NCC - General Updates

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by theWestisDead

I heard that the building is going to become the new headquarters of the NCC.

Confirmed at the NCC Board Meeting yesterday. Quote from Tobi Nussbaum:

I am pleased to announce that we have successfully negotiated the purchase of 80 Elgin Street, currently serving as the British High Commission. 80 Elgin is one of the Nation's Capital's most iconic mid-century modern buildings, designed by British architect Eric Bedford who's most famous work is the British telecom tower in London. The purchase of this building demonstrates important progress against the NCC's 2017 to 2067 plan for Canada's Capital and its commitment to purchase assets of National interest along Confederation Boulevard. Over the next 18 to 24 months, we'll be conducting the work necessary to modernize the building in order to move the NCC's headquarters to 80 Elgin and we very much look forward to using this transition to significantly increase our visibility in order to enhance opportunities for public and visitor engagement with the NCC and its staff on what is sure to remain a significant and important architectural feature of the city.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aELSVdN5dDo

[J.OT13]

A project that is not discussed much is the revitalization of the National Capital Ricer Pavilion off the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway.

Built between 1914 and 1925 for the Ottawa New Edinburgh Canoe (ONEC) Club.

From the NCC website:

About the project

The National Capital River Pavilion revitalization project will bring required repairs and upgrades to this heritage property, and make it usable year-round. It will also provide new opportunities for public access and shoreline animation. The work outlined below began in summer 2019, and the timeline has now been extended to the end of winter 2021–2022, due to the impact of COVID-19.

Universal accessibility

The pavilion is located on a water lot, and the lowest “occupied” floor, the club level, is below the 100-year flood plain. This presents a challenge for the integration of accessibility within all levels, interior and exterior. The universal accessibility improvements will maintain the essence of the building’s use and function, and will include the following:

• converting an existing parking lot into universal accessible parking;
• providing a safe crossing of the Sir George-Étienne Cartier Parkway for all users;
• creating a universally accessible path from the parkway to the pedestrian bridge landing;
• raising the pedestrian bridge to the original hall level;
• installing an elevator inside the building to allow access to the three main levels of the building.

Landscape and Shoreline Animation

We will transform the shoreline to offer a unique experience and access to the Ottawa River.

The work will address the following:

• landscape design and improved shoreline resiliency for the site
• traffic and parking management for the site
• the design and implementation of new, universally accessible public dock infrastructure
  
  The landscaping work should start this spring/summer. It will be completed by spring/summer 2022, with the installation of a new dock system.

Full project website: https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/projects/national-capital-river-pavilion?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

[Uhuniau]

Lolling hard at the hipster out for a walk on the path in that third image.

[OTownandDown]

You're telling me a disused rich person clubhouse went ahead no problem then?

Lashley and Meaghan can go do their canoeing on Tuesdays now. Thank God.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by OTownandDown

You're telling me a disused rich person clubhouse went ahead no problem then?

Lashley and Meaghan can go do their canoeing on Tuesdays now. Thank God.

But now it will be open to everyone, and for free.

[rocketphish]

A smart Ottawa real-estate deal by the NCC

Mohammed Adam, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Jul 15, 2021 • 7 hours ago • 3 minute read



The National Capital Commission has bought the British High Commission building for $25 million to convert into a new headquarters and save money on rent.

As well, the NCC says, the purchase of the 60-year-old building brings one of the city’s landmarks into public ownership, in line with its mandate to secure properties of significant national interest along Confederation Boulevard. An order-in-council has already been issued for the purchase.

However, $25 million is a lot of money. Is this smart business and good for taxpayers?

The NCC, which now rents its office building at 40 Elgin St., known as the Chambers Building, pays about $3 million a year. Valerie Dufour, the NCC’s senior manager for strategic communications, says owning its own building would save the federal agency about $35 million over the first 10 years, and $3 million a year thereafter. The savings, Dufour says, would more than offset the purchase price, making it a good deal for taxpayers. The money for the purchase came from the NCC’s acquisition and disposal fund.

Architect and urban designer Barry Padolsky agrees the purchase is a good deal. When the building was put up for sale, Padolsky thought a private developer – not the NCC – would 🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵🞵 it up because of its prized location.

“I am surprised they did it. We’ve come to expect bureaucratic decisions and not imagination from the NCC, but this shows some imagination,” he said. “I give them credit.”

The NCC has occupied the Chambers building since about 1994 when it signed a 25-year lease with Allied Properties. In 2013, the agency tried to move from the building, issuing a request for proposals for new premises in the city. The planned move was later abandoned. Under a deal that led to its restoration, the Chambers will return to NCC ownership in 2056 when the ground lease expires.

