FAQs

What is the project status?

The Tunney’s Pasture project is evolving. The Master Plan was approved in 2014. Since then, a detailed analysis has taken place on the plan’s implementation. As well, in 2019, PSPC started collaborating with Canada Lands Company on the redevelopment of the site.

In addition, the City’s Official Plan has introduced new policies for consideration, as well as federal policy initiatives such as the Greening Government Strategy and the Federal Sustainability Development Strategy that looks at sustainability and climate resiliency.   

A first phase of the engagement on the implementation of the Master Plan is set for spring 2023 when we begin discussions on our roads and infrastructure program. We invite you to sign up(External link) to be the first to hear about updates and opportunities for input. 

What is the vision for Tunney’s Pasture? 

Over the long term, Tunney’s Pasture will be transformed from a single-use employment centre into a vibrant transit-oriented and sustainable mixed-use community that is integrated with surrounding neighbourhoods, while maintaining a strong federal presence. It will be built on a foundation of sustainability, accessibility, and modern infrastructure. 

This vision along with guiding principles for the development are outlined in the award-winning Tunney’s Pasture Master Plan, which was approved by the National Capital Commission and incorporated in the City’s planning documents. 

Why is PSPC collaborating with Canada Lands on this project? 

Canada Lands Company is a self-financing federal Crown corporation specializing in real estate development, whose goal is to produce the best possible benefit for Canadian communities and the Government of Canada.

The collaboration leverages each organization’s respective strengths to deliver the Master Plan that will benefit Canadians and the Government of Canada. 

The result will be a vibrant, transit-oriented, mixed-use community. 

Has the pandemic impacted this project?

Yes. The pandemic has led the team to take a step back to reassess its office space requirements in the evolving post-pandemic context.

This work caused some earlier delays; however, this important work is now complete.

Have heritage considerations been taken into account?

The new vision for Tunney’s includes recognition of the Indigenous heritage of the site, the Gréber Plan, the built heritage and the significant accomplishments of federal departments that have occupied the site over its history, including Health Canada and Dominion Bureau of Statistics (now Statistics Canada). A heritage plan is being prepared to conserve and commemorate the site’s history. 

When will this project be completed?

The redevelopment of Tunney’s Pasture is a long-term endeavour. See the project timelines for more information on short-term plans. 

How is transportation and parking envisioned for Tunney’s Pasture?

One of our guiding principles is for Tunney’s to be a connected and public transit-oriented development, which encourages employees, residents, and visitors to use transit or active transportation for the movements to, from, and around the site. 

A transportation modal split is recommended for Tunney’s Pasture that would result in a 70 per cent focus on trips by walking, cycling, and transit, and 30 per cent for vehicles. We will be leveraging the public transit infrastructure including the light rail transit system and shaping our parking strategy to be more flexible around future working patterns to maximize parking utilization and consider the new development’s impact on parking on neighbouring and local streets.

We will be creating complete streets which offer safe cycling and walking paths while ensuring street parking will be available to the public to support retail and community uses. We will ensure that parking is provided in buildings or designed to be screened from the street. 

Roads and infrastructure will be discussed in the first phase of the engagement on the implementation of the Master Plan, which is set for spring 2023. We invite you to sign up(External link) to be the first to hear about opportunities to participate.

Will the Tunney's Traffic Management Plan include planning for traffic pattern impacts on the broader neighbourhood? 

An updated traffic study is being planned for later in 2023 and will include traffic patterns in and around the site. The traffic study will form part of the subdivision application to the City later in 2023. 

The Tunney’s Pasture Master Plan was approved in 2014. Why has it taken so long for its implementation to begin? 

The Master Plan serves as a high-level roadmap for how to redevelop Tunney’s Pasture over the long term. Considerable analysis is required to deliver the plan. 

Since 2014, PSPC has undertaken detailed analysis of the site – looking at things like heritage, transportation and infrastructure requirements, sustainability, connectivity, accessibility, and many other factors that make up a dynamic community. The major studies are available in the Document Library. 

Recently, the global pandemic has provided the federal government an opportunity to reassess its requirements in an evolving post-pandemic work environment to support its high-performing public service. 

In addition to the pandemic’s realities, the team is also considering other recent developments, such as the Government of Canada’s Greening Government Strategy, Indigenous Reconciliation, and the City of Ottawa’s new Official Plan. 

Has the Tunney’s Pasture Master Plan changed since 2014?

The Master Plan and the guiding principles for the redevelopment of Tunney’s Pasture have not changed and will continue to inform decisions on how to advance the project. 

What can the public do to encourage the development of a multi-use recreation centre, or stand-alone recreation facilities, at Tunney's?

The best recommendation is to ensure that you discuss this with the municipal councillor. The City of Ottawa will determine when publicly funded recreational centres will be built and where they will be located. 

Will the Kichi Sibi multi-use trail connection through Tunney's be maintained?

