National Capital Commission overview: Committee of the Whole—May 19, 2022
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National Capital Commission
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Key data points
- Approximately $154.2 million in total funding for the National Capital Commission (NCC) is anticipated through the Main Estimates for 2022 to 2023
- Votes on the Main Estimates for 2022 to 2023 for the NCC consist of 2 parts:
- payments to the NCC for operating expenditures ($75.9 million)
- payments to the NCC for capital expenditures ($78.3 million)
- This represents a decrease of $1.8 million in planned spending, as compared to the Main Estimates for 2021 to 2022. It is attributable to the following variances:
- a decrease of $0.6 million in operating expenditures and of $3.6 million in capital expenditures related to phase IV of the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan
- an increase of $3.0 million in operating expenditures and a decrease of $3.0 million in capital expenditures related to bridge crossing maintenance and infrastructure
- an increase of $2.4 million in operating expenditures as a result of a new collective bargaining agreement with NCC employees
- There are 5 interprovincial crossings in the National Capital Region. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) manages and operates the Alexandra Bridge (built in 1901), Chaudière Crossing (with the Union Bridge built in 1919 being the oldest of the 8 structures) and the Macdonald-Cartier Bridge (built in 1965). The NCC manages and operates the Champlain Bridge (built in 1928) and the Portage Bridge (built in 1973)
- The initial phase of the new Civic Campus is currently scheduled to open in 2028 with a floorspace of 2.5 million square feet (232,250 m2), 6,600 onsite staff, 641 in-patient beds and 3,933 patient visits per day
National Capital Region bridges
- The government continues to improve the condition of the crossings in the National Capital Region
- The National Capital Commission developed the Long-term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan, in collaboration with the City of Ottawa, the City of Gatineau, the provinces of Ontario and Quebec, transit authorities, and other stakeholders
- The plan, approved by the NCC’s board in January 2022, confirmed the vision, policies and infrastructure priorities for sustainable interprovincial travel for a 2050 planning horizon and will serve to inform decisions around regional transportation in ways that are sustainable, equitable, environmentally sensitive and work towards creating a more liveable and prosperous National Capital Region
- Planned projects under the Chaudière Crossing improvements include the widening of the Hull Causeway and a major rehabilitation for the 100 year old Union Bridge
- The work will take place from July 2021 to summer 2023. A positive outcome of this work will be the addition of dedicated cyclist lanes on these 2 bridges thereby creating dedicated cycling lanes on the entire length of the Chaudière Crossing
Sixth crossing
- Budget 2021 mandated Public Services and Procurement Canada to establish a dedicated project office responsible for addressing the need for an additional National Capital Region crossing, jointly with the National Capital Commission. The project office was established in fall 2021 and will continue to grow as the project progresses
- The project office is continuing with project planning, gathering initial geotechnical information and development of a business case. The vision for the plan sets a sustainable path to achieve common goals and objectives under 5 strategic pillars:
- one region (transportation integration)
- sustainable use of crossing infrastructure
- environment and climate change
- economy
- quality of life
- Transportation studies conducted over the last 10 years have consistently shown that the 5 existing crossings and connecting roadways are at full capacity during morning and evening peak travel times (average daily traffic on all crossings: 187,000 vehicles daily; 9,000 using active transportation)
- The Long Term Integrated Interprovincial Crossings Plan will take into consideration the impacts of COVID-19 on peak hour capacity requirements due to potential changes in work related travel patterns
Replacing the Alexandra Bridge
- Planning activities, including the 5 to 6 year impact assessment process, are underway to replace the Alexandra Bridge, with construction of the new bridge scheduled to begin in 2028. In the meantime, inspections and repair work continue to ensure the bridge remains safe and accessible until it is replaced
- In February 2021, PSPC proactively published on its website the executive summary of the cost analysis study in order to be transparent about the data behind the decision to replace the bridge, and the department has since made available other existing reports and has committed to proactively publish new reports as the project progresses
