Where’s the review for new memorial?

Re: NCC ‘caved in’ on donor recognition, Feb. 13

Well, this story gets stranger and stranger. Why is the Memorial to the Victims of Communism and the private charity, A Tribute to Liberty, being given so much special treatment by the National Capital Commission and the federal government? Don Butler’s article in your Friday, Feb. 13 edition only scratches the surface. It also appears that the NCC caved when it agreed on the proposed site of the memorial, adjacent to the Supreme Court. Why do I say this? Well …

In June 2011, the NCC approved a location for the memorial in the Garden of the Provinces and Territories (south side of Wellington Street at Bay). This site was approved after two years of review, which included consultation with A Tribute to Liberty and federal stakeholders. Then, in March 2013, a letter was sent from Public Works and Government Services to the NCC, requesting that the memorial’s location be shifted to the land adjacent to the Supreme Court. Immediately following this, in April 2013, the NCC held a “visioning session” with various stakeholders to “articulate a common vision” for the memorial.

Wait a minute, what about that two years of review? Was any review conducted about the new site, next to the Supreme Court? It looks like the NCC “caved” on this as well. So, now, if this project does go ahead, everyone should consider that a walk down Wellington Street will look like this: Parliament East Block, Parliament Centre Block, Parliament West Block, Confederation Building, Justice Building, Supreme Court, Memorial to the Victims of Communism, Library and Archives Canada.

Quoting Sesame Street: “One of these things is not like the others. One of these things just doesn’t belong, Can you tell which thing is not like the others, by the time I finish my song?” Kayla Carman, Ottawa