Heritage Properties of Ottawa & Gatineau

[Uhuniau]

Wait, I knew something was off on that block.

[J.OT13]

Cent ans d’histoire, quel avenir pour l’ancienne maison du Sacré-Cœur?

LeDroit, 16 juillet 2025 à 04h05



POINT DE VUE / Il y a maintenant plus d’un siècle, une maison avec une vocation bien particulière ouvrait ses portes sur l’île de Hull.

Inaugurée par les Oblats de Marie Immaculée le 4 juillet 1925, la maison de retraite du Sacré-Cœur offrait, notamment aux hommes, un lieu de recueillement, de réflexion et de ressourcement spirituel. Aujourd’hui, l’édifice appartient au Centre intégré de santé et des services sociaux de l’Outaouais et abrite notamment le Centre de protection de l’enfance et de la jeunesse de l’Outaouais.

En 1970, deux ans après la fin des retraites fermées, l’immeuble passe des mains des Oblats à l’État québécois.

Selon une étude rigoureuse menée en 1997 par l’historienne-conseil Michelle Guitard pour l’ancienne Ville de Hull, « durant les 44 années d’existence de la maison, on a compté 3062 groupes de retraitants de tous âges, métiers et professions. On a estimé le nombre de retraitants à 120 935». Ce chiffre impressionnant ne dit pas tout: plusieurs de ces personnes revenaient régulièrement, preuve de l’importance spirituelle et communautaire de ce lieu.

Il faut aussi se rappeler qu’à l’époque, le site était certainement plus verdoyant, sans la présence des grandes artères routières qui l’enserrent aujourd’hui. Le projet des Oblats fut la première construction d’envergure sur ce tronçon de la rue Lévis, aujourd’hui devenu le boulevard Sacré-Cœur.

Ce n’est qu’en 1945 que l’église du Sacré-Cœur est érigée à côté de la maison, qui avait aussi servi de chapelle de secours pour les paroissiens de Notre-Dame.

En 1949, la construction de l’Imprimerie nationale débute. En 1954 l’École Reboul ouvre ses portes et vient compléter ce noyau institutionnel.

Pas de reconnaissance officielle

Malgré cette riche histoire, la maison du Sacré-Cœur, qui avait aussi servi de chapelle de secours pour les paroissiens de Notre-Dame, ne bénéficie pas d’une reconnaissance officielle.

Elle figure toutefois à l’inventaire du patrimoine traditionnel de la Ville de Gatineau, avec un niveau d’intérêt patrimonial «supérieur» — le deuxième plus élevé, mais elle ne bénéficie d’aucune protection juridique.

L’ancienne maison du Sacré-Cœur, avec ses éléments architecturaux encore bien conservés, mérite-t-elle d’être officiellement citée afin d’assurer sa mise en valeur et sa préservation?

Il y a déjà près de 30 ans, Mme Guitard soulignait la nécessité de préserver ce patrimoine, aujourd’hui connu sous le nom d’édifice Marc-Sénéchal : «Cette propriété est un site historique religieux important pour la population de l’Outaouais et, par conséquent, elle doit être citée et conservée.»

L’historienne recommandait également la restauration de l’entrée principale et, dans la mesure du possible, du belvédère et du grand escalier d’origine, qui sont aujourd’hui disparus. En plus de ces deux éléments, une autre amélioration possible serait un nouvel aménagement paysager en façade afin de valoriser l’immeuble en réduisant notamment l’asphalte et les cases de stationnement à l’avant, compte tenu de la présence d’un vaste stationnement à l’arrière.

Le réaménagement à venir du boulevard Sacré-Cœur par la Ville de Gatineau représente par ailleurs une occasion de mettre en valeur cet immeuble historique.

Le centenaire de la maison du Sacré-Cœur n’est-il pas le moment idéal pour que la Ville de Gatineau affirme son engagement envers la mémoire collective et le patrimoine de l’île de Hull?

