July 30, 2020
Mayor Jim Watson, City of Ottawa
Councillor Matthew Luloff, Chair, Ottawa Public Library Board
Hon. Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Canadian Heritage
Hon. Catherine McKenna, Minister of Infrastructure and Communities

Dear Mayor, Councillor and Ministers,
RE: Taking a bird-friendly approach for the new OPL-LAC Joint Facility

On behalf of the Glebe Community Association (GCA), I am writing to urge you to take measures in support of bird safety in the new Ottawa Public Library and Library and Archives Canada Joint Facility. This new building promises to become an iconic landmark destination for both residents of Ottawa and the National Capital Region as well as for visitors from across the country and abroad. Part of its beauty will be its massive windows, maximizing daylight and providing stunning views of the Ottawa River and beyond. Yet these windows, while offering great advantages, pose a serious threat to our bird population. Lighting is a further potential danger.

Collisions with glass kill a billion birds each year in North America, due to reflectivity, transparency and light pollution. In Ottawa, an estimated quarter million birds die this way each year. Given that the new OPL-LAC will be located on a major migratory route, it is critical that action be taken in its design and construction to mitigate the risk of bird collisions.

The GCA has a strong interest in biodiversity both in our community and across the region. We have been cooperating with Safe Wings Ottawa, an initiative of the Ottawa Field-Naturalists’ Club to reduce bird mortality from window collisions through research, prevention and rescue. Safe Wings Ottawa is part of the stakeholders group working with the City of Ottawa to develop bird-friendly design guidelines.

The GCA fully supports Safe Wings Ottawa’s recommendations for the implementation of effective bird friendly materials and lighting throughout the new OPL-LAC building, namely, to:

  • Use bird-friendly materials and lighting techniques, following the most recent Toronto Green
    Standard (Version 3 — City Agency, Corporation & Division-Owned Facilities); and
  •  Comply with the requirements in this Standard for both Bird Collision Deterrence and Light
    Pollution.

We are aware that the architect and design team have expressed a commitment to bird-friendly design for the library. However, even at this stage of the project, there has been no clarification as to exactly how this will be achieved, nor is there any indication that light pollution will be addressed in any serious manner. Given the well-known failure of the National Arts Centre’s bird-friendly measures, implemented by the same architect, it is important that the library’s design be properly vetted before it is finalized. You have an opportunity here and now to do something good for birds, good for residents and visitors, and good for Canadians. We urge you to take it.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Viehbeck, President
Glebe Community Association (GCA)
Copy: Shawn Menard, Councillor, Capital Ward, City of Ottawa
Anouk Hoedeman, Safe Wings Ottawa
Amy MacPherson, Planner (re: Bird-Friendly Design Guidelines), City of Ottawa