We, the undersigned, oppose the National Capital Commission's plan to sell 1100 Canal Woods Terrace, Ottawa, for the purposes of residential development. This development would involve building on a flood plain. It would also involve the destruction of a small urban forest, including mature oaks, maples, alders, and pines, in an area of the city that already fails substantially to meet the city of Ottawa's urban tree canopy targets.

While we recognize the importance of increasing density and building affordable housing, this parcel of land is an inappropriate location for development. We face two crises: the housing crisis and the climate crisis. Addressing one by exacerbating the other is not a reasonable course of action. Many other nearby locations are more appropriate for increasing the supply of housing.

The NCC plan would: 

• Be contrary to the NCC's own Forest Strategy, which includes as one of its five strategic goals "Protect existing canopy cover" (https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/our-plans/ncc-forest-strategy 
• Harm the environment by both building on a flood plain and destroying mature trees
• Increase the vulnerability of nearby properties to flooding
• Compromise the insurability of nearby properties given their proximity to the flood zone
• Aggravate existing traffic issues for residents of Canal Woods Terrace

The NCC has not been transparent. It has not explained how affordable housing could be cost-effective in this location, given the added costs of building on a flood plain. It proposes to replace the trees with planting elsewhere to achieve a net gain in biodiversity, but it has not presented a plausible plan for how it could compensate for the loss of so many mature trees in an already built-up neighbourhood. 

We urge all Canadians to oppose this NCC development and sign this petition.