— Laurent R.-Cardinal, Gatineau

https://www.ledroit.com/opinions/points-...-sacre-coeur-KN5Q247PWNEMLMRHCPJEAP6SQ4/

[J.OT13]

Someone actually restored one of the old Maison Allumette instead of claiming it wasn't salvageable.

• Video Link

[DarthVader_1961]

Hopefully the right thread…

The old Ottawa Electric Building at 109 Bank street has been sold. No indications of who bought it or what will happen to it mentioned.

[Urbanarchit]

Originally Posted by DarthVader_1961

Hopefully the right thread…

The old Ottawa Electric Building at 109 Bank street has been sold. No indications of who bought it or what will happen to it mentioned.

I'd love to see it and the brick building beside it preserved and renovated as a podium for a new residential tower.

[J.OT13]

Originally Posted by Urbanarchit

I'd love to see it and the brick building beside it preserved and renovated as a podium for a new residential tower.

I think the Ottawa Electric Building still has the old art deco lobby, so any project should preserve the interior as well.

[rocketphish]

Prominent heritage building at Bank and Albert streets sells for nearly $3M

David Sali, OBJ
September 2, 2025



A well-known heritage office building at a major downtown intersection is changing hands for nearly $3 million. Ottawa-based electrical contractor TWZ Group has agreed to purchase the 7,434-square-foot, three-storey building on the southwest corner of Bank and Albert streets from Toth Equity for $2.93 million, broker Brent McElheran told OBJ last week. Designed by prominent Ottawa architect W.C. Beattie, the building was completed in 1935. It served as the headquarters of the Ottawa Hydro Electric Commission, the forerunner of Hydro Ottawa, for the next 22 years.

In 1957, the hydro commission sold the building to a trust company that was later acquired by TD Bank, leading to one of its enduring quirks – there are still vaults on all three floors. Toth Equity later bought the building and owned it for more than four decades. The rectangular-shaped building is one of the most notable examples of the art deco style of architecture in downtown Ottawa. The province declared the exterior, known for its distinctive moulding, a heritage site in 1992. The City of Ottawa says the building’s “prominent corner location and facades that face two streets reinforce its importance” as a designated heritage site. In recent years, the building was home to one of the largest Bridgehead coffeehouses in downtown Ottawa.

The coffee chain closed the Bank and Albert store in February 2024, and the 2,034-square-foot ground-floor retail space remains empty. Chmiel Architects occupies the second floor and the new owners plan to set up an office on the top floor, McElheran said. The broker of record at Royal LePage Team Realty McElheran & Associates said he is in talks with TWZ Group about becoming the leasing agent for the property. As the City of Ottawa and other employees ramp up their return-to-office strategies, McElheran said he believes there will be no shortage of potential tenants interested in taking over the vacant space, which sits at one of the highest-profile intersections in the downtown core. “As more people are getting back to the office, I think that corner is a very, very good corner strategically,” he said, adding potential users could include businesses ranging from another coffee shop to a medical office.

“I think there’s just a world of possibilities that could go on the ground floor. It feels like the downtown core, every time I’m down there, seems to be getting busier. I’m optimistic that we’ll continue to trend in the right direction … of getting bodies back downtown.” The building, which was on the market for more than three months, was originally listed at $3.3 million before the price was lowered to the $3-million range, McElheran said. “As soon as we dropped it, we got a lot of interest,” he added. “The market spoke, and we were able to sell it quite quickly.” The veteran broker said office resale activity in downtown Ottawa isn’t quite as frothy as it was a few years ago despite a series of interest rate cuts since the middle of 2024. “Pricing that people had in their minds during (20)21, ’22 and part of ’23, those prices have definitely come down,” McElheran explained. “It just feels like the market is more cautious when buying.”

https://obj.ca/prominent-heritage-building-sells-for-nearly-3m/

[J.OT13]

If the new owner plans to set up offices on the top floor, we're still l a ways away from redevelopment.

