OTTAWA MATTERS | 1310 NEWS, By Mike Vlasveld

Co-Chair of Heritage Ottawa Leslie Maitland thinks the City of Ottawa can do better in designing its Château Laurier expansion, and is asking the community to speak up.

Heritage Ottawa is standing against the most recent design tabled by the City of Ottawa for the Château Laurier expansion project.

"We're not suggesting that they do an imitation Château-style building, but the glass box thing -- you know, it could be a Costco," Co-Chair of Heritage Ottawa Leslie Maitland told 1310 NEWS' Ottawa Today with Mark Sutcliffe. "[The design] does not speak to the importance of this building."

The City of Ottawa is welcoming comments about the project on its website, so she is suggesting residents do just that.

You can also follow a link to a public survey on the Château Laurier project at HeritageOttawa.org.

"The Château Laurier, the Parliament buildings, the National Gallery of Canada; these are the key buildings in downtown Ottawa. That's what people think of when they think of their national capital. They think of that view towards the [Rideau] canal to the Parliament buildings, the back of the Château Laurier. We have got to get this right."

To hear the full interview with Co-Chair of Heritage Ottawa Leslie Maitland, CLICK HERE and scroll down to the audo link. ( 6min 46sec )