The Kichi Sibi multi-use trail connection is maintained by a group of volunteers. The Government of Canada is happy to host the connection and provide parking for its use. 

Tunney’s Pasture will eventually have a full complement of pedestrian and active mobility access throughout the site, and we want to explore the continuation of the Kichi Sibi trail. The next engagement phase this spring will focus on roads/access and infrastructure. We invite you to sign up(External link) to be the first to hear about opportunities to participate. 

Will there be affordable housing and if so, what percentage? Will it be truly affordable? 

Yes, this is a key goal for Tunney’s and a commitment that both PSPC and Canada Lands share. A minimum of 20% of the residential component of the site will be dedicated to affordable housing. This will include some units that are deeply affordable. The ratio of market to deeply affordable units, prices, qualification requirements, providers and the size/type of units will be decided in collaboration with the City of Ottawa and its policies, and through discussions with the affordable housing community and other partners (note, the Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation (CCOC) is a member of the Tunney's Pasture Communities’ Perspectives Group). 

PSPC and Canada Lands have worked closely with Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation in the implementation of the Federal Lands Initiative, a program to advance affordable housing projects. Since its inception, Canada Lands has provided over 2,500 affordable housing units in its projects across Canada and Tunney’s Pasture will be no exception. In other projects in Ottawa, Canada Lands has partnered with Habitat for Humanity, Multifaith Housing Initiative, and Ottawa Community Housing. 

Will the redevelopment be sustainable?

Yes. As stewards of Tunney’s Pasture, the federal government and Canada Lands have an opportunity to redevelop the site as a showcase for sustainability in Canada.

Since the development of the Master Plan, a framework was established to provide clear objectives for environmental, social, and economic sustainability for the development.   

This will be achieved in a number of ways, including the implementation of:

• a comprehensive sustainability framework, which takes a holistic approach to building and sustaining a healthy community
• low carbon (and eventually carbon-neutral) heating and cooling of the federal buildings on site through the Government of Canada’s Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP)
• transit-oriented development (TOD) best practices, including parking limits and amenities for active transportation

Are there plans to add green space to this site?

Yes. The award-winning Tunney's Pasture Master Plan provides for parks, and large open spaces that support an active lifestyle. Tunney's Pasture will indeed meet, and possibly exceed municipal green space requirements and improve the connection to the river. The final allocation of green spaces and their location will be part of future discussion and engagement as we move through the project. We look forward to discussing green and open spaces in future engagement opportunities.

Has construction work at Tunney’s Pasture started? There seems to be construction happening on the site.

Yes it has. 

Construction work is currently underway in the North-West corner as part the Energy Services Acquisition Program (ESAP), a project to create energy efficiencies and reduce the federal government’s carbon footprint. While it is not directly related to the Master Plan, it does complement the overall vision for the site. 

PSPC is in the process of modernizing the energy centres that provide heating for 80 buildings and cooling for 67 buildings in the National Capital Region, including those at Tunney’s Pasture. This is part of the broader Government of Canada strategy to green its operations and meet climate change commitments. Visit our ESAP page for more information. 

Additionally, there’s also been some building demolitions, including at the corner of Columbine and Parkdale. These buildings were removed due to their deteriorating building conditions. 

In Spring 2022, two buildings at Tunney’s Pasture Boulevard and Yarrow Driveway were demolished and the Environmental Health Centre at 50 Columbine will be removed in 2023. 

When will you begin engaging with the public on your plans for implementation? 

Engagement has started. In the spring of 2022, the community was engaged in helping to develop community values that complement the existing Master Plan Guiding Principles. They were also invited to take part in other online activities. You can view the results of those efforts in the document library. 

On November 21 and 22, 2023, close to 300 people took part in Open Houses where we presented information and received feedback on the proposed Complete Street and Active Transportation Network that will form the spine of the future vibrant community at Tunney’s Pasture, and connect the site to surrounding neighbourhoods and the Ottawa River. The public also reviewed and commented on the Community Values.

Members of the public were also asked to share their thoughts on the proposed Complete Street and Active Transportation Network, and on the Community Values, by filling out an online questionnaire. The questionnaire is now closed.

We invite you to sign up to be the first to hear about updates and opportunities for input. 

Are Canada Lands and PSPC engaging with Indigenous peoples on this project?

Yes, we are engaging with Indigenous communities on the implementation of the Master Plan in support of the government’s commitment to reconciliation. Conversations are ongoing. In addition, the Government of Canada and Indigenous communities are exploring their interest in the site. Any potential disposal will also require PSPC to consult with various Indigenous communities and organisations.

What other stakeholders are involved in the process? 

PSPC and Canada Lands are working with the Tunney’s Pasture federal tenants, Health Canada, a custodian of four buildings at Tunney’s Pasture, the National Capital Commission as the federal approval authority, the City of Ottawa, public utilities, and neighbouring community associations and the local Business Improvement Area, among others.