Let's save what we can of Experimental Farm
Ottawa residents who are worried about the future of the Central Experimental Farm once the new Civic hospital campus is built may take comfort in Yasir Naqvi's call for legal protection for the city landmark.
The location of the $2.8-billion hospital on the Experimental Farm near Dow's Lake has been met with considerable opposition from many, whose main fear is that the project would open the door to further development. Once its sanctity is breached, it won't be long before the Experimental Farm as we know it is gone, they argue. They are not entirely wrong.
But Liberal candidate Yasir Naqvi's promise to legislate protection of the farm could be what's needed. His plan drew a rebuke from NDP candidate Angella MacEwen, who pointed out that Naqvi was the riding's MPP when the current site was chosen, and he supported that choice. He can't now pretend to be its saviour. MacEwen believes it's not a foregone conclusion that the hospital will be built at the Farm.
Naqvi indeed supported the current site, but the time to litigate the location is long gone. What's important is to not lose sight of the larger point Naqvi is making. “What I am hearing is the concern that this may be the beginning of further development of the Central Experimental Farm, and what I want to do is legislate to protect it forever,” he says.
With 21 hectares chopped off for the new campus, it's not hard to imagine, in the near or distant future, someone asking for a piece of land here or there for some complementary project. Besides, hospitals expand, and it is not inconceivable that The Ottawa Hospital itself may someday seek more land for expansion. And it's not hard to imagine a future government bending to something of civic importance. Once that happens, the fear is that the Experimental Farm will face death by 1,000 cuts. Will this happen? Probably not in the immediate future. But there is no guarantee. That's why legal protection from further development is critical.
For years, many in the city have demanded such protection, to no avail. If someone can lead such a fight in Parliament, it is worth supporting. This should be the commitment of whoever emerges the winner in Ottawa Centre.
The reality is that the new Civic hospital campus is going to be built at the Experimental Farm. The best we can do for it is legislated protection.
Those who oppose the current location tend to forget that when former Conservative cabinet minister John Baird handed over a portion of the Experimental Farm across from the Civic, many objected. The argument then, as now, is the same: The Experimental Farm is sacrosanct, you can't build on it. The National Capital Commission's offer of Tunney's Pasture also faced public disapproval. The Ottawa Hospital board not only rejected the location because of higher building costs; others in the city also objected.
The truth is, there is no location in Ottawa — all 2,790 square kilometres of it — that can be chosen for the Civic without one group or another objecting. There is no site that would gain universal acceptance. That is the nature of Ottawa, so let's get on with building a 21st-century hospital the city needs.
The parking garage is a different proposition, and the community can't be faulted for its opposition. Residents around the hospital want an underground garage to preserve parkland, and that clearly is the best option. Except for the small matter of the $150 million to $200 million it would cost. Unless someone can come up with the money, it's a futile debate to have.
We've waited too long for this new hospital to be talking about relocation now. Right or wrong, the Experimental Farm is it. There is no turning back. What we can do as a city is make sure the Civic campus is the last development project to ever adorn the Experimental Farm.