, the Sparks Street side of the property is two boarded-up buildings and the Queen Street side is a parking lot. The commission, after many years of false starts, has chosen David Choo's Ashcroft Urban Developments as the developer for the property, with a design from Ottawa architect Roderick Lahey. Under the deal, the developer will have use of the land for 66 years, beginning Dec. 1 of this year, paying $166,500 each year. The two parties can renew the lease when it comes due. Ashcroft won the project after a national request for proposals. The NCC has owned the land since the 1970s. One is invariably reminded of the NCC's triumphs with the Daly building and on LeBreton Flats as yet another "national" request for proposals nets a single bid from another boring Ottawa developer. But no question that Ashcroft is eminently qualified to build the beige buildings the NCC demands. Citizen: NCC to add sizzle to Sparks Street [3 July 2008] LeBreton Flats: still a failureOttawa Sun columnist Susan Sherring takes a look at the lack of progress on the LeBreton Flats, where the NCC admits "there's not even a timetable": Despite the years of study, the development managed by the National Capital Commission has been labelled a failure by some. How can that be? "There's a significant amount of inertia around the federal government. I'm not sure that the main goal was to create. What was it they wanted out of the exercise, a great addition to the city, or to maximize return to the federal government?" says Alta Vista Coun. Peter Hume, chairman of the planning committee. "That's a question to ask. If it's financially driven, then you create significantly different structures. You would think what would be paramount in their minds would be enhancing capital city." Critics complain there's a sameness to the project, a blandness, speaking of boxy profiles and a palate of greys and browns. One of the most vocal opponents of what's been done to date is Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar. "They finally did Phase One, and they did it irresponsibly. I think it's been a lack of co-ordination, a lack of vision with the NCC stuck in an ivory tower. "I understand how disastrous Phase One was. It was a real opportunity to do things differently." Somerset Coun. Diane Holmes, who's been around council off and on for years, echoes Dewar's sentiments. [...]"It is good we're getting housing on the flats. It's taken a very long time. I think the NCC wanted the easier way, and in the end, that's not good for the area." [...]Francois Lapointe, the NCC's director of capital planning and real-asset management, puts much of the blame on the laborious process of having the three different levels of government trying to work together, trying to figure out who would develop the land, and who would be responsible for what. [...]While the NCC has shouldered much of the blame, Lapointe refuses to delve into the discussion. "I'm not going to comment on that. There were three players around the table. What's important is we have a situation now where things can happen. We need to look forward," he said. If only that were happening. The NCC admits it wants to improve the next phase but there's not even a timetable for that. "We're in a holding pattern right now," he said, explaining Gatineau Park is now the focus of the commission's attention. "I'll be very frank. (That's) what we've been focusing on. We're holding off on Lebreton," he said. [...]How long will it take for the next development? "There's still a lot of work that needs to be done. We took an approach, we were criticized for that. I'm not going to give you any timeframe," he says. So now that the NCC's cyclopean eye has focussed on Gatineau Park, LeBreton has dropped off the agenda. Sun: The flat of the land [27 May 2008] NCC to buy Gatineau Park propertyHaving been surprised by news of a development proposal in Gatineau Park in January, the NCC announced today that they are buying the property: "The acquisition of this land on Carman Road reaffirms the National Capital Commission's commitment to preventing further development in Gatineau Park," said Marie Lemay, NCC Chief Executive Officer. "Since becoming aware of the Carman Road project in January, I said that the NCC would take this seriously. This acquisition is the proof that we have done so." And who knows, if they'd taken this whole park thing seriously even sooner, say, before the development was approved by the municipality, maybe they could have saved a few bucks. Citizen: NCC to buy Gatineau Park property [22 May 2008] PMO to decide fate of NCC tombstoneThe fate of the NCC's vacant mouldy tombstone, the Canada and the World Pavilion, is now with the PMO, according to the Citizen: Several prospective tenants have lined up to snag this scenic site by the Rideau Falls, including the Governor General, the Australian high commission and the municipal Ottawa Art Gallery. The battle has become so politically sensitive that the Prime Minister's Office has taken control of the file from the NCC. Insiders say that the Governor General is the most likely winner of a long and vigorous lobbying campaign by the various parties to occupy the building and that the Ottawa Art Gallery, despite interventions from Mayor Larry O'Brien and vocal grassroots supporters, has virtually no hope of moving there from its cramped, drab location downtown in Arts Court. The Aussies are in with a chance as payback for giving Canada a nice spot in Canberra for our high commission. Perennial no-hopers the Ottawa Art Gallery remain out of the running. Citizen: PMO will decide fate of the Canada and the World Pavillion [7 May 2008] Group argues for legal protection of Gatineau ParkThe Ottawa Valley chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society is making a push to have Gatineau Park protected. From the Citizen: On Monday the Ottawa Valley chapter of the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society released a new booklet arguing for legal protection of Gatineau Park and for its establishment as a national park. To make its point, the organization took reporters to Meech Lake Valley, where the nearby extension of Highway 5, carving road out of the countryside, is an ugly backdrop to the spectacular scenery of Meech Creek and its surrounding rolling hills. The Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society, Ottawa Valley Chapter, has prepared a a report entitled "Gatineau Park: A Threatened Treasure", which urges governments at all levels to develop a comprehensive strategy on the future of the park that respects the sensitive ecology and controls future development. [...]Gatineau Park, 361 square kilometres of natural beauty, is most immediately threatened by roads, traffic and new development, says the Parks and Wilderness Society. The extension of the McConnell-Laramee Boulevard, now known as Boulevard des Allumettieres, cut a swath through the park near Lac des Fees and was a huge disappointment to conservationists. They worry about the next big road battle over the park: the extension of Highway 50 through the park south of Pink Lake. [...]Today, to mark Earth Day, Paul Dewar, the New Democratic MP for Ottawa Centre, plans to launch a petition campaign at the Gatineau Park welcome centre to have the park protected under federal law. Mr. Dewar is also planning to reintroduce a private member's bill into the House of Commons that would require that Parliament approve changes to the park's boundaries and give the NCC first rights to purchase property within the park that comes up for sale. The NCC, making great strides, recently figured out the boundaries of the park. Citizen: Group argues for legal protection of Gatineau Park [21 Apr 2008] NCC Board confirms Gatineau Park boundariesGood news, Gatineau Park watchers! The NCC Board met up, had a meeting, and issued a press release to prove it. And what a release! Why, we're just going to print the entire thing right here. The National Capital Commission's (NCC) Board of Directors, during their board meeting held this afternoon in Ottawa, demonstrated its continued commitment to the long-term protection and integrity of Gatineau Park by confirming that Gatineau Park does in fact have boundaries. The Board also discussed a strategy for not losing track of the boundaries again in the future, another example of how the NCC is working to maintain Gatineau Park as an important greenspace in Canada's Capital Region. "The National Capital Commission is committed to preserving Gatineau Park and its ecosystems for future generations of Canadians," said Marie Lemay, Chief Executive Officer of the NCC. "To this end, we will continue to work towards drawing all the boundaries on the official Gatineau Park map in pen whenever possible. You know, so they are more difficult to erase." Since the 1930s, federal ownership of the lands in the Park has increased through the continuous and gradual acquisition of private properties within Park boundaries. In keeping with Gatineau Park Master Plan (2005), the NCC is developing its border stabilization strategy that identifies portions of Gatineau Park boundaries that are currently drawn on the official map in pencil, to determine which can be redrawn using a pen, subject to availability of resources and mutual agreement. Preventing further border erasure and coffee stains on the Gatineau Park map, along with reducing general wear and tear, continues to be the NCC's long-term objective. "The map was brought in and we all saw the boundaries, plain as day," said a Board member of long standing whose name is unimportant. "The map had an official looking stamp, and we even looked the park up on Google Maps, clearly demonstrating the NCC's commitment to protecting the park." In 2009, the NCC will also formalize its first conservation plan for the Gatineau Park map. The plan builds on a number of studies completed on the map, including a study that determined its location in a long forgotten filing cabinet in the basement at NCC headquarters. For further information about the National Capital Commission, members of the public can contact the NCC at 613-239-5555, 1 800 704-8227 or visit the website at www.ncc-ccn.gc.ca. The NCC: still not just pussyfooting around. NCC: NCC Board of Directors Reconfirms Gatineau Park Boundaries [4 Apr 2008] Leash patrol strikes againThe Ottawa Sun's Greg Weston writes about his off-leash bust in today's Sun: The hulking lawman took a step backwards and adjusted his bullet-proof vest, evidently taking no chances this one scary golden retriever might be packing heat. "Guess you know why I'm here," the NCC cop said. [...]"Dogs have to be on a leash," the lawman said. "I'm going to have to charge you, and give you a $125 ticket." [...]I'd seen it all before. About a year earlier, two other members of the federal dog squad had busted the outlaw Cinnamon on the same patch of lawn. Both times, it was at night, the place was deserted and the mutt was walking at my heel bothering no one en route to an off-leash city park. While murderers, muggers, looters and other politicians wander the streets, an army of federal fuzz is running up overtime on our dime, hunting down leashless Lassies. Actually, they're not cops, but "conservation officers." Whatever they are conserving, it certainly isn't taxpayers' money as they travel the capital in a fleet of shiny trucks doing their dogged doggie duty in pairs, decked out in enough expensive gear for the Afghanistan war, save the artillery. The NCC bowser brigade should not be confused with the large numbers of provincial conservation officers on the public payroll, nor with the many hound hounders working for municipal canine control departments. These are federal mutt-minders wandering the nation's capital on the payroll of taxpayers from Comox to Come By Chance. God forbid a local dog-catcher might deal with pet problems on federal land - nosirree, clearly we need a separate bureaucracy. If all this sounds like a waste of public money, it is at least in the grand tradition of what may