At left: Aberdeen Pavillion, 1903 (via)At right: Aberdeen Pavillion, August 2007
For those of you who don't live in Ottawa, we are currently arguing passionately over plans for a major historic site in the city (despite the recent Citizen article saying people don't remember it is a historic site? Who are these people? Zombies?). Lansdowne Park has been around since the mid-19th century, and has hosted provincial exhibitions, including one in 1877 that included the first public demonstration of the telephone in Canada, military operations, agricultural fairs, musical concerts, sports events, and, most recently, a farmers' market.
I'm not even going to get into the nasty details of the news we've all been subjected to: ill-conceived plans left, right, and centre, mostly involving giant sports stadiums and big flashy screens, retail establishments and wacky token parks (some ideas were just kind of "out there," including a suggestion to plop a replica Mother Canada in the park, and a plan to move the Ottawa Art Gallery there). All I want to say about that nonsense is not everyone cares about sports, and some people who don't even live in the neighbourhood are worried about parking and transportation down Bank St., and would prefer to not see it choked in gridlock with every yokel and his sport-jersey-wearing brother slopping beer out their car window while cheering on some unpromising local team.
I just wanted to say here is one plan I could sort of get behind. Props, kids.Photo from the Citizen.
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