On November 23, the NCC Board of Directors met to discuss recent and upcoming projects. Here are some of the highlights presented in my Report on Activities.

Monument to Tessouat

The monument to Chief Tessouat was unveiled on November 9 on NCC lands next to the Canadian Museum of History.  

LeBreton Flats

The NCC and RendezVous LeBreton Group have advanced formal negotiations regarding the group’s proposal for the Flats. The NCC continues its consultation process with indigenous groups. The NCC will continue to provide updates at public meetings of the Board of Directors as developments warrant.  

The Islands

The Kabeshinân Minitig (Victoria Island) Pavilion

The Algonquins of Pikwakanagan First Nation and Omàmiwinì Pimàdjwowin (The Algonquin Way Cultural Centre), in partnership with the NCC, are pleased to present the Kabeshinân Minitig Pavilion.

Thanks to the community of Pikwakanagan for hosting one of the Confederation Pavilions on Victoria Island this summer and fall. This rich display of Algonquin tradition, history, culture, and art, has animated the island and led to other meetings and gatherings on the island.

Flooding

Heavy rains in late October led to many roads, trails and pathways being heavily damaged, including properties in Gatineau Park and the Greenbelt. The NCC is currently assessing the damages and working with its engineers to address the critical problems.

Following the spring floods, the NCC is still unable to reopen the section of the Voyageur Trail between the Canadian Museum of History and the Portage Bridge. This will require the approval and cooperation of several different government authorities, as well as an environmental assessment and a more detailed design.

The pathway behind Parliament Hill was reopened ahead of schedule, on November 10.

In total, the extensive repairs required after the spring floods will cost $3.4 million and additional funding will be needed for immediate repairs following the most recent storm.  

Plan for Canada’s Capital 2017-2067

This fall I travelled to four Canadian capitals — Charlottetown, Quebec City, Toronto and Victoria — to discuss the Plan, which is the result of extensive collaboration with thousands of Canadians in recent years. In each capital, I presented an offering of tobacco, prepared by the NCC’s resident liaison officer, elder Rene Tenasco from the Kitigan Zibi community, to the indigenous leader of each community.

Turnout was good and I'm convinced that there is interest across the country in this collaborative effort to build Canada’s Capital. The NCC will maintain this engagement in implementing elements of the 50-year plan.

Environmental Strategy

The NCC is currently renewing its 2009 environmental strategy, reorienting its process to adapt to the new Federal Sustainable Development Strategy framework, its 13 targets, and their associated goals. Four staff workshops have been held, with another scheduled for December 8.

A more detailed workshop with stakeholders is scheduled for November 30.

The intent is to present a draft sustainable development strategy to the public, stakeholders, and the advisory committee of the NCC in the spring.  

Gatineau Park Master Plan

Public consultation workshops regarding the renewal of the park plan were held in Ottawa on October 19 and in Gatineau on November 1, attended by about 200 people. As well, almost 1,000 people contributed their input through an online survey.

This is the first of four stages in a project to develop a vision to guide the park’s management and ensure its sustainability over the next decade and beyond, and a draft of the plan is scheduled to be completed in 2019.

Further public sessions will be held in February to review the vision for the park and discuss guiding principles and strategic objectives.

Gatineau Park Master Plan

The Gatineau Park Master Plan is the long-term plan for the development, use and management of Gatineau Park, the Capital's conservation park.

Fall Rhapsody

This was again a great success, with many thousands of people visiting the park to enjoy the autumn colours.

The shuttle service remains very popular, in particular a new stop added this year in the ByWard Market.

In total, the shuttle service carried more than 10,000 people into the park.    

Camping in Gatineau Park

Once again the NCC surpassed its targets for camping in the park in 2017, with the number of overnight stays increasing 7%.  

Nepean Point

Four finalist teams presented their concepts for the renewal of Nepean Point to the public, to the advisory committee, and to the jury on October 5, and 550 people completed an online survey.

This is one of the 17 milestones in the Plan for Canada’s Capital 2017-2067. 

Confederation Pavilions

More than 165,000 visitors have experienced the Confederation Pavilions so far this year. Since the Board’s September meeting, the final three diplomatic missions participating in the International Pavilion – the Embassy of Hungary, the Delegation of the European Union, and the Embassy of the Republic of the Philippines -- have presented their exhibitions. More than 25,000 people have participated in International Pavilion events this year.

MosaïCanada

MosaïCanada vastly exceeded expectations, with more than 1.3 million people visiting, far surpassing the target of 800,000 visitors originally expected. The installation has received high praise from visitors from across Canada and around the world.  

National Holocaust Monument

The National Holocaust Monument, a remarkable testimonial to the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust, as well as the contributions of Holocaust survivors to Canada, was unveiled on Sept. 27 by the Prime Minister and Minister Joly.

As the steward of the Capital, the NCC provided the land for the monument, oversaw its design and construction, and has now assumed responsibility for its maintenance, preservation, and management.

The NCC, along with Canadian Heritage, has found a solution to keep the monument open during the winter months.  

Capital Urbanism Lab

This fall’s season launched with a well-attended session on socially inclusive public transportation hosted in partnership with the Conference Board of Canada.

The fall’s second event was a session focused on heritage, particularly the legacy of Canada’s Centennial in 1967, and was associated with the joint annual conference of the Association for Preservation Technology International and the National Trust for Canada, which was held in the Capital in October. The NCC was a sponsor of the conference. I and many staff members were involved, and NCC sites were the subject of many tours and panel discussions.

On Nov. 16 the lab hosted a session focused on public science and scientific research being done on NCC lands.

Imaging the City

Join us as we explore new dimensions of research and visualization in the fields of urbanism, landscape and design.

Cookie Notice: Our website uses tracking technologies (cookies) to learn how our visitors interact with our site. This helps us to improve our services, and provide you with valuable content. Read our privacy policy.