Investigate the Hospital Site Change From Tunney's Pasture to the Experimental Farm

Investigate the Hospital Site Change From Tunney's Pasture to the Experimental Farm

Started
July 3, 2021
Signatures: 10,016Next Goal: 15,000
Support now

Why this petition matters

Started by Reimagine Ottawa

Petitioning the Governments of Canada and Ontario to halt destruction of the Dow's Lake Section of the Central Experimental Farm, a National Historic Site and conduct a public inquiry.

The new site for the Civic Hospital was switched from Tunney's Pasture to the Experimental Farm.  The switch was done in 72 hours after private conversations between the Mayor and others without any sharing of the reasons.

The first choice for the new city centre hospital was the surplus federal office site, Tunney's Pasture.  Tunney's is just three kilometers north of the farm and is considered to have better road and transit access, be safer to develop, (not on a fault line) and doesn’t reduce the city’s heritage or green canopy.  The National Capital Commission performed a model public consultation and compared sites across 30 criteria, and selected Tunney's. 

Contrary to the N.C.C. selection, the Mayor announced that the Dow's Lake section of the Central Experimental Farm would be used.  But, it is central to a unique, heritage landscape, giving grace and beauty to the entire Dow's Lake area and the federal government has always been protective of it.

The selection of the Farm results in the loss of over 500 mature trees, part of the Ornamental Gardens and fifty-three acres of green space for a mega-hospital.  The site plans include a huge parking garage, several surface-level parking lots, and residential, commercial and office space in the Carling Village three-building complex, including a 20 storey building at Carling and Preston.

A recent study by the city’s own Ethics Commissioner reporting a serious conflict of interest between the city’s Planning Committee Chair and private developers has implications for the sudden decision to reject Tunney's.  The switch  to the Dow's Lake/Farm site frees up approximately $2.5 billion worth of local development potential at Tunney's.

We the undersigned, petition the governments of Canada and Ontario to require a halt to the destruction of the 41 acres of the Central Experimental Farm and 12 acres of the NCC parkland at Queen Juliana Park, until a federal/provincial inquiry has been undertaken to examine the reasons for the sudden, privately negotiated deal to change the new Civic Hospital site from Tunney's Pasture to the Dow's Lake section of the Central Experimental Farm.

Support now
Signatures: 10,016Next Goal: 15,000
Support now
Share this petition in person or use the QR code for your own material.Download QR Code

Decision Makers