New Portrait Gallery Location?

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Tories to unveil $23M plan for national portrait gallery

Tories to unveil $23M plan for national portrait gallery
Will officially scrap old U.S. embassy as site
Tim Naumetz, The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Friday, November 09, 2007

The government will announce today it has officially scrapped a six-year-old Liberal plan to build a Canadian portrait gallery in the former U.S. embassy on Wellington Street and will instead spend $23 million on the project at another location.

Heritage Minister Josée Verner and Public Works Minister Michael Fortier are expected to reveal a new proposal that could include use of private-sector space for the gallery.

But an Ottawa architect who helped design the proposed gallery said she and her architect husband learned of the decision only yesterday morning when they found posters and signs that had been torn down from a wall around the embassy grounds deposited at their front door.

"We haven't officially been told the project is dead," said Ms. O'Neill-Cole. "That's how we learned."

The doorstep message and today's expected announcement cap a turbulent history that began soon after the gallery project was announced by the Chrétien government in January 2001.

The controversy centred primarily on skyrocketing costs, from an original construction budget of $22 million to an overall cost of $44.6 million by last year.

In an unusual twist, the new plan calls for Public Works to transfer $23 million to Library and Archives Canada to establish the gallery, according to government spending documents. Normally, Public Works tenders contracts and is subsequently paid by the departments.

As reported by the Citizen in October 2006, the Harper government scuttled the embassy project only a few months after taking power. The government at the time publicly denied a decision had been made.

Former heritage minister Bev Oda did not directly respond to allegations then that portraits from the Library and Archives Canada collection might be exhibited in a Calgary office tower being constructed by energy giant EnCana. She said roaming exhibits across Canada were among the options.

By April 2006, planning and development of the U.S. embassy site had already cost $9 million, even though nothing had been constructed there other than a protective fence.

A spokesman for Ms. Verner refused to disclose anything about the government's new plans.

"All those questions will be answered tomorrow," said press secretary Richard Walker.

Ottawa Centre NDP MP Paul Dewar said the gallery, which will exhibit little-known and rarely seen treasures from a massive collection now stored in Library and Archives Canada vaults, should be in Ottawa.

"It should not be tucked away somewhere," he said. "It belongs near Parliament Hill."

Ms. O'Neill-Cole agreed, saying that the idea of designing a new landmark of such importance across from the Peace Tower was what made early work on the plan so enjoyable.

"Yes, it's an incredible disappointment," she said. "I'm optimistic and I always hoped it would go ahead. We were quite enthusiastic about a building for the people of Canada opposite the Parliament of Canada."

Ms. O'Neill-Cole disclosed that Cole and Associates were required at the outset to sign confidentiality agreements, along with the other architectural firms involved in the project, Stephen Teeple of Toronto and Jeremy Dixon and Edward Jones of London.

The agreement meant the architects were required to refer all media inquiries to Public Works as the controversy grew over soaring costs.

But Ms. O'Neill-Cole said the original construction budget of $22 million, including architectural fees, remained constant throughout the past six years and the architects were forced to make cuts to ensure their costs stayed within the budget. The rise in price occurred in consultant and management fees associated with add-ons to the project, she said.

"We were held to that budget even though costs escalated," she said. Asked if the doorstep message was an unusual way to learn work was ceasing, Ms. O'Neill-Cole replied: "It is odd."

Ms. O'Neill-Cole added the firm owned by her and her husband will likely be compensated for termination of its work before it was complete.

It just better be in downtown Ottawa or downtown Hull... :hell:

[waterloowarrior]

I dunno, I wouldn't mind seeing it in The Bow, though Encana has denied (http://www.cbc.ca/arts/story/2007/06/29/portrait-encana.html)the rumour

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/f/fa/Encentre-rendering1.jpg/200px-Encentre-rendering1.jpg

Former heritage minister Bev Oda did not directly respond to allegations then that portraits from the Library and Archives Canada collection might be exhibited in a Calgary office tower being constructed by energy giant EnCana. She said roaming exhibits across Canada were among the options.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

Something as significant and historic as the Portrait Gallery should belong in the nation's Capital to showcase the nation's historic figures.

