By David B. Flemming

Approximately 140 Sandy HIll residents and supporters, including many Heritage Ottawa members, turned out for a Heritage Demonstration and March in Sandy Hill yesterday afternoon, to voice concerns over several buildings on the City's Heritage Reference List that are currently threatened by demolition. 

Participants gathered outside All Saints Church, a designated heritage building that is currently for sale, and marched along the sidewalk to 261 - 281 Laurier Avenue East at the corner of Friel, the site of 6 low-rise apartment buildings of heritage character that owner Viner Assets proposes to demolish and replace with a single 9 storey student residence. 

Master of ceremonies and organizer of the event was Richard Cannings, a former City Councillor and former president of Heritage Ottawa. Chad Rollins, president of Action Sandy Hill made some opening remarks and gave five of the six candidates for the Rideau-Vanier Ward - Marc Vinette, David-George Oldham, Catherine Fortin LaFaivre, Mathieu Fleury and Marc Aubin - an opportunity to make some brief remarks. (Candidate George Atanga was unable to attend owing to a recent death in his family.)

Despite Councillor Fleury’s opposition to the Laurier/Friel development and his support for cracking down on demolition by neglect, many felt that it was too little too late and he received a mixed reception. Marc Aubin appeared to have good crowd support, although his remarks progressed to a direct attack on Fleury. At the end of the speeches, Chad Rollins noted that Action Sandy Hill did not endorse any particular candidate, acknowledged Councillor Fleury's support for heritage causes, and apologized for any appearances that Fleury was being "set up" as a consequence of the other candidate's remarks.

One demonstration participant called for candidates to disclose on their websites, prior to the election, any donations they receive from developers. 

 It was unclear whether any of the candidates agreed to disclose this information.

Sandy Hill was designated as a Heritage Conservation District in the 1980's. Developers are currently planning over 3,000 new condo and apartment units on the sites of more than 20 buildings of heritage interest in the District. Action Sandy Hill has been actively involved in ongoing efforts to preserve Sandy Hill's heritage character.

Heritage Ottawa is pleased to see public support for these heritage concerns, and for Heritage Ottawa's efforts in bringing these concerns to the attention of City planning staff and members of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee. The current threats to heritage in Sandy Hill, Lowertown and other parts of Ottawa speak to a problem at City Hall in protecting our built heritage in light of developmental pressures, and to a problem with the limited mandate of the Built Heritage Sub-Committee.