Last month, the Ontario Court of Appeal ruled that as a matter of law under the present Ontario Municipal Act, the City's June 2010 decision to move ahead on development of Lansdowne Park by the Ottawa Sports & Entertainment Group (OSEG) was OK, despite financial errors that would need to be corrected. Earlier, the City had cancelled its own public design competition for the Park, to become a partner proponent with OSEG, without competition, of a development project that would turn control of most of the park over to private commercial development — predominantly high intensity retail, residential and entertainment, with a promise of return of CFL football as the draw.

Editor's note: Spacing Ottawa contributor Tim Lash has authored the following open letter to the activists and community leaders advocating for Beaver Pond and the South March Highlands: To: Anita Utas, artist Gord Henderson, President, Kanata Beaverbrook Community Association Steve Hulaj, advocate, Ottawa's Great Forest Dr. William Commanda, Elder, Algonquins of the Ottawa River Watershed Julie Comber, PhD candidate, U of Ottawa, Stewardship Plan for the Beaver Pond Forest Will Amos, Director, Ecojustice Environmental Law Clinic, U of Ottawa Paul Renaud, South March Highlands-Carp River Conservation Inc Dear Anita, Steve, Gord, Paul, Chief Commanda, Will, and Julie I admire your energy in protecting Kanata's ...

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="599" caption="Bank and Holmwood corner as seen in OSEG proposal"][/caption] Editor's note: The following opinion piece by Tim Lash takes the form of an open letter to decision-makers and the general public in advance of the June 28 council vote on the OSEG proposal for the renewal of Lansdowne Park. re: Visual Resources for Civic Lansdowne Decisions, and a Request Dear Ottawa residents, councilors and mayoral candidates, OSEG and City staff have split up their design and publicity about Lansdowne's future into separate parts: (1) the major part faced by Bank and Holmwood that would be given to OSEG for private development, (2) the stadium and Ottawa Civic Centre, (3) the remaining public space near the canal (which might include an "overlap" area north of the Aberdeen Pavilion). The parts have been put forward out of sequence, partially, with shifting goal-posts and assumptions. The split hides the significance and impact of what would be given over to private development. It would be wrong to make a legal commitment on this basis. Please don’t. To be right, Lansdowne has to be shown whole – what it is now, and what’s proposed. Only so can everyone concerned • consult honestly and make civic decisions that are good socially, economically and environmentally • plan and design coherently so objectives for Lansdowne Park are met in reality, and won't cancel each other out, or let one subvert another, and • achieve a place that works with people’s surrounding activities, places, and facilities.

[caption id="" align="alignnone" width="1024" caption="Winter at Lansdowne: the season to gather opinion"][/caption]