Official Plan Amendments

1.7 The Canal

1.7.1 Vision

Image

In the future, the greenway system, waterway corridors, historic buildings, and cultural institutions of the Canal area will attract residents from throughout the Ottawa metropolitan area, tourists from across Canada, and employees from local government facilities, as well as the nearby Core. This unique historical open space environment will continue to provide an attractive, enjoyable setting for an increased variety of year-round activities which optimize its use and celebrate Ottawa's identity as the nation's capital.

Outdoor Activity

In the winter, for example, thousands of residents and tourists will share the excitement of the Winterlude Festival, including such activities as skating on the Canal, carving ice sculptures, and watching harness races on the ice. In warmer months, the Festival of Spring, Canada Day celebration, Ottawa's Jazz Festival, and special ceremonial activities will continue to draw visitors and residents to the banks of the Canal, the rooftop terraces of the National Arts Centre, Confederation and Major's Hill parks, and Nepean Point, where they will enjoy spectacular views of the Canal, the Parliament Buildings, the Ottawa River, and the National Gallery.

Agriculture Entertainment

Theatre patrons of the National Arts Centre will enjoy views of the Canal from quiet outdoor cafés next to the Canal. Visitors to the National Gallery, War Museum, Mint, and Museum of Contemporary Photography will enjoy shopping and eating in the nearby By Ward Market after a walk along Confederation Boulevard across the Interprovincial Bridge to the Museum of Civilization in Hull.

Linkages

Sparks Street shoppers will be drawn to an attractive usable pedestrian amenity area and sidewalk I in front of the Conference Centre on the south side of Wellington Street which will provide views of the Canal, the War Memorial, and Parliament Hill. This feature, the addition of a restaurant on the ground floor of the Conference Centre, and safe, at-grade pedestrian access across Elgin Street on both sides of Confederation Square, will promote pedestrian movement between the areas east and west of the Canal. Improvements to the plaza west of the Conference Centre will also result in improved and enhanced pedestrian access to the restored historic Canal locks north of Wellington Street, permitting greater enjoyment of these valuable heritage resources. A variety of historical interpretation activities such as stone masonry demonstrations and heritage walking tours, will optimize the use and appreciation of this area.

Water Focus

Pedestrians will particularly be drawn to the Sterling Wharf 'marina' at the edge of the Ottawa River near the entrance to the Ottawa Locks, where a pedestrian ferry will provide an enjoyable water link between the National Gallery, the Museum of Civilization, and the Islands adjacent to LeBreton Flats. This facility will respect the environmental sensitivity of the shoreline and the escarpment, as will the enhanced Riverside Walk which will connect LeBreton Flats with the Canal locks along the River's edge and will accommodate both pedestrians and bicycles. In addition, a comprehensive area plan undertaken in collaboration with the National Capital Commission and Parks Canada, will examine how Confederation Park, Festival Plaza and adjacent open spaces can be better oriented to the Rideau Canal. [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]

Focal Point

The Canal's valuable historic and cultural resources, abundant green spaces, greenway linkages and memorable views will be protected and enhanced, ensuring the enjoyment of this focal part of the Central Area for future generations.

1.7.2 Objectives

Historical Open Space Environment

1. To recognize and enhance The Canal, as designated on Schedule B of this Plan, Central Area Character Areas and Theme Streets as a focus for primarily leisure, cultural, institutional, judicial, and government uses, set in a unique and historical open space environment which is conducive to ceremonial, leisure and tourism activities at both the national and local level.
   

Year-Round Focus

2. To protect and enhance the unique environmental, historical, architectural, and cultural resources and features of the Canal area consistent with the Greenway System policies as outlined in the Environmental Management chapter of this Plan.

Enjoyment of Waterway Corridors

3. To promote increased enjoyment of the waterway corridors of the Canal and the Ottawa River while ensuring the protection and enhancement of their unique heritage features and environmental qualities.