The building at 80 Elgin has served as the British High Commission since its opening in 1964. Described as one of Ottawa’s “iconic mid-century modern buildings,” it was designed by British architect Eric Bedford, whose most famous work is the British Telecom Tower in London. The high commission is selling the building and relocating to a new one under construction at Earnscliffe, once the home of Canada’s first prime minister, Sir John A. MacDonald, on Sussex Drive.

Padolsky says the building has an interesting history. When British designers first submitted their plans in the early 1960s, they had in mind a lower building. But the NCC wanted a taller building to match the Chambers and the old Post Office buildings to create a sense of an “urban street wall” to solidify and shape Confederation Square. The design of the area had to fit the Gréber plan for the capital, and the Brits agreed to increase the height. That’s how we ended up with today’s building.

With the purchase, important public buildings including the Chambers, National Arts Centre and the Prime Minister’s Office form a ring around the National War Memorial on Confederation Boulevard.

Padolsky says the high commission building conforms to the form of Confederation Square, and its “glazed” ground floor gives it a retail feel that could enhance NCC programming at street level. “It’s like a department store that has its showcase windows at street level and if the NCC exhibits some programming, it could add to the animation of Confederation Square,” he says.

That’s part of the NCC’s renovation plan. It sees the building as an opportunity to help strengthen and modernize its approach to public engagement, says Dufour. This it will do by creating public gathering places and accessible spaces at street level, including for such initiatives as the Urbanism Lab series, a public speaker series that bring together experts in such topics as urban design, heritage, conservation and sustainability to imagine the future of the capital. The NCC won’t be moving in for another two years.

Padolsky says the NCC has done something good that has to be acknowledged. “It is a good buy because it has public benefits,” he says.

Mohammed Adam is an Ottawa journalist and commentator. Reach him at: [email protected]

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/adam-a-smart-ottawa-real-estate-deal-by-the-ncc

[J.OT13]

Fantastic news. This would be an ideal spot for the info centre. Now if we can figure out a way to link it to the O-Train...

[Marshsparrow]

Glad that building will be saved... but the math seems off...

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Marshsparrow

Glad that building will be saved... but the math seems off...

How so? The bus terminal on Catherine was recently sold for $24 million. In that case, Brigil has to tear down a decrepit building and start from scratch. I'd call $25 million for a landmark building at one of the city's absolute greatest locations a steal, even if the NCC needs to pour another $25-50 million in renovations.

[rocketphish]

Heritage community frustrated by demolition of Chelsea pioneer house
NCC not required to apply for municipal permit, Quebec culture ministry says

CBC News
Posted: Jul 20, 2021 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: July 20



A small pioneer house built in the mid-19th century was demolished by the National Capital Commission (NCC) without permission from the municipality of Chelsea, Que., which has left behind a foundation of frustration.

"It was one of the oldest houses in the municipality and one of the oldest residences in the Outaouais," Michel Prévost, president of Société d'histoire de l'Outaouais, told Radio-Canada in a French-language interview.

"It is always a great loss when we see one of our oldest buildings disappear."

Behind the gates installed at 272 Chemin de la Montagne, the building — constructed between 1845 and 1855 — is in ruins. Next to the gate, a notice from the municipality's demolition request committee is still posted, saying it will meet on July 28 to consider the building's demolition.

Deputy Mayor Jean-Paul Leduc said Chelsea had received a request for a demolition permit from the NCC, and the committee planned to study the request.

The committee would have notified Quebec's Ministry of Culture and Communications before a final decision was reached, but it didn't have time to meet before the building was demolished, Leduc said.

According to the ministry, the NCC, being a federal entity, isn't required to apply for a municipal permit and therefore the culture ministry was not informed of the demolition.

In an email to Radio-Canada, the NCC said the buildings located on the property were in "poor condition" and presented a risk to the health and safety of the public.

Asbestos and lead-based paint were also present in the building, it added.

"Buildings on NCC grounds, including Gatineau Park, are subject to federal law. However, out of courtesy, we advised the Municipality of Chelsea of ​​our intention," the Crown corporation wrote.

The NCC carried out a site analysis and a federal heritage assessment and as a result, "the buildings were not designated as a federal heritage site."

The NCC then obtained permission to demolish the buildings with the sole condition of keeping the logs in good condition for future projects.

For Leduc, the NCC's answers are unsatisfactory.

"When you apply for a permit, you follow the procedure," he said, "The federal government has certain rights, but there was a lack of communication.

"I really hope we learn from that and have some discussions before demolitions take place."

From the historical society's perspective, Prévost said the NCC usually tries to be sensitive when it comes to heritage buildings.