National Capital Commission and payments-in-lieu-of-taxes
- Since 1950, to demonstrate the Government of Canada’s commitment to supporting local communities, the federal government has adopted legislation that provides for the fair and equitable administration of payments-in-lieu-of-taxes (PILT) where it owns real property
- In support of municipalities, and as permitted under the National Capital Act, the NCC may and does pay its fair share of PILT to various municipalities in the National Capital Region. However, as per article 16 of the act, the NCC does not pay PILT on parks with the exception of Gatineau Park
- In the Municipality of Chelsea alone, the NCC saw properties in Gatineau Park have a 58% increase in PILT applied to them between 2017 and 2019
- The properties were assessed as though they had development value and could be sold for commercial purposes. However, the NCC has neither the intention nor the unilateral ability under federal law or its planning framework to sell Gatineau Park lands for development
- If the approach taken by the municipalities of Gatineau and Chelsea were to be applied across the entire province of Quebec, the impact on entities such as Parks Canada would be in the hundreds of millions
- The NCC has been in negotiations with the municipalities of Chelsea and Gatineau since July 2021, but in December 2021, Chelsea’s council voted unanimously to take the dispute with the NCC to federal court. The municipality has publicly indicated that it is seeking a total of $1.4 million in PILT since 2018 for the NCC’s lands in Gatineau Park
The Ottawa Hospital Civic Campus
- A 20-hectare property at the eastern edge of the Central Experimental Farm along Carling Avenue has been approved by The Ottawa Hospital (TOH), the Government of Canada, the National Capital Commission and the City of Ottawa for the future Civic Campus of TOH
- After many consultations with all levels of government, including an extensive review by the National Capital Commission, this location was identified as a suitable building site for the new Civic Hospital Campus
- Ongoing work to ensure the protection of green space in the project will continue
- The initial phase of the new Civic Campus is currently scheduled to open in 2028 with a floorspace of 2.5 million square feet (232,250 m2), 6,600 onsite staff, 641 in-patient beds and 3,933 patient visits per day
Master plan and summer programming for Gatineau Park
- As an independent Crown corporation led by its board of directors, the National Capital Commission is responsible for managing, maintaining, and protecting vital public places in the National Capital Region, including Gatineau Park
- The new Gatineau Park Master Plan supports these objectives by promoting equitable and sustainable access to the park, fostering greater engagement and collaboration with visitors and partners, and supporting exceptional and inclusive outdoor recreational experiences while conserving the ecological integrity of the park
- The new plan is structured around 4 key objectives:
- conserving nature
- providing recreational and cultural experiences in nature
- promoting equitable and sustainable access
- fostering engagement and collaboration
- The general policies, land use designations, and strategic projects that support these objectives include measures to:
- better protect ecological corridors
- promote alternative modes of transportation
- minimize habitat fragmentation
- improve safety and the overall experience of visitors
- integrate Indigenous culture and history into park management and interpretation
- engage visitors and partners in responsible park stewardship
- Under the master plan, parkways serve the dual roles of providing access to popular sites in the park and providing space for active transportation. Active use programs on NCC parkways aim to promote active mobility and sustainable development, in line with federal government priorities and the NCC’s mandate
- Although there will be limited access to the parkways by motor vehicles, access to the park remains. Fifteen of 21 parking lots along the parkways will always remain accessible to the public during the summer parkway schedule
- Additionally, the NCC will, in partnership with Relais plein air, offer 4-wheeled electric scooter rentals to people with reduced mobility at no cost to users. Electric-assisted bicycles will continue to be available for rental at Relais plein air, as well as a second planned location in Chelsea
- The NCC is offering a shuttle service pilot project, departing from downtown Ottawa-Gatineau as well as from the Gatineau Park Visitor Centre. The shuttle will reduce traffic in the park, while ensuring access to the most popular attractions along the parkways. It will allow better access to the parkways for people who do not have access to a private car
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