[rocketphish]

These Ottawa churches opposed heritage status, the city is pushing forward anyway
The city is in a rush to give historic buildings heritage status, but several Catholic churches are against the move. Here's why.

By Aedan Helmer, Ottawa Citizen
Published Sep 10, 2025 | Last updated 1 hour ago

The City of Ottawa’s built heritage committee is moving forward with a heritage designation for two historic churches despite opposition from the Archdiocese of Ottawa-Cornwall, which cites the overly broad extent of the designation, the administrative and financial burden it would create and the lack of consultation with the parish and diocese.

In May, council directed staff to issue a notice of intention to designate two historic Catholic churches: Église Saint-François-d’Assise at 1062 Wellington St. W. in Hintonburg and Église Saint-Joseph d’Orléans at 2757 St. Joseph Blvd. in Orléans.

The city’s heritage planning staff urged members of the built heritage committee to forge ahead with the designation after making some changes to its initial proposal and with the timeline for such a designation set to expire at the end of 2026.

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-catholic-archdiocese-heritage-designations-historic-churches

[Williamoforange]

Just LOL, the city can't even take care of it's own heritage properties but now it's forcing that designation on private property.

Council is just being stupidly stubborn here, and will likely end up with multiple summerset house situations, sure to increased costs of the designation

https://www.thewhig.com/news/kingston-city-council-rescinds-heritage-designation

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/wa...o-transfer-historic-manotick-properties/

[OTownandDown]

These two are great examples, for different reasons.

In Kingston, there are dozens of examples of vernacular farmhouses of EXACTLY this style and interior layout all across Eastern Ontario. It was once the only type of house anybody knew how to build! Is a farmhouse on a highway a valuable heritage asset, enough to designate a private landowner to a lifetime of high insurance premiums and severe limitations on how to enjoy her home? Plus, how the hell is she ever going to sell?

In Manotick, this is an embarrassing mistake from the City. The CORE of the frigging heritage district is EXACTLY the type of area/property we should not only be designating, but allowing additional funding and programming. Couple that with a more robust plan from the non-profit, to make some goddam profit so they can continue to afford upkeep (see: No-fun police/planning failure committees at Lansdowne, actively losing money in the areas around an active stadium). The City surplussing these buildings in Manotick is just forcing the non-profit to struggle and/or find additional funding from elsewhere. A quiet home manned by five staff all summer, running a museum of artifacts that never changes, and is offered for free, is, in truth, a passion project, but it needs to be sustained somehow.

Perhaps less designated heritage at random, and more groupings of heritage properties that we know can be maintained.

Originally Posted by Williamoforange

Just LOL, the city can't even take care of it's own heritage properties but now it's forcing that designation on private property.

Council is just being stupidly stubborn here, and will likely end up with multiple summerset house situations, sure to increased costs of the designation

https://www.thewhig.com/news/kingston-city-council-rescinds-heritage-designation

https://www.ctvnews.ca/ottawa/article/wa...o-transfer-historic-manotick-properties/

[rocketphish]

City of Ottawa staff recommend against heritage district designation for Wellington Street West area
A city administration report for council's built heritage committee said the area only met or exceeded the threshold for one criteria in the Ontario Heritage Act.

By Paula Tran, Ottawa Citizen
Published Oct 04, 2025 | Last updated 2 hours ago

A business owner in Hintonburg wants City of Ottawa staff to designate a portion of Wellington Street West as a heritage district despite recommendations against it.

According to a report to council’s built heritage committee, scheduled to meet on Monday, city administration recommended not to proceed with a heritage conservation district study for that area despite the numerous heritage buildings. The feasibility assessment looked at Wellington Street West starting at Somerset Street West and ending at Parkdale Avenue and included small portions of Fairmont, Melrose, Sherbrooke and Rosemount avenues.

Administration wrote in the report that the area only met or exceeded the threshold for one criteria outlined in the Ontario Heritage Act, which requires individual buildings to have “contextual value” because they define, maintain or support the character of the district. The area is defined by a mix of architectural styles and cladding materials, unified by low-rise buildings and minimal front-yard setbacks as well as ground floor-oriented commercial properties.

