NCC plan for George-Étienne park includes Mile Circle
Open house on conceptual plan to be held Wednesday February 15
The National Capital Commission (NCC) is continuing public consultations next week to develop plans for Sir George-Étienne Cartier Park, including areas near the Canada Aviation and Space Museum and Mile Circle.
The plan is in an early stage and remains very conceptual. The documentation is mainly a catalogue of suggestions and priorities identified by stakeholders and those who participated in past consultations. However, a map on the project’s PlaceSpeak page suggests a “medium-scale” facility could be built at Mile Circle.
A 13-kilometre stretch of the park has been identified as falling within the scope of the plan. This area includes land near the Aviation Museum and Mile Circle.
According to a summary on the NCC website, the purpose of the plan is to “enhance access to the [Ottawa] river and animate key public spaces within the park”.
Public consultations
An open house about the plan is being held from 2 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday February 15 at the Richelieu-Vanier Community Centre, 300 Des Pères-Blancs Ave. (Read the NCC’s news release about the open house.)
The open house is a chance for residents to find out more about the plan, ask questions and offer comments.
People can also offer direct comments about the plan through the NCC’s PlaceSpeak page, or by emailing them directly to consultations@ncc-ccn.ca.
The deadline to submit comments online is Sunday February 19.
‘Medium-scale entertainment or cultural facility’
The plan summary on the NCC’s website and a 2021 public consultation report don’t offer many specifics, but a map of the area on the plan’s PlaceSpeak web-page has red pins identifying potential developments in different areas of the park.
A pin on Mile Circle, identified as the “fifth node” of “sector A”, suggests the site “may include a medium-scale outdoor entertainment or cultural facility that can be used during any season.”
The project is still in the consultation phase. According to a schedule on the NCC’s website, a draft version of the plan won’t be available until spring 2024.