Not having been able to visit the building himself, the heritage specialist suggests it could have been too decrepit to restore.

He believes Chelsea also deserves a share of the blame, despite the province maintaining there's little a municipality can do to prevent a federal agency from demolishing its buildings.

"The building was listed in the inventory of cultural heritage in Quebec, but the inventory does not provide any legal protection. [...] If this building was so important for the Municipality of Chelsea, one can wonder why it didn't enshrine it as a heritage building under the [Quebec's cultural law]," he said.

"There is a message for all the municipalities of the Outaouais: please, better protect your buildings which are registered in the cultural heritage inventory, because that avoids situations like the one today."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ncc-pioneer-house-demolition-heritage-frustration-1.6107667

[rocketphish]

How the NCC is making a splash along Ottawa's shorelines
The goal is to provide a greater opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy the stunning beauty of these areas.

Tobi Nussbaum
Publishing date: Jul 23, 2021 • 2 hours ago • 3 minute read

One enduring, and positive, impact of this pandemic will be the increased use and enjoyment of outdoor spaces for recreation, socializing and transportation. This trend is occurring at a time when the National Capital Commission (NCC) is prioritizing the activation of our shorelines and waterways to provide a greater opportunity for residents and visitors to enjoy the stunning beauty of these areas. Having historically turned our backs to the water in many parts of the capital, we aim to turn toward it: through establishing riverfront food and beverage venues; further developing pathways and boardwalks; and increasing access to parkways for people as opposed to cars.

Hopefully, most residents of the National Capital Region are now familiar with our terraces and bistros, run by local restaurateurs and situated in tasteful surroundings close to the water. We are opening our fifth location at Patterson Creek Park next week.

A number of revitalization projects also underway will dramatically enhance views, access and enjoyment of our waterways. The National Capital River Pavilion will be centred on the rehabilitation of a unique heritage boathouse on the Ottawa River east of the downtown core, known formerly as the Ottawa New Edinburgh Club Boathouse. It will host a restaurant, public swimming docks, boat access, an improved shoreline and the offices of the Ottawa Riverkeeper, which focuses on the health of the entire watershed.

The NCC has started the construction of a reimagined site at Nepean Point, in consultation with our Algonquin Nation partners. The redeveloped site will be the product of an international design competition that will also see access to this spectacular lookout enhanced by restoring a pedestrian bridge across St. Patrick Street from Major Hill’s Park, where a bridge stood until the 1950s.

Moving west, the NCC, in partnership with the Zibi development, will soon manage three new waterfront parks with extraordinary views of all sides of the Ottawa River, one of which, Pangishimo, will open next month. This summer will see the construction of pathways through LeBreton Flats, offering better access to the open aqueduct that runs through the site. Westboro Beach will undergo a major transformation in the form of a new building incorporating the existing Strutt pavilions, which will also welcome a restaurant, a community meeting space, accessible indoor changing areas and a café.

On the north shore of the Ottawa River, the NCC is working with the Ville de Gatineau to decontaminate and animate the lands bordering the Ruisseau de la Brasserie (Brewery Creek), a charming and under-appreciated area with huge potential. And, after last year’s decontamination of Jacques-Cartier Park, the NCC hopes to provide a new concession at the Hull Wharf. Complementing these projects, further work to flood-proof our shorelines, bridge abutments and pathways continues to ensure stronger climate resiliency.

We are also working to enhance sustainable transportation options to travel to, from and between these sites. To tie many of these projects together, an enhanced water taxi service will provide easier access, while allowing a special vantage point onto the nation’s capital.

Running parallel to our shorelines are our river and canal parkways. Based on last year’s successful pilot program, our Sunday Bikedays morphed into the Weekend Bikedays program, quadrupling the times available for people to safely walk, run, bike or wheel on the parkways.

We have been fortunate to be able to support capital residents’ mental and physical well-being throughout the pandemic, witnessed by the massive increase in the use and enjoyment of our assets over the past year. Our expectation is that this interest will not dissipate as the pandemic recedes, as the four-season joys of our sites have been more widely discovered and cherished. Our close collaboration with, and funding of, the Urban Winter Trails Alliance will continue to see more NCC pathways repurposed as groomed multi-use ski and winter walking destinations.

As we prepare to welcome back our fellow citizens from all parts of the country, we are focused on ensuring that the capital’s extraordinary waterways can be enjoyed and celebrated in exciting new ways. In so doing, we hope to ensure that the capital experience for residents and visitors goes even more … swimmingly.

Tobi Nussbaum is the CEO of the National Capital Commission.

