In a move that has left many dumbfounded, Canadian Heritage bureaucrats have announced chaotic traffic control plans for Canada Day at LeBreton Flats that completely disregard those recommended by Ottawa city officials. The city had proposed specific solutions to avoid the chaos caused last year by the same officials at the Department of Canadian Heritage.
It is unclear why more sensible and efficient solutions were disregarded in favour of bureaucratic rigidity. Canada Day is the largest event of the year in the national capital region and is a key small business and tourism driver for the region.
On Wednesday, Canadian Heritage detailed plans that prohibit pedestrian access to Booth Street, which connects Pimisi Station on OC Transpo’s O-Line to LeBreton Flats. This route typically involves a three-to-five-minute walk. Instead, users of the O-Line are being asked to use Lyon Station, resulting in a 15-20 minute walk to LeBreton Flats. Access on Canada Day will be restricted to local residents and those with reduced mobility only.
City officials had recommended creating a direct pathway from Pimisi Station to LeBreton Flats to alleviate the problem. Canadian Heritage bureaucrats ignored the city and the mayor, directing public transit users to Lyon Station instead, despite Pimisi being available and capable of handling the traffic.
The decision by bureaucrats at Canadian Heritage drew sharp criticism from Ottawa Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, who expressed his disappointment on X, saying, “I’m disappointed with the federal government’s plans for traffic flow.” He emphasized that the city had proposed alternative solutions, recalling the chaos caused by the closure of Pimisi Station during last year’s celebrations. That previous mishap led to numerous headaches for attendees and was an embarrassment for the city. Sutcliffe went further chastising federal officials, stating, “I want to be abundantly clear: this is not an issue of the capacity of the station, but the result of passengers not being allowed to use the entire Booth Street Bridge when they exit.” He added that OC Transpo should not be blamed for the Canada Day traffic snafu.
I’m disappointed with the federal government’s plans for traffic flow around the Canada Day celebrations at LeBreton Flats. Despite the efforts of city officials to propose alternatives, the government’s security officials have decided once again this year to discourage public…
— Mark Sutcliffe (@_MarkSutcliffe) June 19, 2024
Closing the main transit station for Canada Day forces people to seek alternative transportation options instead of using public transit. It comes amid ongoing scrutiny from Opposition MPs, who have spent months questioning the competency of federal bureaucrats and uncovering corruption in several federal departments, leading to botched projects and millions of taxpayer dollars wasted. Multiple business associations have criticized the Trudeau Liberal government as incompetent and anti-business, pointing to a pattern of implementing cavalier rules, over-taxation, and regulations that disproportionately hurt small businesses. These measures are seen as stifling innovation and growth.
The nonsensical decision by Canadian Heritage officials to prohibit pedestrian access to transit at the Pimisi Station O-Line to LeBreton Flats demonstrates the ineffectiveness and lack of influence of national capital area Liberal MPs in advocating for their communities and constituents. After last year’s embarrassment, it appears none of the local Liberal MPs — Yasir Naqvi (Ottawa Centre), David McGuinty (Ottawa South), Chandra Arya (Nepean), Anita Vandenbeld (Ottawa West-Nepean), and Marie-France Lalonde (Orléans) — did anything to ensure Canadian Heritage officials were reigned in to ensure it would not happen again this year.
This is something to keep in mind when these Liberal MPs are up for re-election a year from now.
Header image: The LRT heading west from Pimisi Station. (Photo: OLM Staff)
