Agriculture institute to hold consultation on Experimental Farm hospital site

As theOttawa Hospital gets set to reveal its preferred sitefor a new Civic campus tothe federal government, one group is anticipating the Experimental Farm willcontinue to lead the hospital's list.

It's not a stretch, since three of the four proposedsites on the short list areon farm land. Twoof the three involve reconfigurations of the controversial original site announced by the previous government.

With a 75-per-cent chance that the choice will involvethe farm,theAgriculture Institute of Canada has decided toholda meeting bringing together scientists, community groups and municipal, provincial and federal government representatives to examine the impactand the possibilities.

"The intent of the meeting is to identify a process to have a real, meaningful, open and transparent consultation on the issue," said Serge Buy, the institute's CEO.

To date, ... there have been no real consultations.- Serge Buy, CEO of the Agriculture Institute of Canada

"To date, presentations have been made, statements have been issued, but there have been no real consultations."

It will be the first time there has been a public meeting to discuss the impact on the Experimental Farm in particular, on Field No. 1, the site that has been the focus ofconcern from members of the heritage and scientific community because of the effect on climate change and agricultural science taking place on that part of the farm.

Their concern in part led to a decision by theEnvironment and Climate Change MinisterCatherine McKenna to question the consultation processand nudge the hospital to re-evaluate.

But to date, the hospital has consistently had a preference for alocation right across the street from the existing Civic campus.

Hundreds of people attended a public information session held by the hospitalearlier this month.

Hospital history favouring one site

Emails accessedthrough the Freedom of Information Act shared with CBCinclude the 2014 discussion of hospital preferences fromCOO Cameron Love with Fred Gaspar,director of federal approvals and environmental managementat the National Capital Commission.

An emailfrom Love includes theoriginal 2007 ranking of 12sites based on several criteria. Allof the current sites being considered now were on that original list.

The 2007 ranking concluded with a tie between two sites:on the Experimental Farm across the street from the current hospital, and another site near the NepeanSportsplex.

Love wrote Gaspar in 2014 that"since that time [2007]one other element that has factored in is phasing of services as it is apparent that we will be moving in phases. This criteria is what tips the balance to across the street as the hospital programs are integrated and moving across the street is manageable ...."

Dr. Jack Kitts, CEO of the Ottawa Hospital, told the CBC in Februarythat"we're working with the federal government and the city to ensure it is the best spot, and can were-configurein order to have, as I would call it, the hospital and the farm as opposed to the hospital or the farm."

But hospital spokesperson Kate Egginssaid it's not providing a "preference" to the federal government.

"The federal government asked The Ottawa Hospital to provide a preliminary review of the impacts related to each of the foursites,"she wrote in anemail."The results of that review will be provided to the federal government in early April."

Then it will be up to the federal government to choose.

Farm advocates plan to attend meeting

Julie Harris, a member oftheCoalition to Protect the Central Experimental Farm a group of an estimated50 heritage advocates and scientists opposed to ahospital on thefarmsaid despite the decision to re-evaluate the hospital sites in February, the new short list suggests the farm is still very much a potential site.

"I don't know if its too late," Harris said.

I don't know if it's too late.- Julie Harris, Coalition to Protect the Central Experimental Farm

Members of the coalition will attend the meeting held by the Agriculture Institute of Canada, which is set for April 11.

OttawaCoun.Jeff Leiper,as well as staff from OntarioMPP Yasir Naqvi's office, have confirmed they'll be at the event.A spokesperson from McKenna's office responded by emailthat"one of our staff will be there to listen and learn."

The Ottawa Hospital andthe Ministry of Agriculturewere notable toconfirmtheir attendance Wednesday.