Staff also noted that the area had medium or low potential to meet the other seven criteria outlined in the heritage act. Given this, the report said the area had limited potential to be considered a heritage conservation district (HCD). Instead, staff are looking to give heritage status to individual buildings, including some structures outside the area.

Administration also said staff were planning to conserve the “traditional main street character” of Wellington Street West as part of the city’s Official Plan, which was passed in November 2021. Staff will engage with the Hintonburg Community Association, neighbourhood residents and Kitchissippi ward Coun. Jeff Leiper to develop other ways to commemorate Hintonburg’s history.

“While HCDs in main street settings are common in Ontario, most examples are found in areas with a more consistent character and appearance than Wellington Street West,” the report read.

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/wellington-street-west-heritage-designation?itm_source=index

[rocketphish]

Chinese government stalls city plan to protect historic telephone building
Council holds off on designation as staff ask for more time to work out China's objections

Arthur White-Crummey · CBC News
Posted: Oct 08, 2025 2:12 PM EDT | Last Updated: 2 hours ago



The People’s Republic of China is opposing a push to grant heritage protection to a historic telephone building in Ottawa, prompting the city to put the plan on ice.

The property at 251 Besserer St. is a two-storey red brick building in the Beaux-Arts style. It dates to 1912 and hosted the second Bell telephone exchange in Ottawa.

Council voted to designate it under the Ontario Heritage Act in May. But the property owner, which happens to be the Chinese government, still had a chance to object. Resolving its concerns has proven complicated.

In response, council voted Wednesday to withdraw its intention to designate the property. The decision follows a recommendation from city staff, who are asking for more time to work things out with China.

“It’s not about the cultural heritage value of the property,” said Lesley Collins, the city’s program manager for heritage planning. “Staff still believe the property merits designation … but the Heritage Act has very strict timelines that we can’t extend.”

Coun. Rawlson King, who chairs the built heritage committee, said negotiations can't be resolved before a 90-day deadline runs out on Thursday. There are language considerations, as well as the need to liaise with Chinese officials overseas and Global Affairs Canada.

He said the committee can restart the designation process at a later date.

“This withdrawal is strategic, not an abandonment of heritage protection,” he said.

China argues that the property enjoys diplomatic status, and that international law requires it to consent to any alteration in its status.

While staff from the city’s heritage department agree that the telephone building does have diplomatic status, they still don’t accept China’s arguments. In a report, they note that there are more than 65 diplomatic buildings with heritage designation.

Even so, Collins acknowledged that the property’s status could create difficulties under an international convention on diplomatic relations.

“The Vienna Convention doesn’t prevent the city from designating the property under the Heritage Act, but it does potentially place some restrictions on how that designation could be enforced in the future,” she said.

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper voted against the withdrawal. He worries about a double standard for foreign governments, since the city routinely designates properties over the objections of churches and private individuals.

"We frequently get these notices of opposition from stakeholders whose properties are going to be designated," he said. "We wouldn't contemplate giving anyone that kind of additional time."

Heritage Ottawa supports protecting the building, but advocacy committee co-chair Linda Hoad she they understand the challenges of designating a diplomatic property.

“I think the staff are taking the right approach,” she said. “If they lift the intention to designate, they will continue to negotiate and they will hopefully be able to resolve the issues that the People’s Republic of China has.”

The Chinese Embassy did not provide an interview to CBC to explain its position.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/ch...ct-historic-telephone-building-9.6931490

[J.OT13]

Églises francophones désignées: l’archidiocèse ne contestera pas la décision

Par Sébastien Pierroz, IJL - Le Droit
18 octobre 2025 à 04h06

La désignation officielle des églises Saint-Joseph, à Orléans, et Saint-François-d’Assise, à Hintonburg, est bel et bien définitive. Le bureau de l’archidiocèse d’Ottawa-Cornwall a confirmé au Droit qu’il mettait fin à toute démarche visant à contester le nouveau statut patrimonial de ces lieux de culte.