well be Canada's most redundant government agency. Once considered somewhat useful, the National Capital Commission now sucks almost $100 million a year out of Canadian taxpayers' pockets for federal pooch patrols and other essentials of life as we know it. That would include things such as the $10,000 of our tax money the federal agency spent last Christmas sending poinsettias to MPs, senators and big shots. [...]Talk about public money going to the dogs -- two officers of the NCC and almost 40 minutes to issue a ticket for "failing to restrain a domestic animal." The NCC's conservation officers - still commanding the respect they deserve. Ottawa Sun: Leash police a fine bunch [30 Mar 2008] Creating a thriving pedestrian streetMariah Cook contrasts Copenhagen's Strøget, Europe's longest pedestrian street, with Sparks Street in the Citizen: Strøget is one of the world's great streets. Lined with historic buildings, it winds for 1.8 kilometres through the heart of the city and connects two squares. The attractively decorated stores run the gamut from top Danish companies such as Georg Jensen, for jewelry and works in silver, to fast food and jeans. In contrast, Ottawa's pedestrian street - the Sparks Street Mall - has seen better days. On many winter mornings, smokers shiver in doorways. A few office workers hurry past vacant storefronts, blank walls, and undistinguished window displays. Busiest at lunch, the five-block mall offers little reason to linger past quitting time. Yet, this is one of Ottawa's special streets. Full of history, it is located between Lyon and Elgin streets, one block south of Parliament Hill and surrounded by major national landmarks. Some of the city's finest heritage faŤades are found here. Intriguing shops such as the Snow Goose and the Astrolabe Gallery offer an alternative to chain-store homogeneity. [...]This is a tale of two pedestrian streets. Both were created in the same period as a radical urban experiment - Strøget in 1962, Sparks in 1967. But they went in different directions. Strøget flourishes. Sparks struggles. How to revitalize Sparks has been a weighty question for years for retailers, city officials and the National Capital Commission. It's not far-fetched to look to Copenhagen for ideas. It and Ottawa are capital cities with significant similarities. Copenhagen is 1.4 million, Ottawa nearing one million. Copenhagen knows about winter. City planners in both cities strive for the same goals: more people living, shopping, walking and cycling in the inner city. And it can't be shrugged off as a European lifestyle that has nothing to do with us. Until 40 years ago, the Danes did not have a café culture. Now, outdoor cafés stretch the season to nine months by providing gas or electric heating lamps, wool blankets and cushions. So, what happened in Ottawa? "What they wanted to do was welcome the pedestrian back into downtown," says Mr. Gordon. But the welcome was shortlived. Sparks Street began to decline in the 1970s, when the federal government started to acquire buildings on Sparks, and adjacent streets were redeveloped as high-rise office districts, often with internal concourses. Sparks became "an isolated island of pedestrian-friendly space in a traffic-dominated district," write Mr. Gordon and Mr. Bray. As the predominant land-owner, the federal government faces criticism for contributing too little to the street's vitality. Short-term leases on its shopfronts discourage merchants from investing in improvements. Some federal buildings are largely empty, kept for some future use, and present a blank face to the street. Other buildings are closed to the public because of security. "It kills the street," says Mr. Gordon. "It's fine to have a lot of federal civil servants on upper floors, but ground floors facing out should be small shops with doors on the street." [...]There were high hopes that the CBC building, which opened in 2004, would become Ottawa's version of Citytv's MuchMusic building in Toronto, drawing crowds and generating excitement. The developer's architects and CBC executives promised a street-level window onto the live action of a one-acre newsroom. Instead, it's almost impossible to see in and the architecture has been described by critic Rhys Phillips as "just another low-cost, banal building." "The CBC has been the biggest disappointment," says Councillor Diane Holmes. "A whole block of deadness." Up until a couple of years ago, the NCC's magic bullet for Sparks involved leveling buildings for a square and an underground parking lot. Time for someone else to take charge. Ottawa Citizen: The Stroget Solution [22 Mar 2008] What price poinsettiasAnother NCC Christmas tradition was revealed in the Citizen today: The National Capital Commission spent nearly $10,000 last year sending Christmas poinsettias to MPs, senators, bureaucrats and other officials, newly released records show. [...]Records tabled last week in the House of Commons in response to a question from Mr. Reid show that the cost of the program totalled more than $46,000 for the past 10 years. But the price of sending out of the flowers doubled last year because it included the cost of shipping and delivery that had previously been done by NCC staff. The records show that poinsettias sent to MPs cost $881, with another $326 spent to send them to senators and $8,193 to send them to unspecified unelected officials. The NCC says that sending poinsettias is a holiday tradition that dates back more than 25 years, when the commission used to grow the flowers in its own greenhouse. The commission switched to a private supplier in 1995. "It really is a gesture of thanks for those that have collaborated in building a capital for all Canadians, from the chair to people that he or she has worked with," said spokeswoman Kathryn Keyes. Ottawa Citizen: NCC's $10,000 'gesture of thanks' to government officials [4 Mar 2008] LeBreton consultation reportOttawa-Centre MP Paul Dewar has released a report on the community consultation he conducted about LeBreton Flats development. Paul Dewar: LeBreton Flats Redevelopment [25 Feb 2008] NCC CEO speaksNew-ish NCC CEO Marie Lemay spoke with the Citizen this week: Ms. Lemay, a 45-year-old engineer who has lived mostly in the Ottawa-Gatineau region since childhood, won the CEO job after 15 years of work with municipal governments, followed by a stint as chief executive of Engineers Canada, the national association of engineers. She says that in her work for that group, she travelled the country extensively and she wants to have the capital reflect the diversity she saw and found so interesting. "We've got to find a way to be the real reflection of Canada. I think that part's missing," the University of Ottawa graduate said. [...]Ms. Lemay was hired by the federal government, but reports to the NCC board. She started the job in January. There have been regulatory roadblocks to making all board meetings public because big financial decisions are classified as cabinet confidences, but Ms. Lemay is hopeful that will soon be changed. She said community distrust of the NCC will be reduced when citizens can see how and why decisions are made. Ms. Lemay said it's unfortunate that the dedication and expertise of NCC staff have not been understood by people in the community, but that "there is a cultural change happening," that will see the commission's employees more open with the public. "Somehow there's been this wall that's been built around the NCC. I'm hoping that we're going to be able to break down this wall and reach into the community," she said. "We have to do business a little differently. We have to actively listen. I have to regain (citizens') trust." One way the commission hopes to break with the past is by getting involved with community projects right at the beginning, rather than playing the sometimes negative role of government approval agency after the bulk of the work has been done. An example of this is the Lansdowne Park redevelopment, in which the commission, which has a lot of property next door, has said it will be a partner. The NCC plans to get back into the transportation planning business after years of inactivity, due largely to budget cuts in the 1990s. The commission is well positioned to plan transportation links between Ottawa and West Quebec and Ms. Lemay says no one else is working on building those links. As well, Ms. Lemay has high hopes that the NCC will become a national leader on the environment. While it has been criticized for some of its decisions - paving part of Gatineau Park for a road, for instance - Ms. Lemay wants the environment to be a priority in all decisions. Ottawa Citizen: Time to put 'Canada' back into capital, new NCC boss says [19 Feb 2008] Pavilion overtaken by mouldOh look, the NCC's vacant tombstone of waste, the Canada and the World Pavilion, has been rendered uninhabitable by mould: But when an engineer from Public Works and Government Services Canada investigated the state of the building, which is owned by the National Capital Commission, he found toxigenic mould. "There is a high risk to the Crown to proceed with this project," engineer Joseph Wong reported. "This facility presents a risk for developing significant mould-related problems that can induce allergies and other health and comfort problems," he wrote. He reported that replacement of walls to solve the mould issue in the office areas had not fixed the problem. "The issue of mould will not go away," wrote Mr. Wong. "It will be a great challenge to mitigate the potential dispersion of mould spores within the building due to the traffic and openness of the space." [...]The source of the water appears to have been a leaking water intake at the Rideau Falls power plant next door, owned by Fortis Power. Repairs were done last summer and fall and now the NCC is waiting to see if there is more water infiltration when the spring runoff begins. In one of his e-mails last spring, Mr. Wong said the high water table in the area could pose a long-term threat. "This problem will never go away," he said. Typically, the Citizen had to obtain this information via an access to information request. What else did they discover? Dig: Early in 2007, the Governor General's office was eyeing 50 Sussex Dr., steps from the prime minister's residence and Rideau Hall, as a showplace for its Chancellery of Honours. Despite some Ottawans' desire to see it put to other uses, documents released to the Citizen under access to information legislation show there was a rush within the federal government to get the picturesque property ready for the Governor General. There were plans to have the Governor General's operation moved in, at least temporarily, by July 1, when Prime Minister Stephen Harper and Gov. Gen. Michaëlle Jean would open the new quarters to mark the 40th anniversary of the creation of the Order of Canada. So the NCC made a secret deal last spring and the Governor General would be in the Pavilion now if the mould hadn't gotten there first. So much for the Ottawa Art Gallery and its plans for the Firestone Collection. The NCC is currently undertaking openness and transparency initiatives. These are evidently irrelevant to the actual day-to-day operation of the NCC. Ottawa Citizen: NCC's spectacular Sussex Drive property plagued by mould [11 Feb 2008] NCC unaware of plans for Gatineau ParkFresh from revelations that they don't really know who owns what in Gatineau Park, the Citizen reports that the NCC doesn't know what others are doing in the park either: The National Capital Commission had no idea that the municipality of Chelsea had approved an 18 unit housing project off Highway 105 on private land within Gatineau Park, the NCC's chief executive officer said Thursday. Marie Lemay said the NCC was unaware of the estate lot housing project planned at Carman Trails Outdoor Centre on Carman Road west of the highway near Farm Point. She said the NCC did not have the opportunity to acquire the property and the housing project is not the preferred option for the land. [...]"I would