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/nussbaum-how-the-ncc-is-making-a-splash-along-ottawas-shorelines

[JayBuoy]

Expand the bike day program to 365/365, Tobi.

[TransitZilla]

Originally Posted by J.OT13

How so? The bus terminal on Catherine was recently sold for $24 million. In that case, Brigil has to tear down a decrepit building and start from scratch. I'd call $25 million for a landmark building at one of the city's absolute greatest locations a steal, even if the NCC needs to pour another $25-50 million in renovations.

The part of the math that seems wonky is where they say they currently pay $3M/year in rent, but expect to save $35 million over the first 10 years (i.e. $3.5M/yr). How will they save more than they currently pay in rent? Especially when the renovation costs will be incurred within the first 10 years...

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

The part of the math that seems wonky is where they say they currently pay $3M/year in rent, but expect to save $35 million over the first 10 years (i.e. $3.5M/yr). How will they save more than they currently pay in rent? Especially when the renovation costs will be incurred within the first 10 years...

Right, I had noticed that as well initially, and then forgot. It will likely be 20-25 years before we come out on top overall.

[vtecyo]

Originally Posted by bradnixon

The part of the math that seems wonky is where they say they currently pay $3M/year in rent, but expect to save $35 million over the first 10 years (i.e. $3.5M/yr). How will they save more than they currently pay in rent? Especially when the renovation costs will be incurred within the first 10 years...

Maybe $3M is just the most recent year's rent - it might rise with inflation. It looks like a 2.7% rent increase each year would add up to $35M total over 10 years.

Although that doesn't account for the renovation costs ...

[rocketphish]

NCC bracing for climate change as UN delivers 'code red for humanity'
The National Capital Commission will spend the next two years studying how to protect its property and programs from the effect of climate change.

Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Aug 10, 2021 • 1 minute ago • 3 minute read

The National Capital Commission will spend the next two years studying how to protect its property and programs from the effect of climate change, a task made more urgent by this week’s “code red” warning for the planet from the United Nations.

“In that last few years, we’ve really turned our attention to this,” said Emily Rideout, sustainable programs officer with the NCC. “It was becoming more and more evident that climate change was affecting the region and it was affecting our assets. We needed to look into what this would mean to us.”

Monday’s report from the UN’s Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change warned of melting ice caps, rising sea levels, blistering heatwaves, wildfires, drought and “irreversible” climate change. And while the effects of climate change are global, the IPCC report also explores how different regions will be affected by climate change in the coming decades.

In Eastern North America — an area including Ottawa that stretches east of the Mississippi River, north to roughly Quebec City and south to Florida, higher temperatures are a “virtual certainty,” the IPCC report says. Extreme rainfall and increased flooding are also likely, warns the report, which drew on more than 14,000 scientific studies and was endorsed by 195 governments.

The IPCC findings echo those of a 2020 consultants’ report commissioned by the NCC and the City of Ottawa that made detailed climate projections for the National Capital Region. That 419-page study by consultant CBCL, forecast rising temperatures, more rain and less snow in the years ahead.

“The NCC has been feeling the impact for a few years, so in a sense it’s not a surprise,” Rideout said. “I think there’s a fair bit of agreement that it’s going to get warmer and wetter here in the capital region, that the timing of seasons will shift and there will be a shorter snow season in general.”

Flooding is one of the obvious effects of climate change. The 2017 flooding along the Ottawa River affected some 500 homes in Ottawa and caused more than $223 million in damage in Ontario and Quebec, according to the Insurance Bureau of Canada. It washed away much of the NCC’s multi-use pathways in Ottawa and Gatineau, closing long sections of them for months.

Two years later, it happened again with the Ottawa River topping levels seen even in the 2017 “flood of the century.” This time, however, the NCC’s pathways fared better because of measures such as armouring the shoreline to protect it from erosion.

“That’s is a good example of how we’re already in the process of adapting,” Rideout said. “After the 2017 flooding, those pathways were rebuilt to be less susceptible to flooding so the damage was a little bit less in 2019.”

The NCC report also forecasts an average temperature increase of 1.8 C by the 2030s, 3.2 C by the 2050s and 5.3 C by the 2080s. It forecasts 2.5 times the number of very hot days (above 30 C) by the 2030s, four times more in the 2050s and 6.5 times more hot days by the 2080s. “Intense” precipitation will become more frequent, while total snowfall will decline. Freezing rain will become more common.

The science is less clear on how climate change will affect other severe weather events, such as the tornadoes that ripped though Ottawa and Gatineau in September 2018. Whether tornadoes become more frequent “is open to question,” the NCC report says.

