A First Submission to the NCC

Since 2002, the NCC Board of Directors has been inviting "local interest groups" to make presentations to it to inform the Commission's strategic planning. The Greenspace Alliance was the first group to respond to the call with a presentation on the proposed Poets' Pathway. Read the submission here.

Meetings with NCC staff followed. There was no offer of support.  Instead, we were referred to the Commission's Commemoration Policy, with a request that we submit a business plan.  For better or for worse, the Committee felt that, without an initial indication of support-in-principle on the part of the Commission, developing a business plan would not be feasible.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

Poets' Pathway at the 2002 Ottawa International Writers Festival

In September 2002, the Poets' Pathway Committee participated in the Ottawa International Writers Festival by putting on a performance at Arts Court, "The Poets' Pathway: A Walk Through Ottawa's Literary History."  Six actors, Pádraig Finlay, Peter Politis, Chris Roberts, Katryn Baker, Allan Meltzer and Mark Leahy,  dressed up in period costume and recited poems of the Confederation and Mouvement littéraire poets and their contemporaries, in between telling a bit of their (the poets') life stories.
 
A chap book was also published (ISBN # 0-9731550-0-0), containing, essentially, the May 2002 brief to the NCC as well as a selection of poems by the Confederation and Mouvement littéraire poets.
 
Theresa Jobateh attended this event and wrote a delightful pictorial essay about it.
 
 

Status of the Proposal

The Poets' Pathway is referenced in section 2.2.1.2 of the 2003 Ottawa 20/20 Arts and Heritage Plan:

“Work with the NCC ... to ensure that on NCC lands and along recreational pathways commemoration of local individuals, places, events and structures are developed, maintained and improved, and additional themes introduced, e.g., Poets’ Pathway.”

And section 4.6.5 of Ottawa's 2003 Official Plan states:

“The pathways are part of the Greenspace Network and provide connections among communities and major tourism, cultural heritage and greenspace features.”

One anchor of the Pathway, Poet's Hill at Beechwood Cemetery, was inaugurated in September 2006. This was made possible thanks to the generous cooperation of the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation. Further construction is required. The Foundation accepts tax-receipted donations to support completion of the site; please mention "Poet's Hill."

Most of the remainder of the Pathway is on lands for which the National Capital Commission is responsible. The NCC has not yet offered its support for our proposal.

While much of the Pathway is along established recreational paths -- so that realization of the Poets' Pathway there would merely involve erection of appropriate plaques and signage -- in some parts the pathway network is only in the planning stages (ever since at least the 1994 Recreational Pathway Plan developed by the NCC in cooperation with the municipalities) and there are some significant obstacles to connectivity. These obstacles include:

- the area around Ottawa General Hospital;

- from Kitchener Avenue to McCarthy Woods, across the Airport Parkway; and

- crossing the Rideau River.

In September 2006 the Community Foundation of Ottawa accepted the Poets' Pathway project as eligible for donations, under the aegis of its Ottawa Sustainability Fund.

Under "NCC Renewal," elsewhere on this web site, there is information about a new mandate for the NCC for so-called surplus lands.  Read about the NCC's appeal to the Ontario Municipal Board of Ottawa's 2003 Official Plan, which designates certain lands in the Southern Corridor as Major Open Space, on the Canadian Poets' Park page.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

The Poets' Pathway in the Ottawa Citizen

On September 10, 2006, the Ottawa Citizen published a major article on the Poets' Pathway. written by Janice Kennedy. Here is a photographic image of the article.  It is noteworthy not only for its content but also for the excellent graphics. Read the text of the article here.

A year earlier, Kate Heartfield, a member of the Citizen's editorial board, had devoted a glowing column to the Poet's Hill project.

Back in 2002, Steven Artelle, then chair of the Poets' Pathway Committee, had a guest column about the Pathway published in the Citizen.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

Submission to the NCC Mandate Review Panel

As documented elsewhere on this web site (see "NCC Renewal"), in 2006 the federal government conducted a review of the NCC's mandate. The Poets' Pathway Committee made a submission to the Panel headed by Prof. Gilles Paquet.

