Iraqi Embassy's plans for vacant lot in Lowertown worry neighbours

Near the end of a quiet Lowertown street lined with townhomes and low-rise apartment buildings lies a large empty lot that takes up nearly half a block.

For decades, local residents, dog walkers and students at a nearby high school have used the vacant property as a convenient shortcut between Bruyère and St. Patrick streets, many believing it was public land.

In fact, the lot belongs to the Republic of Iraq, which bought it for $1 in 1982. The property has remained largely untouched since, save for an occasional grass cutting in the summertime, according to neighbours.

That was until two weeks ago, when contractors knocked on doors to tell some residents that a fence will soon go up and they would need to move cars, sheds and decks to avoid being blocked in.

Neighbours hoping for resolution

The proposed fence would also cut off access to a shared laneway that has been used by generations of residents to access their properties and park their cars, according to satellite images from a City of Ottawa database. 

Local homeowners Ana-Maria Barbu and Daniel Gheorghita say neighbours have reached out multiple times to the Iraqi Embassy on Laurier Avenue E. over the past few months to negotiate some kind of agreement, but never heard back. 

"All we want is to have that contact, to see what exactly they are looking for, if there's mutual interest, and if we can find a solution together," said Barbu.

Gheorghita said a company showed up last week without warning and started digging, hitting a gas line that forced the evacuation of the block. 

Tenant Sebastien Millette said that incident "really scared" him and made him feel uneasy about what will happen next, as the fence would be built about a foot from the emergency exit of his basement suite. 

"We're probably going to have to find a new place, because I don't know how we, our two dogs and our baby are going to pass through that if there ever was a fire," Millette said. 

His upstairs neighbour Richie Madan is also concerned by the Iraqi Embassy's plans for the property.

"There's no contesting it, it is their land, they have the right to use it as they see fit," he said. "But it should not come at the cost of changing the ways people have been doing things forever."

Councillor calls for transparency

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Stéphanie Plante said she has also tried to reach out to the Iraqi Embassy, to no avail. 

"It's very frustrating," Plante said. "We have to work with our federal partners to make sure they understand these are not exclusive embassy zones … that they need to be good neighbours while fulfilling their diplomatic missions." 

She said the Iraqi Embassy has submitted none of the paperwork needed for a building permit, so it appears the owner is just fencing off the property for now. 

"There's a lot of embassies that are growing … they have larger diasporas, they just need more space. It's not surprising they are considering developing this area," Plante said.

In the 1982 sales agreement for the property, the lawyer for the Republic of Iraq stated the land was being "acquired for use for embassy and other embassy purposes; for ambassador and other representatives of the Republic of Iraq." 

CBC News has spoken with representatives of the Iraqi Embassy, but they declined to provide comment. The embassy's lawyer has not responded to multiple requests for information.

In a statement, Global Affairs Canada said it does not comment on private property disputes.

Barbu and Gheorghita said residents have hired their own lawyer to explore a claim for a prescriptive easement under Ontario law, and are urging city officials to investigate whether municipal bylaws are being followed.