Y'know, I don't mind.
Sure, I like it that Ottawa has such an array of national monuments, galleries, and special places. Ottawa, a place of culture and architecture -- it's not how we usually think of it, but there it is. And I liked the idea of repatriating the old US embassy for that purpose: great site. But not every national institution needs to be in Ottawa-Hull. To let other cities have a crack at hosting The National Portrait Gallery doesn't seem bad to me.
I know, the government will probably let the choice be determined by political pork-barrelling rather than the inherent qualities of the available sites, and probably some cheapshot developer who offers a site and building will be given a million kickback concessions and allowed to put the corporate logo all over it. But that's the process, not the idea itself.
National Portrait Gallery in Charlottetown? Yeah, I'd go. (I know, it's not on the current list.)