Here are some highlights, expressed in oral presentation:

* For this project to be realized further, the cooperation of the NCC is indispensable. The Pinecrest and Southern Corridors as well as the shores of the Rideau River are under its control.

* Most critically, the focal point of the Pathway, the meadow west of McCarthy Woods, and a connecting corridor further west, are on its surplus list and candidate for development. These lands are part of the Southern Corridor. We envisage this meadow and the adjacent Woods as a future “Canadian Poets’ Park.”

* We have twice formally approached the NCC’s Board of Directors and have had several meetings with staff before and after these presentations.

* On both occasions the reception was less than helpful. Mr. Beaudry, in his reply of 2005, while supportive of a commemoration of Canada's national poets, suggested that the pathway should be in the core area. Doing so would not be in accord with the fundamental concept of the Pathway as a commemorative walk through natural landscapes.

* What’s more, this reply reveals the limited perspective of the Commission on its tourism mandate. Tourists are interested in more than visiting Parliament Hill and the Museums.

* The NCC to date has not seized the opportunity we are offering to create something that is uniquely Canadian and fully meets its mandate to explain Canada to Canadians.

* Note that page 13 of the paper that was submitted to you states:

“The NCC takes the lead in working with sponsor groups to identify sites for permanent monuments of national significance in Canada’s Capital ... and it supports the development and design process for particular projects.”

An implication here, which is confirmed when one looks at the Commission’s Commemoration Policy, is that commemoration is thought of as taking the form of “monuments.”

* We’re not even asking for the NCC to “take the lead” – all we’re asking for is an agreement in principle and technical assistance and advice, e.g. on appropriate standards and cost of explanatory plaques. With such an agreement in hand, we are quite prepared to take the lead in detailing the specifics of the route and do the fundraising.

* In conclusion, while we realize that your recommendations to the Minister will likely be at a high level and not include specific directions, we hope that our proposal can serve as background and example of how the NCC can do better in fulfilling its mandate of presenting Canada to Canadians while at the same time preserving important greenspace in the Capital.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

Protecting the View of Parliament Hill

One key reason why the particular site of Poet's Hill at Beechwood Cemetery was chosen, is that it offers an excellent view of Parliament Hill. The central axis of the site's design points to the Peace Tower.

However, this view is not protected in Ottawa's Official Plan! Nor is the even more spectacular view of Parliament Hill from the memorial to Tommy Douglas, which is nearby Poet's Hill.

As it happened, in September 2006, the Beechwood Avenue Community Design Plan (CDP) was nearing completion. With the support of Councillors Jacques Legendre and George Bédard, as well as city staff, the Poet's Hill Committee successfully had some intended increases in building heights at Beechwood Avenue scaled back and received a commitment from Council to initiate an Official Plan Amendment that would protect the views from Poet's Hill and the Tommy Douglas memorial in future.

The Beechwood Avenue CDP, as amended, was approved by City Council on September 27, 2006.

The request was made to Planning and Environment Committee on September 12 by Erwin Dreessen. This was the day before the inauguration! Here are his remarks and the slides that were used.

Presentation to Planning & Environment Committee, September 12, 2006
Agenda 55, Item 11 - Beechwood Community Design plan, Official Plan Amendment and Zoning By-law Amendment

1. I appear to you today as a member of the Poet’s Hill Committee. This Committee is composed of representatives of the Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital, the Ottawa Literary Heritage Society and Beechwood Cemetery Foundation management. The Committee has been at work since March 2005.

2. Tomorrow, September 13, will mark a milestone in the celebration of the literary heritage of Ottawa and the nation: At historic Beechwood Cemetery will take place the inauguration of a site to commemorate the great poetic tradition of Canada (SLIDE 1). This is one access point to the site, just inside the Cemetery off Beechwood Avenue. This Poet’s Hill is the begin- or end-point of what we hope will one day be a Poets’ Pathway – from here to McCarthy Woods and on to Britannia.

