COMMISSION DE LA CAPITALE NATIONALE CAPITALE LA DE COMMISSION RAPPORT ANNUEL 2006-2007 ANNUEL RAPPORT renew édifier unfold grandir grow changer progresser RAPPORT ANNUEL 2006-2007 COMMISSION DE LA CAPITALE NATIONALE DE LA CAPITALE COMMISSION ANNUEL 2006-2007 RAPPORT develop 2006–2007 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION CAPITAL NATIONAL REPORT 2006–2007 ANNUAL change croître mature éclore build devenir 2006–2007 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION ISBN: ISBN: 978-0-662-69946-0 Catalogue number: W number: Catalogue 91-2007 2006–2007 Annual Report: A Capital in Evolution in Capital A Report: Annual 2006–2007 Table des matières Commission Capital National 2 Message du président 3 Message de la première dirigeante 76 NCC Contact Information Contact NCC 4 Introduction 75 12 Faits saillants de l’année Terms of Glossary III: Appendix 74 14 À propos de la CCN Sponsors and Partners NCC II: Appendix 16 Gouvernance Committees Advisory and 72 Appendix I: NCC Committees to the Board the to Committees NCC I: Appendix Récapitulation de l’année 72 24 Appendices 24 Activité de programme I : Animation et promotion 60 de la capitale Statements Financial to Notes 55 28 Activité de programme II : Planification, design 2006–2007 Statements, Financial 40 et utilisation des sols Analysis and Discussion Management 38 30 Activité de programme III : Gestion des biens immobiliers Services Corporate IV: Activity Program 35 Le parc de la Gatineau 35 Gatineau Park Gatineau 38 Activité de programme IV : Services généraux 30 Program Activity III: Real Asset Management Asset Real III: Activity Program Rapport de gestion 28 40 Use Land and Design Planning, II: Activity Program 55 États financiers : 2006-2007 24 Program Activity I: Animating and Promoting the Capital the Promoting and Animating I: Activity Program 60 Notes afférentes aux états financiers 24 The Year in Review in Year The 72 Annexes 16 72 Annexe I : Comités du conseil d’administration Governance 14 et comités consultatifs de la CCN NCC the About 12 74 Annexe II : Partenaires et commanditaires Year the of Highlights 75 Annexe III : Glossaire 4 Introduction Pour communiquer avec la CCN 3 76 CEO the From Message 2 Message From the Chair the From Message al fContent of Table Commission de la capitale nationale s Rapport annuel 2006-2007 : Une capitale en évolution Numéro de catalogue : W91-2007 ISBN : 978-0-662-69946-0 a capital in evolution 2006–2007 ANNUAL REPORT NATIONAL CAPITAL COMMISSION 2 Message From the Chair The Past Is Prologue This is the first annual report that I have had the honour to present, through Parliament, to the Canadian people. I am aware of the vision, dedication and hard work that it represents, and I applaud my predecessors’ achievements, recorded here. The past year builds on a record of achievements that began in 1958, when Parliament gave the NCC a mandate to plan, develop and conserve Canada’s Capital so that, in the words of the National Capital Act, “the nature and character of the seat of the Government of Canada may National Capital Commission — Annual Report 2006–2007 National Capital— Annual Report Commission be in accordance with its national significance.” If the words of the legislation tell us anything, it is that the mandate for creating a capital to reflect the aspirations of a nation is long-term. As Canada has changed, so too has the task of capital building and, every year, the organization adds another page to a long, continuing story. And what a story it has been! Let us recall what the Capital was like in 1958. The Quebec shoreline presented an almost unbroken line of smokestacks. Railway lines drew a black border along the Rideau Canal. There were no parkways paralleling the Ottawa River or leading up into the hills. Gatineau Park was half its present size. The Greenbelt was just a dream, and there was not a single recreational pathway in the region. The Rideau Canal in winter was nothing more than a frozen white ribbon running through the city. Sussex Drive was an undistinguished row of century-old buildings in a state of decay. There was no Peacekeeping Monument, no Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, no Valiants Memorial. There were no bright commemorative banners or new plantings to mark the ceremonial boulevard, no interpretive panels to tell us Canadian stories. There were no massive annual gatherings on Canada Day on Parliament Hill. Even the Canadian flag did not exist in 1958. There is no doubt that the work of the NCC has changed the Capital in fundamental ways over the past 48 years. The accomplishments of the past year are just the latest step in a long, steady and persistent program to create a capital that reflects the Canadian people, landscape and history. Yes, we have more work to do. There are parts