October 12, 2007 Vol. 37 No. 9 Serving the Glebe community since 1973 FREE PHOTO: SUZANNE LANDIS Future of Lansdowne belongs to the public BY LESLIE FULTON posed plans don’t even reflect the current reality of Bank Street or the upcom- Any discussion concerning the development of Lansdowne Park should be ing reconstruction that has been so carefully documented. This development conducted in an open and transparent public forum and not behind closed plan was obviously done in isolation without taking into account any other doors, according to the Federation of Citizens’ Associations (FCA), an stakeholders’ interests.” umbrella group that represents the interests of more than 80 community asso- Agnes Warda, president of the Glens Community Association, says it is ciations across the City of Ottawa. The FCA unanimously restated this posi- essential that, from now on, a public process be adopted to discuss the fate of tion at a meeting held on Sept. 27. Lansdowne. “Lansdowne has belonged to the people of Ottawa for more than “It is imperative that the City of Ottawa consults the public about the future of 100 years and any development should include their input,” she said. “It’s a this important piece of public land before it makes any decision to go ahead and legacy property that deserves thoughtful time and public attention.” develop it,” said Archie Campbell, FCA president and president of the Dalhousie If you are concerned about the future of Lansdowne Park, e-mail Mayor Community Association. “When dealing with public lands, there must be an Larry O’Brien at [email protected] and Councillor Clive Doucet at appropriate public process that involves all stakeholders, not just a select few.” [email protected] to share your opinions on the importance of a fair, Bob Brocklebank, president of the Glebe Community Association (GCA), transparent and public consultation process. Any development at Lansdowne said that he was disappointed the GCA was not approached by the consortium Park directly affects our neighbourhood. Make sure your voice is heard! or by the City for input on the latest plan to redevelop Lansdowne Park. The Glebe Community Association (GCA) is running a survey concerning “I found out about it through the media just like everybody else,” said Lansdowne Park at www.glebeca.ca. The GCA wants to hear your opinions on Brocklebank. “There was no consultation at all with the community that will this key issue. You can either submit your answers online or drop them off at be most affected by any development. I was also surprised to see that the pro- the Glebe Community Centre. For history of Lansdowne Park by John Leaning see page 2 Mark your calendars WHAT’S INSIDE October 18 Underground Sound concert series, featuring the SoulJazz Orchestra, 7 p.m., GCC. Abbotsford . .2 Business news . .16-17 Tickets are still available. See page 29 for details. History of Lansdowne Park .2 Noffke’s Glebe . .22-23 October 20 Treasures-for-the-Tower Auction, St. Matthew’s Anglican Church, noon - 5 p.m. Swimming with polar bears .3 Art . .24-27 October 21 My Kids Funky Closet children’s consignment sale. GCC, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. Editorial . .4 Music . .28-29 www.mykidsfunkycloset.com GNAG . .7 Ted and Lois at the Movies 30 October 23 GCA board meeting. GCC, 7:30 p.m. All are welcome. GCA . .8 Schools . .31-35 October 27 Great Glebe Pumpkin Patch celebrations GCC, 4:30 - 7 p.m. Good Old Days . .10 Books . .36-38 November 2-4 Ottawa Valley Weavers and Spinners Guild Glebe Questions . .11 Religion . .39-41 show and sale at GCC. See page 27 for details. November 9-11 260 Fingers Potters show and sale Councillor’s Report . .12 Grapevine . .42-43 See page 25 for details. November 19 Community consultation about Lansdowne Park. NEXT DEADLINE: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2007 GCC, 7 p.m. See page 8 for details. FOR THE NOVEMBER 9 ISSUE 2 Glebe Report October 12, 2007 NEWS Moving trucks Lansdowne Park history roll into Lord Lansdowne BY JOHN LEANING The recent news that the south stadium at Lansdowne Park, built in 1962, may be demolished, gives cause to examine the history and future of the so- called park. It has been many things since 1868, when the canal ordinance land east of Bank Street was offered to the Ottawa Agriculture Society for the purpose of a fairground. Since then, it has been used for exhibitions, spectator sports and participatory sports, and an amusement midway, but never actually as a park. The canal shoreline and eastern and southern boundary of Lansdowne Park were originally different; the “park” consisted of a peninsula on which sat the home of a Mr. Craig, just