like to be able to answer why we were unaware of the project, " Ms. Lemay said. "I will be in the future and that is part of the new collaboration and the new approach that has to take place. "The objective of the NCC is to acquire property within the park whenever it has the opportunity. But it will be more expensive for the NCC to buy land that has houses on it. We have to be aware where those pieces of land are and what is planned on them so we can be proactive about acquiring property." Recall that the NCC spent the better part of the last decade creating a Master Plan for Gatineau Park. Something of a waste of time, then. Ottawa Citizen: NCC unaware of plans to build development in Gatineau Park [25 Jan 2008] NCC stands up for portrait gallery in OttawaThe NCC took a break from stymieing attempts by the Ottawa Art Gallery to put its collection in the unused Canada and the World Pavilion to announce they think the Portrait Gallery of Canada should be located in Ottawa-Gatineau. From the Citizen: The National Capital Commission's board sent a message to the Harper government yesterday that the Portrait Gallery of Canada should be located in Ottawa-Gatineau, but it stopped short of urging the government to reconsider its plans for the institution. Under the Conservatives' plan, the gallery could end up in the capital or one of eight other cities, built by a private developer. The NCC board, under chairman Russell Mills, unanimously passed a motion at a meeting yesterday calling for the gallery to be located in the capital region along with the rest of the country's cultural institutions. Former Ottawa mayor Jacquelin Holzman, a board member, presented a companion motion that called on the government to reconsider allowing the gallery to be located outside the capital area, but she received no support. A plan to call on the government to also scrap its decision on private sector involvement was also discussed, but abandoned. Ottawa Citizen: NCC wants portrait gallery in Ottawa [25 Jan 2008] The NCC's Keystone CopsReaders will be pleased to know that the NCC's finest are still patrolling parks and pathways on the lookout for petty offences with their customary zeal. Arthur Milner describes his experience being busted by the NCC in the Citizen: In mid-August, I received by mail a notice that I had been found guilty of an offence - "Possess Liquor" - and that the "Place of Offence" was "Rideau Ottawa." I was fairly certain that I hadn't been drinking in public on Rideau Street recently and I wondered who would have used my name and address. I had to swear, in person at the Provincial Offences Office, that I had no knowledge of the crime; and I formally requested that they reopen the case. I went to the Ottawa Police station, where there was no record of the charge. A week later, the Provincial Offences Office agreed to reopen the case and, a week after that, I received the "Reopening" in the mail. But the charge wasn't public drinking, it was having a dog off leash on NCC property. The fine was $125 and I was to appear in court Dec. 4. A couple of weeks before the trial, I was sent a package of information by the National Capital Commission. It contained the officer's notes. There were a few omissions and discrepancies. He never describes George, for example, and I am quite certain that I gave him my name before we entered the garage; nor did he mention my reason for refusing to show ID. He did note that he had written the incorrect offence number on the ticket (which had led to my conviction for "Possess Liquor"). But what was most interesting was his description of what had happened after we entered the NAC garage: "I called the RCMP for assistance. I followed him to his vehicle (and he) put his dog in it. I recorded the plate number and told him he would be charged for the off leash offence. I left as he got in the car and started the engine. I met four RCMP officers outside the lot and we waited for him to come out. Two bike officers went in to look for him. ... The RCMP constable and myself went back to the car. Mr. Milner was not in it, but the dog was. We then drove around the area for 15 minutes, looking for him without success. I informed my supervisor who came on scene ..." Four RCMP and two NCC officers, all for George and me! It doesn't seem quite so funny now - after Robert Dziekanski. Good thing I managed to elude them. The NCC's conservation officers - still commanding the respect they deserve. Ottawa Citizen: On a tight leash [24 Jan 2008] Parkland ownership a puzzlerFrom the three bureaucracies are not better than one files, the Citizen reports on land that may or may not be in Gatineau Park, and may or may not be owned by some government or another: Ask the National Capital Commission, Parks Canada and the Quebec government who owns a 61.5-square-kilometre section of Gatineau Park near Lac Lapêche and it's impossible to get a straight answer. In fact, no one really seems to know who owns the property, which is nearly half the size of Kanata. Jean-Paul Murray, a Gatineau Park activist and Senate speech writer says the confusion is due to bureaucratic mismanagement and a lack of political will to make Gatineau Park into a national park protected from new housing development and roads that split it up. [...]NCC officials today say that a 1973 federal-provincial agreement gives that agency ownership of the property. But the NCC says the Quebec government refuses to recognize the claim because it was never registered. Jean-Guy Côté, a spokes-man for Benoît Pelletier, the Quebec cabinet minister responsible for the Outaouais, tells a different story. He says the province transferred the land to the federal government in exchange for a site for the CEGEP de l'Outaouais on Cité des Jeunes Boulevard. But, he said, officially, the province still owns the property. "The government of Quebec owns that land in Gatineau Park and the federal government owns the land on which the CEGEP stands," Mr. Côté said. "Quebec wants to transfer the land because it is used for Gatineau Park and the CEGEP is on federal property. "Mr. Pelletier approached NCC officials a few years ago to reach an agreement, but because the case is complicated, it is taking some time," he said. "The Quebec Ministry of Municipal Affairs is in court now because the City of Gatineau wants the federal government to pay taxes on the CEGEP and the federal government doesn't agree that the land is theirs." [...]Quebec claims the sub-surface mineral rights to the entire park, according to Parks Canada records released under the access to information law. [...]Mr. Murray said it is clear that the exchange has taken place, because the land around Lac Lapêche is used for Gatineau Park and the provincial government uses the site on Cité des Jeunes Boulevard for the CEGEP de l'Outaouais. He added that he couldn't understand why the NCC argued until recently that Quebec owns property in the northwest corner of the park. "How do you misplace or misinterpret who owns 61.5 square kilometres of land?" Mr. Murray asked. Step 1 - give the land to the NCC. There is no step 2. Ottawa Citizen: Parkland ownership a puzzler [21 Jan 2008] NCC Board MeetingThe next public board meeting (as opposed to the in camera meetings they continue to hold) takes place Thursday, January 24, 2008, at 1 pm, at the Government Conference Centre, Main Hall, Union Station. NCC: Public Board of Directors Meetings LeBreton Flats DialogueOttawa Centre MP Paul Dewar is holding a "Community Dialogue" on development of LeBreton Flats: Once one of Ottawa's prime industrial areas, LeBreton Flats saw some 2800 residents moved in 1962, when the federal government expropriated the land and bulldozed the homes and businesses that had existed there. The purpose was to improve the view of the Parliament buildings when approaching from the west. Plans for redevelopment have come and gone, but in 2004, the National Capital Commission announced its plans to begin in earnest and put the first Phase of the development out for proposals, and Phase One is underway. The NCC is set to embark on Phase Two, and will use the same process as it did for Phase One. Alert readers will recall that the NCC's famously bungled "process" for Phase One resulted in all of one bid, from Claridge, known more for their deep pockets than the quality of their projects. The Dialogue will take place Saturday, January 19, 2008, from 10-2 pm, at the Bronson Centre, 211 Bronson Avenue. Paul Dewar: Community Dialogue on Development of LeBreton Flats Lord Durham's revengeThe ghost of Lord Durham continues to haunt the NCC. The Citizen acquired more than 40 written complaints to the NCC (via and Access to Information request) criticizing the decision to remove Lord Durham's portrait from a history exhibit about Ottawa's selection as the capital: According to the correspondence received by the NCC, copies of which were obtained by the Citizen through the Access to Information Act, dozens of complainants saw the NCC's decision to take down the portrait as "cowardly" and "utter nonsense." Several writers described the Lord Durham portrait issue as anti-democratic, going so far as to compare the NCC to a dictatorship. "This action that the Crown Corporation has taken smacks of something that would be done in a country under the rule of a dictator, not in a democracy," wrote one complainant. "It is the NCC that should be apologizing to the Canadian public for letting us down in providing a showcase for the events, people and debates that have shaped our country," wrote another. "Your steps are more appropriate to Soviet-era revisionism than the flourishing democracy that you purport to represent." The NCC took down Lord Durham's portrait on Nov. 5 after a media report pointed out that francophones might take offense to his inclusion in the outdoor exhibit on Sparks Street that celebrated the 150th anniversary of the selection as Ottawa as the capital of Canada. He was the author of the Durham Report, a controversial document written in 1839 that recommended the assimilation of French Canadians into English society on the basis they had no significant history or culture. When the portrait was pulled, NCC chief executive officer Micheline Dubé said "the recommendations put forth by Lord Durham at that time are considered inappropriate for many and certainly controversial." One complainant wrote directly to Ms. Dubé, calling for her to take responsibility on behalf of her organization: "I think that you owe all Canadians an apology for acting as a revisionist, the latter a trait of countries in which democracy is not likely to exist." NCC chairman Russell Mills, a former editor-in-chief of the Citizen, also took his licks: "With respect to you and Lord Durham, should one not be astonished that someone who had gone to the wall for press freedom, should now be presiding over the business of censoring history?" Others were more direct: "Get a spine! This is once again another example of the whitewashing of Canadian history to please the francophone lobby." The Durham brouhaha was an unlikely source of negative press for the NCC throughout November. Citizen: Writers see red over Durham decision [28 Dec 2007] NCC endorses new convention centreThe NCC's urban-design experts, the geniuses behind such triumphs as Place du Portage and the "any colour you like as long as it's beige" development on the LeBreton Flats, have evaluated the proposed design for the convention centre: The NCC's urban-design experts have done a detailed analysis of how the new building on Colonel By Drive will affect postcard views of the capital. This includes a three-dimensional video showing what the views of downtown will be like once the new building is in place when people are driving along Colonel By Drive toward Rideau Street. The new convention centre will block some views, notably the view of the historic Château Laurier, considered a landmark in the nation's capital. The NCC's design advisers wanted the Congress Centre project team to increase the setback of the building by