3. The unveiling will be performed by the Parliamentary Poet Laureate, Pauline Michel, by Grate Hale, chair of the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation, and by Councillor Jacques Legendre.

4. (SLIDE 2) These pictures were taken last Friday morning – as you can see, they’re still at work to get everything ready. (SLIDE 3) The base for the lectern is there. To the right is a space where people can gather, and four flowerbeds dedicated to four poets, all buried at Beechwood including the recently deceased John Newlove.

5. This inauguration is just the beginning – only the barebones of the site have been realized to date and there are great plans for making this site the venue for a celebration of poetry in this city. Several successful events have already taken place, under the catchy title of “DEAD POETS LIVE!” Programming from this site is intended to be supportive of the revitalization of Beechwood Avenue as expressed also in the Community Design Plan before you. “Books on Beechwood,” for example, has been a partner in one of the events to date.

6. At the top of the picture is the reason why this site was chosen and why I am here before you today. The central axis of the site leads straight to Parliament Hill. (SLIDE 4) Here is a better picture, though Friday morning was rather foggy. There is an excellent view of Parliament Hill. Many of the poets this project celebrates have of course an intimate connection with the building of this nation, parliamentary affairs and Ottawa, the capital – including the Confederation Poets (as they were later called) and the members of the Mouvement littéraire. In fact, Arthur Bourinot’s poem, “Parliament Hill” is planned to have a prominent place in a later stage of the development of this site.

7. You have before you a motion kindly sponsored by Councillors Bédard and Legendre, to set in motion an Official Plan Amendment that would protect this view, as well as the view from the gravesite of Tommy Douglas very nearby the Poet’s Hill site. The view from here is even more spectacular and was a major reason why this site was chosen when the remains of the Hon. Tommy Douglas were transferred here from Pinecrest Cemetery in 1995.

8. This motion takes back some of the increased building heights allowed in the Zoning amendments before you, until the view protection study for the OPA has been completed. These amendments are based on the preliminary study undertaken by staff. Allow me to add that we are most appreciative of the excellent cooperation we have received from staff and both Councillors to accommodate the protection of these viewsheds.

9. At our request, Councillor Legendre has written to the Chair of the National Capital Commission to ask for the NCC’s support of this initiative. We are confident that the NCC will be supportive, as it surely is of the many other protections of the view of Parliament Hill – all from within the Central Area.

10. We trust you will support this Motion.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

"Dead Poets Live" at Beechwood

One important objective with the creation of Poet's Hill is to make contributions to the literary life of the capital. A number of events has been already been held and others are planned. This programming goes under the catchy title "Dead Poets Live!"

Here is what's taken place so far, often in the beautiful Reception Room in the Beechwood Cemetery office building.

June 24, 2007 - While not formally part of the Dead Poets Live! series, the 13th Historical Walking Tour at Beechwood Cemetery was held on the theme of The Poets of Parliament Hill.  Well over 100 people attended and many a five dollar bill was dropped in the donation box for Poet's Hill.  Local poets were stationed at each of eight grave sites who told of the person's life in relation to Parliament and then read some extracts.  One was dressed up in the historical character appearing in the poem!  More information <here>.

October 29, 2006 - Steve Artelle offered some "ghostly" excerpts from various Ottawa poets, followed by a guided tour of Beechwood Cemetery to some of the gravesites of literary significance.

September 13, 2006 - Official inauguration of the site. See main Poet's Hill page for a report on this event.

May 10, 2006 - Literary Evening, in cooperation with ARC Poetry Magazine at the occasion of the announcement of the 21st annual Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry. Music by Rare Blend. Books on Beechwood had a table for book sales. Several hundred dollars were raised for the Poet's Hill project, through a raffle of books shortlisted for this year's Award and in donations.

