The NCC is asking Ottawa city council to rezone the land so that it can build six embassies and accompanying parking space. (City of Ottawa)Lorrie Marlow, president of the Mechanicsville Community Association, said the land is very important to the community, especially given how dense development has made the neighbourhood. "This green space is home to at least 66 ... migratory birds, in particular a horned owl that's very popular with the neighbourhood," she said. Leiper acknowledged the fact both federal and municipal planners had anticipated embassies would be built on the land for several years. "In the light of what we've learned about city building through the pandemic, the loss of this open space to build embassies strikes people as being certainly very distasteful," Leiper said.

Source: CBC News February 10, 2021 17:28 UTC