opposite Pig Island. The inlet behind extended from the present lily pond north of Fifth Avenue to just in front of the Aberdeen Pavilion built in 1898. The fairground cum exhibition first consisted of a mot- ley collection of wooden buildings which burned down in 1907, fortunately leaving the Aberdeen Pavilion, the largest freespan building of its kind in North America. It was Colonel By who determined the east and south boundaries of the fairground and the Glebe in 1826. The canal was moved there because of the actions of a Captain LeBreton who had acquired the LeBreton Flats lands across which the canal was originally intended to pass. When the park was first created, it was outside the city. By the 1930s, the Glebe residential area had encompassed it. But even though the Driveway had been built along its eastern side in 1926, traffic access to the park by the 1950s was limited and started to cause problems of congestion and pollution in the surrounding areas. PHOTO: PAT GOYECHE PHOTO: PAT Lansdowne Park was not originally intended as a spectator sports ground as it is now. The Rough Riders football team did not appear until 1896. They last- BY JULIE IRETON ed 100 years, until their demise due to mismanagement in 1996. The use of For Phillip and Ruth Monroe their move to the Lord Lansdowne Retirement the park as a commercially operated midway by Amusements of America did Residence has been a series of firsts. They were the first to sign up, the first to not appear until 1964. It is the primary reason why we now have a vast asphalt move in and, on Sept. 1, they started unpacking their boxes in the penthouse. parking lot where playing fields used to be – even though the midway only “They did a magnificent job.” lasts for ten days each year. Dymon Healthcare gutted the whole building and started right from In 1970, there was a serious proposal to extend Lansdowne Park northwards scratch,” Phillip Monroe says of his new home. “It’s very comfortable and to Fifth Avenue and Bank Street, which would have required the removal of nicely laid out.” 150 homes. Fortunately, that idea was quashed by city council under consid- The Lord Lansdowne is situated in the tower formerly owned by the Glebe erable pressure from the Glebe Community Association. However, the GCA Centre Long Term Care facility at Bank Street and Holmwood Avenue. The was unable to prevent the expansion of the south stadium in 1975, the portion building has had a complete make-over from the inside out. The grounds have of the stands now in a state of collapse. been landscaped and there’s underground parking. The residence is geared Since 1972, there have been about eight different design proposals for the towards independent seniors who want access to a variety of services ranging park, including the removal of the midway to outside of Ottawa. Some very from entertainment to home-care. positive moves were made in the 1990s. The Aberdeen Pavilion was restored, The Munroes are both in their 80s. They’ve been waiting for over a year to a children’s playground was created in the northeast corner and much of the move into Lord Lansdowne. They decided to settle there before the units were canal ordnance lands adjacent to the Driveway were made into attractive park- even built. land. Some ideas being contemplated are the removal of the stadium, removal “We lived in the Hunt Club area. The reason we came here was to down- of the midway and replacement of the vast asphalt parking lot with ornamen- size. We saw the layout and the plans and decided to come,” explains Monroe. tal gardens and playing fields. Phillip is a volunteer at Abbotsford House Senior Citizen’s Centre, which is connected by a breezeway to the Lord Lansdowne. He helps conduct the silent auction at Abbotsford’s annual bazaar. Pat Sousa is the manager at Lord Lansdowne. She says the Monroes are typ- ical residents at the Lord Lansdowne, where the average age tends to be about 80. Sousa stated, “We have many things you wouldn’t find in a regular retire- ment residence.” The first floor has a number of unique services, including a movie theatre, exercise room, library, spa, beauty salon, chapel, and a lounge with a baby grand piano. The residence offers studios and one and two bedroom units. So far, it has 50 per cent occupancy. “Usually it takes 18 months to two years to get up to 95 per cent occupan- cy, but we’ll get there within a year,” predicts Sousa. There’s just so much interest.” She says, so far a number of the new residents are from the Glebe or have lived in the neighbourhood in the past. Sousa says many like the idea of being able to walk out the door and head to the shops on Bank Street.