The Chretien government’s plan to build a series of museums and cultural attractions along Wellington Street would pump more tax dollars into a city already bloated with federal cash.
The NCC spends about $145 million each year on city projects – many of which are endlessly criticized and under-appreciated. On top of its regular budget the Crown corporation received $40 million to buy buildings along Sparks Street and develop the area. The street looks much the same as it did years ago – still empty and underused.
Now, the government seems on the verge of giving the NCC and other federal agencies like Public Works, millions more tax dollars for large-scale cosmetic surgery on eight blocks of Wellington Street.
While the aim is to build Canada’s version of Pennsylvania Avenue or Champs Elysées, Canada’s main street would, in comparison, likely be as attractive as a stretch of prairie highway in January.
The problem is not just the disturbing amount of federal money spent on the city, but the wasteful spending of tax dollars. There is already a cornucopia of cultural attractions downtown, including the National Gallery, the Canadian Museum of Civilization, the Portrait Gallery, and in the works is the new Canadian War Museum.
The argument for building more new attractions along Wellington Street is as confused as Chretien’s English – or French for that matter.
The justification for the plan seems to be that a stretch of cultural attractions would draw Ottawa residents and Canadians from far and wide to the downtown area.
But Ottawa is no Mecca. Canadians don’t make annual pilgrimages to the capital to celebrate the lives of prime ministers past. In fact, in most Canadian provinces, “Ottawa” is not the name of a city, it’s a derogatory term meaning ‘federal government’ – something said with a scrunching of the nose and the lowering of an eyebrow.
If only the rest of the country realized there is a Crown corporation designed entirely to spend money developing Ottawa. Try explaining how that works to people in, say, crumbling downtown Winnipeg.
A Canadian main street would also not benefit the city. Museums may draw the odd tourist, but they don’t lure businesses to the downtown area. They don’t provide any solid basis for economic growth – at least it hasn’t worked so far.
If Jean Chretien views building a Canadian main street as his legacy, he may not have much to show Canadians for his years in office.
The Chretien government seems to be overlooking the obvious question, what’s wrong with Wellington Street anyway?
The Parliament Buildings – now undergoing a $1.5-billion facelift – grace Wellington, as does the Supreme Court and the Confederation building. It seems the government won’t be happy until the street’s paved with gold.
Perhaps they should invest in Canada’s real main street – it’s called the Trans Canada Highway, and a simple drive down it will reveal far more about Canadian culture than any collection of Ottawa museums.
— Colin Campbell