1.7.3 Policies

Users and Development Compatible with Unique Environment

1. City Council shall support predominantly leisure, ceremonial, cultural, institutional, judicial, conference and government uses within the Canal Character Area. City Council shall also support and promote limited appropriate commercial and complementary uses, particularly those which contribute to the enjoyment of the waterway corridors of the Canal and the Ottawa River, such as outdoor cafés or small restaurants. City Council shall ensure, together with other governments, that development within the area:
1. is predominantly low to medium profile, and respects and is sensitive to the unique historic open space environment of the Canal area, and to nearby heritage resources, in accordance with Policy c) below;
2. respects existing significant views from, within and through the area, particularly those of the Parliament Buildings and other significant resources as identified in the Central Area Secondary Policy Plans; and
3. minimizes potential vehicular impacts on the predominantly pedestrian-oriented character of the area.

Year-Round Focus

2. City Council shall support and participate with other levels of government in initiatives resulting in the optimal and continued use of the Canal Character Area as a year-round focus for ceremonial and leisure activities including the provision of well distributed amenities for both special events and regular park users.

Heritage Resources

3. City Council shall promote and ensure the protection, enhancement and conservation of the heritage resources and features of the Canal Character Area, including its historic buildings, sites, structures and/or landscape elements, and in particular, the national historic significance and unique heritage character of the Rideau Canal waterway corridor. In support of this policy, City Council shall:

Rideau Canal

1. ensure, together with other governmental agencies, that proposed activities and development in the vicinity of the Canal respects, and is sensitive to its unique historic setting and environmental and visual qualities, in accordance with Policies a) and b) above;

Access

1. support enhanced and safe pedestrian and cycle access to the Ottawa Locks area, subject to I) above; and

Activities

1. support the provision of heritage awareness activities which interpret the Canal's historic features.

Enhancement of Open Spaces

4. City Council, shall in support of Policy a) above, promote and support:
1. the retention and use of existing open spaces within the Canal area as the focus for major celebrations and public events;
2. the continued use of the waterfront of the Rideau Canal waterway corridor for leisure activities and uses subject to Policy c) above and as outlined in the environmental policies of this Plan; and
3. the coordination and improvement of the visual quality and distinctive image of major open spaces, streets and buildings in the area through such features as improved streetscaping, enhanced vegetation, lighting and ceremonial features in accordance with Section 3.6.6-Central Area of Volume 1 of the Official Plan;
4. the creation of a more distinctive network of public spaces around the existing institutional buildings, including: integration of Festival Plaza with Confederation Park; better access and animation to the canal edge; and, expanding the existing park space along the western edge of the Character Area. [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]

Confederation Boulevard

5. City Council shall support the concept of Confederation Boulevard which extends throughout the Canal Character Area, as a significant pedestrian promenade with distinctive streetscaping elements linking national institutions.

Escarpment

6. City Council endorses the retention of the historic natural setting of the Canal area adjacent to the Ottawa River through the conservation and rehabilitation of the escarpment in its natural state in accordance with Policy 1.4.3 c) of this chapter.

Vantage Points

7. City Council shall encourage the protection of existing vantage points, and significant views from public rights-of-way in the Canal Character Area, as shown on Annex 6 A -Central Area Key Views and View Sequences. City council shall protect the views of the Parliament Buildings from two locations at Beechwood Cemetery, as identified in Annex 12 in Volume 1 of this plan. [Amendment 69, November 26, 2008]

Pedestrian Movement

8. City Council shall, together with other governmental agencies, explore alternatives to improve pedestrian movement from the Core and Sparks Street, across Confederation Square to Character Areas and Theme Streets east of the Canal with an emphasis on at-grade movement. City Council shall, in the implementation of this policy, promote:
1. the protection and enhancement of the visual integrity and historic character of Confederation Square;
2. the provision of safe, identifiable at-grade pedestrian crossings across the east and west sides of the Square;
3. the use of a portion of the Conference Centre at grade for appropriate pedestrian - oriented use or activity which will animate the building and assist in promoting pedestrian movement between the east and west sides of the Canal;
4. the enhancement of the plaza on the west side of the Conference Centre to create an enjoyable, usable landscaped pedestrian amenity area which permits street-vending activity and incorporates safe pedestrian access to the Locks area at the Canal level;
5. the protection and enhancement of the unique environmental, historical, and leisure features of the Canal consistent with the Greenway system policies outlined in the Environmental Management chapter and with Policy c) above, while minimizing the potential negative impacts of vehicular access/exit.

