Show of support
Tom Green draws an eclectic crowd to his picnic beside the Château Laurier
More than 300 people — politicians and protesters, architects and activists — descended on Major’s Hill Park Saturday evening to rub shoulders with Ottawa-born comedian Tom Green, who has suddenly become a central figure in the drive to save the Château Laurier from a disfiguring addition.
Green mixed with the crowd, introduced people to his parents, interviewed politicians and lamented the current fate of the historic hotel in whose shadow he often skateboarded.
“I love this part of the city,” Green told reporters. “I spent most of my years skateboarding through downtown. The thing I love about Ottawa is that it’s a comfortable city to live in; it’s a beautiful city, a safe city, a great place to grow up.”
Green said he often brought American friends to Major’s Hill Park to show them its views of Parliament Hill, the Ottawa River, the Rideau Canal and the Château Laurier. “They’re always completely blown away by it,” he said, adding: “You don’t want to mess with that. You can’t recreate that.”
Green said his informal picnic was meant to help people appreciate what they had while watching the sun set on a beautiful summer’s night.
After tweeting out a story about the Château’s proposed addition, he said, he was swamped with feedback on social media. Heritage Ottawa then invited him to attend a critical vote about the issue at city hall earlier this month.
At that meeting, city council decided to allow the owners of the Château to build a boxy, seven-storey addition.
“I just kind of progressively got more and more involved,” Green said. “I think it’s important that people in power — those responsible for this at the municipal, provincial and federal levels — I think it’s important for them to see how much people care about this. Look at all these people who came out on a Saturday night.”
Federal Environment Minister Catherine McKenna was among those to attend Green’s unconventional gathering. “I think you really see that people care about the Château Laurier and how it complements this area,” McKenna said. “I’m hopeful that we can do better.”
McKenna said she had reached out to Larco Investments, owners of building, and the National Capital Commission. “I think the path forward starts with people,” she said. “Larco has worked for a number of years in good faith to come up with a design: We’re just not there yet … I think we have an opportunity to get this to a better spot.”
Protester Sheri Frantz carried a sign, Save the Château, at the picnic. “I really hope it helps. This building is an amazing piece of architecture and history, and we’re going to lose this amazing view of it,” she said.
Tom D’Aquino, former chair of Business Council of Canada, came out to “see what we can do save this grand old lady from this absolutely monstrous addition. This respects no architectural principle whatsoever,” he said. “I just think it’s terribly ugly.”
Interviewed by Green, Sen. Jim Munson said the fate of the Château Laurier should become a federal election issue in October, and he called on Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to personally take charge of protecting the hotel’s heritage.
“This image, this picture of Ottawa reflects itself all across the country,” Munson said. “This park, this whole area, is the soul of the city.”