five metres to preserve more of the view of the rooftops of the Château. [...]The Congress Centre project team has slightly shrunk the size of the building twice since the summer, when they first met with the design advisers of the NCC. NCC chairman Russell Mills said there is no doubt that the commission is trading off some design preferences to get the new building. But he said the board must address other elements beyond design because the capital city needs to think about "getting people here." [...]The new building project does not intrude on views that are specifically protected in Ottawa's official plan. The bigger new building will require that Colonel By Drive, in front of it, be realigned and reduced from four lanes to two. The ground floor will have a large entrance area, while the second and third floors will overhang that pedestrian area. The building will be about 20 metres tall. No doubt the convention centre is relieved now that they have the NCC seal of approval. And who better to advise on sightlines than the masters of design behind DND HQ. Citizen: NCC endorses design of new convention centre [18 Dec 2007] Rethink the brownbeltAfter recently trashing the Gréber plan in his column, Ken Gray at the Citizen weighs in on Chairman Mills' Greenbelt musings and decides somewhat counter-intuitively that what's needed is another Gréber-style uber-plan: The Gréber plan, unveiled when the automobile reached its ascendancy, is out of date with today's environmental concerns. So too is the Greenbelt. Areas such as the farmland between the city and Kanata as well as between the core and Orléans has no special environmental significance. So too the agricultural land bordering Greenbank Road. Rather than develop working farmland at the far reaches of Ottawa's suburbs and extending the polluting commutes of its residents, why not develop land of little consequence inside the Greenbelt nearer Ottawa's downtown? [...]Mr. Mills is correct again when he says that intense development in the Greenbelt would contribute to making rapid transit successful. Right again on the need for an east-end bridge to get heavy trucks out of downtown. Bang on concerning opening the region's river and canal banks to people. Correct yet again on the importance of a national portrait gallery to the capital. All this requires a second Gréber plan, for all those reasons and one more. An independent study would operate above and beyond city and NCC planners who have done a magnificent job of profoundly botching planning the area outside the Parliamentary district. The list of NCC planning debacles is too large to list in this space and city planning appears confined to building tract housing and big malls with huge parking lots. Which brings me to my one quibble with Mr. Mills's musings on the future of region and the NCC. Other than trans-provincial traffic (and Mr. Mills would do well if he could find a way to get the Prince of Wales Bridge carrying commuter rail), the Crown corporation should not play a role in transportation. It has little experience and the NCC's track record in planning where it has some knowledge is appalling, let alone on transportation. For all its failures, at least the city has run a bus service and might some day create a functioning light-rail service. By a "second Gréber plan" then, he means a plan that is different from the original plan in every important respect: not automobile-centric, and not implemented by the NCC. Citizen: Rethinking Ottawa's Brownbelt [16 Nov 2007] Greenbelt reactionsSome reactions to Chairman Mills' greenbelt trial balloon. First, the Citizen expresses some skepticism in an editorial that the NCC could ever pull off developing parts of the greenbelt in a worthwhile manner: With one of the Greenbelt's two chief purposes in ruins, it's reasonable to discuss whether parts of it can be put to better use, as Mr. Mills (a former publisher of the Citizen) proposes. Finding urban uses for parts of the Greenbelt must not be done hurriedly or arbitrarily. The jury will be staying out on the NCC's development of LeBreton Flats for a long time, but in principle, it's a bad example to follow: the commission kept the land for 40 years before devising a competition to develop it that was so problematic that, in the end, only one builder bid for the rights to the most sought-after parcel in Ottawa-Gatineau. That's no way to run the NCC lands. The federal government owns large expanses of the Greenbelt with no special characteristics. Do we build on these or increase urban sprawl? Do we continue to encourage long, polluting drives from the far suburbs? This will clearly be a difficult decision. The old NCC, with its closed and paternalistic culture, wouldn't have been up to the job. It might not be yet, but perhaps under Mr. Mills, who is opening board meetings and promising a new level of public engagement, the commission can do the job right. John Baird expresses even graver doubts, while pointing out an obvious problem: As well, Mr. Baird said thinking about selling or developing parts of it would be problematic because farmers had their land expropriated in the 1950s so the Greenbelt could be created. Turning it over to development would raise ethical and legal questions about who should profit from the land development, he said. He said any move to development in the Greenbelt will get a hostile reception from voters. "The overwhelming majority of people I represent will have the same concern," said Mr. Baird. Final word to letter writer Betty Smith: In the east end, we're all too familiar with the NCC's environmental vision. Practices such as selling off the Woodburn farm and surrounding forest to the highest bidder to make way for parking lots, big-box stores and a gas station shows the NCC's concern for the environment. Instead of seeing the Greenbelt as Ottawa's jewel in the crown, the NCC sees the Greenbelt as its private cash cow. Citizen: Developing the Greenbelt [6 Nov 2007] Chair suggests developing parts of the greenbeltIn an interview with the Citizen, the most recent Chairman of the NCC Russel Mills suggests developing the greenbelt along major routes to make better use of existing infrastructure: "There is an awful lot of gasoline being burned in Ottawa every year by people driving through the Greenbelt. It's not environmentally sound. "There needs to be some long-term assessment of the future of the Greenbelt," he says. It "was a good thing in its day, but it was intended to contain the growth of the city and it didn't." Mills says the Greenbelt is a "sacred cow" and "the people of Ottawa would rightly resist just opening it up to development, but it seems to me we can make better use of it, more environmentally sound use of it, than we do now." Mills is particularly interested in large swaths of fields on both sides of the Queensway between Kanata and Bells Corners, and on the 174 leading to Orleans. While it's "nice to look at out the window," it might make more sense to develop it. The NCC chairman's willingness to at least consider such a change could be an important factor as the city revises its development plan. City bureaucrats have also been quietly discussing the idea of Greenbelt development and will release a discussion paper on it soon. All well and good, if they could avoid building just another Terry Fox Business Park, but really, what are the odds? Mills also likes the idea of a bridge across the river in the east end, and a portrait gallery of some kind. Citizen: A radical idea for the Greenbelt [3 Nov 2007] The making of modern OttawaIn a lengthy column today, Citizen editorial writer Ken Gray asks whether the NCC's planning in Ottawa succeeded in creating a great national capital, and whether Gréber's grand plan worked. His short answer: no. In expanding on his theme, he provides a good summary of where the NCC went wrong: The National Capital Commission and its predecessors created the majestic capital driveways in response to that great North American pastime of a half-century ago - the Sunday drive. The Gréber plan resulted in the triumph of the car, a legacy that remains today. These driveways - Colonel By, Queen Elizabeth, Rockcliffe and the Ottawa River Parkway - helped create urban sprawl by making car travel to the suburbs easy. They also cut off neighbouring communities from the waterways that they showcased for car passengers by creating an asphalt barrier to the shorelines beside which they were built. [...]As a result, there is but one people place along the long expanse of the parkway that stretches from Carling Avenue to the parliamentary precinct. That's Westboro Beach, access to which is facilitated by a tunnel under the parkway. The national capital region has three major rivers and a UNESCO world heritage site in the Rideau Canal. But, in part due to the NCC driveways, we don't think of Ottawa as a water city. Again that's the result of the 1950s triumph of the car. In San Antonio, Texas, along its canal, there are restaurants and entertainment establishments that create the River Walk. In Ottawa, we have bicyclists and the occasional jogger along the river but nothing like the kind of people activity the River Walk sees. The Texas example is a tourist spot unto itself. Instead, here, if you want a rather eerie, perhaps dangerous, certainly lonely walk after dark, trundle along the Rideau Canal. In the 1950s, the city almost seemed as though it were in the way of the capital. Car-oriented suburbs took employees and their families far away from the majestic Parliament Buildings. LeBreton Flats, a real neighbourhood with a significant heritage, was razed, in part, because it was seen as an eyesore too near the parliamentary precinct. Tramways were perceived as a blight with their unsightly overhead wires. They were eliminated in favour of the car and the bus. Train lines were lifted because their smoke and noise destroyed the tranquility of the capital. Trains downtown were seen as obstacles to road travel. During the light-rail debate, that same argument was heard from merchants on Slater and Albert streets. In addition, back in the 1950s, industry appeared to destroy the parliamentary vistas. Thus the heritage of Gréber is a one-industry government town, with a lack of private enterprise, little modern mass transit, and urban sprawl created by suburban planning and the individual mobility of the car. The city was but an afterthought for the pioneering planners of the 1950s. Citizen: The making of modern Ottawa [25 Oct 2007] NCC CEO, board members appointedThe new NCC CEO has finally been appointed - Marie Lemay, "an engineer with extensive municipal experience in Western Quebec, was appointed for a five-year term. She takes on the job of chief executive officer in January." Also recently announced were two new board members - a Kory Bobrow from Montreal, who has served on various boards of some sort or another, and, somewhat more interestingly, former Ottawa mayor Jacquelin Holzman. Transport Release: Appointments to the National Capital Commission [12 Oct 2007] Openness and Transparency roundupWell, the NCC announced their latest openness initiative, and, what do you know, just like that, they are opening board meetings to the public. For old times' sake, let's go back a few months to a Citizen article on Marcel Beaudry's response to the NCC Mandate Review's report on the NCC: Beaudry said at least one of the recommendations has already been well discussed by the NCC's board. The report asks the NCC to open its meetings to the public, a move already considered twice in the past 14 years, Beaudry said. He added that Treasury Board guidelines recommend Crown corporation meetings be held in private. Chairman Beaudry, so characteristically stonewalling to the bitter end. In this context, the NCC's Damascene conversion to open meetings cannot be underestimated. On the other hand, considering the NCC's low standing with the press and the Mandate Review panel recommendations for openness, open meetings had become the every least the NCC could get away with to