Ottawa city staff said it was important to conserve this particular property, even though there is apparently nothing threatening it.

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This seems obvious, but perhaps it bears repeating: The core job of an Ottawa city councillor is spending the public’s tax dollars wisely. Last week’s daffy decision to blow nearly $2 million acquiring a piece of land in West Carleton fails to meet that basic standard.

When City of Ottawa bureaucrats first proposed a plan to buy a 223-acre parcel of land near Fitzroy Harbour, people in West Carleton scratched their heads in wonderment. The idea of spending public money to acquire some trees and fields in a part of the city that consists almost entirely of trees and fields seemed a bit........

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