«On a beaucoup réfléchi et nous avons pris la décision de ne pas porter la cause au provincial», explique François Lanthier, directeur des communications de l’archidiocèse.

Propriétaire des deux églises, l’archidiocèse disposait de trente jours pour porter la décision du conseil municipal d’Ottawa en appel devant le Tribunal d’aménagement du territoire de l’Ontario.

Le 24 septembre dernier, les élus ottaviens avaient entériné le statut patrimonial des deux lieux de culte. Ils figurent désormais au registre municipal conformément à la Loi sur le patrimoine de l’Ontario.

«L’église Saint-Joseph est bien entretenue. Pour Saint-François-d’Assise, il ne devrait pas y avoir beaucoup de problèmes dans les années à venir. Nous souhaitons éviter, en fait, de gros travaux si les édifices tombent en ruine», précise M. Lanthier.

Attribuer un statut patrimonial à un édifice reconnu pour sa valeur historique ou architecturale implique que les grands travaux ou une démolition ne peuvent se faire sans feu vert municipal. La Ville balise alors la suite pour garantir la préservation. Or, c’est ce volet qui faisait tiquer l’autorité religieuse, puisqu’il entraîne des coûts et des délais additionnels.

Luloff respecte la décision

Le conseiller Matthew Luloff (Orléans-Est-Cumberland), sur le territoire duquel est située l’église Saint-Joseph à Orléans, avait en tout cas voté contre le projet de désignation.

L’élu avait même appuyé une pétition de plus de 650 signatures contre la désignation. C’est justement cette opposition, conjuguée à celle de l’archidiocèse, qui a mené à un second vote le 24 septembre au conseil municipal. Les deux désignations avaient pourtant déjà été entérinées une première fois en mai dernier.

«Je respecte la décision de l’archidiocèse et je reconnais la réflexion qui l’a accompagnée. L’église Saint-Joseph fait partie intégrante de notre histoire locale et demeure un pilier de la vie communautaire à Orléans. J’espère maintenant que la paroisse pourra aller de l’avant avec ses projets de restauration en toute confiance, et que le personnel municipal continuera d’offrir son soutien afin que cet édifice patrimonial demeure un lieu de foi et de rassemblement pour les générations à venir», fait-il savoir dans un courriel au Droit.

Promouvoir l’église Saint-Joseph

Présidente de la Société franco-ontarienne du patrimoine et de l’histoire d’Orléans, Nicole Fortier salue la décision de l’archidiocèse.

«Tant mieux, parce qu’on peut aller de l’avant. Maintenant que l’église est officiellement désignée, nous pourrons non seulement profiter de certaines subventions, mais aussi mieux faire la promotion de notre patrimoine.»

«C’est une reconnaissance double: celle de la beauté de l’édifice, mais aussi de sa protection en vertu de la loi. C’est une promotion plus crédible. Cela prouve que notre église a une véritable valeur patrimoniale», conclut-elle.

https://www.ledroit.com/actualites/actua...-la-decision-3BDOSK7O5BCIPAS56H3EP4LOYE/

[J.OT13]

Églises Saint-Joseph has a massive parking lot and patch of grass in the back that could be sold for redevelopment to support the continued maintenance of the church.

Saint-François-d’Assise doesn't have quite as much space, but certainly enough to add housing around the church.

[rocketphish]

No plans for former Brasseurs du Temps building, 2 years after brewery's closure
Heritage building has suffered water damage, will require rehabilitation

Trevor Pritchard · CBC News
Posted: Dec 07, 2025 4:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 6 hours ago



More than two years after the brewery it housed turned off its taps, a historic former water treatment plant in Gatineau, Que., has deteriorated and remains empty, with no firm plans for its future.