One does not go to Texas in the States to learn about America's earliest historic figures. :rolleyes:

[ajldub]

I agree. It's also a significant enough of an institution to warrant its own building. Moving into the new Encana building would be like putting a couple of penthouses on top of the war museum to finance the project...

[AuxTown]

The Bow would be such a weird location for a museum like the portrait gallery. An older herritage building would suit it best, not a 60 storey glass office tower. Sometimes it's annoying how slow-going a lot of the governemnt-funded projects are here in Ottawa and how much red tape there is, but can you imagine if we did things the Alberta way? I bet the Peace Tower would have a massive neon corporate sponsor on top to help fund the restoration of the West Block.

I thought the old U.S. Embassy was a perfect location, oh well. Another great building is the old war museum on Sussex (though I thought I heard something else has moved in there)

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/28/Old_Canadian_War_Museum_Ottawa_3jun2004.jpg/800px-Old_Canadian_War_Museum_Ottawa_3jun2004.jpg

It was a real attraction to the that area of downtown and I feel there is very little traffic that venture further than the National Gallery now. It would be nice to somehow couple the gallery with the Canadian Mint and maybe have the admission for both museums combined. Just a thought. Could also put it on the Eastern edge of Lebreton in one of the open lots to make the transition from Parliament to the War Museum more seamless for tourists.

[ajldub]

The old war museum(and really old public archives) building is going to the Aga Khan Development Network, the same guys that are building further down Sussex just before King Edward. It is going to be a 'centre for pluralism', and while nobody can really explain what that is, it will probably be open for tourists and schoolchildren. I imagine it is going to have a kind of multiculturalism theme, and will probably compare the two solitudes of Canada to Malaysia, Switzerland, and other places with a similar social situation. It could be good, we'll have to see. The feds are chipping in, but only for rehabilitation of the heritage elements of the building. Anybody who visited the war museum before it moved will remember how in need of a renovation that place is.

I would have liked to see the portrait gallery go there too, because it would have been a one-stop shop for art enthusiasts right next to the national gallery. It also could be combined with the gallery to make use of all their expertise, restoration equipment etc. right next door. Unfortunately it doesn't look like that's going to happen. I guess we can't have it our way all the time... Ideally the feds should give the Khan network a nice corner of Lebreton to keep development going over there during the condo slump that is now on the horizon, and then we could use a heritage building for a heritage purpose like you mentioned.

[waterloowarrior]

http://www.pch.gc.ca/newsroom/index_e.cfm?fuseaction=displayDocument&DocIDCd=CJV070928

The Government of Canada Creates Opportunity for a City to Host the Portrait Gallery of Canada

OTTAWA, November 9, 2007 - The Honourable Josée Verner, Minister of Canadian Heritage, Status of Women and Official Languages, and the Honourable Michael M Fortier, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, today announced the Government of Canada is launching a Request for Proposals (RFP) to locate the Portrait Gallery of Canada in one of the following cities: Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa-Gatineau (National Capital Region), Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver.

These cities have a relatively large population, which will provide an important local visitor base; are easily accessible with effective transportation networks; and have the potential to attract both domestic and international visitorship.

"Canadians deserve to see the portraits that depict the great figures of our country's past and present," said Minister Verner. "These are our stories, told on canvas, in sculpture, and in photographs. Our Government will work with identified cities and developers across the country to find a new home for these historic works of art."

"The Government is launching an open and transparent process to encourage proposals from developers in one of the nine cities for the development of the Portrait Gallery of Canada," said Minister Fortier. "We want to ensure that we obtain maximum impact from every tax dollar spent by taking advantage of private sector support and expertise."

"The creation of a permanent home for the Portrait Gallery of Canada will allow Canadians greater access to one of the world's most exciting national portrait collections," said Ian E. Wilson, Librarian and Archivist of Canada.