ensure its own survival. And no doubt current interim CEO Micheline Dubé, who by all accounts just can't wait to be open and accessible, would like to avoid being raked over the coals like her predecessor, as in this fav from March 2006: Everything you need to know about the National Capital Commission is summed up by the way a five-year initiative to dispel the idea that the NCC is secretive and unaccountable was revealed. It was obtained through access to information. Rather than produce a five-year plan to appear open and transparent, why not just be open and transparent? The NCC, a creaky, out-of-touch bureaucracy, hunkers down behind the walls of the Chambers Building, fearing controversy and debate. On his castle throne, the woefully inaccessible Marcel Beaudry ponders the end of his 14-year reign. His tired, confused term concludes in September. So, open meetings it is. And the first, mostly open meeting is scheduled for November 7. Also on the Openness and Transparency agenda, the NCC will establish "public standing committees" of as yet vague standing, get an external ombudsman, and introduce an annual open house. There's also a survey on the always amusing NCC website, but only until October 12. NCC: NCC Announces New Initiatives to Enhance Openness and Transparency [12 Sep 2007] NCC to Announce New Initiatives to Enhance Openness and TransparencyThe NCC has apparently been brainstorming in its bunker on Elgin on How To Be Open, and is now ready to reveal all to a grateful nation at a press conference today. The New Initiatives to Enhance Openness and Transparency will be wheeled out before the press at 10:30 am at NCC HQ on Elgin, Room 323, 3rd floor. More, no doubt, later. NCC: NCC to Announce New Initiatives to Enhance Openness and Transparency [11 Sep 2007] Hull's parking lotsThe Spacing Wire is running a feature on Hull's parking lots and the destruction of Hull's urban fabric. Historical consultant Michelle Guitard gives them a tour: We sought out Guitard to find out exactly what used to be where the parking lots are now. As we had suspected, buildings had been there; but it was more lucrative for property owners to tear them down and build parking lots or to lease the land to parking lot entrepreneurs than to maintain the old buildings. Guitard walked us through the streets and pointed to the ghosts of homes, restaurants, cinemas, and hotels. [...]Which brings us to the obvious reason why Hull has as many parking lots as it does; thousands of people who are not residents of Hull work in the massive brown and grey government buildings, and probably the majority of them bring their cars with them. Of course, when it comes to urban destruction in the capital region, the NCC has to be involved somehow - and so they were. The lots were a natural consequence of the NCC's expropriation and destruction of large areas of downtown Hull to make way for the massive Place du Portage and Les Terraces de la Chaudiere office complexes - part of the NCC's building dispersal programme. Mission accomplished. 
Guitard has contributed to an interesting site on the architecture of old Hull, Remember When?, by Harry Foster, Manager of the Photographic Services section of the Canadian Museum of Civilization. The Spacing Wire: The 1970 Architectural Concept [24 Aug 2007] Tombstone of Waste in diplomatic tug-of-warA slow news Monday has the National Post summing up the spat about what to do with the NCC's failed Canada and the World Pavilion: It is one of Ottawa's most coveted sites -- a vacant two-storey building set among parkland, with the picturesque Rideau Falls cascading next door, an unrivalled view of the Ottawa River and Quebec, and a location just down from the official residences of the Prime Minister and Governor-General. The site of 50 Sussex Drive used to house the Canada & World Pavilion, a $5.7-million taxpayer-funded museum opened in 2001 by the National Capital Commission to draw tourists and showcase Canadian accomplishments. It featured, among other things, great sporting moments and Celine Dion's Grammy. Admission was free, but attendance was poor and the building closed four years later in 2005. It became a white elephant along this important stretch of road. The "NCC Watch" Web site dubbed it among Ottawa's "Tombstones of Waste." The Governor-General wants the site for the Chancellery of Honours, the office that looks after the Order of Canada and Bravery Awards, and for a public exhibit to focus on Canada's honours system and the Heraldry. The Ottawa Art Gallery, which houses a number of prominent Canadian works, is also vying for the space. The Australian High Commission is understood to have been interested and the NCC has acknowledged it has spoken informally to some embassies. A NCC spokesman said last week it has not reached a decision and is also looking elsewhere within the "federal family" to occupy the space, but did not provide a full list of those being considered. So, no change there, then. National Post: Ottawa address in diplomatic tug-of-war [13 Aug 2007] Bureaucracies pass buck before 'scum patrol' moves inWhile the NCC very specifically prohibits dogs from entering the water on its lands, if Rover dies, they don't want to know about it: Mrs. Lajeunesse was walking her labrador, Molly, along the canal near the Arboretum early Friday morning when she [...] saw a small black and white dog, possibly a Jack Russell, floating about one metre from the shoreline. That day, she made phone calls to the City of Ottawa, the National Capital Commission and the Ottawa Humane Society, but was told by all three that the canal wasn't their responsibility. "Everyone was very happy to try and pass me along to someone else," Mrs. Lajeunesse said. "That's the problem, that no one was willing to take the time to help. Nobody seemed to know what to do." The dog's body remained floating in the canal waters over the weekend. On Monday, Mrs. Lajeunesse said she was told by someone at the NCC that the situation would be taken care of. "He assured me that they had a contract with whoever goes out there to clean these things up. He told me his name was 'Phillip' ... and said 'Don't worry, Mrs. Lajeunesse.' " But when she returned to the canal on Tuesday morning, she was shocked to see the dog's body was still there. "I was so angry. This thing was rotting in the canal. Imagine the smell, imagine people walking around with young children, imagine how they feel, especially dog owners who just think it's appalling," she said. Incensed, Mrs. Lajeunesse called the NCC again. To her surprise, she was told no one named 'Phillip' worked at the NCC call centre, and she should try Parks Canada instead. Turns out Parks Canada operates a scum patrol in the summer for just this eventuality; the NCC assumes command of the canal in the winter. Citizen: Woman upset dog's body left to rot in canal [2 Aug 2007] Amateur-hour on the FlatsCitizen writer/blogger Greg Reevely decided to check out the NCC's grand opening of its new plaza on the flats, and finds the NCC is as tiresome as ever: Staffers wandered through the crowd chatting and with walkie-talkies squawking during the performance. The food-and-drink tent was grossly understaffed, with a constant line about 40 people deep just to buy a cup of coffee, served from a single urn. Two poor teenagers laboured away trying to serve everyone while two other staffers trundled fresh coffee in from somewhere inside the War Museum (on a trolley that couldn't make it through the specially-chosen turf) and ferried empty urns back in as fast as they could. When the single available urn ran dry before the next came out, the young lady who was running the cash as efficiently as she possibly could have began to look utterly shell-shocked and mouthed an extremely bad word. Total amateur-hour stuff. This is the kind of thing the NCC is supposed to be competent at, but they ought to be extremely embarrassed... ... and maybe they would be, if they had any shame. Instead, they had NCC commercial after NCC commercial lauding the attractions of Canada's Capital Region, playing at high volume on the high-powered screens that showed the performance to people too far away from the stage to see the real thing. The performance was scheduled to start at 8:30, but actually that's when they started 45 minutes of self-congratulatory speeches from ... well, I was standing in the coffee line so I didn't catch them all, but they included NCC chairman Russell Mills and president Micheline Dubé, Governor General Michaelle Jean, and the evening's strangely hyper emcee whose name escapes, but who went on at such excruciating length about the magic of the evening that eventually the crowd of operagoers tried to applaud him down. Then they played O Canada, and then he came back and started talking again, and people actually began to laugh. At intermission, another round of godawful NCC commercials, and then the emcee conducted an incomprehensible interview with Canadian Opera Company conductor Richard Bradshaw (half of which was in French, though Bradshaw doesn't appear to speak it) and soprano Isabel Bayrakdarian, who was the only one of the three who knew how to use a microphone. [...]The NCC's creepy brand of cultural paternalism makes even the good and ambitious festivals and shows it supports seem infantile, and that's definitely not good for Ottawa's civic pride. Citizen: Patronizing the patrons [30 Jun 2007] NCC to spend $175,000 surveying its domainFrom the Citizen (link): The National Capital Commission is launching a major $175,000 study of federal land holdings in the nation's capital, including such landmarks as the Central Experimental Farm and Leamy Lake Park, to determine how they fit into the continuing development and evolution of the capital. [...] The project is expected to begin next month and take a year to complete. In the past, much smaller studies have been engulfed in controversy because some residents saw them as an attempt to identify surplus land for sale. But Francois Lapointe, the NCC's director of planning, says this has nothing to do with land development. He says the properties in question are so fragmented that a comprehensive study is needed to establish a broader vision for them. [...]"This study will identify what we are going to do with the lands. They are public lands and it is not our intention to develop housing or anything like that. Public access is critical and that is something we will preserve and enhance." Mr. Lapointe says in all cases, the NCC will pay particular attention to how to "animate" these properties. As an example, he points to the Ritz on the Canal restaurant, which he says has enhanced the Rideau Canal; consideration has to be given to whether something similar is appropriate for other areas. He also cites Wesboro beach, which has added to the enjoyment of the Western Parkway, and says there may be room for further improvements. Mr. Lapointe wondered, for instance, whether the scenic drive on the parkways could be enhanced by the addition of selected services that would allow people to stop for coffee or a cold drink. "These are the things we are looking at. The capital has been around over 100 years and things change." Having spent the last 100 years expropriating every inch of shoreline, apparently to ensure that precisely nothing ever will change, the NCC's focus on animating its well manicured and empty waterfront properties seems rather odd. And how's that for an example of the worst thing that could possibly happen - housing. Next thing you know, condos, shops, places to go - the horror of it all. Still, Mr Lapointe's caution is warranted. Having also spent the last 100 years selling themselves as environmental stewards, safeguarding symbolically meaningful national interest land masses, they can hardly be surprised when the public objects to any plan to develop some scrap of land that's suddenly no longer symbolically meaningful or interesting. Good luck with the survey, guys. Citizen: NCC tags $175,000 for land survey [19 Jun 2007] Transit plan proposes