The early 20th-century building on rue Montcalm was home to Brasseurs du Temps, a pioneer of the region's craft brewing scene when it opened in 2009.

The brewery closed in November 2023, citing economic challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Since then, the municipal heritage building's condition has deteriorated to the point where it will require a "significant investment" for it to be usable again, according to a French-language statement from the City of Gatineau.

The discussion about the building's future — and the municipality's ability to cover the cost of any improvements — come as the city is in the midst of its 2026 budget negotiations.

"[It's] not in great shape," said Hull-Wright Coun. Steve Moran in an interview Thursday.

Before the brewery left, there were "problems with the roof and the heating," Moran said.

According to the city, the building's old pipes mean that water has periodically leaked into the basement, leaks that are correlated with the water level of the nearby Brewery Creek.

Additional damage was caused when a pipe recently burst in the building's ceiling, the city said.

Built between 1902 and 1905, the rue Montcalm building is notable for both its early 20th-century architecture and its historic importance, according to a city heritage statement.

The land initially belonged to lumber baron Philemon Wright, who built whisky distilleries there and later opened a brewery to quench the thirst of soldiers and workers recruited to build the Rideau Canal.

That initial brewery inspired the name of the creek that flows past it.

The facility was also one of numerous projects built around that time to improve the drinking water in major Quebec cities. It supplied Hull with potable water until 1971, according to the heritage statement.

"It's one of the key parts of the history of Hull. Our industrial history is carried there. So it needs investment," Moran said.

"To be honest, the city doesn't have the money right now to be able to do that. We've got a crunch, we've got an infrastructure deficit ... so the question is, who's going to be able to pay for it?"

The city is exploring possible "partners" who could help cover those costs, but not before a full audit of the building's needs is carried out, he added.

Gatineau council will be given a presentation on the former plant, as well as other vacant city-owned buildings, at an unspecified future date, the city said.

With files from Radio-Canada's Patrick Foucault

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/no...-years-after-brewery-s-closure-9.7001774

[rocketphish]

Ottawa councillors seeking more legislative tools to deal with derelict heritage buildings
Several members of the city's built heritage committee want other ways to compel owners to restore and develop heritage properties before they fall into neglect.

By Aedan Helmer, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 30, 2026 | Last updated 9 hours ago | 11 minute read

Several councillors on Ottawa’s built heritage committee are calling for more legislative tools for the city to compel owners of designated heritage buildings to restore and develop properties that have been sitting vacant, derelict and deteriorating.

Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster suggested a vacant commercial unit tax — similar to the residential vacant unit tax that was introduced in 2022 — as a further incentive for commercial property owners to restore and return their buildings to the market.

The vacant unit tax for residential properties was designed to encourage homeowners to maintain, occupy or rent their properties in an effort to increase the supply of available housing.

According to the most recent data, there were 4,140 vacant units in single and semi-detached homes, townhomes, condos and multi-family buildings (excluding large apartment buildings) in 2023, about 1.2 per cent of all homes in Ottawa.

At least 1,607 of those previously vacant units were returned to the market between 2022 and 2023 and the program generated $14.3 million in tax revenue in 2023, with net proceeds going to the city’s affordable housing reserve.

A similar tax on commercial properties would act as a “disincentive” for owners to allow heritage buildings to fall victim to “demolition by neglect,” Troster said.

“There might be the owner of an abandoned heritage property, and, frankly, they don’t want to meet the heritage requirements, so they let the building sit there in the hope that it’ll fall apart and they’ll be allowed to demolish it,” Troster said.

“One developer told me in a meeting that’s exactly what he intends to do — it was actually quite astounding to hear that directly from him — but it’s not an uncommon problem,” she said.

<lots more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-council-derelict-heritage-buildings

[Williamoforange]

Originally Posted by rocketphish

Ottawa councillors seeking more legislative tools to deal with derelict heritage buildings
Several members of the city's built heritage committee want other ways to compel owners to restore and develop heritage properties before they fall into neglect.

