By the Editor, Ottawa Citizen, March 25, 2014
The National Capital Commission has long been criticized for often putting the cart before the horse in its dealings with Ottawa residents on important planning issues affecting the capital. Time and again the NCC has infuriated residents by making big decisions on land-use planning in the capital, and then presenting what can seems like a fait accompli to residents for consultations. Much of the animosity between the NCC and residents comes from this lack of proper consultation, and it is commendable that the federal agency is now doing things differently — or at least trying.
So kudos to the agency for holding public consultations on the future of the national capital region’s parkways before any decisions are made. The 120 kilometres of scenic parkways and driveways in both Ottawa and Gatineau are one of the defining characteristics of the capital, and as the commission says, represent values that are important to the city and Canadians at large. Ottawans take the city’s relationship to nature seriously. Many already walk, jog and cycle on pathways along the parkway corridors. But the parkways, built as they were for car traffic, can be sterile and even represent a barrier between the city and its natural features, such as the Ottawa River. The River is always there, part of the city, but it is seldom a destination. Places such as the Canadian Museum of History on the Gatineau side are the few exceptions that actually allow people to enjoy the River year-round. Much of the city’s infrastructure seems to be built to get us over the River, past it, around it.