turning Union Station into a transit hubMayor Larry's transit task force has released its transit plan, and what do you know, they propose turning Union Station into a hub for a new rail transit network. Of course, it was a major transit hub until the NCC started its good work back in the 50s, first proposing to demolish it, then letting it fall into disrepair and allowing public works to essentially vandalize the interior. So that's 30 years down the drain and one more repudiation of the NCC's planning then. CBC: Region-wide LRT plan unveiled by task force [6 June 2007] The NCC's bright, shining momentOver at the Citizen, city editorial page editor Ken Gray is optimistic about the Mills appointment (link, expires 30 days): To name one of the chief critics of the Crown agency, through his newspaper days, to run it speaks volumes. His appointment is a stroke of political genius by Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon, no doubt aided by Environment Minister John Baird, the political minister for Ottawa. The best way to defuse your critics is to appoint one to the top job. It is a rare bit of political insight on the Conservative government's horrid local file, but you take your genius where you can get it. The fly in the ointment is just how much power Mr. Mills will have. For at the new NCC, there will also be a chief executive officer. Will that person be the straw that stirs the drink. [...]Recently, Mr. Cannon, who is responsible for the NCC, said he is impressed with the open processes at Ottawa City Hall (too bad the city is becoming more secretive). That might be the tip that the mandate review's position on openness would be adopted in future reform. Let's hope so. This public process would build trust if handled well. No doubt, old-time NCC administrators would strive to keep the process secret, as has been their wont. That's where Mr. Mills would come in with his well-honed journalist's instincts. He should question, as he certainly will, NCC staff attempts to keep information private. Withholding information should be the exception rather than the norm. Beyond this, Mr. Mills must establish what the role of the NCC is in the capital. Prior to municipal amalgamation on both sides of the provincial border, the NCC needed to be an overseer of the national interest in the face of the conflicting positions from myriad cities. Now with amalgamation, two formidable municipalities have been created, often with expertise, particularly in planning, that far exceeds that of the NCC. In terms of consultation, implementation and creating area-wide blueprints such as the official plans, the cities have not only grown up, they have left the NCC in their dust. The Crown corporation has become a ponderous, bureaucratic body that dallied for years over impractical schemes for such sites as the city core, the Daly site and LeBreton Flats. The review panel would like to see a reinvigorated planning and heritage function for the NCC. But the experience of the past decade and more show that the Crown corporation is out of touch with modern planning principles and basic efficiencies. Rather than being the leader in planning in the community, perhaps the NCC would do well to try to mediate solutions to cross-border transportation problems between governments and become an adjunct to the vastly superior municipal planning process. Perhaps the Crown corporation should approach municipalities with its projects in such a way that they build better cities rather than just being one-off grandiose projects. Mr. Mills enters the NCC with an enormous task in front of him at a critical time. Never has the Crown corporation's stock been so low. He must build an organization that is open and that residents can trust. As well, the new chairman must revolutionize from within so that it produces projects that result in improved cities. In that way, it can be a force to create a better capital to benefit all Canadians. The NCC must think local to produce a stronger Ottawa-Gatineau that will be an inspiration to the rest of the country, not only culturally but from an urban-planning perspective. Mr. Mills's appointment is an enormous opportunity to create an invigorated, useful, trustworthy NCC. It should not be lost. Citizen: The NCC's bright, shining moment [11 May 2007] Governor General to annex Canada and the World PavilionAccording to the Ottawa Citizen, the Governor General wants the NCC's failed Pavilion on Sussex for offices. Well, who wouldn't? With some sweet views of the river and Rideau Falls, the pavilion would make a nice quiet spot for more of the federal bureaucracy. Problem 1, the building was designed as a museum and refitting it for offices would require further expensive modifications to the $6 million-and-counting white elephant on the falls. The Ottawa Art Gallery, whose extensive Canadian collection is currently housed in the inadequate Arts Court building on Daly Avenue, had been lobbying the NCC to get its collection into the pavilion, but, unbeknownst to anyone, the Guv'nor made a request for the space as far back as April 2, so the fix has been in for some time. Kinda explains why the Guv'nor never responded to the OAG's request for support. From the Citizen: Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean wants to take over the former Canada and the World Pavilion at 50 Sussex Dr., a $5.7-million building beside the historic Rideau Falls with stunning views of the Ottawa River. The Citizen's story and editorial this week on the fate of the site -- how the Ottawa Art Gallery wants the building but fears a deal has been struck to put Rideau Hall staff there -- prompted a letter from Rideau Hall yesterday, confirming that the Governor General's office wants the space. Sheila-Marie Cook, secretary to the Governor General, says the pavilion -- with its high visibility, prestige and abundant exhibition space -- would be an ideal place for the Governor General's Chancellery of Honours. The building became vacant in 2005 when the National Capital Commission, which had used it as a small museum showcasing Canadian accomplishments, closed it to save money. But John Baird, the senior political cabinet minister for the capital region, yesterday said he thinks it's a terrible idea. "A prime piece of property like that, it just seems silly. I don't support it. It's on the ceremonial route. Putting the Governor General's staff there is ridiculous," said Mr. Baird, in a meeting with the Citizen's editorial board. "It shouldn't be used for that purpose. Surely to goodness there's a better use for that prime real estate." Mr. Baird, the MP for Ottawa West-Nepean, said he's open to the idea of putting Ottawa Art Gallery works on display and therefore keeping it all public space, but that he doesn't have enough information about the proposal to endorse the idea. If picked up by the Governor General, the space would accommodate about 35 staff members, including researchers, artists and the staff who process nominations for honours. [Acting NCC CEO] Ms. Dube said yesterday that she received notice on April 2 that Rideau Hall wanted the property, but could not disclose to the gallery group, or the public, the nature of the proposal. She said the project was first raised in a letter from Ms. Jean to Prime Minister Stephen Harper, who passed the matter to Public Works to handle. Ms. Dube said it was not her place to be announcing a project of the Governor General. She added that the NCC has received a request from Public Works for a licence of occupation of the pavilion so that the Governor General's staff can begin using the space by July 1. Journalist Sarah Jennings, who has supported the Ottawa Art Gallery in its push for the federal building, said it's important that this place be kept for public, cultural space, given that historic Sussex Drive has been swamped with high security offices and embassies in the last decade. She has hope that the gallery idea might still fly, if the public rallies behind it and the government backs away from spending money fitting up the building for the Chancellery of Honours. "There's no Ottawa on Ottawa's Mile of History and this is the ideal solution," she said. "It's absolutely wrong to put this iconic site into office space for bureaucrats." To support the Ottawa Art Gallery's campaign, sign their petition. Citizen: World pavilion's future: art gallery or offices (expires 30 days) [3 May 2007] Russell Mills roundupLawrence Cannon made Russell Mills' appointment as chair of the NCC official at a little ceremony today, taking the opportunity to appoint some chap called Jason Sordi to the board at the same time. According to the Transport Canada news release, Sordi is a "senior account manager, commercial financial services, for RBC Financial Group. He has also worked as an event planner, regional project manager and representative for the Canadian Unity Council" - whoever they are. At the press gathering, Mills declared his commitment to greater transparency at the tired organization. From the CBC: Mills said he will focus on a recommendation by an external review panel to bring more accountability and openness to the agency that manages federal properties in the Ottawa-Gatineau region, which has often been criticized for its secrecy. "I believe that transparency is the greatest promoter of accountability in public institutions," Mills said. He told reporters that he fought for public openness during his own 35 years as a journalist. "The fact that the government chose someone like me to be the chair is a pretty strong signal that that's what they want, too." Several more local grandees have also had the opportunity to weigh in on the appointment, with largely positive comments. From the Citizen: Jim Watson, a former mayor of Ottawa and current Ontario cabinet minister, who has been one of the NCC's toughest critics, said putting Mr. Mills in charge of the board spells the end of the Beaudry-era closed meetings. "It's a great appointment. His appointment sends a pretty clear signal that the government expects the NCC to be much more open," said Mr. Watson. "Russ is well known for being a great advocate of openness and transparency. I'm very optimistic about the future of the NCC under his guidance. "It's an appointment that will be well received by us who have been fighting to make sure the NCC is more accountable, more open, and really more a part of the community," said Mr. Watson. "He's a true community advocate and that's the kind of person that you like to see in an organization like the NCC." "It's an excellent appointment," said Jacquelin Holzman, a former mayor of Ottawa. She hopes Mr. Mills will lead a revival of pride in the capital. She said Ottawa should be as revered by Canadians as Washington is by Americans, but that's not the case and it needs to be turned around. Ms. Holzman said Mr. Mills' experience with a wide number of boards in the corporate and charitable sectors means he understands that the board of directors gives overall direction, rather than micromanaging the organization. Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar, one of the most knowledgeable critics on the NCC, said the appointment of Mr. Mills is "an interesting choice" for the government, and he views Mr. Mills as "a decent person." He says "any change, to some respect, is welcome." Randall Denley, meanwhile, notes that the CEO position will likely be far more important than the chair, which is after all a part-time position. From the Citizen: The former Citizen publisher has always been a champion of openness at the NCC, and so his selection sends a positive message about the direction of the organization. The problem is, the new chairman won't be running the organization day to day, and his role might be more ceremonial than consequential. In every organization, someone has to lead and it's not likely to be a part-time board chairman. Given his stance in the past, Mills certainly has to open the organization's board meetings, but the NCC's secretiveness is just a small part of its problem. Despite a recent mandate review, it's far from clear what value the NCC really adds. Finding a useful role is the real challenge for the new chairman and the yet-to-be-appointed CEO who will actually run the NCC. The board meets only four or five times a year, essentially rubber-stamping the work of the bureaucracy. The public ought to expect more, and one value of opening the meetings might be to show us if the board members are making a real contribution or are just in town for the free lunch. The NCC could gain more ground on openness by releasing every possible document -- not making people chase them under access-to-information rules, then treating the contents of the reports like state secrets. What the NCC really needs is a visionary with a tremendous grasp of urban planning, but there is nothing in Mills' past to indicate he's that sort of person. In choosing Mills, the government has at least recognized that the board chairman needs to know this community, not just be the "person of significant national stature" envisioned by the group that reviewed the NCC mandate. NCC critics would have been happy if the federal government had shut the organization down, but the truth is, the federal government likes the NCC because it gives it a tool to do as it pleases in Ottawa. For that reason, the NCC is not going away any time soon. At least in Russ Mills, we have an NCC chairman who won't confuse his role with that of a divine right king. Transport Canada release: Appointments to National Capital Commission [3 May 2007] New NCC chairman appointedRussel Mills, a former publisher of the Citizen, will be appointed the new chairman of the NCC. The official announcement will take place tomorrow (Thursday, May 3) at 12:45 p.m. at the Capital Infocentre. The appointment is for five years. This follows the recent appointment of three new board members and the splitting of the CEO and Chairman at the NCC into two separate positions. According to the Citizen, "Mr. Mills had a long newspaper career that began as a reporter with the London Free Press and included several executive positions with the Southam Newspaper Group. He is dean of the Faculty of Arts, Media and Design at Algonquin College." He is perhaps most notorious for being sacked from the Citizen by the Aspers back in 2002. Ottawa Centre MP Paul Dewar, meanwhile, is critical of the appointment process. From the Ottawa Sun: "My problem (with the appointment) is the process," said Ottawa Centre NDP MP Paul Dewar. "They don't seem to have a comprehensive idea of what the NCC should be and I'm extremely critical of the fact they haven't brought in the Public Appointments Commission." Without the appointments commission involved, Dewar says the public has no way of knowing the expertise or number of applicants for the top job. "It (the appointment process) should have been done in a more public way and had an oversight so we would have seen the candidates and their resumes and seen the best person for the job," he said. Contrasted with Ex-Chairman Beaudry, Mills should at the very least bring a fresh outsider's perspective to the job, being neither a former developer or politician, and, as a former ink-stained wretch at the Citizen, a little less mistrust of the press and a more relaxed attitude to open board meetings. NCC Watch wishes Mr. Mills full enjoyment of his new sinecure. Next up, a new CEO. CBC: Former Ottawa newspaper publisher to become NCC chair [2 May 2007] NCC planners not demigodsELgiN StreEt iRReguLars visits Confederation Park and notes how, despite the NCC's fancy park redesign, people still like to walk in straight lines: What the NCC's control freaks did next, rather than admit its planners are less than demigods, was plant a buncha unsightly shrubs across either end of this straight line, to try to passively force people back onto the sidewalk. Didn't work. Bipeds continued to wear a long, straight path through the shrubs, across the grass. Imagine that. Since that proved unsatisfactory, the NCC planted even more unsightly snow fences in the middle of the two shrub beds to make 'em harder to traverse. From my lurking lair I still see people stomp down snow fences on occasion. Imagine that. One of the smartest park planners I ever ran across had no fancy planning degree, but a lotta horse sense. Entrusted with a big new park, he seeded it to grass, and left it that way for a summer. In fall, he looked at where walkers had worn the heaviest paths in the grass, and had all his sidewalks put right there, along the lines that people were walking anyway. The NCC's bike paths are the same way - never a straight line to where you want to go. [Via OttawaStart Blog] Elgin Street IrreguLars: If dogs run free... [24 Apr 2007] Watching another NCC blunder take shape on the FlatsCity Journal columnist Mark Bourrie reflects on the NCC's plans for LeBreton Flats: I'm all for putting rich people in grotesque buildings and over-charging them. However, that should be left to the private sector, especially the hotel industry. The Daly site was special, and it ended up being used in a way that benefited the NCC (which still holds the lease to the property), the developer, and the tenants. The rest of us were welcome to drop by and enjoy the shucking. And that's what I suspect is brewing on LeBreton Flats. The "model home" near the war museum is ugly. The streetscape on the NCC's billboard facing Scott Street is cold, sterile, unpleasant, and unhappy-looking. And it shows the scene in the summer, when people are supposed to be having fun. My bet: people had more fun on the flats in the 1980s and 1990s, when they were used as unofficial parkland. The festivals that used the property, the temporary Cirque de Soliel, the crowds that turned out to watch Canada Day fireworks, the campers, the happy dog walkers - they'll all go the way of the original flats. And what will they be replaced with? Something that will put money in the NCC's account, but will short-change the rest of us. City Journal: Watching another NCC blunder take shape on the Flats [12 Apr 2007] NCC meeting cost estimates "ludicrous"Jim Watson, quoted in today's Citizen editorial, slams the NCC's meeting cost estimates as "ludicrous": So does the NCC embrace this new philosophy [of openness] and the community? Hardly, according to briefing papers by commission staff obtained under access-to-information law. Instead, the NCC produces arguments about how difficult it will be to bring openness to the organization. The notes say that contracts, Treasury Board submissions, third-party information, cabinet instructions, security and compensation will have to be held in camera. Furthermore, the corporation maintains it will cost $23,000 a meeting, held four times a year, to bring the public to the board. Ontario Health Promotion Minister Jim Watson, a long-time NCC critic, calls those costs "ludicrous." He says there would be some costs for advertising (that could point to a website) and some translation costs, but that the figure was way too high. Instead, the notes sound like a counterattack against openness. If the corporation's officers refuse to adopt a spirit of real public access, the yet-to-be-appointed new chairman should turf them out. Citizen: The NCC's tired old song [6 Apr 2007] NCC refuses to repair historic chapelThe historic Capucin Chapel on Meech Lake in Gatineau Park, built in 1956 by an order of Capucin monks, is in need of repair. But despite owning the building, the NCC insists that the tenants must repair the building. From the Citizen: The monks sold the chapel to the National Capital Commission for $50,000 during the 1970s and are now only tenants. The deal leaves the building in a kind of limbo. NCC spokeswoman Lucie Caron said any repairs are the responsibility of the tenants. Brother Armand Soubliere, 74, a Capucin monk who worked 28 years as a missionary in Chad before returning to Ottawa, said the cloistered order doesn't own the chapel and shouldn't have to pay for the repairs. Brother Armand said the monks may make an appeal to Meech Lake residents for help if the NCC doesn't repair the chapel. "A farmer gave us the land and the first chapel there was built in about 1910," Brother Armand said. "There used to be at least 30 or 40 seminarians who went there during the summer. "The only thing that belongs to us there now is the wooden statue of St. Anthony. I don't know how much it would cost to repair the outside beams that support the roof. Dominique Larocque has asked the NCC on our behalf to repair the building before it falls down." Brother Armand says the brothers spend at least $300 a year to paint and replace rotten wood. He said while they haven't asked the NCC for anything, it would be good if the commission did the repairs. Citizen: The fight to save Meech Lake's hidden chapel in the woods [6 Apr 2007] NCC claims opening meetings costs too muchBriefing papers prepared by NCC staff, obtained by access to information researcher Ken Rubin, claim that opening NCC board meetings to the public will cost $23,000 per meeting and still leave the public bitter and frustrated (no doubt -- ed.). From the Citizen: In an interview Thursday, NCC spokeswoman Lucie Caron said that translation and meeting room costs would also be included in the estimate provided. Ms. Caron said the estimate was a ballpark figure and she didn't have a detailed breakdown of the different costs. The commission also argues in the internal report on the issue that the public might be frustrated by the large number of confidential items at board meetings. The commission says that in the previous year, only about three of the 20 items before the board of directors would have been aired in public. The commission argues that Treasury Board submissions, contracts, third-party information, cabinet confidences, security and compensation matters, as well as performance evaluations, are all confidential matters that would be held in camera, regardless. [...] The federal government held a review of the NCC last year, led by professor Gilles Paquet, who concluded there is "a culture of secrecy" at the commission and it needs "a cultural revolution." The panel, which reported on time and under budget, found that there have been "a series of flawed initiatives and public relations problems," and that it is increasingly viewed with suspicion because of recent sales of land for development to balance the books. The panel concluded that two ways to improve the public's regard for the commission are to give it more money so it can pay the bills without selling land, and to improve corporate sensitivity and communications by having advisory committees held in public with full public input. The four meetings of the NCC's board each year should be held in public, with members of the public able to observe, but not comment on the proceedings, the panel said. The minister responsible for the NCC, Transport Minister and Pontiac MP Lawrence Cannon, called the panel report "a refreshing direction" and "a good initiative," noting that lack of transparency at the NCC had been "an irritant for many years." A first response of the government came last week in the federal budget when the NCC got an additional $30 million over two years. Ms. Caron said Thursday that the NCC is awaiting the government's directions in response to the mandate review. "We're open to having open meetings," said Ms. Caron. Former mayor Jim Watson also points out that the NAC opened its meetings and somehow, they coped: MPP Jim Watson, who urged the NCC to open its meetings and is one of the former NAC board members who pushed for the NAC's openness policy, said the NAC experience showed that predicted "chaos and anarchy" never happened. [...] Mr. Watson said the NCC's current annual meeting held in public is little more than a "dog and pony show," and "a chance for the NCC to boast and brag." He said the NCC has thrown out many arguments over the years to keep the board doors closed. But he argues the commission is really something close to a municipal government, with