The consultant’s report was the first phase of the NCC’s plan, which is now looking at which assets are most vulnerable to climate change. The final stage, mitigation and adaptation, is to begin in 2023.

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...nge-as-un-delivers-code-red-for-humanity

[Nowhere]

This article fails to mention the reference period for the forecasts. 1.8C warmer by the 2030s... from now or decades ago ?

[rocketphish]

Originally Posted by Nowhere

This article fails to mention the reference period for the forecasts. 1.8C warmer by the 2030s... from now or decades ago ?

It's from a 1981-2010 baseline, as they are using 30-year averages. You can find all the details here: https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/our-plans/climate-change-adaptation-initiative

[Nowhere]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

It's from a 1981-2010 baseline, as they are using 30-year averages. You can find all the details here: https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/our-plans/climate-change-adaptation-initiative

Thanks. That would make Ottawa in the 2080s slightly warmer than Boston is right now. (Edit. I mean 1991-2020 average for Boston.)

[rocketphish]

NCC oversight: Should a local federal cabinet minister be in charge of influential Crown agency?
Should a local MP in the next cabinet have the responsibility for the NCC, which is the largest landowner in the capital region and is expanding its clout in capital planning?

Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Publishing date: Sep 14, 2021 • 1 hour ago • 3 minute read

There are two ways to look at whether political oversight of the National Capital Commission should fall to an MP based in the capital region.

On one hand, no MP knows the federal land issues better than one who represents a riding in the Ottawa-Gatineau area.

On the other hand, being responsible for the NCC could be a political liability for a local MP. Having a disinterested MP in cabinet in charge of the NCC might be the safest choice for a party.

The NCC’s impact on Ottawa and the Outaouais is huge.

In fact, outside of the federal workforce and the government’s role as the region’s main employer, no other federal issue might have the kind of influence like the NCC has in Ottawa-Gatineau. The NCC’s authority has become stronger in recent years with the agency taking a larger role in transportation planning between the two cities.

So, should a local MP in the next cabinet have the responsibility for the NCC, which is the largest landowner in the capital region and is expanding its clout in capital planning?

On paper, the NCC is arm’s length from its government masters since there’s a board of directors acting as a primary layer of supervision, but the government is ultimately boss.

The Justin Trudeau government has decided to keep the NCC’s direct political responsibility away from a local MPs, despite having two Ottawa MPs in cabinet (Ottawa Centre’s Catherine McKenna, who’s leaving politics, and Ottawa-Vanier’s Mona Fortier).

Today, Oakville MP Anita Anand, the minister of public services and procurement, has oversight of the NCC. Before Anand, the job fell to Montreal-area MPs Pablo Rodriguez and Mélanie Joly at different times in their former roles as ministers of Canadian Heritage.

The Stephen Harper government assigned the NCC duty to local MPs in cabinet. Pierre Poilievre, John Baird and Lawrence Cannon took turns being in charge of the agency.

Poilievre, who’s seeking re-election in Carleton, couldn’t be reached for comment on Tuesday.

The NCC has included more local-government influence by adding municipal voices. The mayors of Ottawa and Gatineau were invited to participate in board meetings in 2016 — just not as voting members — and they can ask NCC management questions about the agency’s projects and advocate for their residents.

The Conservative candidate in Ottawa Centre, Carol Clemenhagen, touched on the issue of NCC governance during a debate this week when she suggested the MP in her riding should have a formal role with the NCC.

The NCC has several high-profile projects in Ottawa Centre, including the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats and a plan to change a swath of grassy land in Mechanicsville into a diplomatic district with new embassies.

On Tuesday, Clemenhagen said there should be a role for an Ottawa-based cabinet minister when it comes to the NCC to provide “greater answerability to local residents on local needs.”

The NCC’s reach, of course, extends outside of central Ottawa. The agency is tasked with protecting the the greenbelt separating urban Ottawa with suburban communities. It has also received more responsibility from the government to plan interprovincial public transit and examine the need for a sixth interprovincial bridge.

The agency also has a major influence in the Gatineau area.

Sophie Chatel, the Liberal candidate in Pontiac, didn’t say if she thinks a local MP in cabinet should have responsibility for the NCC, but she noted the importance of one of the most important federal land masses in the region.

“I know that the residents of Pontiac appreciate the inestimable value of our green spaces, especially the Gatineau Park, which is managed by the NCC,” Chatel said in an email. “I share their passion for these spaces and I will ensure that their protection is a priority. It is crucial that the priorities of the residents of Pontiac are respected by the decisions of the NCC. I am committed to ensuring that their voices are heard.”

[email protected]
twitter.com/JonathanWilling

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-new...be-in-charge-of-influential-crown-agency