Tunney's Pasture is a 49-hectare (121-acre) campus in the Canadian capital of Ottawa, Ontario, that is exclusively developed for federal government buildings. It is bordered by Scott Street to the south, Parkdale Avenue to the east, the Kichi Zibi Mikan to the north, and the Champlain Park neighbourhood to the west. While strictly speaking it is confined to this area, people living in the vicinity of it will often call the wider neighbourhood Tunney's Pasture.

An aerial view of Tunney's Pasture in 2022, with the construction of the new central heating plant in the foreground

The complex is served by Tunney's Pasture station, a stop on the Transitway bus rapid transit system and the western terminus on the Confederation Line of Ottawa's O-Train light rail system.

History

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Before development, this area, officially known as "Lot 35, Concession A, Township of Nepean", was used as a farmer's pasture, as the name still indicates, and named after Anthony Tunney who pastured his cows on the empty land.[1]

As a young man, Anthony Tunney emigrated from Ireland to Ottawa in 1867 and married and built a house at 201 Parkdale Avenue.[citation needed] The owner of the pasture, the Ottawa Lumber Merchants' Association, hired Tunney to be the caretaker of the land and allowed him to graze his cattle in the field. Although Tunney was able to claim ownership because he had been paying the taxes on the property, he never did so.[citation needed] In 1947, the government expropriated the property, paying approximately $700,000 as settlement to the property owners.[2]

In 1950, the property became part of the Greber Plan that envisioned it as a government employment centre within a quiet and secure park-like campus. From the 1950s to the 1960s, 18 low-rise buildings were constructed with modern, classical-inspired architecture and similar materials, massing, and scale. Most of these combined research and office functionality under one roof. Starting in the 1970s however, new buildings and additions were built that deviated from Gréber's vision, introducing high-rise office towers, new architectural styles, and cladding materials to the site.[3] In 1971, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited built a SLOWPOKE-2 nuclear reactor on the site, which was moved to another site in 1984.[2]

 
Tunney's Pasture in 2008, before demolition of original buildings

Little development took place in the 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. By 2011, most buildings were considered outdated and the site under-used. Public Works and Government Services Canada has therefore initiated a plan to redevelop the campus with new high-rise buildings and mixed-use commercial and residential space over a 25-year period. In all, the plan aims to double the number of federal employees to 20,000 and add between 800 and 1000 residential units.[4][5]

In 2020, modernization began with the construction of a wholly-new central heating and cooling plant that will be more energy efficient and complete with green roof. It will replace the existing one by 2025. [6]

List of original buildings

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Various ministries and agencies occupy offices, in whole or in part, in Tunney's Pasture.[7][5]

Image Name Building # Address Year built Year demolished Primary tenant Floor area
(m²)
 
R. H. Coats Building Building 1 100 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
1974
n/a
Statistics Canada
40,829
 
Main Building Building 3 150 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
1952
n/a
Statistics Canada
39,237
 
Jean Talon Building Building 5 170 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
1979
n/a
Statistics Canada
60,906
 
Brooke Claxton Building Building 9 70 Columbine Driveway
1964
n/a
Health Canada
20,972
 
Jeanne Mance Building Building 19 200 Eglantine Driveway
1970
n/a
Health Canada
32,755
 
Laboratory Centre for Disease Control Building 6 100 Eglantine Driveway
1954
n/a
Health Canada
11,247
 
Health Protection Building Building 7 200 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
1956
2020-2021
Health Canada
10,317
 
Environmental Health Building Building 8 50 Colombine Driveway
1965
2023
Health Canada
7,008
 
Animal Breeding Building Building 12 100 Chardon Driveway
1962
2018
Health Canada
3,073
 
Sir Frederick G Banting Research Centre Building 22 251 Sir Frederick Banting Driveway
1978
n/a
Health Canada
34,028
 
Finance Building Building 2 101 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
1952
2022
Health Canada
7,203
 
Occupational Health Unit Building Building 17 51 Chardon Driveway
1956
n/a
Health Canada
1,965
 
Virus Laboratory Building 10 Columbine Driveway
1954
2002-2005
Health Canada
 
General Records Centre Building 15 130 Goldenrod Driveway
1957
2018
Library and Archives Canada
17,044
 
Personnel Records Centre Building 18 161 Goldenrod Driveway
1965
n/a
Library and Archives Canada
19,498
 
Standards Building Building 4 151 Tunney's Pasture Driveway
1954
n/a
Measurement Canada
4,463
 
National Defence Data Centre Building 16 101 Goldenrod Driveway
1962
n/a
Department of National Defence
16,602
 
Finance Annex Building 14 100 Yarrow Driveway
1958
2022
Geological Survey of Canada
6,481
 
Central Heating and Cooling Plant Building 13 50 Chardon Driveway
1952
n/a
1,719
 
Butler Hut Building 11 150 Chardon Driveway
1955
n/a
303
 
Atomic Energy of Canada Building Building 20 20 Goldenrod Driveway
1955
1999-2002
Atomic Energy of Canada Limited
 
Eldorado Nuclear Building Building 21
unknown
1990s

Notes

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  1. ^ Statistics Canada, 71
  2. ^ a b "Tunney's Pasture redevelopment project". www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca. Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada. 27 July 2021. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  3. ^ "About Tunney's Pasture". Tunney's Pasture Master Plan. Public Works and Government Services Canada. 2012-08-17. Archived from the original on 2012-08-24. Retrieved 2012-08-20.
  4. ^ Joanne Chianello (September 18, 2012). "Vision for Tunney's Pasture a clouded one". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  5. ^ a b "Tunney's Pasture buildings past their prime". CBC News. November 24, 2011. Retrieved 13 May 2014.
  6. ^ "Low carbon in the National Capital Region's buildings". www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca. Government of Canada, Public Services and Procurement Canada. 28 April 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2023.
  7. ^ "Tunney's Pasture". Directory of Federal Real Property. Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat. Retrieved 8 April 2015.

References

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  • Statistics Canada (1993). 75 Years and Counting: A History of Statistics Canada. Ottawa: Minister Responsible for Statistics Canada. (Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 11-531).
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45°24′22″N 75°44′13″W / 45.406194°N 75.736978°W / 45.406194; -75.736978