of the downtown that are still unworthy of a great capital. We need even more and better access to the Ottawa River shorelines. We need to get the trucks out of the downtown and to support the development of sustainable transit. Most of all, we need to build more open, better informed and mutually respectful relationships with the public. That is the road we are on. Last year, the mandate of the NCC was reviewed for the first time in 20 years. The review panel took a long, hard look at the purpose and methods of the NCC and its relevance to Canadians. The review resulted in a vote of confidence for the NCC’s mandate, along with constructive suggestions for change and improvement that the government is now considering. With those findings to encourage us, and with the accomplishments of the past 48 years — and with those of the past year in particular — to inspire us, we are ready to go forward. Russell Mills Chair Message From the CEO 3 National Capital Commission — Annual Report 2006–2007 National Capital— Annual Report Commission A Plan and a Place for Celebration The NCC has always been extraordinary for the range of its responsibilities and activities. As a planning organization, it develops visionary plans for the future. As a manager of lands and buildings, it creates public gathering places in the Capital. As an interpreter of Canadian culture, it invests in programming and interpretive activities. And every year, it seems, there is one particular project that brings all of these themes together. In 2007, that project was the launch of the 150th anniversary celebration of Canada’s Capital. Exactly 150 years ago, a remote little city called Ottawa was chosen as a new, permanent seat of government for the emerging state of Canada. This milestone has particular resonance for the NCC, in that this organization has itself played a central role in transforming the lumber town of 1857 into a place where Canadians can gather to experience a sense of pride and shared nationhood. The development of heritage exhibits on the Capital’s 150th anniversary illustrates how planning is fulfilled, not only in the form of public spaces, but also as programs that bring life and meaning to the Capital. The National Interest Land Mass — the land in the Capital that is owned and managed on behalf of Canadians — includes a wide variety of conservation areas, urban parks, preserved shorelines, esplanades and urban plazas. A notable addition in 2006–2007 to the portfolio of public spaces available for cultural programming was a new festival park at LeBreton Flats. Here, in what was once a historic neighbourhood, the NCC has established a large expanse of green with a prominent event square. The park is ready for its inauguration in June 2007, when a program of concerts and opera highlights will take place. Gatineau Park is a very different kind of public space. Here, in a vast conservation area, people come into dramatic contact with the Canadian Shield landscape in a recreational context. It was not recreation, however, but conservation that shaped last year’s program. The newly updated master plan, with its emphasis on environmental stewardship, gave rise to a successful round of studies and planning. These are crucial first steps if we are to succeed in preserving and enhancing the natural value of this extraordinary park over the long term. The year also saw a transition in leadership and the review of the NCC’s mandate. At the end of December, Marcel Beaudry completed his long-standing term as chairman. Heather Chiasson, Vice-Chairperson of the NCC, then took over as acting chairperson until the end of the fiscal year. As of April 1, 2007, the Federal Accountability Act separated the formerly dual position of chairperson and chief executive officer, and Russell Mills was appointed as chair in May 2007. Over the year, my role as chief operating officer, and now as chief executive officer, provided continued leadership and ensured continuity of the NCC’s operations. The mandate review panel clearly acknowledged the relevance of the NCC’s role and the importance of its work. The NCC will be ready to take action, as required, to implement government direction in response to the panel’s recommendations. With the appointment of the new chair, a positive record of achievement over the past year and new funding allocated in the last federal budget, the NCC is clearly ready to embark on a new and positive phase of its long history. Micheline Dubé Chief Executive Officer In the 19th century, vast timber rafts carried the wealth of entire forests of red and white pines downriver, during the historic beginnings of Canada’s Capital as a lumber town. The town’s rivers were choked with logs. Its streets were lined with hotels and taverns serving a transient population of loggers.