In the 1970s this downtown building was the site of an important event in the history of Canadian city planning. A former paint and glass store, the location later functioned as the Field Office of the Centretown Planning Unit, a joint effort of the City of Ottawa and the citizens of the Centretown neighbourhood.
It was led by architect and planner John Leaning. Trained as an architect in England, John chose Ottawa as his home where his work included being chief architect for the National Capital Commission, as well as having a practice in architecture, heritage conservation, and community planning.
From this location a team of planning professionals and community activists produced the Centretown Plan, a comprehensive blueprint for transforming the district between Gloucester Street and the Queensway from a throwaway zone for office buildings and parking lots into a humanly-scaled inner city neighbourhood for people of all ages, incomes, and origins. This building is now a youth shelter, housing previously homeless youth who deserve to be seen, heard, housed and supported as they build a strong future for themselves.
Thank you for commemorating John’s contribution to planning history through the creation of a mural by local artists and youth.
