MPs hear case for making Wellington Street a pedestrian, tramway zone

A downtown city councillor and Ottawa mayoral candidate, and the mayor of Gatineau, Que., have added their support to the idea of expanding the parliamentary precinct following the convoy protests.

On TuesdayCoun.Catherine McKenney and France Blisle, mayor of Gatineau, testified before a House of Commons committee, which is consideringannexing Ottawa's Wellington and Sparks streets, plus rue Laurierin Gatineauintothe precinct.

The committee is also looking atconverting the section of Wellington between Elgin and Bank streetsinto a pedestrian zone.

"There's always been a great opportunitywell before what happened in January and February," said McKenney, whose Somerset ward includes Parliament Hill."It allows us to create a public space, it allows for that inter-provincial link between us and the city of Gatineau, which I believe has to become a stronger link."

The standing committee on procedure and house affairs was asked to study the ideaafter serious concerns were raised about policing on Wellington Streetand nearby streets during the weeks-long protest this past winter.

The geographic change to the parliamentary precinct would entail handing over policing of the transferred areas to the federal government.

In their testimony, McKenney who is also running to become Ottawa's next mayor told MPsdowntown residents and businesses suffered because Ottawa police resources were stretched too thin during the protest.

"The city of Ottawa simply does not have the capacity to protect federal properties during major national events,and also patrol our neighbourhoods," the councillor said.

Businessgroup opposes pedestrian zone

During their testimony, McKenney also made the case for permanentlylimiting the three blocks of Wellington in front of Parliament Hill to pedestrians, cyclists and public transit. Private vehicles have been barred from using that section since the end of the protest.

"I often like to refer to these sorts of changes in streets as 'opening' rather than 'closing,'" said McKenney.

"We're really opening it to people. We would be providing unique opportunities for extensive programming in front of the Parliament buildings."

On that point, McKenneycited a recent request to host a giant ball hockey tournament on Wellington in front of Parliament Hill this summer.

"Our downtown has ample capacity to absorbany vehicular traffic that has been directed away from this section of Wellington Street," they said.

The executive director of the Bank Street Business Improvement Area (BIA), which extends along Bank from Wellington to Highway 417, told the committee her members oppose turning part of Wellington into a pedestrian zone.

Christine Leadman said the closure would "create alot concern to the businesses and anxiety," adding she has received complaints from the public.

Tramway essential, mayor says

Blisle said she supports handing over rue Laurier in her city's downtown to the federal government because the street is already part of theceremonial Confederation Boulevard, and home to the Canadian Museum of History.

Such a move would simplify and improve communications between the levels of government and their respective agencies, according to the Gatineau mayor, who previouslyserved as president of Tourisme Outaouais, the tourism agency for western Quebec.

On several occasions during her testimony, Blisle made it clearshe expects a transfer of jurisdiction would bolster her city's goal of building a surface tramway connecting Ottawa and Gatineau.

"This decision will become a catalyst for the federal government to assertits role as a leader in coordinating inter-provincial transit," Blislesaid in French.

"This essential infrastructure project has the full support of the citizens of Gatineau,and it must carry on."

Blislesaid expanding the parliamentary precinct would end decades of inaction.

"We have momentum to settle the security issue, but we also have momentum to position ourselves in the world as a dynamic capital city that makes coherent decisions," she said.

The standing committee is scheduled to meet again on Thursday, and it can eventuallymake recommendations for Parliament to enact.