The National Capital Commission has approved a site near Dow’s Lake for a new national monument to commemorate fallen Canadian paramedics and celebrate the dedicated first responders who risk their lives serving Canadians every day.
The monument will rise in Commissioners Park along Queen Elizabeth Driveway.
“Based on a review of the site selection for the Canadian Paramedic Monument, NCC staff are prepared to recommend federal land use approval,” announced Shaun Barattia, NCC senior landscape architect, at a Jan. 23 meeting of the federal agency’s board of directors.
The location had previously been proposed as a site for the monument, but is now confirmed by the NCC board.
The monument will commemorate the efforts, skills and sacrifices of past, present and future Canadian paramedics. The Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation’s journey began in 2012 with the first proposal presented to the federal government to build a national monument honouring the emergency responders.
“Paramedics are the only first-responder group that is currently missing a monument in the national capital,” says Tom Zajac, CPMF president.
A registered charity committed to building the monument, the CPMF has since partnered with the NCC and the federal Department of Canadian Heritage for guidance in planning the monument, including concept, site selection, design, construction, maintenance and long-term operations.
The proposed monument is part of the NCC’s Capital Core Area Sector Plan, a policy document shaping major projects on federal land in Ottawa-Gatineau’s central area.
A bird’s-eye view of the monument’s site: a triangular wedge beside Queen Elizabeth Driveway. [Photo © Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation]
The monument is expected to cost up to $5 million and will be funded through grassroots donations from paramedics and people whose lives they’ve impacted, corporate sponsorships and government funding, according to Zajac.
“We are aggressively trying to raise funds,” said Zajac. “Because once this design competition goes ahead and we have to start constructing it, we need to have the funds in place to be able to see this monument become a reality.”
“Over 50 Canadian paramedics have lost their lives in the line of duty in the past 25 years, making the ultimate sacrifice to serve Canadians in difficult and dangerous situations,” the CPMF stated in a parliamentary brief in January. “We’re often first on the scene of an emergency, and always the first to leave, rushing injured Canadians to hospitals when needed.”
The brief stated: “Paramedics are invisible — until you need us.”
Among those to be honoured is Dustin Dagenais, a flight paramedic and member of Unifor Local 2002, who died in a helicopter crash in Moosonee, Ont. in May 2013 while picking up a patient in the remote James Bay community of Attawapiskat.
In the 8.5-hectare, NCC-owned Commissioner’s Park, the monument will be constructed approximately three kilometres southwest of Parliament Hill near Preston Street and Queen Elizabeth Drive. The park is adjacent to Dow’s Lake and the Rideau Canal.
Centrally located in Ottawa, the triangular site will be accessible year-round and at all hours of the day. It is close to pedestrian nodes, intersections, and pathways, and is accessible through a variety of transportation methods along Carling Avenue — including transit stops.
“The park’s surroundings provide opportunities for contemplative space, can accommodate a 200-person commemorative gathering, and is very visible from many locations,” said Barattia. “The monument will be visible from many of the surrounding pathways and will create a notable focal point within the scenic landscape.”
A closer view of the approved monument site, which is surrounded by grass, trees, and walkways next to Dow’s Lake. [Photo © Canadian Paramedic Memorial Foundation]
While the CPMF remains the project lead responsible for the design competition and development of the monument, the NCC will be responsible for maintaining the monument long-term.
“As a landowner, the NCC will assume ownership of the completed monument and be responsible for the long-term operations and maintenance,” said Bararttia. “The foundation will be working towards reaching fundraising targets and starting the design competition by the end of this year.”
“The site in Commissioners Park is truly beautiful and serene,” said CPMF executive director Annie Hillis, in a news release following the NCC decision. “It is surrounded by mature trees and facing Dow’s Lake, where both residents and tourists love to walk, bike, picnic and – during the annual Tulip Festival – enjoy millions of colourful blooms.”
She added: “The park has lots of room for people to gather for ceremonial events and is a stone’s throw from the new Ottawa Hospital campus, with its close connection to paramedics.”
Dow’s Lake itself is a prominent location in Ottawa next to the Glebe Annex and Little Italy neighbourhoods, as well as attractions like the Canadian Agriculture and Food Museum and the Dominion Arboretum — offering plenty of opportunities to draw people to the site.
NCC vice-president and chief planner Alain Miguelez described the site selection process as a “two-year collaboration” between the foundation, the NCC and Canadian Heritage.
“Site approval provides the CPMF a reserved location for the national commemoration,” he said, “and is a pivotal milestone in supporting the organization’s upcoming fundraising efforts.”
