News Article: NCC putting in a lot of conditions for the downtown site

[SanderSen]

30 minutes to get into town and then 1.5 hours to take public transit.

Sounds like a plan Renfrew.

The idea is that by the time they build the arena the train both east and west will be in place to provide a good people mover. No uncommon for inner city arenas. .. now can they commit to do it right.

Could comment that there is a ton of parking for daytime workers in downtown Ottawa that will be 1 or 2 stops to the rink. If you want to drive downtown.

 

[Stylizer1]

We did in the 1950s. Train station was across from Chateau Laurier and the train went from Renfrew out to Hawkesbury. Ottawa got rid of most of it for buses. Now they're removing busses for LRT.

Makes you wonder what the Ottawa Valley and Prescott-Russell would look like today if they added to trains and trolleys.


My problem is...there have been a ton of studies and designs and talks about the Flats for decades. Why haven't all these things been ironed out years ago? Shouldn't all these goody lists have been well known to the Sens and prospective developers for quite awhile?

In 1952 Ottawa had a series of train tracks running all over the place. It wasn't long ago that they tore up the remaining ones to install paths instead of using them actual rail lines

Map of Ottawa's Railways Through the Years

An Openlayers map showing Ottawa's railways throught the years.

www.kballantyne.ca

 

[mysens]

Whispers in the background have the soil remediation estimated to the tune of over 10 million. The NCC should be cleaning this as it is their land. They have had this land for longer than half a century and know of its contamination. Any vendor holding on to compromised land should clean it or take the haircut. In my experience, when purchasing a site with contamination, it is the vendor who has to deal with it, whether it's the cleanup itself or taking a major hit on the sale price. The Sens owners, who have a few reputable developers and real estate magnates, will not budge on the NCC demand that they should deal with the contamination,. What a joke. The NCC is going to get stuck keeping this land again.

 

[Samboni]

I’m surprised the NCC hasn’t stipulated natural ice only.

 

[jbeck5]

There is so much legislation on the books right now for eco this and climate change that moving forward there is nothing any government can do. Our system is only set up for 1 eventuality and that is way less cars and a lot of red tape preventing innovation unless it meets a very strict definition of what is acceptable.

If this legislation for everything to be electric stays, and electric car prices don't come down...

Rather than have way less cars on the road, I see a huge business empire opportunity for a company to take all these gas cars, refurbish them basically as new, but sell them as used so they don't fall under that electric umbrella...

Then gas stations will stay around if there's demand.

People love their cars...I honestly don't see a world where people give up their cars. They will fight it. They will burn down buildings if they have to. It's not gonna happen..personal vehicles are here to stay, and are a thing of the future. It's just a matter of what that technology will look like.

 

[jbeck5]

Some parking, yes. But trying to make the case that an arena built downtown -- an arena being built *expressly* for the purpose of drawing in a greater audience located downtown -- shouldn't be built to cater to a downtown audience by emphasizing walk-ability, cycling, and transit options is pig-headed, at best. If we want the barn to be consistently full, we're gonna need to pull in a nightly walk/train/bus/cycle-up audience.

And I *am* a suburbanite. I live in the ass-end of Barrhaven. This new downtown arena should absolutely *not* be catering to me and my preferred modes of transport. I'll be more than happy to drive to my local park-and-ride and transit down once it's built.

They should try to cater to as many people as possible and make it enjoyable to go to the game from all ends of the city and all modes of transportation. To not do that would be shooting yourself in the foot and lower demand of the area if all of a sudden, a big percentage of people from certain areas don't want to go because it isn't enjoyable or feasible.

 

[jbeck5]

That's only if you make perfect connections. Just think if you have to transfer to a bus too. Good Luck.

And also, If you just miss that local bus on the way back? Bam, wait an extra 30 mins at 1030pm to 11:00pm on a Tuesday in January when you have to be up at 6am for work the next day.

That's why having driving infrastructure is important? Traffic means an extra 10-15 mins to get out of the downtown core? Cool. That's not the end of the world. I'm in my comfy car and will be in my garage 10-15 mins later....

Beats adding 30 mins to transit...and than another 30 mins if you miss the local bus.

 

[Big Muddy]

We did in the 1950s. Train station was across from Chateau Laurier and the train went from Renfrew out to Hawkesbury. Ottawa got rid of most of it for buses. Now they're removing busses for LRT.

Makes you wonder what the Ottawa Valley and Prescott-Russell would look like today if they added to trains and trolleys.


My problem is...there have been a ton of studies and designs and talks about the Flats for decades. Why haven't all these things been ironed out years ago? Shouldn't all these goody lists have been well known to the Sens and prospective developers for quite awhile?