"Canadians can celebrate a greater ability to connect with the people who have shaped-and continue to shape-our nation. We look forward to innovative proposals to expand on the Portrait Gallery of Canada's already ambitious outreach, Web, and touring exhibition programs. A permanent gallery will also allow us to deepen our relationships with cultural institutions around the world, bring rare treasures to Canadians, and share our stories with other nations."

The Government of Canada believes that national cultural institutions can be located outside the National Capital Region, as demonstrated by the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg. Recently, our Government reached an agreement with public and private sector support to establish the Canadian Museum for Human Rights in Winnipeg, making it the first national museum to be located outside the National Capital Region.

As part of Library and Archives Canada, the Portrait Gallery of Canada has a unique mandate among federal cultural institutions to showcase the stories of Canadian men and women, from all walks of life, who have helped build Canada. Library and Archives Canada has been collecting documentary art and photography for more than a century. Its portrait collections provide a unique testimony to Canada's past and present and contribute to a better understanding of Canadian history and diversity.

The Government of Canada expects the Request for Proposals will generate interest from qualified developers who will engage the private sector and communities in the development of a new facility for the Portrait Gallery of Canada. The Request for Proposals will shortly be launched on the government electronic bidding system (MERX) (http://www.merx.com/) and the selection process is expected to be completed in the spring of 2008.

For more information, visit the Portrait Gallery of Canada's new website (http://www.portraits.gc.ca/index-e.html).

BACKGROUNDER

The Government of Canada is soliciting proposals to find a permanent exhibition and programming facility for the Portrait Gallery of Canada This is consistent with the Government's desire to:
Maximize access to our cultural heritage for all Canadians
Seek support from the private sector and communitiesQualified developers are invited to submit proposals for a prominent and easily accessible site in one of the nine cities, and also to demonstrate significant support from the private sector and community. A successful competitive process will lead to the selection of a qualified developer, and an appropriate site.

In order to identify appropriate cities where the Portrait Gallery of Canada may be hosted, the Government has adhered to the following principles:
The Gallery needs a prominent location that will not only reflect the national significance and stature of this new cultural institution, but also reinforce its image in Canada and abroad.
The Gallery needs to be easily accessible by Canadians from all regions of the country.
The population and tourist potential at the location need to be large enough to ensure its financial viability and sustainability.
The Gallery needs to be in an environment conducive to cultural collaborations and financial support from the private sector, philanthropists, and individuals. Interest in supporting the capital endeavour, as well as the ongoing activities of the Portrait Gallery of Canada, will need to be clearly demonstrated.The nine cities that have been identified as potential sites for the new Portrait Gallery of Canada are Halifax, Québec City, Montréal, Ottawa-Gatineau (National Capital Region), Toronto, Winnipeg, Edmonton, Calgary, and Vancouver.

A request for proposals (RFP) is being launched to solicit interest by developers. The bidding process will be managed by Public Works and Government Services Canada for Library and Archives Canada. All details and information relating to the RFP will be available on the government's online tendering system (MERX).

The new exhibition and programming facility for the Portrait Gallery of Canada is anticipated to open in the spring of 2012. In the meantime, the Portrait Gallery of Canada continues to provide a full array of innovative programming and outreach and share its collection through virtual exhibitions, touring exhibits and curriculum development. In the lead-up to 2012, the Portrait Gallery of Canada anticipates expanding its activities, acquisitions, and commissioning programs and continuing to build community, national, and international partnerships to support a vibrant relationship with Canada and the world.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I think the permanent portrait gallery should be in Ottawa. It doesn't make sense to have it anywhere else. Now, I think the time spent in the decision process and retrofitting an existing or building a new facility should be spent on creating a reasonably comprehensive touring exhibit to reach the galleries and citizens across Canada. I know that's part of what they do, but I can't remember a touring exhibit in my recent memory.

I'll trade you Joe Fafard's exhibit here in Regina for National Protraits for a couple of months.

