The fate of a $100-million riverfront property located on Ottawa’s historic Chaudière Island is sparking discussion after the unexpected demolition of a century-old mill and the NCC’s halting of negotiations to acquire the site as part of its vision for the future of the national capital.
The Ottawa River industrial site, located north of the Canadian War Museum where Booth Street leads to the Chaudière Bridge, is owned by Domtar Corp., a private company that demolished the derelict Groundwood Pulp Mill at the site in late February, rekindling debate on how the 14-acre island should be redeveloped.
The National Capital Commission has expressed interest in the past in acquiring the Domtar lands, an important part of the capital region’s cultural, industrial and First Nations history.
“We absolutely recognize that this site is at the heart of the national capital and we are doing our best to make sure it gets sold in a way that respects the heritage value and the development potential of this site,” says Stuart Lister, Domtar’s manager of corporate communications and public affairs.
But, the NCC’s plans of restoring buildings on the island for use by the government are on hold for now, according to a spokesman for the federal agency.
Still, Ottawa Centre MPP Yasir Naqvi says the NCC is ultimately key to the future of the area and that the City of Ottawa has little influence over plans to repurpose the island.
“It’s pretty much up to the NCC and federal government on how to handle the issue,” he says.
NCC spokesman Mario Tremblay says the commission developed conceptual designs for the area in the early 1990s.
It envisioned the area as a link from the core of the capital via LeBreton Flats over to Ruisseau de la Brasserie, restoring a connection between these areas that existed more than a century ago.
According to Tremblay, there is now no negotiations between the NCC and Domtar for the federal agency to acquire the lands.
But he added: “The NCC will try to acquire them if the money is available and if the properties become available.”
The acquisition and redevelopment of the island could round out the NCC’s vision of waterfront beautification in the heart of the national capital.
But the island has been in private hands since the early 1800s and Dalhousie Community Association president Eric Darwin says it’s probably best that way.
“I really like the idea of someone like the distillery district, a private firm, coming in, because they understand their product has to be usable, it has to be a livable space that works and supports the merchants and businesses,” Darwin says.
Darwin says the abandoned industrial facilities should be redeveloped with a focus on residential living spaces.
"Right now, in Ottawa we say these are valuable public lands, we can't have condos there where only rich people live, and the result is that you end up with the Museum of Civilization and the National Gallery and the War Museum that all take up extremely valuable waterfront space," says Darwin.