[someone123]

One thing about Ottawa is that the urban planning was clearly a bit timid going back even to the 1800's. There's no downtown street that follows the Parliament Hill alignment. It's quite odd, and as soon as you cross Wellington you're pretty much in "normal" territory. Had Wellington Street and that central axis been turned into something special extending as a parliamentary precinct over to the canal it would feel like a more expansive and cohesive area (basically, you'd be able to stand in a lot more places and see only better than average Parliament Hill type buildings and finishings).

Most of downtown Ottawa reminds me of Edmonton or Calgary with a height limit and lack of landmark commercial buildings (you don't get the Bow by selecting the low bid when doing a federal office tender), while the neighbourhoods are a mix of Ontario and Quebec style architecture. Unfortunately the Ottawa height limits were not very well planned; it's in the same boat as Halifax except with even more office space crammed in.

The Chateau Laurier addition to me seemed representative of the way things often go in Canada. It's a unique building in a special area with a distinctive style that represents just one small part of the city that would have to be protected. Yet it's still subject to profit maximization and that meant wanting to attach a glass box to it. We don't seem to have a lot of urban districts that we really invest in or maintain their integrity. Anything goes for the most part. The old part of Quebec City is one exception.