Street cars used to run East-West along Byron in the west end of Ottawa. Its a narrow strip of grass or park now. Buses replaced the street cars. Now a lot of cities are re-implementing street car systems across North America. Kind of interesting & odd how things change over time.

 

[jbeck5]

What do suburbanites have against using transit?

That aside, it's funny to see anyone in here complaining about pathing and accessibility... Like this isn't a year round events venue that has to cater to the entire city and the various ways people will want to access it.

LEED is the shit. There are other buildings in the City (notably Bayview yards) that are held to that standard and it's better for it.

Like it or not, creating massive parking lots and structures is not, should not, and cannot be a core ask for this rink.

From someone who lives a stones throw from the new location, I'll be laughing while you're stuck in traffic as I stumble home drunk.

It's not just suburbanites...everyone seems to hate using transit.

If I live in the Glebe for example, it's quicker to walk downtown than it is to take the bus up or down bank street. Or at the very least, the same amount of time...so I would rather walk.

And then in the suburbs...it takes me 20-25 mins to drive into work, and 30-35 mins to drive back.

The transit gives me times of anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half commute. That's taking the train to Blair, then local bus from Blair to my neighbourhood, and then a 5-10 min walk to my house.

It's just much easier to drive everywhere quickly with a fun car and music blasting. Nice exhaust sound too. It's no comparison.

 

[jbeck5]

That's okay. All of us non-urban dwellers will be using your yard as a toilet while we stumble back to where the car was parked.

This lol.

 

[jbeck5]

Man, who knew suburbanites were disgusting slobs that talk about driving drunk on a public forum?

Who said driving? You've never heard of a DD? Don't be so hostile lol

 

[Big Muddy]

And also, If you just miss that local bus on the way back? Bam, wait an extra 30 mins at 1030pm to 11:00pm on a Tuesday in January when you have to be up at 6am for work the next day.

That's why having driving infrastructure is important? Traffic means an extra 10-15 mins to get out of the downtown core? Cool. That's not the end of the world. I'm in my comfy car and will be in my garage 10-15 mins later....

Beats adding 30 mins to transit...and than another 30 mins if you miss the local bus.

If Andlauer and the NCC cannot agree on a price for the land, it's all kind of moot anyhow. It looks like there’s a squabble about the costs of soil remediation.

As an aside, I’m not sure one article from this reporter constitutes a description of NCC’s full plan. I’m not sure this one article constitutes the full plan covering parking or anything else.

 

[jbeck5]

If Andlauer and the NCC cannot agree on a price for the land, it's all kind of moot anyhow. It looks like there’s a squabble about the costs of soil remediation.

As an aside, I’m not sure one article from this reporter constitutes a description of NCC’s full plan. I’m not sure this one article constitutes the full plan covering parking or anything else.

I also wonder what the city might do to help the flow of traffic to that area considering it's going to get a lot more traffic.

Like others have said, there's already a lot of parking downtown...perhaps some parking garages open up on the west side of downtown within walking distance of LeBreton.

Obviously downtown already has the infrastructure for 20k people...but does LeBreton?

West of bronson, there isn't really any north/south artery...

Would they adjust Booth to handle more traffic? What about Scott for people coming from the west?

Would they make the Ottawa River Parkway more of a proper highway with no traffic lights and higher speed limit?

 

[Big Muddy]

I also wonder what the city might do to help the flow of traffic to that area considering it's going to get a lot more traffic.

Like others have said, there's already a lot of parking downtown...perhaps some parking garages open up on the west side of downtown within walking distance of LeBreton.

Obviously downtown already has the infrastructure for 20k people...but does LeBreton?

West of bronson, there isn't really any north/south artery...

Would they adjust Booth to handle more traffic? What about Scott for people coming from the west?

Would they make the Ottawa River Parkway more of a proper highway with no traffic lights and higher speed limit?

Your questions make a good case for keeping the current location.

 

[FunkySeeFunkyDoo]

It's not just suburbanites...everyone seems to hate using transit.

If I live in the Glebe for example, it's quicker to walk downtown than it is to take the bus up or down bank street. Or at the very least, the same amount of time...so I would rather walk.

And then in the suburbs...it takes me 20-25 mins to drive into work, and 30-35 mins to drive back.

The transit gives me times of anywhere between an hour to an hour and a half commute. That's taking the train to Blair, then local bus from Blair to my neighbourhood, and then a 5-10 min walk to my house.

It's just much easier to drive everywhere quickly with a fun car and music blasting. Nice exhaust sound too. It's no comparison.

If the transit option involves a bus then it is a non-starter for most people. But if it is just a train to a park and ride or street parking, and then your car from there then that is the best option. You avoid the insane traffic jam of getting out of the core but then have your car to take the most efficient way home.