[movebyleap]

Amazing article in today's Citizen:

Andrew Cohen . Canada is not serious
Andrew Cohen, Citizen Special
Published: Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Lucien Bouchard once said Canada wasn't "a real country." He was roundly denounced for his gratuitous slur upon our nationhood, but Mr. Bouchard's mistake was one of semantics more than sentiment.
It wasn't that Canada isn't a real country; who could argue with its history, geography and economy? His real point, much closer to the mark, is that Canada is not a serious country.
We are not serious about our past, our symbols, our self-image. We have little sense of how to make ourselves a more united, self-aware, purposeful people, worthy of our stature and wealth in the world. We don't act our age or our size.

Look no farther than the cancellation of the national portrait gallery in Ottawa. Forget, for a moment, that it has taken the federal government a year and a half to reach this stage, after peevishly halting construction of the gallery in a glorious spot on Wellington Street facing Parliament Hill. Forget that it was begun by the Liberals, who invested some $10 million.
Forget, as well, that the Conservatives had entertained a proposal to move the gallery to Calgary, where it was to be housed in the headquarters of EnCana, the oil conglomerate. Someone reportedly realized that old paintings shouldn't hang next to a food court, and fortunately that was that.
Now this from Michael Fortier, the minister of Public Works: "The government is launching an open and transparent process to encourage proposals from developers in one of nine cities for the development of the Portrait Gallery of Canada. We want to ensure that we obtain maximum impact from every tax dollar spent by taking advantage of private sector support and expertise."
There, in its exquisite agony, is the saga of the portrait gallery -- and us. First, we learn anew, this is not the National Portrait Gallery. That's because "national" and Canada are now inconsistent. While the demise of "national" in this and other institutions did not begin with the Conservatives, they gave it ballast a year ago when they asked Parliament to recognize Quebec as "a nation" within Canada.
No wonder that the Parti Québécois has proposed the Quebec Identity Act; it flows naturally from a view of Quebec as a nation. We have given up on the idea of a pan-Canadianism, which is why the courageous Michael Chong left cabinet.
Second, we learn, the new gallery will not be in the national capital. Sure, Ottawa is invited to "bid" for the gallery with the other cities -- Halifax, Quebec City, Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary, Edmonton and Vancouver -- but it won't win.
After all, why put it in Ottawa now, anyway? If it is no longer a national gallery, why should it be in the national capital? And why build that new science museum here? Ottawa, the capital, is now just another city, comme tous les autres.
No need to encourage a capital to be great, to display its treasures, to build fine buildings, to make it a reflection of our excellence. In Canada, which likes to redistribute everything but ambition, let's pit city against city and outsource institutions. This sets an awful precedent. Of course, national museums can have satellite installations in other cities, as they do in Britain. Of course, we can build worthy institutions outside Ottawa, as we are in Winnipeg, the future home of the Canadian Museum of Human Rights. But there is a big difference between a human rights museum and a national portrait gallery.
No, in today's Canada, it is all about cutting taxes, reducing revenues, shrinking government. If you can diminish the national capital, however subtly, if you can play to regional prejudices, however coded, well, go ahead.
China had cultural revolution; Canada has cultural devolution.
There are national portrait galleries in London, Washington and almost every other major capital of a serious country. They know the value of presenting their past in pictures. We don't.
Third, we learn the gallery is about engaging the private sector. This is not a great national project driven by the national government in the national capital. Instead, it is about "developers" and "tax dollars."
And rest assured, price will be paramount. When the newspapers reported that the cost of the gallery had "sky-rocketed" from $23 to $44 million, the little Canadians shuddered. My, my, they cry, we're wasting $44 million on a portrait gallery!
In Washington, the Americans spent six years and $400 million U.S. renovating the National Portrait Gallery and the American Art Museum. In London, the British have eliminated admission fees to their national museums. In Berlin, the Germans are spending lavishly on a massive refurbishment of their state museums in a city feverishly erecting monuments.
In Canada, awash in money but poor in spirit, we delay a gallery, denigrate our capital, deny our history. This isn't how a serious country acts.
Andrew Cohen is the author of The Unfinished Canadian: The People We Are.
E-mail: andrewzcohen@yahoo.ca

