An artist's conceptions shows Lansdowne Park as it would look from the south side stands of a revamped Frank Clair stadium. (Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group)

City staff overseeing the plan to redevelop Ottawa's Lansdowne Park are floating a new idea for getting people to and from the site: water taxis on the Rideau Canal.

Some critics have argued that Lansdowne Park is the wrong location for big events because bus service on Bank Street is already stretched and parking in the area is limited

John Smit, the city manager in charge of the redevelopment project, said the Rideau Canal has served as an access corridor to Lansdowne Park before — and he thinks it could again.

“This can be another one of those points where people can stop, disembark from a boat, partake in activities that might be occurring at Lansdowne,” Smit said.

”[It] could be used as part of the transportation to bring people from the downtown transitway.”

But Coun. Alex Cullen, chair of the city’s transit committee, said the Lansdowne redevelopment plan is in trouble if the city is seriously considering the canal as a solution to transit issues.

"The notion of water taxis sounds very attractive, but the reality is you will not accommodate people getting there,” Cullen said.

“No one wants to take half an hour to get there unless they're tourists wanting to look at the canal ... so the water taxi bit, nice try."

City council voted last November to start negotiating the terms of a private-public partnership with the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group to redevelop Lansdowne Park.

The controversial development plan includes the construction of a cluster of shops, cinemas, condominiums and townhouses and the revamping of the site's existing stadium. The city is expected to make a final decision about the redevelopment in June.

Smit said the city is exploring the water taxi idea, and city staff say both Parks Canada — which oversees the canal — and local tour boat operators have been involved in the talks and have expressed some interest in the idea.

Service would, of course, be seasonal.