Back in the 80's my dad used to drive us to Expos games from our home just east of Brockville. Initially we'd try to find street parking around the big O, or a few times used the underground parking. Eventually realized that taking the Metro west for 15 minutes and then hopping in the car was just so much better.

 

[Relapsing]

Who said driving? You've never heard of a DD? Don't be so hostile lol

And pissing on people's lawns is what, neighborly? Your mom help you up into that high horse?

This thread has really brought out the suburban fans who don't care about or understand city planning and infrastructure development. You all chose to live in the suburbs. That's your problem. Don't expect the entire city to cater to your need to drive to a hockey game 5 times a year.

Lets make the parkway into a highway!

Lets widen more streets to deal with single event traffic!

More parking garages!

If the city cent design transit so that I never have to transfer ever, then I'm never using it!

 

[Wondercarrot]

And pissing on people's lawns is what, neighborly? Your mom help you up into that high horse?

This thread has really brought out the suburban fans who don't care about or understand city planning and infrastructure development. You all chose to live in the suburbs. That's your problem. Don't expect the entire city to cater to your need to drive to a hockey game 5 times a year.

Lets make the parkway into a highway!

Lets widen more streets to deal with single event traffic!

More parking garages!

If the city cent design transit so that I never have to transfer ever, then I'm never using it!

View attachment 1039952

I live downtown and will take an Uber, however the vast majority likely do not live downtown.

What do you think is a reasonable accommodation for parking on or near site?
For comparison there are approx 7,700 parking spots at the CTC.

I’m sure you aren’t suggesting zero parking?

 

[flyingfingers]

They should try to cater to as many people as possible and make it enjoyable to go to the game from all ends of the city and all modes of transportation. To not do that would be shooting yourself in the foot and lower demand of the area if all of a sudden, a big percentage of people from certain areas don't want to go because it isn't enjoyable or feasible.

To be fair, the current rink is right next to a highway and has ample parking yet the experience of going to a game is unenjoyable for a large chunk of this city (and Gatineau) and many, many people choose not to go.

It’s great for those of you in Kanata. It sucks for the rest of us. Without a doubt a bottom 5 experience in the league.

So regardless of how many parking spots there are, the bar for improvement is low and a downtown rink will 100% be better.

 

[flyingfingers]

I live downtown and will take an Uber, however the vast majority likely do not live downtown.

What do you think is a reasonable accommodation for parking on or near site?
For comparison there are approx 7,700 parking spots at the CTC.

I’m sure you aren’t suggesting zero parking?

I think the Bell Center has ~250 spots and Scotiabank has a similar amount.

I imagine the team will want more than that, but not in the thousands.

There are ample options (garages, surface lots, street parking) within a 20 minute walk of the proposed site, and I’m sure many more would spring up once Lebreton is developed.

And in terms of Ubering - many more could take that option not just those who live "downtown". For example, if you live Carlingwood, it'd be a $15-25 Uber to get to the rink. If you're in Alta Vista, it'd be about the same.

For the majority of the city, even those who don't live downtown, a central rink (whether at Lebreton, City Center, Bayview, etc), will be way better.

 

[OUT HOUSE]

To be fair, the current rink is right next to a highway and has ample parking yet the experience of going to a game is unenjoyable for a large chunk of this city (and Gatineau) and they choose not to go.

It’s great for those of you in Kanata. It sucks for the rest of us.

So regardless of how many parking spots there are, the bar for improvement is low and a downtown rink will 100% be better.

I lived right by the Express Bus at Tunney's and it still took an hour to get home after a game. Ridiculous. Just moved closer to Lebreton so obviously I'd prefer it there, but anywhere downtown would be a huge step up.

 

[Big Muddy]

I live downtown and will take an Uber, however the vast majority likely do not live downtown.

What do you think is a reasonable accommodation for parking on or near site?
For comparison there are approx 7,700 parking spots at the CTC.

I’m sure you aren’t suggesting zero parking?

I’ll begin with saying I haven’t all the necessary local info or answers, but I’ll ask some questions that ‘seem' reasonable.

I’m sensing that people/posters are getting hung up about having parking very close to the arena. The emphasis is on the word “very”.

But, if there were “shuttle” buses that ran from parking buildings or lots that ran very frequently (let’s say every 5 - 10 minutes). Those parking structures/lots could a few miles away (let’s say within 3 or 4 miles for the sake of argument) and could be strategically located near main arteries that can handle traffic.

Private businesses (often restaurants) used to do this, and I think some still do. Think of that basic concept but on a much larger scale with NCC/City of Ottawa involvement in partnership with private business as well.

Maybe people want to step out of their car and walk just a few yards to the arena? I’m not sure what people expect.