November 17, 2005 - The first "Dead Poets Live" event! "Music, Poetry & Merriment" to raise funds for the project. (Programme.) Close to $1,000 was raised through $20 ticket sales and donations. One of the attendees was Ottawa Citizen columnist John W. MacDonald. He took a picture of the Poet's Hill Committee as it was then (shown from left to right are: Roger Boult-BC, Steven Artelle-OLHS, Daphne McCree-GA, Mike Heenan-OLHS, Vera Yuzyk-BC, and Erwin Dreessen-GA). See all of John MacDonald's blog entry here.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

Our 2005 Submission to the NCC

In May 2005, the Poets' Pathway Committee made a second presentation to the NCC's Board of Directors, this time focussing on what we propose for the Southern Corridor.

Here is the brief that was submitted. A Press Release and Mr. Beaudry's reply follow below.

Erwin Dreessen's slides (download all [2.86 MB pdf], or one by one below) and speaking notes:

Presentation to the NCC Board of Directors - May 3, 2005

Four Points Sheraton, 35 rue Laurier, Gatineau, Notre Dame Room

Commemorating Canadian Poets

SLIDE 1 - TITLE PAGE

Good evening, Mr. Beaudry, Members of the Commission. My name is Erwin Dreessen. On behalf of the Greenspace Alliance of Canada's Capital it is a pleasure to address you again -- we were the first group you heard from when you began holding meetings of this kind, in May 2002.

We presented to you then our proposal for a Poets' Pathway in Ottawa and we are happy to provide you with an update on this project. The presentation today is jointly on behalf of the Greenspace Alliance and an organization which grew out of the Poets' Pathway Committee and the Ottawa Literary Heritage Society. The Poets' Pathway Committee is now constituted as a joint creation of both organizations, with myself and Dr. Steven Artelle as co-chairs.

First, we'll recap what the Poets' Pathway proposal is about. Then we'll update you on the status of the project. Finally, we have a very specific request to make of you and we fervently hope you will accede to our request because it is only with your cooperation that a celebration of Canadian Poets can be realized in what we believe is the most appropriate way.


SLIDE 2 - POETS’ PATHWAY OVERVIEW MAP

You may recall that, in broad strokes, the Pathway would run from Britannia in the west, going south along existing pathways, then turn east along a railway and Nepean Creek, through the Southern Corridor including McCarthy Woods, and on northward, again mostly along existing pathways, through Pleasant Park Woods and along the Rideau River, to end up at Beechwood Cemetery.

This themed recreational pathway is conceived as a fitting commemoration of Canada's poets, and in particular the members of the Mouvement littéraire and the Confederation Group of Poets who were active, here in Ottawa, in the late 19th century, and who helped build this country.

I am happy to report that excellent progress is being made to realize a site in commemoration of the Poets buried at Beechwood Cemetery, perhaps as early as this fall. Beechwood Cemetery management is fully behind the project and we expect formal support from the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation to come out of their Board meeting which is taking place today.

What we want to focus on with you today is the bottom part, the jewel in the necklace -- McCarthy Woods and, especially, the meadow to the west of it -- which we propose to designate as a Canadian Poets' Park.


SLIDE 3 - TWO QUOTES, FROM THE ARTS & HERITAGE PLAN AND THE OFFICIAL PLAN

But first, by way of update, I want to mention that the Poets' Pathway concept has been adopted in the City of Ottawa's Arts & Heritage Plan as a project to pursue with the National Capital Commission and that there is also permissive language in the new Official Plan.

We have also received support from four Advisory Committees to the City of Ottawa and from members of the local and national poets community. We soon realized that it would be easy to obtain any number of further endorsements -- frankly, everyone we have spoken to thinks our commemoration proposal is a terrific idea.

The key party we need on board for this project to go forward, is the major landowner of that jewel in the necklace -- the Southern Corridor -- namely you, the National Capital Commission.


SLIDE 4 - SOUTHERN CORRIDOR CONCEPT PLAN

The main portion of the Southern Corridor lands are depicted here, with McCarthy Woods in the top right-hand corner; there is a 58 ha meadow to the west of it and there is a smaller parcel of open land, just off this map to the east. Another portion owned by the NCC is off the map to the west -- that section along the railway that I mentioned earlier.

