Lazy Bay Commons: Trees Not Embassies

At the meeting on January 24, the CPCA Board voted to donate $250.00 to Mechanicsville’s Lazy Bay Commons, Trees Not Embassies Legal Defence Fund. Background is here: 20230124 Presentation Lazy Bay Commons.pdf This unique cause has the support of our Councillor, our MPP and our MP, community associations and other volunteer organisations in Ottawa. Ottawa City Council rejected the NCC’s Application to build embassies in this location.

[Map of the Trees Affected and Surrounding Area]

The NCC appealed Council’s decision to the Ontario Land Tribunal (OLT), the “independent adjudicative tribunal responsible for resolving appeals and applications on a variety of contentious municipal and land use planning matters.”

Mechanicsville continues to raise funds to hire a Professional Planner and Lawyer, so they can participate meaningfully in the Appeal process. Donations may be made here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/trees-not-embassies-legal-defense-fund

Heather

4 thoughts on “Lazy Bay Commons: Trees Not Embassies”

  1. I’d be interested in knowing why the NCC is pushing this stupid idea of having an “embassy row” near Parkdale and the Parkway. To my knowledge, no foreign country is interested in it. It’s a long way from the parts of the city in which embassies do business (eg, Sussex Drive), and it’s not a particularly scenic or otherwise distinguished location. So why is the NCC taking this all the way to legal action? It’s our tax money at work. Has anyone talked to Nussbaum or the leadership in the NCC to see what drives this nonsense?

    1. Hi Dan. This article from January 30 will answer most of your questions: https://kitchissippi.com/2023/01/30/pressure-mounts-to-move-mechanicsville-embassy-proposal-to-tunneys-pasture/ (Note, though, that there is one embassy at 55 Parkdale. The building and its large parking lot have been there since before 1965, though I don’t know if it has been occupied by the Indonesian Embassy during all that time.) Why the NCC is adamant that this area has to be turned into an embassy precinct, when downtown or Lebreton Flats would be the best locations, is a mystery. Tunney’s could manage space for one embassy, though, as you note, it too is far from the parts of the City where embassies do business.

      1. Heather: the I know the Indonesian embassy is on Parkdale, but it’s a lonely location. The building used to belong to an NGO (or possibly was rented by that NGO), and the Indonesians renovated it when they acquired it. There are also some residences on Island Park Drive. But what I want to know is why two levels of government are fighting each other over a project that has no basis in reality. If there were five countries lined up to build embassies, that would be different. But there is lots of land in Ottawa for embassies, and given a choice, none of them would locate there. That’s the mystery.

      2. Totally agree with you on all counts. It boggles the mind. Lorrie Marlow, President of the MCA, or Roy Atkinson, who spearheads the “Trees Not Embassies” efforts, are the ones to get in touch with, for accurate, up-to-date information. They can be reached via: http://www.mechanicsville.ca/contact

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