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

After reading that, I feel like there is no hope for Canada as a country... :(

[Dado]

This time around, I actually agree with Andrew Cohen. Earlier, in the summer, he wrote that "Ottawa is not a reflection of Canada". I disagree with that. The reason Ottawa is full of third-rate office blocks for civil servants is because Canadians outside the NCR don't really care. Nor have I heard of any great uproar from anyone outside the NCR that the Portrait Gallery may be put somewhere other than here. It's tempting to blame the Tories, but the fact is they wouldn't have suggested such a thing if they didn't believe it would fly; i.e. the Tories know the Canadian populace all too well. So yes, not much hope for Canada as a country.

[rocketphish]

Could the idea of a National Portrait Gallery be resurrected?
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, the MP for Ottawa Centre, has promised consultations on what to do with the former U.S. embassy building.

By: Michael Woods
Metro, Published on Mon Dec 21 2015

http://www.metronews.ca/content/dam/thestar/uploads/2015/12/21/01-22-ott-gallerysteve.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg

The idea of a national portrait gallery in Ottawa has been dormant for more than six years, but it could soon rise from the ashes.

In 2009, the Conservative government scrapped an ambitious plan, launched by Jean Chretien in 2001 to convert the former U.S. embassy on Wellington Street into a national portrait gallery.

However, Environment Minister and Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna has promised to find a use for the building at 100 Wellington St., directly across from Parliament Hill, by 2017.

Lilly Koltun, director general of the Portrait Gallery of Canada from 2001 until 2010, said she would be "delighted" to see the plan for a permanent portrait gallery resurrected.

“It has always been a great regret to me that they decided to close it down completely,” she said. “We have an amazing national collection of portraiture that is basically unknown. It truly is a treasure that very few Canadians know about or have a chance ever to see.”

Library and Archives Canada boasts a collection of more than 20,000 paintings, drawings and prints, four million photographs and thousands of caricatures.

The collection is known not only for its size, but also its variety. It showcases both major historical figures as well as everyday Canadians.

“The collection is so broad in scope that basically everybody can see themselves there; themselves and their fathers and grandfathers,” Koltun said.

Washington, D.C. and London, U.K. both have national portrait galleries in central locations. However, Canada’s collection doesn’t have a permanent home.

Small parts of the collection have toured to cities across Canada, but those exhibitions pale in comparison to what a stable venue could showcase.

“Sending 30, 40 or 50 (portraits) travelling is wonderful, but it is really just a tiny taste of what’s there,” Koltun said.

More than $11 million of work had already been done to prepare the former U.S. embassy when the Conservative government changed the project’s course.

They first considered putting a portrait gallery in Calgary, partly funded by energy giant EnCana.

When that fell through, they launched a nationwide competition inviting nine Canadian cities to bid on hosting the gallery.

That plan was scrapped in November 2008. Koltun said she was never told why.

“I’m not sure I was ever entirely clear on what went into that decision,” she said. “I was not actually involved. … The government basically decided they were just not going to support it at all.”

McKenna pledged to launch consultations on what to do with the building within 100 days of the election. If that timing holds, that would mean they would start by the end of January.

She didn’t specify what she would like to see in the building, but said it should be a significant tourist attraction that creates jobs. She also suggested hiring summer students to canvas tourists on what the building should house.

Koltun said she would be happy to see a portrait gallery anywhere in Canada, but having it directly across from Parliament Hill makes the most symbolic and practical sense.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2015/12/21/could-the-idea-of-a-national-portrait-gallery-be-resurrected.html

[Norman Bates]

Bring it on. And hang that nude Stephen Harper while they're at it.

[gjhall]

Bring it on. And hang that nude Stephen Harper while they're at it.

You're joking I think, but honestly I think that would be a very sensible acquisition for the gallery, as it does represent an important sentiment in Canadian history.

