By Frank Johnson and John Rive

• We are appealing the rezoning of Lansdowne Park at the Ontario Municipal Board - this is separate from the community association's appeals and also from the Lansdowne Legal Challenge mounted by the Friends of Lansdowne. The hearing starts on May 9th.

• The Old Ottawa South Community Association and Glebe Community Association settled with the OMB "..reluctantly and with profound reservations" because of lack of resources and the costs of continuing their appeal.

• We consider that we have a good case based on the fact that the new zoning does not conform to Ottawa's Official Plan (see below for details). We are represented by Tony Fleming, an expert legal counsel from Cunningham, Swan, Carty, Little and Bonham LLP in Kingston.

• We think this is important to do to protect the character of our community. We refer in particular to the traditional main street character of Bank Street in the Glebe and Old Ottawa South and the ability of the neighbourhood to sustain the level of traffic, parking and transit that it now has. We also consider that the imposition of a shopping centre/commercial/office space complex is not in keeping with the community.

• We ask for your financial support. Legal costs are estimated to be of the order of $35,000 if the hearing is restricted to one week to challenge on one area of compliance with the Official Plan.

• If you share our concerns and are able to assist us with the costs of this appeal we shall be most grateful.

Further details may be obtained from

Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed that we had all agreed
Just who this park was for

I dreamed I saw a wondrous place
With flowers all around
Where grass was laid and children played
And no box stores were found

I dreamed I saw some farmers
Selling produce local grown
An outdoor stage and festivals
That finally found a home

And the people in this town of ours
Were dancing round and round
And all the plans of corporate brands
Lay scattered on the ground

Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed that we had all agreed
Just who this park was for

Randal Martin looks at the role of the media in the Lansdowne debate in this article from "Global Media Journal - Canadian Edition": Propaganda, Ethics, and Media -- Political and Commercial Erosion of Journalism Ethics.

The Truth about Lansdowne Park Delays

By Gary Sealey

I live in Kanata and I'm one of the many citizens from across the City who are involved with Friends of Lansdowne (FOL).

Let’s be perfectly clear about why Friends of Lansdowne is challenging the legality of the City of Ottawa’s partnership plan with Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG) to re-develop Lansdowne Park.

The city has acted in bad faith by showing preferential treatment to one group of developers and has not been forthcoming about what this agreement is going to cost taxpayers over the coming years and decades.

Let’s also be truthful about what FOL wants to see happen on this 37 acre parcel of public land in the heart of our city. As concerned citizens—from Cumberland to Stittsville—we totally agree the property needs to revitalized. But we want the development process to be undertaken in a fair and transparent manner.