National Capital Commission

History

The NCC was created in 1959, replacing the Federal District Commission (FDC), which had been created in 1927, and the even earlier Ottawa Improvement Commission. The NCC was created to replace the FDC because the latter had repeatedly failed to convince municipal governments to cooperate in planning efforts regarding the capital. Although the NCC was given the authority to implement its plans, an authority confirmed by the Supreme Court in Munro v. National Capital Commission, it has been criticized for failing to assert that authority effectively.

The logo was modified in April 1999 with the formation of Nunavut as an independent territory from the Northwest Territories. The logo went from 10 shaded maple leaves (representing the 10 provinces) and 2 blank maple leaves (representing the two territories of Yukon and Northwest Territories) in a circular C shape, to ten shaded maple leaves and 3 blank maple leaves in a circular C shape.

The Government of Canada asked for a formal review of the mandate of the NCC when taking office in 2006. A panel conducting the review, in its report, suggested that the Crown Corporation needed more money and should become more transparent. Although the government had promised to respond to the panel report by early 2007, it has yet to do so.

Organization

The NCC is the responsibility of the Minister of Canadian Heritage, currently Mélanie Joly. It is governed by the National Capital Act, which explains the boundaries of the National Capital Region in great detail. Its headquarters are in the Chambers Building on Elgin Street, between Queen and Sparks Streets.

In the 28th Canadian Ministry, under Stephen Harper the NCC initially reported to Parliament through the Minister of Foreign Affairs, and then through senior Ottawa-area cabinet ministers, the last of which was Pierre Poilievre.

Role

The role of the NCC is to champion the interests of Ottawa and surrounding region as the nation's capital, typically with regard to issues of national interest, such as the location of monument and museum sites, and major streetscapes such as Confederation Boulevard, a long-discussed ceremonial route linking key attractions in National Capital Region, on both sides of the Ottawa River, in Ottawa as well as Gatineau, Quebec.

This role is in contrast with those of the various municipal governments, which work for the benefit of their immediate residents on issues like road maintenance, sewer, water and public transport. The NCC also administers Gatineau Park, the Capital Pathway and official residences such as Rideau Hall, 24 Sussex Drive and Stornoway.

The Government of Canada is the largest employer and largest landowner in these two areas, and the NCC thus has a great deal of influence over the cities. This has sometimes been criticized by city officials from Ottawa and Gatineau for a lack of cooperation, such as in 1998 when the NCC proposed levelling a large strip of downtown Ottawa to build a ceremonial boulevard along the city's existing Metcalfe Street. Over the last thirty years, the activities of the NCC have been denounced or castigated by several Quebec governments. They considered municipal affairs to be a purely provincial jurisdiction, according to the constitution of Canada. Others have criticized the group for what they perceive to be poor or misguided planning decisions.