By Denise Rideout
Politically appointed board members. Closed meetings. People from across the country making decisions.
Critics of the National Capital Commission say there are inherent problems with its structure. The NCC itself says it’s a recipe for success.
“I think it’s a good thing that the whole board is made up of people who bring different things to the board,” says Norma Lamont, who has represented Ottawa on the NCC since 1996.
Lamont says ever since the NCC went public in January about its plans for the revitalization of Sparks Street, the 101-year-old body has been under attack.
The public and local politicians have criticized the fact that board members, eight of whom live in other areas of Canada, are politically appointed to make decisions about lands and buildings in the capital.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has suggested to the federal government that it make some changes to the NCC.
The NCC board has 13 members amd a chair. As it stands, apart from the chairman and vice-chairman, five members must live in the national capital region. There must be two representatives for Ottawa, one for Hull, one must come from a local municipality other than Ottawa and one must come from a local municipality in Quebec other than Hull.
Besides these positions, there are eight other people who represent the different regions of Canada. Right now, one of those positions is vacant.
For Watson, the problem is that half of the board members who make decisions about the capital don’t even live here.
“It should be made up from people here because the decisions they make affect this community, not Saskatoon or Halifax,” Watson says.
Many NCC board members see it differently.
“It’s our capital,” says Darlene Mandeville, who lives in Yellowknife, N.W.T., and represents northern Canada on the board. “It’s the capital for everyone.”
Mandeville, 48, says it’s not fair to suggest that only people who live in the capital region should make decisions about the country’s capital. She thinks a board made up of people with diverse backgrounds is the best way to go.
Mandeville herself brings an extensive business background to the NCC.
For 11 years she has owned and managed Prestige Planning, a company that plans conferences and meetings for government agencies and private businesses.
Mandeville says her marketing skills come in handy in her position on the NCC board because her main responsibility is to encourage people to visit Ottawa.
Another criticism of the NCC is that the board’s meetings are not open to the public. Because the NCC is a Crown corporation, it is not required to make its meetings public.
“I think the public has a right to know what the NCC is doing with its money,” Watson says.
Marc Denhez says that idea is absurd.
The commissioner, who lives in Ottawa, says that once it becomes public knowledge what build-ings the NCC is interested in buying, the price starts to skyrocket. It’s no way to do business, says Denhez, a lawyer who specializes in urban planning, development and heritage issues.
But the NCC’s move towards urban planning and development has some politicians concerned.
“The problem is they are now engaging in urban development and urban development is very complex stuff that requires much public debate,” says Clive Doucet, a member of Stop the Metcalfe Nonsense, a group that lobbied last year against the widening of Metcalfe Street.
Doucet says the NCC rarely gets into discussions or debates with the public about its plans.
But Norma Lamont says the NCC does consult with the public. Lamont, who is in her second term on the board, says the NCC’s plan to widen Metcalfe Street was dropped because of opposition from the public.
“There’s some stuff in the media that says the NCC is not consultative,” she says.
“I think they are. They make presentations. They make time for feedback.”
Since she was appointed in 1996, some commissioners have started to talk about getting out into the community to combat the NCC’s negative image.
“The image (of the NCC) is not a positive one out there in the community for the most part,” Lamont says.
As a commissioner, Lamont says she has thought seriously about the role of the NCC.
“In my own mind, I’m wondering should we be more active, should we have more meetings, should we be playing a larger role. Or are we given too much authority for the amount of times that we do meet?”
Lamont has also wrestled with the question of accountability.
Some critics say the NCC isn’t held accountable for its actions. Lamont disagrees.
“We are accountable to the minister (of Canadian heritage) and the Prime Minister’s Office. They’re the ones that make the appointment and they’re the ones that can take it away.”