HERITAGE OTTAWA

The following letter was sent today by the National Trust for Canada to the Committee of Adjustment.

Re: Proposed Expansion of the Château Laurier Hotel

Dear Members of the COA,

I am writing on behalf of the National Trust for Canada to urge the Committee of Adjustment to
refuse the subject application for minor variances with regard to Ottawa Zoning By-Law 2008-250,
Heritage Overlay section 60, on the grounds that these variances are not minor; and further, should
not be considered until it is confirmed that fundamental pre-requisite heritage approvals were
properly executed.

The City of Ottawa has obligations to protect the heritage values of the Chateau Laurier under the
Ontario Heritage Act, the Ontario Provincial Policy Statement, and the Ontario Planning Act. A
growing number of community leaders, design professionals, heritage organizations and concerned
Canadians expressed strong opposition throughout the proposed development’s various review
stages, to no avail. We share their concern. A recently announced legal challenge questions the
process the City followed to grant a Heritage Permit. Given this, we are of the opinion that it would
not be appropriate to move forward with approval of the subject variances.

We ask the Committee of Adjustment to do its part in ensuring that Ottawans and Canadians can
have faith in the City of Ottawa’s due diligence with regard to its regulatory obligations to prevent
negative impacts to places that matter - by refusing to approve minor variances for a development
with unquestionably major potential consequences that have not been adequately addressed.

The National Trust for Canada is an independent registered charity that has helped Canadians
protect historic places since 1973.

Sincerely,

Natalie Bull
Executive Director
National Trust for Canada