[Norman Bates]

To be honest I wasn't joking. As a collector of original art I was actually contemplating purchase of that canvas. But I just wasn't in a position to swing $20K for it at this time.

In my view it will double that value over the next 10 years.

[kwoldtimer]

To be honest I wasn't joking. As a collector of original art I was actually contemplating purchase of that canvas. But I just wasn't in a position to swing $20K for it at this time.

In my view it will double that value over the next 10 years.

With any luck, 10 years from now nobody will remember who Stephen Harper was. :yes:

[Norman Bates]

With any luck, 10 years from now nobody will remember who Stephen Harper was. :yes:

Believe me. That's exactly what the party wanted with all of their previous leaders going back to macdonald. All left in a storm of controversy. Even those that never made government like stanfield.

I see no reason why they wouldn't want to do the same with Harper.

It was Trudeau the first who described the the pre-Bloc and pre-reform Progressive Conservative party as: "...an unholy alliance of malcontents and misfits." Hyperbole yes, but some day there's at least some ring of truth to it.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I hope the new Liberal government brings with it new museums and institutions.

[GernB]

Could the idea of a National Portrait Gallery be resurrected?
Environment Minister Catherine McKenna, the MP for Ottawa Centre, has promised consultations on what to do with the former U.S. embassy building.

By: Michael Woods
Metro, Published on Mon Dec 21 2015

http://www.metronews.ca/content/dam/thestar/uploads/2015/12/21/01-22-ott-gallerysteve.jpg.size.xxlarge.promo.jpg

The idea of a national portrait gallery in Ottawa has been dormant for more than six years, but it could soon rise from the ashes.

In 2009, the Conservative government scrapped an ambitious plan, launched by Jean Chretien in 2001 to convert the former U.S. embassy on Wellington Street into a national portrait gallery.

However, Environment Minister and Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna has promised to find a use for the building at 100 Wellington St., directly across from Parliament Hill, by 2017.

Lilly Koltun, director general of the Portrait Gallery of Canada from 2001 until 2010, said she would be "delighted" to see the plan for a permanent portrait gallery resurrected.

“It has always been a great regret to me that they decided to close it down completely,” she said. “We have an amazing national collection of portraiture that is basically unknown. It truly is a treasure that very few Canadians know about or have a chance ever to see.”

Library and Archives Canada boasts a collection of more than 20,000 paintings, drawings and prints, four million photographs and thousands of caricatures.

The collection is known not only for its size, but also its variety. It showcases both major historical figures as well as everyday Canadians.

“The collection is so broad in scope that basically everybody can see themselves there; themselves and their fathers and grandfathers,” Koltun said.

Washington, D.C. and London, U.K. both have national portrait galleries in central locations. However, Canada’s collection doesn’t have a permanent home.

Small parts of the collection have toured to cities across Canada, but those exhibitions pale in comparison to what a stable venue could showcase.

“Sending 30, 40 or 50 (portraits) travelling is wonderful, but it is really just a tiny taste of what’s there,” Koltun said.

More than $11 million of work had already been done to prepare the former U.S. embassy when the Conservative government changed the project’s course.

They first considered putting a portrait gallery in Calgary, partly funded by energy giant EnCana.

When that fell through, they launched a nationwide competition inviting nine Canadian cities to bid on hosting the gallery.

That plan was scrapped in November 2008. Koltun said she was never told why.

“I’m not sure I was ever entirely clear on what went into that decision,” she said. “I was not actually involved. … The government basically decided they were just not going to support it at all.”

McKenna pledged to launch consultations on what to do with the building within 100 days of the election. If that timing holds, that would mean they would start by the end of January.

She didn’t specify what she would like to see in the building, but said it should be a significant tourist attraction that creates jobs. She also suggested hiring summer students to canvas tourists on what the building should house.

