The National Capital Commission is looking to establish a new urban park in Ottawa. The federal government, through Parks Canada, launched in 2021 a $130 million project to create a network of national urban parks, and is now searching for a proper location on NCC land in Ottawa.
A local effort is being undertaken by the Old Ottawa East Community Association, to advocate to establish Hurdman Park (on the east side of the Rideau River, south of the 417 Highway and north of the George McIlraith Bridge (Main St. to Smyth Rd)) as an urban national park (and/or part of a larger urban national park).
This year they asked the GCA to support this idea. In February, the GCA passed a Parks Committee motion endorsing the Old Ottawa East Community Association’s efforts. The unique nature of this forested park, with its depth from the river, could be part of a broader vision to connect other existing greenspaces all along the north-south Rideau River corridor and east-west linkages from Flora Bridge to Alta Vista, similar to the Rouge National Urban Park in the GTA. The GCA is supportive of any efforts to preserve and enhance green spaces in the city, particularly those within or close to the inner urban and downtown core, where parkland per capita is already in a deficit vis-a-vis the City of Ottawa’s Official Plan target of 4.0 ha of total green space (i.e., natural land and open space and leisure land) for every 1000 residents.