Should a referendum be called for Lansdowne 2.0?

Later this year Ottawa city council will vote on a handful of decisions, which, if approved, will soon see shovels in the ground for Lansdowne 2.0. But it’s been a contentious issue — the new arena would be smaller than the current one, there would be years of construction headaches, and greenspace would be lost.

Now, the councillor for Capital Ward is calling for a referendum so Ottawa voters can decide if the large-scale project should move forward in its current form or not. 

“It’s a $437 million cost for the city with $330 million in new debt, and in my view, the majority of people in Ottawa either haven't heard of this or don't want it when they do hear about what they're planning,” said Coun. Shawn Menard, whose ward includes Lansdowne Park. “Right now council is just going to push this through without hearing from people and ignoring their voices. I think the referendum would tell a different story if it was on the ballot.”

Menard admits it’s not the typical way of doing business in this town, but says it’s justified given the fact that over 5,600 people have signed a petition stating it should be residents who vote on the matter, not councillors. 

Mayor Mark Sutcliffe, on the other hand, has a different view. He said referendums weren’t held for other big projects such as light rail or the new central library. 

“We were talking about Lansdowne in 2022 when the previous municipal election took place, so there's no need for a referendum," Sutcliffe said after last Wednesday’s council meeting. "I don't think councillors want it." 

Sutcliffe also noted that there have been various public consultations, with more scheduled to be held later this year.

During a finance and corporate services committee, councillors voted nine to 3 to discuss the motion that day. Menard, however, knew it would not be supported, so he withdrew it so a discussion could be held in the future. 

The current project isn’t appealing, says Menard 

The city has admitted that Lansdowne has not been a profitable development – in fact it’s been losing money. That is why the previous term of city council has decided to visit the drawing board again. 

A new hockey arena is the focal point of the plan. It will move to where a popular winter tobogganing hill currently stands and would take up about one-third of the Great Lawn, which will be reconfigured. But it will also be smaller than the one that’s there now and would seat 5,500 people instead of the current 9,500. 

That is concerning to Menard, who notes the Ottawa Charge PWHL team has seen sold-out crowds, including during their recent playoff run. 

“It’s a bet against women's sports in Ottawa. If you build a much smaller stadium, ticket prices will increase. But that’s what their goal is,” he said. 

Stage 2 of the project would see the north side stands completed by 2029. Then, as part of the final third stage, two residential towers would be built where the current arena stands by 2034. They would be towers of 40 and 25 storeys with up to 770 residential units, down from 1,200.

Previous versions of the plans saw a green roof on the stadium, but it was scrapped due to costs. So is a roof over the north side stands which would now be open to the elements. Menard also says he has concerns over the fact that transportation to the site would not be improved. 

“Seven years of heavy construction is going to be very rough on the local businesses and residents. Especially when we have aluminum and steel tariffs with a recession on the horizon,” said Menard. “This is not really the time to be spending on a ‘nice to have.’ The stadium we also currently have is set to last for four more decades.” 

The next steps for Lansdowne  

City staff plan to put Lansdowne 2.0 to tender on June 16, which would then bring in the construction bids. A separate procurement for the towers closed April 30 and negotiations are ongoing with the preferred bidder. 

Sean Moore, who’s leading the Lansdowne project for the City of Ottawa, has confirmed to CBC the building permit went in on March 21, 2025. Why is that important? T can still fall under Ontario’s 2012 building code.