By Joanna Steinmetz
Centretown municipal politicians have rejected the criticism of Ottawa Centre’s Liberal MP that they spoke too soon about recent National Capital Commission proposals.
In a Nov. 6 interview with Centretown News, Mac Harb commended the NCC for its vision for beautifying the capital and its public consultation process.
At the same time, he criticized municipal councillors for voicing their opinions about the proposals before talking to their constituents.
“I would say that it is extremely premature for the City of Ottawa to just make a statement without proper consultation,” said Harb.
The councillors and Harb both say talking to the public about the proposals is important.
However, the councillors suggest the NCC’s consultation method just grazes the surface of the issue.
“It surprises me that Mr. Harb would be defending the NCC’s tactics,” said Somerset city Coun. Elisabeth Arnold.
She says the NCC asked municipalities to comment on the proposal when it came out in June, but “when they didn’t like the comments, they asked us not to make them.
“If that’s their view of honest, open public consultation, then I think that they better go back to the drawing board.”
Arnold says there were parts of the NCC’s plan she and the city would support, such as redevelopment of LeBreton Flats.
But she says part of the Metcalfe Street proposal includes tearing down up to 16 blocks in Centretown, which does not fit the city’s vision for Ottawa.
“I think we have an obligation to point out what the implications of those recommendations were and our opinion on them. And that’s what we did.”
Harb said the development of LeBreton Flats is not the NCC’s problem.
“As elected officials we are responsible because we dragged our feet on the issue, different levels of government also dragged their feet on LeBreton Flats.”
Harb added it is better to wait, and then later develop LeBreton Flats if a consensus is reached between the community and various levels of government.
Capital Ward Regional Coun. Clive Doucet says the destruction of LeBreton Flats remains a disaster.
“It’s probably been the single most crippling decision that’s ever been made in this area, and (Harb) says he would like to see it go on forever basically,” says Doucet.
“I think we live in different worlds.”
He says regional councillors were asked not to participate until the consultation process was through.
“I think the city and the region have every right to, when the NCC starts talking about destroying 16 or 18 blocks in downtown Ottawa, to form an opinion very quickly and make it very quickly.”
Doucet says he is a part of the democratic process, people can talk to him and see how he makes his decisions, but says no one knows what the NCC’s decision will be.