Public consultations for possible Ottawa Hospital sites begin Sept. 22

The National Capital Commission will unveil possible sites for a new Civic hospital at its public board meeting on Sept. 12. Ten days later, members of the public can have their say about where the hospital should go.

The NCC says public consultations on The Ottawa Hospital Civic campus site review will begin at the Canadian War Museum on Sept. 22 with an open house and question and answer session. The NCC will also launch an online consultation survey on the hospital site.

The federal government asked the NCC to review possible federal sites for a new Civic hospital. The NCC has assembled a committee to oversee the review and has been meeting with groups including Heritage Ottawa and Friends of the Farm.

Consultations are to be complete by November.

The NCC has appointed a joint subcommittee of its board of directors and advisory committee on planning, design and realty to “revalidate” The Ottawa Hospital’s requirements, develop site selection criteria, confirm a list of potential sites, compare each site and rank them.

Plans to replace the aging hospital with a new one on 60 acres of the Central Experimental Farm — announced by the Conservative government in 2014 — became the focus of controversy and concerns that proper research and consultation was not done.

The Ottawa Hospital began looking at three other sites earlier this year in response to growing concerns. Now, the NCC is expected to come up with a longer list of potential sites within the city.