Clive Doucet's Inquiries re: Lansdowne Military Trade Show

At an Ottawa Council Meeting on August 28, 2008, Clive Doucet, the Ottawa City Councillor for Capital Ward which includes Lansdowne Park, formally asked City Staff to answer the following pointed questions.

Clive's Questions

"Does the 1989 motion banning arms shows from City of Ottawa facilities apply to any facilities other than Lansdowne Park?  If so, does the motion apply to all facilities of the current City of Ottawa excluding Lansdowne (including all amalgamated municipalities) or to all facilities of the former City of Ottawa excluding Lansdowne?  Is Lansdowne Park the only property for which arms shows are now allowed?
 
Was Council informed at the time of the sale of Lansdowne by the City of Ottawa to the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton that the motion banning arms shows would no longer apply?  When amalgamation took place and bylaws were harmonized, were councillors presented the opportunity to consider the need to reinstate the previous motion?  If council was not informed on either of these occasions, why not?
 
Why is the City of Ottawa logo on the Secure Canada website for their military trade show?  Is the City of Ottawa a sponsor for the show and what form has this sponsorship taken?  On what authority is the use of our logo and sponsorship granted?"

Here are the inadequate obfuscating responses from the Executive Director of Business Transformation Services
 
1.  Subject to two qualifications arising since amalgamation set out below, the The 1989 Motion by the old City banning the leasing of City facilities to "ARMX or other such arms exhibitions" would still be applicable to all facilities owned by the former City of Ottawa as at January 1, 2001 (the date the new City came into being as a result of the City of Ottawa Act, 1999).
 
The two qualifications are: (1) any Motions passed by the new City on such matters that would have the effect of superseding the above noted 1989 Motion; or, (2) alternatively, subject to any operational directives since amalgamation by City staff pursuant to Council or delegated authority that would have the same effect. Staff is not aware of any such Council or operational policies at the staff level that would have had the effect of superseding the above noted 1989 Motion.
 
2. Lansdowne Park was sold by the former City of Ottawa to the former Region on December 31, 1999, one year before amalgamation.  For the reasons set out by the City Solicitor in his Memo dated August 19, 2008 to the Mayor and Members of Council pertaining to "Lansdowne Park ARMX Exhibitions", the prohibition in the 1989 Motion pertaining to "ARMX or other such arms exhibitions" did not survive the sale and transfer of Lansdowne Park by the former City to the former Region. 
 
Briefly, there were only two covenants that were sought by the former City from the former Region with regard to the future operation of Lansdowne Park, namely: (1) that it would not contemplate or involve the operation of a casino or any type of gaming operation; and, (2) that if the Major Community Facility designation on the property in the then-Region's Official Plan was changed without the then-City's consent, the property would revert back to the City for a nominal fee of $1.00.
 
3. As mentioned by the City Solicitor in his Memo dated August 19, 2008 the former Ottawa City Council on September 1, 1999 approved the then-City staff Report pertaining to the sale and transfer of Lansdowne Park by the for City to the former Region.  Document 1 of the above Report set out the framework for the Transfer Agreement for the property.  Item 7. in Document 1 specified that " responsibility for the management, operation, maintenance and development of Lansdowne Park will be borne by the Region.  Obligations under existing City agreements, including licences, permits and leases will be assumed by the Region."
 
In a report approved by the Regional Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton in July, 2000, staff addressed a number of immediate and longer-term operational issues for Lansdowne Park, including such items as paid parking, agreements for the Ottawa 67s Hockey Club and the Central Canada Exhibition Association, turf replacement and the introduction of the air-supported structure in Frank Clair Stadium. There were no changes requested regarding prior prohibitions or restrictions on event programming on the site. Staff continued to operate under the same guiding principles that existed at the time of the sale and transfer of Lansdowne Park to the Regional Municipality. At the time of amalgamation, there was no specific review of policies and procedures pertaining to the operation of Lansdowne Park as was done to harmonize municipal by-laws.
 
4. Staff believes the management of Secure Canada 2008 naively included the City logo on its web site without permission. The City of Ottawa is not a sponsor of the show and show management removed the logo immediately upon request by Lansdowne Park staff. [Editor's note: See a cached view of the Secure Canada website from August showing the logo of the City of Ottawa that was deceptively displayed as a "Sponsor" of "Secure Canada 2008."]
 
The City of Ottawa's three distinct branded identifiers - the wordmark, the flag and the coat of arms - were officially adopted by City Council on January 24, 2001.  The City's Visual Identity Policy provides guidance on the internal and external use of these identifiers.  Under this policy the City's Chief of Protocol administers the rules surrounding the usage of the coat of arms.  External use of the City's coat of arms is prohibited and the City will not consider requests for the use of it.
 
The Director of Client Services and Public Information has been delegated the authority for the consideration and approval of all requests for the external use of the City of Ottawa visual identity.
 

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