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In the wake of the harrowing events of Oct. 22 in Ottawa, a series of spontaneous gatherings took place at the National War Memorial. Strangers came together in a place that had taken on even more symbolic meaning than it already had as the focus of commemoration on Remembrance Day. An essential aspect of these gatherings was that they took place in a public square, the modern equivalent of the agora of ancient Greece or the forum of ancient Rome. It is regrettable, therefore, that access to public spaces is becoming more difficult in the one place in Canada where it should be made easier – the nation’s capital.
A symbol of the shunning of the public square is the fact that the new Light Rapid Transit line that could provide easy physical access, especially for disabled persons like me, will not have a stop on Confederation Square. This ceremonial heart of Ottawa, which was the focus of such emotion this Remembrance Day, will be ignored and the LRT stop will instead be at the Rideau Centre. Yes, at the mall.
This should not come as a surprise. In 1958, the Canadian-born economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote in The Affluent Society about the trend towards private wealth and public poverty. That tendency shows no signs of stopping. The excuses for the lack of public amenities today come in two main forms. One is the money involved. We are told that we cannot afford to give Canadians and visitors a grand view of wonderful buildings around Confederation Square when they emerge from the LRT. But the LRT, and a thousand other public infrastructure projects across Canada, will (hopefully) outlive all of us. Saving a few dollars today to beggar future generations is a shabby legacy for a wealthy country.
The other excuse is security. This is the one being used to cut off regular public access to the enchanting indoor garden in the Bank of Canada building, a few hundred metres west of the War Memorial. This was an oasis of green and warmth, perfect for the grey drizzle of November or the bitter chill of February. Once this was open to the public – and why not? It’s our bank, holding our money, and we paid to build it. Now, though, “modern security requirements” mean that bank employees will be able to enjoy the garden but members of the public will be left out in the cold. Yes, security is essential but here a choice has been made to provide it for the few at the expense of the many.
Besides, even after the events of Oct. 22, when security was top-of-mind, there have been calls to ensure that Parliament remains accessible to the people. This is as it should be. Yet, off of Parliament Hill, decisions are routinely made to deny citizens the benefit of public spaces. We are directed away from the public square so we can go shopping and we are forced to look at the garden from the other side of the glass. Even the CBC building in Ottawa turns its back on the Sparks Street pedestrian mall. Unlike, say, the openness of the City TV building on Queen Street West in Toronto, the home of public broadcasting is more of a fortress keeping out the people who funded it.
How different the spirit was in 1906 when Andrew Carnegie came to Ottawa to inaugurate the public library he funded. Ottawa’s own city council had refused to pay for the “luxury” of a library, but Carnegie had the drive and imagination to construct something that was not only beautiful but also freely available to all, forever. We should follow his example and commit ourselves to publicly-accessible buildings (like a central library) that are worthy of Carnegie’s vision from over a century ago.
Robin MacKay is a legal analyst who works for the Library of Parliament.
查看原文...
A symbol of the shunning of the public square is the fact that the new Light Rapid Transit line that could provide easy physical access, especially for disabled persons like me, will not have a stop on Confederation Square. This ceremonial heart of Ottawa, which was the focus of such emotion this Remembrance Day, will be ignored and the LRT stop will instead be at the Rideau Centre. Yes, at the mall.
This should not come as a surprise. In 1958, the Canadian-born economist John Kenneth Galbraith wrote in The Affluent Society about the trend towards private wealth and public poverty. That tendency shows no signs of stopping. The excuses for the lack of public amenities today come in two main forms. One is the money involved. We are told that we cannot afford to give Canadians and visitors a grand view of wonderful buildings around Confederation Square when they emerge from the LRT. But the LRT, and a thousand other public infrastructure projects across Canada, will (hopefully) outlive all of us. Saving a few dollars today to beggar future generations is a shabby legacy for a wealthy country.
The other excuse is security. This is the one being used to cut off regular public access to the enchanting indoor garden in the Bank of Canada building, a few hundred metres west of the War Memorial. This was an oasis of green and warmth, perfect for the grey drizzle of November or the bitter chill of February. Once this was open to the public – and why not? It’s our bank, holding our money, and we paid to build it. Now, though, “modern security requirements” mean that bank employees will be able to enjoy the garden but members of the public will be left out in the cold. Yes, security is essential but here a choice has been made to provide it for the few at the expense of the many.
Besides, even after the events of Oct. 22, when security was top-of-mind, there have been calls to ensure that Parliament remains accessible to the people. This is as it should be. Yet, off of Parliament Hill, decisions are routinely made to deny citizens the benefit of public spaces. We are directed away from the public square so we can go shopping and we are forced to look at the garden from the other side of the glass. Even the CBC building in Ottawa turns its back on the Sparks Street pedestrian mall. Unlike, say, the openness of the City TV building on Queen Street West in Toronto, the home of public broadcasting is more of a fortress keeping out the people who funded it.
How different the spirit was in 1906 when Andrew Carnegie came to Ottawa to inaugurate the public library he funded. Ottawa’s own city council had refused to pay for the “luxury” of a library, but Carnegie had the drive and imagination to construct something that was not only beautiful but also freely available to all, forever. We should follow his example and commit ourselves to publicly-accessible buildings (like a central library) that are worthy of Carnegie’s vision from over a century ago.
Robin MacKay is a legal analyst who works for the Library of Parliament.
查看原文...
