Story 11: Remember When… Rent Dropped to $1?

A Rent Increase That Threatened Patient Care  

In 2004, Queensway Carleton Hospital faced a potential rent increase that would pull funding away from patient care and planned service expansions. 

The issue dates back to a lease signed in 1973, when the QCH Board secured a 40-year agreement to build the hospital on 50 acres of federal land owned by the National Capital Commission (NCC). The rent was about $23,000 per year, but as the lease neared its 2013 expiry, federal rules required the NCC to charge market rent—estimated at $350,000 a year. 

A Community Push for Change 

The issue drew public attention through advocacy by Nepean–Carleton MP Pierre Poilievre and Ottawa-area MPP John Baird. In September 2005, they led a public demonstration at the hospital, where supporters carried signs reading, “Stop Taxing Our Hospital.” The message was clear: healthcare dollars should go to patient care, not land rent. Supporters also pointed out that other public institutions on NCC land, including a golf course, paid just $1 per year. 

(L-R) John Baird, Jim Watson, and Pierre Poilievre announced the $1-per-year rent agreement at Queensway Carleton Hospital in 2006. 

A $1 Lease Secured the Hospital’s Future 

In November 2006, the lease was amended to extend it to July 2048 at an annual cost of $1. The agreement provided long-term financial certainty and ensured hospital funding could stay focused on patient care and future planning.