Gathering support to denounce an undemocratic selection process

The project designed by Daoust Lestage Lizotte Stecker Architecture + Luca Fortin (artist) + Louise Arbour (advisor) was selected the winner by the competition jury , but not awarded the project by the Government of Canada.

“Despite the fact that the jury designated your concept as the winning concept of the competition, after careful consideration, the Government of Canada has decided to select the concept developed by [another team] and, consequently, to award the contract to that team.”
– Veterans Affairs Canada, translated from a letter received on June 20, 2023.

« Malgré le fait que le jury a désigné votre concept comme le concept gagnant du concours, après mûre réflexion, le gouvernement du Canada a décidé de sélectionner le concept élaboré par [une autre équipe] et, par conséquent, d’octroyer le contrat à cette équipe. »
— Ministère des Anciens Combattants du Canada, lettre datée du 20 juin 2023.

Objectives

1. That the government reverse its decision and award the mandate to the team selected by the jury, as stipulated in the competition rules;

2. That the government put in place the necessary mechanisms to ensure that this situation does not reoccur in future competitive bidding processes.

We are therefore counting on your support to denounce an illegality, an injustice and a dangerous precedent in the development of public art in Canada, as well as in the federal procurement process more broadly.

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