By Steve Dominey
Plans to turn Wellington Street into Canada’s main street with special-interest museums and other attractions is what Ottawa needs to draw more visitors, says the Canadian Tourism Commission.
Jim Watson, Ottawa’s former mayor and the commission’s president and CEO, says turning an eight-block stretch of Wellington, from Confederation Square to the planned Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats, into a showcase of Canada’s history and culture would animate the street.
“It would make it a real destination for both visitors and residents of the area,” says Watson. “This is exciting because what tourism always needs is a new angle to not only attract new visitors, but to encourage past visitors to come back and see something different.”
The key federal departments — the National Capital Commission, Public Works and Government Services and Canadian Heritage — are now working on a string of multi-million dollar ideas and projects to rejuvenate Wellington Street.
The new proposals for Wellington tourist attractions include:
• The National Archives and National Library complex is looking at either renovating its own buildings, expanding into new buildings or rebuilding new headquarters at LeBreton Flats. The complex will probably then be transformed into an interactive space with public programs and activities.
• A proposal for a new national history museum at the old train station dedicated to Canadian politics and prime ministers.
• The Sports Hall of Fame, once to be developed at the old train station, may now move to the Canadian Museum of Contemporary Photography. The photography museum would then move to the National Gallery.
These proposals could go to cabinet as early as next month.
Projects already green-lighted or under way are:
• The $105-million Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats scheduled for opening in May 2005.
• The $1.5-billion overhaul of Parliament Hill and the $50-million renovation of the Library of Parliament.
• A portrait gallery at the old American embassy to house some of the National Archives’s huge portrait collection. It has received $22 million, but needs more.
• An estimated $100-million Federal Court building on St. Laurent Square, next to the Supreme Court in the parliamentary precinct.
NCC spokeswoman Laurie Peters says there is nothing wrong with Wellington Street today, but feels these opportunities needed to be tapped into.
“Our mandate is to make sure Canada’s capital is an important meeting place for all Canadians,” she says. “This will make Ottawa not only the political capital, but the cultural capital of Canada.”
Somerset Ward Coun. Elisabeth Arnold agrees. She welcomes the federal government’s investment in cultural institutions because the tourism sector is very important to Ottawa’s economy.
“It’s a very practical, important investment in Ottawa,” she says.
Although there will be some federal spending, Arnold questions whether all the ideas will come to fruition, especially at the same time.
Capital Ward Coun. Clive Doucet says believes all the plans will go through because they are smart ideas.
“All the proposals make sense to me and if it makes sense there’s a good chance it will happen,” he says.
“It’s one of the most sensible ideas to come out of the NCC in a long time, it took me by surprise.”
Doucet recently proposed a motion calling for the annual municipal arts and heritage budget to be increased by 20 per cent each year for the next five years. That would more than double the current $3.07-million annual budget to $7.6 million by 2007.
Doucet thinks the resurrection of a national boulevard is important, but says there’s definitely still a need for municipal spending on culture.
“This is just another piece of the puzzle to make Ottawa what it should be.”