We propose to turn this central block of land into a Canadian Poets' Park and I'll explain in a moment why that would be the most fitting tribute to these poets. We envisage formalizing the pathways; at selected spots, plaques would inform the visitor of our literary heritage and invite reflection; perhaps there would be a viewing platform at one or two spots, such as at that knoll, from where one can see the Peace Tower.

This site, I should add, is easily accessible by public transport from two sides; also, a Light Rail station is planned in the top left-hand corner of this picture.


SLIDE 5 - NCC BAR CHART OF COMMEMORATION THEMES

Here is another important piece of background. NCC staff recently looked around the Capital to see how many representations could be found of six commemoration themes. As you can see, staff could find only one commemorative expression of Intellectual & cultural life (and that is thanks to including Sports in Cultural Life – the one instance is the statue of Maurice "Rocket" Richard here in Hull).

Our proposal would help you rectify that serious imbalance.


SLIDE 6 - FOUR PORTRAITS (D'Arcy McGee, Macdonald, Laurier, Lampman)

I already noted that these poets helped build the nation, here in the Capital The last page of our brief provides you with some quotes from several Fathers of Confederation as well as from the most well-known poet of the time, Archibald Lampman.


SLIDE 7 - LIST OF POETS - CONFEDERATION GROUP & MOUVEMENT LITTÉRAIRE

Why a commemoration in the form of a nature park and a pathway?  A commemoration through a "walk through nature" would be most appropriate because, like work of other "naturalist" writers in this time period, their poems are characterized by an intimate sense of place, a deep engagement with nature.

Poems like Archibald Lampman's "Winter Uplands" or Alfred Garneau's "La Rivière" speak of landscapes that are still available in precious spots... in the Southern Corridor. ("La Rivière" is about the Rideau River.) You can't get the sense of what they were writing about by walking along Confederation Boulevard.

As you can see, there is quite a list of poets whose work can serve as inspiration for such a commemoration -- one that, while walking through nature, would inform the visitor of their truly remarkable literary achievement, and that would invite reflection on our relationship with nature through poetry. Time is too short to detail the many other opportunities along the pathway for linking heritage structures and "intimate experiences" with our literary heritage.


SLIDE 8 (313 KB pdf) - GROUP PICTURE OF BIRD WATCHING OUTING

And the poets did not just write about landscapes -- observations about birds and other wildlife also permeate their work. That too is still available in the Southern Corridor as a small group of us could observe one beautiful morning [April 5], when in 2 hours time we were able to see or hear 21 different kinds of birds! A recent evaluation document commissioned by the City has identified the meadow next to McCarthy Woods as "prime feeding habitat for urban woodland raptors" and...


SLIDE 9- COOPER'S HAWK

... we were all excited of course when we were indeed able to spot a Cooper's Hawk.

One thing our expert guide stressed was this: these birds need not just the woods, but also the meadow next to it. Experience shows that, if you preserve a forest but not the adjacent meadow, biodiversity goes way down. So would, in this instance, the opportunity to connect with our literary heritage.


SLIDE 10 - THREE CEDAR WAXWINGS

SLIDE 11 (586 KB pdf) - PICTURE OF PATHWAY


Mr. Chairman, members of the Commission, the ideal place for a fitting tribute to Canada's literary heritage is through the designation of the Southern Corridor lands as a Canadian Poets’ Park which, in turn, would be the centrepiece of our proposed Poets' Pathway.

These lands (excepting McCarthy Woods narrowly defined) have been on the surplus list for many years but political and popular opposition have prevented their development into housing subdivisions. We are urging you at this time to reserve these lands for potential designation as a Canadian Poets' Park, and to agree in principle to engage -- with us, with the City of Ottawa and with the Beechwood Cemetery Foundation -- in the realization of a Poets' Pathway.

Thank you for this opportunity.

The Greenspace Alliance issued a press release and the presentation received coverage on CBC Radio.

