Press Release
COP26 hypocrisy: PM asked to halt mass destruction of trees in his hometown
Ottawa, October 16, 2021
Reimagine Ottawa, Horizon Ottawa, and Ottawa’s Raging Grannies have asked Prime Minister Trudeau before he leaves for COP 26 – dragging a heavy pipeline behind him – to initiate a public inquiry into the federal government’s selection of 40 acres of land on the Central Experimental Farm, a National Heritage Site, as the location for the new Ottawa Hospital.
The choice means a huge loss of green space and some 600 mature trees when the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change clearly advises that trees are the single most effective response to climate change.
A six-month study commissioned by Heritage Canada and conducted by the National Capital Commission (NCC) recommended a site where tree loss would not have been a concern. The rejection of that recommendation freed up an estimated $3 billion for development at that site.
5,500 citizens have signed a ReImagine Ottawa petition calling for the Government of Canada to initiate an inquiry into how and why the initial recommendation was rejected and replaced with a parkland site. Formal requests for an investigation have also been filed with Ottawa’s Integrity Commissioner and the Ombudsman of Ontario.
From October 31 to November 12, our PM will lead Canada’s delegation to COP 26 in Glasgow, Scotland where world leaders will discuss the measures necessary to get climate change under control. His first responsibility should be to address climate change in his hometown.
BACKGROUND
The National Capital Commission evaluated 12 sites using 21 criteria with more than 7,000 citizens participating. It recommended Tunney’s Pasture, an aging federal office site on bedrock, zoned urban without any environmental constraints.
The Central Experimental Farm has been used as a city centre park for several lifetimes.
The NCC, a federal crown corporation charged with preservation and beautification of Canada’s capital, abandoned their recommendation of a site that in all apparent ways was superior. Ministers who first spoke in favour of the NCC-recommended site changed their minds.
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Reimagine Ottawa is a volunteer group of citizens working to free the city from developer-funded politics and planning. Our current issue is the location of the new Civic Hospital Campus and the lack of transparency surrounding its selection. Visit http://reimagineottawa.ca, https://www.facebook.com/reimagineottawa
Contact: Noel Lomer (613) 799 4257, Clive Doucet (613) 808-0019
Horizon Ottawa envisions a future where the municipal government protects the environment, expands public ownership of
infrastructure, and creates public spaces that are safe, inclusive and accepting of all of its residents. https://www.horizonottawa.ca
Ottawa Raging Grannies say what they think about peace, justice, equality, and politics, and they say it in satirical songs.
Contact: Bessa Whitmore 613-234-1547
Valerie Swinton for ReImagine Ottawa, Horizon Ottawa, Ottawa Raging Grannies