The Booth Street Complex – past, present and possible future

By Sue Stefko  

PHOTO: GABRIELLE DALLAPORTA

Past 

The buildings still in use at the Booth Street Complex are on a site that was once part of JR Booth’s Fraserfield lumber yard and railway line, which operated from shortly before 1900 until the 1930s. A rail spur connected the yard to the Canadian Pacific Railway, providing a quick and convenient way to transport lumber. 

In 1935, the JR Booth Company announced plans to clear lumber from its yards. The southern part of the property, below Carling Avenue, was developed into Commissioner’s Park and an exclusive community around Dow’s Lake, initially called Lakeside Park. The northern portion, deemed more industrialized and less desirable, was acquired by the then Department of Mines, now Natural Resources Canada, to expand its Booth Street Complex. This northern section remained largely empty for decades. Photos and maps from the 1940s show the land was mostly vacant, except for two gas stations at the southern end near Carling Avenue, a baseball stadium and a few homes at the northern end near Plymouth Street.  

Following the Second World War, the federal government placed greater emphasis on mineral exploration and ore testing, leading to a need for expanded facilities. In March 1952, residents of Plymouth, Lebreton, and other nearby streets were given two months’ notice by the federal government to vacate the land, which was being expropriated to expand the Department of Mines. The short notice and the destruction of homes amid a housing shortage sparked protests from many of the 78 families affected. Some voiced their concerns in the Evening Citizen newspaper, comparing the government’s actions to those of Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin. One resident predicted families would be hastily removed, only for the property to remain vacant for years before any construction took place. This prediction proved accurate, as the first building on the new site, located at 555 Booth, was not built until 1957. It took nearly two more decades to complete the complex. 

The 555 Booth building originally bore the ominous name “Chemical and Radioactive Ores,” though it has since been renamed the more reassuring CanMET (Canada Centre for Mineral and Energy Technology). The next building, 601 Booth, housing the Geological Survey of Canada, was completed in 1959. By 1961, it was connected to 615 Booth, home to the Surveys and Mapping Branch. The Administration building at 588 Booth was also built in 1959, and the headquarters, the 22-story tower at 580 Booth (now the Sir William Logan Building), was completed in 1974. 

Present 

In recent decades, there has been much speculation that these buildings would be declared surplus. In 2008, the government remediated the land to prepare it for future redevelopment. In 2016, the Ottawa Citizen reported that redevelopment plans had been in place since 2005. National Resources Canada and the Canada Lands Company had created a plan in 2008 to build a new “headquarters showcase” tower, demolish 615 Booth and construct residential housing on the site. The plan included low-rise residential buildings around a central court and two new high-rise towers. The Citizen also reported that, according to internal documents from 2011, 601 and 615 Booth were in “critical condition and require replacement.” 

While these plans didn’t materialize, in 2018 the government initiated the Laboratories Canada strategy, which aimed to build two new facilities in the national capital region to replace other federal buildings such as 580 and 588 Booth. The plan involved bringing together 1,600 scientists from different departments, including Natural Resources Canada, at a site at 599 Tremblay Road as part of a project called TerraCanada. 

However, the Tremblay Road project was cancelled in early 2023. Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) reported that it is now working with Natural Resources Canada on alternative plans to replace those buildings. Meanwhile, some TerraCanada employees continue to work out of the headquarters building at 580 Booth, which is currently being modernized, possibly to extend its lifespan. 

Future? 

Plans to divest parts of the Booth Street Complex remain active. PSPC reports the intent to divest 615 Booth, the building with the largest footprint in the complex, which currently houses the National Security and Intelligence Review Agency. The intent is likely to build housing on the site. However, similar efforts have been slow to materialize, with other nearby land sitting vacant and undeveloped. This site presents additional challenges due to its connection to the 601 Booth building, an aging structure, which may be seen as more of a liability than an asset. 

Sue Stefko is vice president of the Glebe Annex Community Association.