Executive Summary

This report reviews results of the Lester Road Wetland Complex Evaluation and SAR Survey Project, submitted by Ron Huizer of Beacon Environmental, for the City of Ottawa and the National Capital Commission, dated June 30, 2010. The purpose of the Project was twofold – whether the area under study, between Uplands Drive and Conroy Road, is a Provincially Significant Wetland (PSW) and if so, what its boundaries are; and whether the study area contained Species At Risk (SAR).

Mr. Huizer’s evaluation was reviewed by Albert Dugal (botanist), Clarke Topp (soil physicist) and Cheryl Doran on behalf of the Greenbelt Coalition of Canada’s Capital Region. Their comments form the basis of this Review.

The full 63 page report is available here (2.6M pdf).

Hon. Chuck Strahl
Minister of Transport
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6

October 22, 2010

Dear Minister Strahl,

Operations have begun to fill a 33-acre wooded wetland in the National Capital Greenbelt for the construction of an exhibition hall and trade centre. I urge you to suspend the current operation until an environmental assessment study of the project has been completed.

As you know, the land is currently leased to the Ottawa Airport Authority by Transport Canada. The Airport Authority has subleased the land to Shenkman Corporation for the construction of the exhibition hall and trade centre, along with parking spaces.

The Airport Authority’s 2008 Land Use Plan committed that any development on wooded or wetland areas would be subjected to detailed environmental studies. Although the current operation is taking place on wooded and wetland areas, it has not been subjected to studies under the Environmental Assessment Act, the Species at Risk Act and the Federal Policy on Wetland Conservation.

Your action is urgently needed to ensure a significant piece of green space in our capital region is not developed in violation of legal requirements for a full environmental assessment.

Sincerely,
Paul Dewar, MP
Ottawa Centre