A NEW MIXED-USE COMMUNITY VISION FOR CONFEDERATION HEIGHTS
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)
CONFEDERATION HEIGHTS
BACKGROUND
Canada Lands Company and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) are working together to find innovative ways to address underused federal sites such as the Confederation Heights campus.
The site is approximately 188 hectares/464 acres and located roughly five kilometres south of Ottawa’s downtown core and 4.5 kilometres north of the city’s international airport. The site is bound by the Rideau River to the north and west; Data Centre Road and Sawmill Creek to the east; and Hog’s Back Road and Brookfield Road to the south.
Confederation Heights includes more than 15 buildings and lands owned by PSPC, the National Capital Commission, Canada Post Corporation, Health Canada, and the City of Ottawa. In the 1950s, Jacques Gréber created the Plan for the National Capital, which proposed to decentralize federal employment in the National Capital Region. The plan resulted in the establishment of a single-use federal office node at Confederation Heights, which was auto-centric and characterized by expansive parking lots and large open spaces. Prior to the construction of these government buildings, Confederation Heights was primarily agricultural lands, with one industrial use formerly located in the northeast corner of the study area.
Since the 1960s, the site has remained essentially unchanged and still exemplifies many of these physical characteristics. Though the Gréber Plan was ground-breaking and fitting for its time, Confederation Heights should be redeveloped to meet the current and future needs of the City of Ottawa as a whole, while creating an iconic federal employment centre suitable for the Nation’s Capital.
TODAY
Acting as a prominent gateway into the urban area of Ottawa from the south and situated within the boundaries of two wards (16 and 17), its setting includes views of the Rideau River and Canal along with Vincent Massey and Hog’s Back Parks.
COMMENCEMENT OF A MASTER PLANNING EXERCISE
Canada Lands and PSPC are preparing a master plan to guide the development of the Confederation Heights site into a sustainable, transit-oriented, urban mixed-use community that will also serve as a federal employment hub over the next 25 years. The plan is being developed through engagement with Indigenous communities and a wide range of stakeholders including the National Capital Commission, federal government departments and agencies (Health Canada and Canada Post), the City of Ottawa and residents.
The Master Plan will outline future land uses, built form, heritage and commemoration elements, servicing and infrastructure, as well as establish a sustainable framework for urban and architectural design principles, public realm and amenities for the broader community. Canada Lands will be responsible for the development of land that it owns and PSPC will be responsible for the federal employment portions.
PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC) MANDATE
To this end, Canada Lands and PSPC are conducting an open call seeking the assistance of organizations and individuals that could participate in the development of the Master Plan. The goal is to engage a group that can provide a forum for sharing perspectives and advice to Canada Lands and PSPC, throughout the process of planning and development Confederation Heights.
MEMBERSHIP
The PAC will include a diverse mix of organizations and individuals from a range of sectors, interests, communities, and geographies that may include (but not necessarily limited to) the following areas:
- Business, commercial and institutional
|
|
- Resident, tenant, neighbourhood or community associations
| - Housing industry both affordable housing providers and for-profit builders/developers
|
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour
| - Urban mobility and transportation
|
| |
| |
| - Recreation and community services
|
| - Other local and citywide stakeholders
|
- Urban Indigenous groups and organizations
|
|
It is anticipated the PAC will comprise of approximately 30 members (not including the facilitation team, invited guests or other ad hoc contributors that may participate from time to time).
TERM OF MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS
The PAC will meet in the evenings, roughly every quarter (or 4 times each year) or as otherwise required. The length of term for members will be a full commitment for up to two years, staggered to support continuity as the membership changes over time. The intent is that meetings will be held in-person, if possible. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic protocols currently in place, meetings will be held virtually until public health officials deem in-person meetings safe to occur. Members must notify Canada Lands in advance should they be unable to attend a meeting and have their alternate attend instead.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The PAC will share its perspectives and advice to Canada Lands and PSPC with the assistance of a third-party facilitator, Momentum, who are a member of the Master Plan Consulting Team.
PAC members, Canada Lands, PSPC, and the Momentum facilitation team will:
- Agree to these Terms of Reference.
- Be transparent about their participation in the PAC.
- Provide material for review in advance of PAC meetings, where possible.