Koltun said she would be happy to see a portrait gallery anywhere in Canada, but having it directly across from Parliament Hill makes the most symbolic and practical sense.

http://www.metronews.ca/news/ottawa/2015/12/21/could-the-idea-of-a-national-portrait-gallery-be-resurrected.html

This should definitely go ahead. While not comfortable with the shit-on-Harper sentiment that's so prevalent, I never did agree with shopping the gallery around the country, or with the "Victims of Communism" monument. The gallery and the judicial building should be built as soon as practicable.

[kwoldtimer]

I wonder if there's any chance that the Museum of Photography could be resurrected? It would seem an obvious home for the National Gallery's newly-created Canadian Institute of Photography. Is the space beside the Chateau being used for anything?

[McC]

Parliamentary committee rooms during the renovations on the Hill.

[danishh]

apparently the mexicans have been eyeing the site for their embassy.
http://www.embassynews.ca/news/2015/10/28/Mexico-wants-prime-new-embassy-digs-across-from-Parliament/47799

personally, while i like the idea of our continental neighbours having a prominent embassy in the parliamentary precinct, i'd rather this particular building be available for public use.

[Admiral Nelson]

apparently the mexicans have been eyeing the site for their embassy.
http://www.embassynews.ca/news/2015/10/28/Mexico-wants-prime-new-embassy-digs-across-from-Parliament/47799

personally, while i like the idea of our continental neighbours having a prominent embassy in the parliamentary precinct, i'd rather this particular building be available for public use.

Yep, the location is too valuable to use as a non-US embassy. Let's finally bring a public use (ie. publicly accessible) to the parliamentary precinct.

[HighwayStar]

Yep, the location is too valuable to use as a non-US embassy. Let's finally bring a public use (ie. publicly accessible) to the parliamentary precinct.

Ok. So... public use for what? It's been sitting empty for 15 years. Suggest something.

I don't see an issue with Mexico moving in there.... as mentioned, it is a nice long term gesture to a continental neighbour.

[Temperance]

Ok. So... public use for what? It's been sitting empty for 15 years. Suggest something.

I don't see an issue with Mexico moving in there.... as mentioned, it is a nice long term gesture to a continental neighbour.

The portrait gallery or the photography museum are both great suggestions. This is not the best location for an embassy.

[Admiral Nelson]

The portrait gallery or the photography museum are both great suggestions. This is not the best location for an embassy.

This.

The former US embassy - I'm sure a beautiful building in its own right - was the original proposed location for the portrait gallery. Let's make it happen now.

[eemy]

It would be a great location for the Portrait Gallery. It would also be a great location for the Mexican Embassy. I'd be happy with either.

[rocketphish]

Momentum building for downtown portrait gallery in former U.S. embassy

Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen
More from Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: February 26, 2016 | Last Updated: February 26, 2016 6:05 PM EST

http://wpmedia.ottawacitizen.com/2016/02/local-input-ottawa-02-01-00-144-wellington-the-former-u-s1.jpeg?quality=55&strip=all&w=750

Six years after the Conservative government pulled the plug on the Portrait Gallery of Canada, momentum is building to restart the project and make it a legacy of Canada’s 150th birthday.

A group of local politicians, including Environment Minister Catherine McKenna and Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson, toured the shuttered former U.S. embassy across from Parliament Hill this week. Ottawa MP McKenna has pledged to hold consultations about the building, which has been vacant for 18 years.

On Friday, she said she is excited about the possibilities.

“I have heard a lot from the residents of Ottawa about a possible portrait gallery in the space, both recently and during my campaign. With the upcoming 150th birthday of our country, the public’s attention is focused on the nation’s capital, and it would be great to give this space new life.”

Liberal Senator Serge Joyal, one of the original proponents of the portrait gallery when Jean Chrétien’s Liberals were in power, was also on the tour.

Joyal said he believes the timing is perfect to restart the portrait gallery project and leave it as a legacy of Canada’s 150th birthday next year — similar to the way the National Arts Centre marked Centennial year in 1967.

“I feel the planets are more or less aligned now that we have that celebration,” said Joyal.

“Besides the hoopla and fireworks, there has to be a permanent legacy. This would be as important for Canada as the NAC was in 1967.”

