Show and Tell: Considering the Fate of Nature in a Contentious City Building Site
The route of our walk.
The After and Before. The illustraton shows an aerial view of the site with the perimeter of the new Civic Hospital site outlined in heavy dashed lines. The route of our walk is shown as the red line. We will have a good look at the current state of trees and greenspace in two parts of the site of the planned mega-hospital & parking garage. There will be several stops for discussion/observations, with a chance for questions and answers at each stop.
First: We will walk to the NCC parking area and observe the tree stumps left along Preston Street and both sides of the railroad trench. We will consider the complex questions that this “largest building project in Ottawa’s history” prompts. For example, what are the benefits gained from the urban canopy?
How quickly can a city reverse its habits in the face of a climate emergency?
What are the challenges in changing our ways to prevent worsening climate change?
What creative solutions do we see? How long will it take for young trees to replace mature ones? What will happen when there is not enough empty land to plant replacement trees in a promised 5 to 1 ratio?
Second: We will walk south (up the hill) on the sidewalk on the west side of Prince of Wales and move into the grassy areas underneath large trees and through the park fields of the Farm.
We can consider the difference in physical and emotional experience as we move from pavement to grass, from a streetscape to an open greenspace.
Third: We will hear from an arborist about the century-old trees planted by the first director of the Farm near the Saunders Building, and which trees are planned to be cut down, and what will replace them. Here you can meet with some the oldest trees in the city and hear about their history, and some of their unique features.
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This is the third of three walks focused on the Experimental Farm. Make a day of it by signing up for the walks at the Fletcher Wildlife Garden starting at 12:30 pm and A Walk in the Park starting at 2:30 pm.
