Over the Thanksgiving Weekend, Clive Doucet took part in a number of activities. Since I wrote up the itinerary for the press, I should know that they could literally pick and choose what events they wanted to attend. This past weekend we invited said press to visit the Scone Witch, Cornucopia in Westboro, an open house at the campaign headquarters (the Ottawa Citizen had a photographer on hand) … and that was just Saturday. Sunday was the Sylvia Holden Park event and 10/10/10 Global Workshop with Monday seeing Clive serve up Thanksgiving dinner to residents at Shepherds of Good Hope and then again at The Ottawa Mission (notice the photo of Watson serving meals and only a caption mention of Doucet in the papers?). Of all of those events the Ottawa Sun decided to attend and write about was the one at Sylvia Holden Park.
I suppose the media wants to continue to paint Clive as a Glebe-centrist candidate and ignore that he has been campaigning successfully from rural to suburban and into urban Ottawa for a while now. The writers and editors most think to themselves "instead of real news, let's focus on Lansdowne Park as his main issue instead of transit and how the traffic east to west is crippling from 5:30am to 10:00am and again from 2:30pm to 7:00pm." Come to think of it, the Ottawa Sun is not located near the 417 and would not immediately benefit from a Light Rail Transit plan (though Hunt Club is a parking lot from the airport to their offices during rush hour as well), so it stands to reason why they frankly do not care. What about ignoring that Clive has a unique idea with the Ottawa Valley supplying the city of Ottawa with the majority of its food source? Right now a farmer in the valley is packing their produce to be shipped to either Toronto or Montreal and then sent off across the continent (or beyond). Some of it comes back to Ottawa, but has to travel to other cities first because they are set up as food hubs. Now what about the "foodies" of Ottawa? The last time you went out to a local restaurant that claimed to be local, unless that restaurateur has an exclusive deal with a farmer, likely their food came the same way our groceries do. So sure, let’s go back to the chestnut that is Lansdowne Park and talk about it.
Ah, Lansdowne. You glorious paved parking lot. That is how Charlie Taylor, another candidate for mayor, likes to refer to as, but it is more than that. There are only a couple slips of green space on the park property around the parameter and the sports field itself. The parameter is for the common plebe, the sports field is off limits unless you pay for it. Not much of a park.
So where is that spot Clive is “upset” about now? Top right hand of the image above. Can you see it? It’s a half hectare at the corner off of Bank St. and Holmwood Ave. Why is Clive actually concerned? The city lawyers are saying that this site was never deemed an "official park" despite the commemoration of it in the name of Sylvia Holden (champion for sport and community in Ottawa decades back). Yet, if Lansdowne Park is for sale, then this park will also be for sale under the same agreement. That is it. It sets a precedence in Ottawa to discard parks, deemed so or otherwise, and sell the land to be developed not in the interest in the community which the park serves, but whoever buys it. But why did the editorial staff take the time to write about this? It is a big issue, but it is not the biggest issue of the day or the campaign. At least not to the majority of Ottawans; I am bias because I am a bus rider and transit is my number one issue, but if anything, that seems to be the biggest issue. The tunnel through downtown is such a bad idea and anyone who has watched a moment of Discovery Channel can tell you digging a tunnel through the city is precarious at best. Worst of all? The other three former mayors all want the tunnel. We're talking transit presenting a "possible" fix decades from now, not immediately.
So, what is my beef with the Ottawa Sun this time? Frankly, they are just getting lazy with this one. Sure, Clive is a bit emotional over Lansdowne and Sylvia Holden parks. This was the only fight in Capital Ward he lost in years. It was a big one too. It was not a ward issue, it is a city issue and he knows it. The media just loves to pick on it. However, the issue is that while the Ottawa Sun speculates that we will see more green space from the redevelopment, there is absolutely not guarantees.
Problem 1: A major sports venue in downtown Ottawa has failed to maintain a following not once, but twice. My beloved Ottawa Senators, housed out in Kanata, have managed to rebound, but still do not sell out the majority of their games. Why? If a team is not doing well, Ottawa does not support them. There is absolutely no guarantee that the conservative sport enjoying Ottawa resident will actually go out most of the time to see a team at a new Lansdowne facility.
Problem 2: Traffic will become a problem. Google Lansdowne Park, search the images and as far back as 1950 you can find images of cars jammed into the parking spots and lining the streets for a football game. When people do come out to watch the sporting events, there will not be enough parking and there is no way to ferry the traffic away from the core on two lanes going either way. Bank St and the parkway will become nothing more than a parking lot.
Problem 3: Building any major shopping locations on the site threatens the Glebe community as is. Businesses in the Glebe thrive because the closest mall competition is Billings Bridge in the south and Rideau Centre in the north. Both offer different atmospheres and less boutique experiences. Will a new shopping destination in their own neighbourhood do the same? Look at Sparks St. and how it literally died since the Rideau Centre opened.
Problem 4: The final one is the closed door sale of Lansdowne Park. The whole block is up for sale and for the first time in Ottawa’s long history, we are willing to sell of a place that historically belongs to us. The Central Canadian Exhibition is why the park came to us in the first place, but that intention died this past fall with SuperEx taking it's exit. We abandoned it for years when football waned and nearly tore down the Aberdeen Pavilion (site of the first ever Stanley Cup challenge!). Half of the south sides stand came down and the rest will need to as well. Basically, Lansdowne Park and Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group, is in shambles. There's a quick buck to be made, but there are other examples of poor development in Ottawa too. Confederation Square only took several decades to get right ... Why not Lansdowne too, right? (Another blog post maybe... or comment/email me.)
So, Clive is upset and “hysterical” because it is nothing more than shady politics that have saw us lose the greatest treasure this city owns. Sure, a major sports field downtown would be nice, but it should be public and open to use as well. Right now it sits empty most of the time and we have had kicks at the CFL can twice and look at the result. If the CFL is to return it is unfortunate to think it may leave again in a few years because ticket sales are just not there or because people cannot make it to games without going two hours in advance to manage the traffic. Instead, restoring Lansdowne Park back to its original form as a public-private space makes sense. I personally believe a committee should be named to maintain the park, but also to run the day-to-day affairs. There is no reason for us to not turn a profit off it it with sports fields for high school through to university competition, but instead of a concrete monster, do it in a tasteful “throw back” manner to a bygone era.
W.
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