- Strive to provide accurate, understandable information to support the sharing of informed perspectives and advice.
- Listen carefully to the perspectives shared and explain how those perspectives have been considered in shaping their understanding and advice.
- Ensure the results of discussions are accurately documented in the form of meeting summaries that reflect key discussion points and actions.
- Agree that all meeting summaries, as well as the Terms of Reference for the PAC, will be shared publicly (note that feedback from PAC members will be summarized in aggregate without reporting on who-said-what).
PAC members will also: Communicate with those whose interests they represent (e.g. members, communities, stakeholders, etc.) and maintain the ability to advocate outside of the PAC process to advance their respective perspectives. Organizations will select a primary member to participate on the PAC and an alternate should the primary member not be available. Members of the PAC will need to ensure confidentiality and identify the appropriate timing to disseminate information. Individuals will not have an alternate.
Canada Lands and PSPC will also: Invite appropriate technical consultants (or other resource people, including relevant government representatives) to attend discussions on specific issues or components of the process; post PAC meeting summaries as part of As We Heard It reports to the project website; and be the lead contact for media inquiries regarding the PAC.
The Momentum facilitation team will also: Lead the development of meeting agendas; produce a summary of each meeting and make the summary available to participants in a timely manner; and assist in the resolution of issues, as required.
Role of elected officials: Elected officials are ex-officio members of the PAC and are welcome to attend PAC meetings primarily as observers, participating in discussions as/if appropriate to enrich our collective understanding of the issues and opportunities at hand as the process evolves.
APPROACH TO DECISION MAKING
The PAC is a resource group, not a decision-making body. Documented meeting summaries will indicate the discussion, point out areas where perspectives are shared, and areas where opinions differ and why.
From time to time, draft documents of a confidential nature will be shared with PAC members. These documents must remain as such until they are released to the general public.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
The composition of the PAC will be made public. PAC members will have their name and organization listed on the project’s website and other related materials. Their image may also be released publicly. Personal information about each member will be kept confidential.
CONTACT
Liaison with the PAC will be led by Momentum.
A NEW MIXED-USE COMMUNITY VISION FOR CONFEDERATION HEIGHTS
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR A PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC)
CONFEDERATION HEIGHTS
BACKGROUND
Canada Lands Company and Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) are working together to find innovative ways to address underused federal sites such as the Confederation Heights campus.
The site is approximately 188 hectares/464 acres and located roughly five kilometres south of Ottawa’s downtown core and 4.5 kilometres north of the city’s international airport. The site is bound by the Rideau River to the north and west; Data Centre Road and Sawmill Creek to the east; and Hog’s Back Road and Brookfield Road to the south.
Confederation Heights includes more than 15 buildings and lands owned by PSPC, the National Capital Commission, Canada Post Corporation, Health Canada, and the City of Ottawa. In the 1950s, Jacques Gréber created the Plan for the National Capital, which proposed to decentralize federal employment in the National Capital Region. The plan resulted in the establishment of a single-use federal office node at Confederation Heights, which was auto-centric and characterized by expansive parking lots and large open spaces. Prior to the construction of these government buildings, Confederation Heights was primarily agricultural lands, with one industrial use formerly located in the northeast corner of the study area.
Since the 1960s, the site has remained essentially unchanged and still exemplifies many of these physical characteristics. Though the Gréber Plan was ground-breaking and fitting for its time, Confederation Heights should be redeveloped to meet the current and future needs of the City of Ottawa as a whole, while creating an iconic federal employment centre suitable for the Nation’s Capital.
TODAY
Acting as a prominent gateway into the urban area of Ottawa from the south and situated within the boundaries of two wards (16 and 17), its setting includes views of the Rideau River and Canal along with Vincent Massey and Hog’s Back Parks.
COMMENCEMENT OF A MASTER PLANNING EXERCISE
Canada Lands and PSPC are preparing a master plan to guide the development of the Confederation Heights site into a sustainable, transit-oriented, urban mixed-use community that will also serve as a federal employment hub over the next 25 years. The plan is being developed through engagement with Indigenous communities and a wide range of stakeholders including the National Capital Commission, federal government departments and agencies (Health Canada and Canada Post), the City of Ottawa and residents.