Pedestrian Ferry Service

9. City Council shall endorse and support the use of the Ottawa River waterfront as a focus of leisure activities and uses. In support of this policy, City Council shall, in consultation with other levels of government, support, promote, and investigate the feasibility of the following, while ensuring the protection of the Ottawa River shoreline and water quality, and the escarpment, in accordance with Policy c) and f) above, and the environmental policies of the Official Plan:
1. establishing a pedestrian ferry service which connects the National Gallery, the Museum of Civilization, and the Islands/LeBreton Flats for tourism and potentially commuter purposes;
2. developing docking facilities and limited appropriate commercial use, such as a restaurant, near the entrance to the Canal while protecting the visual integrity of Parliament Hill as seen from Confederation Boulevard; and
3. enhancing the pedestrian circulation system and cycle network between the Canal and LeBreton Flats along the Ottawa River waterfront consistent with the environmental policies as outlined in the Official Plan.

Laurier Avenue Ramps

10. City Council shall consider in the longer term, as part of a downtown transportation study, the minimization or removal of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway on and off ramps from/to Laurier Avenue and the implementation of traffic calming measures, including safer pedestrian crossings between City Hall and Confederation Park. [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]

Targeted Strategies

11. City Council shall consider undertaking the following targeted strategies (see Annex 10) to implement the Downtown Ottawa Urban Design Strategy:
1. Elgin Street Beautification - beautification of Elgin Street through a co-ordinated program of: landscaping; tree planting in the medians and boulevards; removal of traffic islands to allow for expansion of the open space south of Laurier; higher quality finishes (e.g., granite) and paving; and street furniture, all of similar quality to Confederation Boulevard;
2. Lisgar Street Beautification - beautification of Lisgar Street by converting it to two-way traffic; reclaiming City-owned right-of-way along its edges being used for surface parking on adjacent properties; and undertaking a major reinvestment in the streetscape and public realm and adjacent frontages to match improvements to the City Hall site as per the Targeted Strategy for Central Park on the Canal Design Competition below;
3. Open Space Expansion and Narrowing of Elgin Street - in collaboration with the National Capital Commission, narrowing of Elgin Street from Lisgar Street towards Laurier Avenue in order to create an expanded green space in front of the City Hall Heritage Building and Knox Church;
   The following targeted strategies will be examined as part of a comprehensive area plan and implemented as determined by that area plan, in collaboration with the National Capital Commission and Parks Canada:
4. Heritage District Open Space Expansion - heritage area open space improvements including consideration of the following:
• redirection of Queen Elizabeth Driveway traffic to Cooper Street in order to facilitate the creation of a Canal front open space, an enhanced setting for the heritage buildings and a waterfront edge to Confederation Park;
• enhancement of the cultural heritage landscape character of Queen Elizabeth Driveway between MacKenzie King Bridge and Somerset Street;
• creation of a connected series of public squares and civic spaces between the important heritage buildings;
• landscaping of the site to accentuate the public realm improvements and better frame the heritage buildings; introduction of an expanded network of pedestrian paths through the site;
• co-ordination of street furniture and lighting;
• planting of street trees along the Lisgar Street and Laurier Avenue edges;
• ensuring that buildings along the eastern edge to open up to the Canal.
1. Canal Edge Treatment - following reconsideration of the alignment, form and function of Queen Elizabeth Driveway, development of a multi-level pedestrian priority promenade along both edges of the Canal from Wellington Street to the proposed Somerset Street pedestrian bridge. Council shall encourage the National Capital Commission and Parks Canada to explore opportunities for providing mooring bays along the Canal south of Laurier as a longer-term priority.
2. Re-imaging and Integration of the Queen Elizabeth Driveway Arrival Sequence – as part of a downtown transportation study, reduction of the impact that Queen Elizabeth Driveway has on adjacent open spaces by:
• establishing Cooper Street as a two-way street east of Elgin and connecting it to Queen Elizabeth Driveway;
• returning the Driveway to a parkway image and potentially narrowing the roadway width to one lane in each direction;
• reconsidering some of the landscaping as the Driveway enters downtown to provide stronger views of important civic buildings and create a more urban atmosphere;
1. Central Park on the Canal Design Competition - consider holding a Central Park on the Canal design competition, in order to establish a major destination park space for the Nation’s Capital, centered on Confederation Park, the open spaces surrounding City Hall and the edges of the Rideau Canal. [Amendment #24, May 25, 2005]