Agriculture institute to hold consultation on Experimental Farm hospital site

As the Ottawa Hospital gets set to reveal its preferred site for a new Civic campus to the federal government, one group is anticipating the Experimental Farm will continue to lead the hospital's list.

It's not a stretch, since three of the four proposed sites on the short list are on farm land. Two of the three involve reconfigurations of the controversial original site announced by the previous government.

With a 75-per-cent chance that the choice will involve the farm, the Agriculture Institute of Canada has decided to hold a meeting bringing together scientists, community groups and municipal, provincial and federal government representatives to examine the impact and 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 of concern 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 the Environment and Climate Change Minister Catherine McKenna to question the consultation process and nudge the hospital to re-evaluate.

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

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

Hospital history favouring one site

Emails accessed through the Freedom of Information Act shared with CBC include the 2014 discussion of hospital preferences from COO Cameron Love with Fred Gaspar, director of federal approvals and environmental management at the National Capital Commission.

An email from Love includes the original 2007 ranking of 12 sites based on several criteria. All of 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 Nepean Sportsplex.

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 February that "we're working with the federal government and the city to ensure it is the best spot, and can we re-configure in 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 Eggins said 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 four sites," she wrote in an email. "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 of the Coalition to Protect the Central Experimental Farm — a group of an estimated 50 heritage advocates and scientists opposed to a hospital on the farm — said 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.

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

The Ottawa Hospital and the Ministry of Agriculture were not able to confirm their attendance Wednesday.