planning issues that are best dealt with in public. "They're looking for any feeble excuse not to shine the light on their activities," he said. But he said the commission will find out that, if it does open meetings, "the sky doesn't fall down." Citizen: Open NCC meetings to be costly, agency says [29 Mar 2007] NCC needs another $2.5 millionMeanwhile, the NCC has come out in favour of a bill before the Senate that would define Gatineau Park's boundaries. They also want another $2.5 million. From the Citizen: The independent senator [Mira Spivak] wants Parliament to have control over the park's boundaries to protect it for future generations. Records show that between 1960 and 1997, the park lost 48 properties, covering 610 hectares, through sale or transfer. The park covers about 36,000 hectares. The NCC owns or controls 98 per cent of the park, while 855 hectares, or two per cent, is privately owned. Mrs. Spivak's private member's bill would give the NCC the right of first refusal when private land in the park is for sale. [NCC COO] Ms. Dubé told the Senate committee the commission's policy is to offer fair market value for private land, but the commission can expropriate property if there is a risk that it could be subdivided for development. Ms. Dubé said the NCC knows about people on ATVs damaging the western part of the park and has asked neighbouring property owners to report any violations. "We need more conservation officers to ensure that people respect the park regulations," Ms. Dubé said. "More money would allow us be more vigilant and have more conservation officers. "We would be able to better mark the park boundaries. We hope to be able to have signage around the entire perimeter by the end of the summer so people know when they are entering the park." The NCC plans to nail more signs to trees by this summer to mark the park boundaries. Ms. Dubé said the NCC should have clearly communicated the 1997 boundaries to the public to avoid the misconception that it was selling off land in the park to pay its bills. She said the commission has disposed of some of its properties to buy other land or finance capital projects, but it has increased the overall size of Gatineau Park by 700 hectares since the 1990s. Citizen: NCC wants more money to protect its space [29 Mar 2007] NCC gets $30 millionBuried in the orgy of spending in budget 2007 is $30 million for the NCC. From the Citizen: When the government set up a panel to review the mandate of the NCC, one of the biggest criticisms presented was that the commission had turned from a protector of heritage and greenspace in the capital, into more of a developer-type force in the community. The panel, led by University of Ottawa professor Gilles Paquet, urged the government to boost funding by as much as $25 million per year. The budget infusion, if approved by Parliament, will add $5 million to the operating budget in each of the next two years. This will bring the operating budget to about $79 million, a figure that includes payments in lieu of property taxes to other governments. On the capital budget side, the commission will get an additional $10 million a year for the next two years, bringing the capital budget to about $26 million a year. Operating budgets cover day-to-day costs, while capital budgets cover expenses such as buildings and equipment. The commission has seen some additional funds in the last decade but they were always tied to specific projects, such as the cleanup of LeBreton Flats. The extra money means the NCC won't have to generate funds through land sales to keep operating, said Ms. Caron. But she said, in accordance with Treasury Board guidelines, the commission might still sell property that's judged to be not "national interest" lands. While it's too early to say what the immediate impact of the money will be, Ms. Caron said it will speed up the commission's work such as preserving cultural landmarks, building and maintaining roads and pathways. Actually, we know exactly what the immediate impact will be - the NCC will have even more freedom to do what they do best: screw up at our expense, with little accountability or oversight. Citizen: NCC get $30 million from budget [29 Mar 2007] Cancel that meetingThe NCC has wisely cancelled their "Interest Group Meeting," pending the announcement of a new Chair and CEO. NCC: Meeting with Interest Groups and the Public - 2007 Edition New board members reduxOver at the Citizen, Ken Gray provides a bit of background on the new appointments: Over at the National Capital Commission, it's business as usual. The board of the Crown corporation recently got four new members. The four, announced by the office of Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon, have interesting pedigrees. As always, there are out-of-towners and patronage appointments. Daniel J. MacLeod is a New Glasgow, N.S., town councillor and has an interesting connection to Ottawa. He will be able to visit his daughter more often here because she is Lisa MacLeod, the Progressive Conservative MPP for Nepean-Carleton. His term is for three years. Joining Mr. MacLeod is Eric D. MacKenzie, who was a Tory MLA in New Brunswick. Mr. MacKenzie was also a teacher in New Brunswick for 36 years. He also has a three-year term. Political patronage at the NCC is nothing new -- the Liberals did it, now the Tories are doing it. But what is disconcerting is that, in light of a review panel ordered by the Tories into reforming the archaic institution, the same old stuff is unfolding at the Crown corporation. Mr. MacKenzie and Mr. MacLeod are no doubt nice, well-meaning people, but what do people from the Maritimes know about Ottawa-area issues? How many people in New Glasgow and Fredericton even know what the NCC is? Will these two men know anything about the history behind the Federal Court decision on the Champlain Bridge? Will they understand how many times the heritage Britannia area (the most convenient, low-cost spot for an interprovincial bridge) has been wrongly threatened by a span across the Ottawa River? Have they any idea how important it is to get dangerous heavy trucks out of downtown? Board members chosen from outside the region simply don't understand the big issues, let alone the nuances, of the national capital. We hold out more hope for Robert Tennant, an Ottawa resident who is a registered professional planner and a member of the Canadian Institute of Planners. This is the kind of person who theoretically should bring some knowledge of how modern cities should be developed. His term is three years. The final appointment was Helene Grand-Maitre of Gatineau who is the vice-provost of l'Universite du Quebec en Outaouais. Her term is for four years. Cannon spokeswoman Natalie Sarafin said his office is studying the review panel's recommendations and any changes that would be needed to the NCC Act to facilitate those changes. The office will make an announcement when a decision is made, Ms. Sarafin said. Translation: Given some of the appointments plus Ms. Sarafin's statement, it sounds very much like changing the NCC is not high on Mr. Cannon's agenda. Citizen: May ponders battle with Baird [17 Mar 2007] New board members appointedLawrence Cannon announced some new appointments to the board of directors of the National Capital Commission. NCC Watch wishes Ms. Hélène Grand-Maître, Mr. Eric D. MacKenzie, Mr. Daniel J. MacLeod and Mr. Robert Tennant full enjoyment of their new sinecures. Transport Canada: Appointments to NCC announced [7 Mar 2007] Keep Sussex pavilion public, group tells NCCThe New Edinburgh Community Alliance is adding its support to the campaign to have the Canada and the World Pavilion made into the new home of the Ottawa Art Gallery. From the Citizen: Gemma Kerr, president of the alliance, says allowing another embassy or federal office building will make Sussex Drive even more of a street that's dominated by high-security buildings, shut off from public access. "It's goodbye to free public access," if either an embassy takes over the building, or a federal agency or department moves in, said Ms. Kerr in an interview. "I do not want to see our ceremonial way become just a line of embassies." Without public access, Sussex Drive will lose its historic function as a ceremonial route, she said. [...]The NCC says it will preserve public access to Rideau Falls in whatever deal is struck and it will carefully consider proposals to renovate or add on to the building. The community is highly skeptical that public access would be maintained, given what has happened over the last quarter century along Sussex. The street, famously known for the prime minister's residence and Rideau Hall, residence of the Governor General, is part of Confederation Boulevard, dubbed Ottawa's "mile of history" by former NCC chairwoman Jean Pigott. But the street has become the "mile of security" in recent years. The NCC gave the green light to build the United States Embassy after a proposal to build it on Mile Circle at Rockcliffe created a community uproar there in the 1980s. The NCC also allowed the governments of Kuwait and Saudi Arabia to build well-secured embassies on Sussex. The Aga Khan is taking over the former Canadian war museum on Sussex and is making it the Global Centre for Pluralism. The federal government took over the former Ottawa city hall on Green Island. Rideau Hall was closed to the public for a short period when former governor general Jeanne Sauve closed the gates in the name of security in the 1980s. After a community uproar in New Edinburgh, the huge property was reopened to the public. "There's barely a property left that's not embassy. I'm not anti-embassy. I'm just trying to keep this mile of Canadian history," said Brian McGarry, the Conservative candidate in Ottawa Centre. "I'm trying to find a spot for it. There's really not much left." [...]Ms. Kerr isn't convinced the NCC, long criticized for its secretive operations, will give the Ottawa Art Gallery a fair hearing. She says the commission's deliberations on this matter are not taking place in the open. "We're seeing same old, same old," said Ms. Kerr. [...]Mr. McGarry said he'd like to see the NCC conduct a public discussion about possible uses of the pavilion. Time to test the NCC's newly declared interest in "Openness and communication with the public" and "Increased representation of Canada and Canadians in the Capital." Citizen: Keep Sussex pavilion public, group tells NCC [4 Mar 2007] NCC interest group meetingWhile nothing's been heard from the government since the NCC Mandate Review Panel submitted its report last year, the NCC is suddenly interested in "Openness and communication with the public; Increased representation of Canada and Canadians in the Capital; and Use of new technologies to better communicate the Capital to Canadians." These topics will apparently be the focus of their occasional meeting with interest groups, this year to be held Wednesday, May 2, 2007, 6 pm at the Best Western Cartier Hotel, 131 Laurier Street in Gatineau. To be able to present your suggestions, you have to register and submit a written brief no later than Friday, March 23, 2007. NCC: Meeting with Interest Groups and the Public - 2007 Edition Feds split Chair and Chief Executive Officer functionsThe government has followed through on its promise to split the Chair and CEO functions at the NCC. The minor reform is intended to make the NCC a little less of a one-man show compared to the now mercifully ended Beaudry era. The measure comes into force on April 1, 2007. Treasury Board: Chair and CEO functions separated in three Crown corporations [28 Feb 2007] Federal candidate declares support for Ottawa Art Gallery proposalMore support for the campaign to have the Canada and the World Pavilion made into the new home of the Ottawa Art Gallery, this time from the new Conservative candidate in Ottawa Centre. From the Citizen: Mr. McGarry, selected as the Conservative candidate in Ottawa Centre last Wednesday, said Monday Sussex Drive is supposed to be the national capital's |