If people want massive parking lots within let’s say a few hundred yards of the arena, then that seems to make an argument for continuing to use the current site in Kanata or at least another site more on the outskirts where large parcels of empty land is available.

 

[Relapsing]

I live downtown and will take an Uber, however the vast majority likely do not live downtown.

What do you think is a reasonable accommodation for parking on or near site?
For comparison there are approx 7,700 parking spots at the CTC.

I’m sure you aren’t suggesting zero parking?

I don't know the exact number, but its not 7000+ I'll tell you that much.

If I were driving from the outskirts, I'd be parking at a lot along the LRT lines and take that the rest of the way. Gets people away from any potential gridlock and lessens your driving time significantly.

In an ideal world, there are spots numbering in the hundreds on site, and the price to park reflects that scarcity to make using the backbone transit line more appealing.

If anyone is curious about the lot locations downtown and along the line, open Ottawa has then all mapped:

Municipal lots and on-street parking | City of Ottawa

ottawa.ca

 

[Masked]

And pissing on people's lawns is what, neighborly? Your mom help you up into that high horse?

You're the one on the high horse that I tried to knock you off of by taking the piss, which you took seriously.

This thread has really brought out the suburban fans who don't care about or understand city planning and infrastructure development. You all chose to live in the suburbs. That's your problem. Don't expect the entire city to cater to your need to drive to a hockey game 5 times a year.

Lets make the parkway into a highway!

Lets widen more streets to deal with single event traffic!

More parking garages!

If the city cent design transit so that I never have to transfer ever, then I'm never using it!

Yes, you're the only one who can understand city planning and infrastructure development. Not on a high horse at all.

We understand that stuff. We just don't want to deal with the city's horrific implementation of it. We want to be able to not worry about trains and buses that never show up or are agonizingly slow.

 

[Masked]

It's not just suburbanites...everyone seems to hate using transit.

People don't hate transit. People hate slow unreliable transit. And Ottawa's transit is slow and unreliable.

 

[Tnuoc Alucard]

It’s Time for the Ottawa Senators to Ditch the NCC and Build a New Arena

For over a decade, the Ottawa Senators have been mired in talks with the National Capital Commission (NCC) to build a new arena at LeBreton Flats, a prime downtown spot that could revitalize the team’s fanbase and Ottawa’s core. But the NCC’s endless bureaucracy—endless consultations, environmental demands for carbon-neutral designs, and eco-friendly transport plans—has turned this dream into a quagmire. The Senators need a home closer to the city’s heart, not another decade of red tape. It’s time to cut bait, abandon LeBreton, and move forward with alternative sites that don’t involve the NCC’s stranglehold. Ottawa has viable options, all city-owned or private, that can get this arena built faster and smarter.

First up is Bayview Yards, a 13.5-acre city-owned site just west of LeBreton, near the Bayview LRT station. It’s got the space for a modern arena, parking, and an entertainment district—everything the Senators need to compete with NHL heavyweights. With direct LRT access connecting east, west, and south, fans can ditch their cars, easing traffic woes. The city’s control means no NCC hoops to jump through, just straightforward municipal negotiations. Sure, relocating existing facilities might be a hassle, but it’s a small price to pay for progress.

Then there’s the old RCMP site on Vanier Parkway, a stone’s throw from the Queensway and St. Laurent LRT. At 4-5 km from downtown, it’s closer than the current Canadian Tire Centre and has room for a multi-purpose complex. Highway and transit access make it a fan-friendly choice, and its non-NCC status sidesteps federal delays. Some environmental cleanup might be needed, but that’s a simpler fix than the NCC’s zero-carbon mandates.

RCGT Park, home to the underused Ottawa Baseball Stadium, is another contender. Just 5 km from downtown, it’s got LRT and highway access, and as city property, it’s free of NCC oversight. The site’s smaller size might limit extras like retail, but redeveloping it for hockey could breathe new life into Vanier. The baseball team? They’ll survive a move.

Hurdman Station, near a major LRT hub, offers transit galore and a central location, 6 km from Parliament Hill. It’s a bit of a wildcard—land ownership needs clarifying—but it’s a non-NCC option with potential for a big arena project. Lansdowne Park, home to the outdated Civic Centre, is closer still, at 3 km from downtown. It’s city-run, with existing sports infrastructure, but its small size and transit limits make it a tougher sell unless the Glebe’s NIMBY crowd can be won over.

The Senators can’t afford to wait out the NCC’s glacial pace. Bayview Yards and Vanier Parkway are the clear frontrunners—spacious, transit-rich, and free of federal gridlock. The city’s ready to deal, and private land could be an option if Ottawa steps up. Fans deserve a downtown arena that’s more than a pipe dream. It’s time to ditch LeBreton, pick a site, and build. Let’s get with it.