McKenna has indicated there will be public consultations, but Joyal said he hopes, given the work already done on the building and the importance of Canada’s portrait collection, that a political decision can soon be made to restart work on the gallery.

He called the portrait gallery’s collection of more than 20,000 paintings, drawings, prints and photographs “a treasure trove,” and a “reflection of who we are as a people.”

Portrait galleries in Washington, London and elsewhere are often the most popular galleries, he said, because people are drawn to portraits and the stories they tell. “It is not without reason that around the world the portrait galleries are the most attended museums.”

Joyal said he and former senator Jerry Grafstein convinced the Chretien government to turn the former embassy into a portrait gallery.

Work was well under way when the Conservative government shut the project down in 2006. About $11 million had been spent to prepare the building to become a portrait gallery. More than a million has also been spent maintaining the abandoned building.

The former Tory government initially talked about putting a portrait gallery in Calgary, partly funded by energy company EnCana. Later, they invited nine cities to bid on the gallery, but that plan was scrapped.

Joyal said there would not be time to complete the project for 2017, even if it is approved quickly. But work could begin and a small exhibition space could be opened inside during Canada’s 150th celebration to give the public some idea of the “wealth of the portraits” and what the finished gallery would look like.

“There is momentum, “ he said. “Really, for the first time, since the day the project was abandoned in 2006, I feel rejuvenated. This is such an important thing to build for the future.”

epayne@postmedia.com

http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/liberal-senator-says-planets-are-aligned-to-restart-portrait-gallery-for-2017

[Admiral Nelson]

Bravo! Great to see this idea make a comeback after a decade's interlude.

[Norman Bates]

Progress is more than just a word.

[rocketphish]

Government seeking public input on use of former U.S. embassy building

Don Butler, Ottawa Citizen
Published on: August 8, 2016 | Last Updated: August 8, 2016 5:51 PM EDT

If you think the former American embassy at 100 Wellington St. across from Parliament Hill would make a dandy national portrait gallery, you’ll soon have an opportunity to make that case.

<SNIP>

Moved to new thread: http://forum.skyscraperpage.com/showthread.php?p=7525965

[acottawa]

Moving to a more appropriate thread.



1. It wasn't the last few weeks. Design phase was complete and ready to be built.

2. Chrétien and Martin had a strained relationship, so yes, quite possibly a partisan move.

3. Well no, that won't be a partisan move. We have a building that's been abandoned for 20 years, we need to find a vocation.



Either
a) A stand-alone institution to display the portrait component of the LAC collection is an important national institution that should be above partisan politics.

b) It isn't and there politicians feel free to use the project for partisan purposes.

Unfortunately it is difficult to get web archives from the turn of the century. The earliest reference I could find was this blog post: http://nccwatch.org/blunders/sparks.htm which cites an Ottawa Citizen article from Feb 3, 2000, "Portrait hall plans began 5 months ago" The blog post seems to suggest the idea for the portrait gallery came from the NCC and originated in about September, 1999 and seems to be tied to the NCC's plans to demolish everything on Metcalfe to create a grand boulevard. It is interesting that the idea did not originate in the museum community or the archive community.

I have no idea whether a) or b) is actually the case although the fact that the idea came from the NCC and is tied to their Metcalfe demolition project seems to suggest it is b) and reminds me of the Devcore Lebreton proposal where they named a bunch of institutions to put in their renderings without any thought out or detailed plans.

But if it is a) then 4 prime ministers behaved in a partisan way. Chrétien for linking it so closely to his suite of legacy projects (along with the proposed history museum at the former train station and the courthouse project near the SCC) rather than going through usual government processes. Martin for delaying the project for several years and only approving it close to the end of his short term (it would have been built before Harper came to office without the Martin delay). Harper for trying to move it and then cancelling it. Trudeau for not immediately reviving the institution and restarting construction.

[J.OT13]

Moderators, would you be able to move the rest of the former American Embassy conversation from the Sparks thread to here?