Rally: Put People Over Profits

The recent proposal from City staff to transfer operations, programming and city control of the remaining public space at Lansdowne is a further commercialization of the public space there, and another step towards privatization. It is also illustrative of a broader trend at City Hall: the interests of the City’s ‘private partners’ are prioritized over the interests of residents. We see this with Ottawa's LRT—another Public Private Partnership (P3) like Lansdowne—and we see this with corporate developers getting their way at the planning committee and council table despite popular community opposition.

Profit is the first priority of a corporation, but what’s profitable for a corporation is seldom what’s best for residents. Decision makers at City Hall must act in the interest of the city’s residents as a whole, not just its wealthy and well-connected. We are calling on the City to act accordingly, starting with pursuing a collaborative public process towards a renewed vision for the future of Lansdowne Park before entering into negotiations with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group (OSEG).

‘Putting People over Profits’ is a P3 deal we can all get behind.

Join us for a rally outside of City Hall at the Marion Dewar Plaza (Laurier Entrance) on Tuesday morning (November 5th) at 8:30AM

*Speakers to be announced*

After the rally we will head into the committee meeting where the current proposal on Lansdowne is to be voted on. Members of the public can register to speak on the spot, but it is advisable to secure an early speaking spot by sending an e-mail in advance to [email protected] requesting to register as a 'public delegation'. Public delegations are given 5 minutes to make their point to committee.