The Master Plan will outline future land uses, built form, heritage and commemoration elements, servicing and infrastructure, as well as establish a sustainable framework for urban and architectural design principles, public realm and amenities for the broader community. Canada Lands will be responsible for the development of land that it owns and PSPC will be responsible for the federal employment portions.
PUBLIC ADVISORY COMMITTEE (PAC) MANDATE
To this end, Canada Lands and PSPC are conducting an open call seeking the assistance of organizations and individuals that could participate in the development of the Master Plan. The goal is to engage a group that can provide a forum for sharing perspectives and advice to Canada Lands and PSPC, throughout the process of planning and development Confederation Heights.
MEMBERSHIP
The PAC will include a diverse mix of organizations and individuals from a range of sectors, interests, communities, and geographies that may include (but not necessarily limited to) the following areas:
- Business, commercial and institutional
|
|
- Resident, tenant, neighbourhood or community associations
| - Housing industry both affordable housing providers and for-profit builders/developers
|
- Black, Indigenous, and People of Colour
| - Urban mobility and transportation
|
| |
| |
| - Recreation and community services
|
| - Other local and citywide stakeholders
|
- Urban Indigenous groups and organizations
|
|
It is anticipated the PAC will comprise of approximately 30 members (not including the facilitation team, invited guests or other ad hoc contributors that may participate from time to time).
TERM OF MEMBERSHIP AND MEETINGS
The PAC will meet in the evenings, roughly every quarter (or 4 times each year) or as otherwise required. The length of term for members will be a full commitment for up to two years, staggered to support continuity as the membership changes over time. The intent is that meetings will be held in-person, if possible. In light of the Covid-19 pandemic protocols currently in place, meetings will be held virtually until public health officials deem in-person meetings safe to occur. Members must notify Canada Lands in advance should they be unable to attend a meeting and have their alternate attend instead.
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The PAC will share its perspectives and advice to Canada Lands and PSPC with the assistance of a third-party facilitator, Momentum, who are a member of the Master Plan Consulting Team.
PAC members, Canada Lands, PSPC, and the Momentum facilitation team will:
- Agree to these Terms of Reference.
- Be transparent about their participation in the PAC.
- Provide material for review in advance of PAC meetings, where possible.
- Strive to provide accurate, understandable information to support the sharing of informed perspectives and advice.
- Listen carefully to the perspectives shared and explain how those perspectives have been considered in shaping their understanding and advice.
- Ensure the results of discussions are accurately documented in the form of meeting summaries that reflect key discussion points and actions.
- Agree that all meeting summaries, as well as the Terms of Reference for the PAC, will be shared publicly (note that feedback from PAC members will be summarized in aggregate without reporting on who-said-what).
PAC members will also: Communicate with those whose interests they represent (e.g. members, communities, stakeholders, etc.) and maintain the ability to advocate outside of the PAC process to advance their respective perspectives. Organizations will select a primary member to participate on the PAC and an alternate should the primary member not be available. Members of the PAC will need to ensure confidentiality and identify the appropriate timing to disseminate information. Individuals will not have an alternate.
Canada Lands and PSPC will also: Invite appropriate technical consultants (or other resource people, including relevant government representatives) to attend discussions on specific issues or components of the process; post PAC meeting summaries as part of As We Heard It reports to the project website; and be the lead contact for media inquiries regarding the PAC.
The Momentum facilitation team will also: Lead the development of meeting agendas; produce a summary of each meeting and make the summary available to participants in a timely manner; and assist in the resolution of issues, as required.
Role of elected officials: Elected officials are ex-officio members of the PAC and are welcome to attend PAC meetings primarily as observers, participating in discussions as/if appropriate to enrich our collective understanding of the issues and opportunities at hand as the process evolves.
APPROACH TO DECISION MAKING
The PAC is a resource group, not a decision-making body. Documented meeting summaries will indicate the discussion, point out areas where perspectives are shared, and areas where opinions differ and why.
From time to time, draft documents of a confidential nature will be shared with PAC members. These documents must remain as such until they are released to the general public.
PERSONAL INFORMATION
The composition of the PAC will be made public. PAC members will have their name and organization listed on the project’s website and other related materials. Their image may also be released publicly. Personal information about each member will be kept confidential.
CONTACT
Liaison with the PAC will be led by Momentum.