By Aedan Helmer, Ottawa Citizen
Published Jan 30, 2026 | Last updated 9 hours ago | 11 minute read

Several councillors on Ottawa’s built heritage committee are calling for more legislative tools for the city to compel owners of designated heritage buildings to restore and develop properties that have been sitting vacant, derelict and deteriorating.

Somerset Coun. Ariel Troster suggested a vacant commercial unit tax — similar to the residential vacant unit tax that was introduced in 2022 — as a further incentive for commercial property owners to restore and return their buildings to the market.

The vacant unit tax for residential properties was designed to encourage homeowners to maintain, occupy or rent their properties in an effort to increase the supply of available housing.

According to the most recent data, there were 4,140 vacant units in single and semi-detached homes, townhomes, condos and multi-family buildings (excluding large apartment buildings) in 2023, about 1.2 per cent of all homes in Ottawa.

At least 1,607 of those previously vacant units were returned to the market between 2022 and 2023 and the program generated $14.3 million in tax revenue in 2023, with net proceeds going to the city’s affordable housing reserve.

A similar tax on commercial properties would act as a “disincentive” for owners to allow heritage buildings to fall victim to “demolition by neglect,” Troster said.

“There might be the owner of an abandoned heritage property, and, frankly, they don’t want to meet the heritage requirements, so they let the building sit there in the hope that it’ll fall apart and they’ll be allowed to demolish it,” Troster said.

“One developer told me in a meeting that’s exactly what he intends to do — it was actually quite astounding to hear that directly from him — but it’s not an uncommon problem,” she said.

<lots more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa-council-derelict-heritage-buildings

A vacant commercial unit tax is as dumb as the vacant residential unit tax.

All it does is dissuade the construction to the point of abundance, especially with Ottawa has setup this tax.

Then there are the numerous cases of the city being the roadblock to redevelopment due to the idiotic idea of what is heritage & or what needs to be protected. Cities aren't encased in amber and idiots like Troster need to realize that.

Anyways, the city can't even maintain is own heritage properties to it's own heritage regulations so how about it starts there first.

[rocketphish]

The Kanata neighbourhood that could get a new heritage designation
The neighbourhood was designed in the 1960s as a satellite city, what might be thought of today as a 15-minute city.

By Aedan Helmer, Ottawa Citizen
Published Feb 09, 2026 | Last updated 1 hour ago | 7 minute read

When prolific Ottawa developer Bill Teron broke ground on a new self-contained “satellite city” that would become Kanata in the 1960s, he envisioned a community from the viewpoint of a child pedalling a tricycle.

Clusters of homes with similar mid-century architectural styles were bounded by natural green space with pathways and local roads — and no through traffic — that would allow children to walk or bike to school without crossing any major streets.

He rejected the notion of Kanata as a “bedroom community” and instead designed self-contained neighbourhoods centred around schools and natural spaces that would also provide shopping, medical and civic services, recreation and even employment with an adjacent technology park.

The community of Beaverbrook was the first of Teron’s planned neighbourhoods to be constructed, with 800 homes on 5.5 hectares of “rugged romantic” land, as Teron once described it, on the western edge of the Greenbelt.

“He didn’t know it at the time, but it’s now called a 15-minute community,” said Neil Thomson, president of the Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association, one of the chief proponents behind a long-standing lobby for the community to be designated as a heritage conservation district.

<more>

https://ottawacitizen.com/news/kanata-beaverbrook-heritage

[Williamoforange]

I agree with Bourne sentiment here, & is entirely unsurprising that certain councilor disagrees with him, because they do view heritage as a way to achieve planning goals & have used heritage to deny/delay much needed housing in Ottawa.

“I would argue that staff needs to change those approaches and the community needs to recognize that the purpose of heritage zones is not to achieve planning goals, but to achieve heritage goals,” he said. “It’s to save properties that require saving and to identify those properties that need to be put in a (heritage) zone…


https://ottawacitizen.com/news/committee-rejects-impossible-standard-heritage