As is customary at these annual meetings of interest groups with the NCC's Board of Directors, Chairman Beaudry replied with scripted comments. A formal reply was received later.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

A Birdwatching Walk with Tony Beck

In the crisp morning hours of April 5, 2005 renowned bird photographer Tony Beck led a field trip to the future Canadian Poets' Park. Participants included Richard Scott (then of the NCC) and Councillor Maria McRae. These lines from Archibald Lampman's "Solitude" set us on our way:

Sometimes a hawk screams or a woodpecker
Startles the stillness from its fixèd mood
With his loud careless tap. Sometimes I hear
The dreamy white-throat from some far-off tree
Pipe slowly on the listening solitude
His five pure notes succeeding pensively.

Then, in just two hours we observed (seeing or hearing) no fewer than twenty-one species of birds:

Song Sparrow, American Tree Sparrow, House Sparrow, American Kestrel, Red-winged Blackbird, Ring-billed Gull, Wood Duck, Cedar Waxwing, Dark-eyed Junco, Mallard, White-breasted Nuthatch, American Goldfinch, Canada Goose, European Starling, Northern Cardinal, American Robin, Mourning Dove, Common Grackle, Brown-headed Cowbird and Black-capped Chickadee.

And, the prize sight of the outing: an adult Cooper's Hawk! Tony assured us that, if we would come back a month later, we'd be able to observe a whole set of different birds. He believes that the habitat is good for summer nesting species (Clay-coloured Sparrow and Field Sparrow) that might be uncommon or rare in the Ottawa area. He noted various berry bushes in the meadow that birds feed on and stressed that it is the combination of woods and meadow that brings about the diversity in wildlife. These berries provide food for a great variety of migrating and over-wintering species, making this an attractive staging area.

He suggested placing some Wood Duck housing in the forest near the edge as this could attract Eastern Screech-Owls for nesting.

Here is a picture of some of the participants, and another of cedar waxwings -- with thanks to Jim Robertson.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!

A Walk in the Woods and Meadow

On Sunday, May 21, 2006, the Ottawa Forests and Greenspace Advisory Committee organized the first of a series of walks in Ottawa's natural areas. The walk took place in McCarthy Woods and its Meadow to the west and was under the guidance of Erwin Dreessen and Seaton Findlay. Here is Erwin's report.

There was an excellent turnout -- I estimate about 50 people, and this on a rainy day! Actually, the rain was not bad, and no bother at all within the woods. Quite muddy in some spots, but we all came prepared. Participants included Councillor Maria McRae and John Sankey.

We started out behind the Hunt Club/Riverside Community Centre where the Poets' Pathway Committee has proposed that an inaugural site of the Pathway be created. Councillor McRae gave introductory remarks, emphasizing the disputed status of these lands and what the city is doing (a birding study that is now under way). I then described the Poets' Pathway project as a fitting match of commemoration of Canada's/Ottawa's literary history with preservation of natural areas. I handed around James Ryan's design for the inaugural site, first submitted to the City in December 2003, and recited Archibald Lampman's poem, "On the Companionship with Nature," that would be featured there (in English and French).

As we headed into the woods co-host Seaton Findlay pointed out the edge nature of the vegetation, and the tangle of buckthorn everywhere. We later walked into various sections of these magnificent woods, past what sometimes were fields of fading Trillium, and we also learned what little is known about the history of this site.

When we reached the western edge, I cited the last two lines of Lampman's "Winter Uplands" and told the story of Bill Royds' epiphany, talked about the birding field trip we held last April (I read the six lines from "Solitude" I used then & passed around the report), and conveyed generally the idea of dedicating this land as a Canadian Poets' Park. I passed around James' preliminary sketch of park features.

At that point the group split up, some to explore the meadow further (I encouraged them to go find the cherished spot from which a view of the Rideau River can be had), others returning to the HC/RCC. The audience was quite appreciative of all the information they had received. There was a good turnout by people living close by, but a show of hands requested by Maria at the start had indicated that perhaps 40% were from further away.

Comments? Suggestions? Visit the Poets' Pathway Forum!