Senator Andrew Cardozo, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed
We have a once-in-a-generation opportunity to enhance the national capital and to be visionary in a way that highlights our national iconic buildings with pride.
This is not the time to reopen Wellington Street to vehicular traffic. Rather we should start turning it into an enticing people place — now. This does not have to be complicated. A facelift can literally start within days. Here are just some ideas.
Interview with Brandon Bay, City News, Sam Laprade Show, January 26, 2023
...Bay says his organization is focusing on eliminating exclusionary zoning, the practice of restricting the types of housing allowed to be built in particular neighbourhoods, historically used to keep renters, lower-income and racialized communities out of certain areas.
According to Make Housing Affordable, nearly half of Ottawa is zoned as R1, meaning only single family homes can be built, leading to more urban sprawl and ballooning housing prices.
By Ariel Troster, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed, January 25, 2023
...On the matter of what to do about Wellington in the short term, my inbox is divided. People who primarily walk or cycle for transportation are thrilled to have the open space. Businesses on Sparks, Bank and Elgin streets are frustrated about their inability to receive deliveries. And seniors who live in the north part of Centretown say the road closure is making it harder for personal support workers and family members to get to their homes.
While I support a pedestrianized future for Wellington Street, one that befits the importance of the House of Commons and other significant buildings, the status quo is not working. We need a solution to the additional congestion that the closure has created within the core, and we need some resources dedicated to making the space welcoming. This could include dedicated recreation funding, or money to existing festivals and Business Improvement Associations to extend their programming onto Wellington.
By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa
...At the time, the city was presented with the sudden promise of federal funding, and made plans to buy 450 zero-emission electric buses by 2027 for $986 million.
At a news conference at an OC Transpo garage last week after funding was secured, however, federal officials announced they would help pay for 350 buses.
Richard Holder, the City of Ottawa's director of engineering services, explained that was what the city could afford given the funding it was allocated and the shorter timeframe of the federal Zero-Emission Transit Fund, with projects eligible to March 2026. It's possible that fund could be extended and the city might be able to tap into it again, he noted.
By Guy Quenneville, CBC News Ottawa, January 23, 2023
As Lisa Craig strolled along Wellington Street Saturday, she embraced the calm, car-free atmosphere.
"I've enjoyed wandering quite safely with no cars out on the roads," said Craig, who was visiting the nation's capital from St. Catharines, Ont.
Barricades have kept vehicles off the street in front of Parliament Hill ever since police cleared out the last of the Freedom Convoy protesters in February 2022.
But in a few days, city council's transportation committee will discuss whether to remove the barricades and reopen the area to vehicles.
By Neil Grover, Free Transit Ottawa, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed
Ottawa transit is defined by neglect. The train breaks down, buses are painfully unreliable, and fares are far too high.
But no, it’s remote work to blame for low ridership. We’re told demand simply isn’t there anymore, as if bus riders are a set pool of users that can only shrink, never grow. OC Transpo has had three years to improve and redesign service to meet the needs of residents outside the 9-to-5 commuter pool. it has tried nothing and it’s all out of ideas.
By Christina Keys, Manor Park Chronicle, November 28, 2022
...At a local Manor Park event last December, I picked up many free seeds packets from the Ottawa Wildflower Seed Library. This “library” allows you to borrow seeds or seedlings for free with the hope that you will donate back seeds from the mature plant in future years.
Following their instructions, I grew hundreds, maybe thousands, of native perennials in a few dozen containers on my deck over winter. The steps were surprisingly simple and easy. Most native seeds need the cold of winter and the moisture of snow to germinate, a process known as cold stratification. This process breaks the seed dormancy; the seeds sprout when temperatures warm up in spring.
By Tom Shoebridge, InsideOttawaValley, January 15, 2023
...However, resolutions that involve personal steps toward climate change are often very reachable. On top of that, they are free, simple and effective on several levels.
As individuals, we can only achieve so much toward stopping the climate crisis, but we can help ourselves by taking a number of baby steps and contribute to environment revitalization. These actions will also lead to some level of personal renewal.
By Adam Baird, NPR, January 14, 2023
Electric cars are seen as a key way to reduce climate change causing emissions — but they are expensive. The average price paid for a new electric vehicle towards the end of 2022 was over $65,000, according to Kelley Blue Book.
While running costs are typically lower than a gas-powered vehicle, there are tax, insurance and parking costs.
Lelac Almagor thinks there's a better way to ditch a fossil-fueled car.
... She takes her family almost everywhere by electric bike.
Par Emily Kennedy, Le Droit, Éditorial, le 9 janvier 2023
...Dans mon récent essai Eco-Types: Five Ways of Caring about the Environment, je présente les cinq principaux types de relation à l’environnement, ou «éco-types», que j’ai constatés durant mes recherches.
1.Les éco-engagés (Eco-Engaged) sont politiquement progressistes et dotés d’un capital culturel élevé.
By City News
In 2023, the government of Ontario is taking over the collection of carbon taxes from large industries such as steel mills, cement plants and car manufacturers, expecting to generate $2 Billion in revenue between by 2030.
How the government intends on spending that revenue, however, has yet to be determined.
Lana Goldberg, Ontario climate program manager with Environmental Defense, said on The Sam Laprade Show that extra revenue needs to be used to invest in renewables.
Stéphanie Plante and Michel Gauthier, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed
...Midway through COP-15, Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante announced the Montreal Pledge, to which 47 major cities have now signed on, including Vancouver, Toronto, Windsor, Longueil and Gatineau. The pledge challenges cities to take 15 tangible actions (named for COP-15) towards preserving ecosystems.
...one thing that should compel our nation’s capital to act on biodiversity is the reality that protecting nature is financially rewarding in the long term and contributes to our quality of life — something Gardens Ottawa has been promoting for more than three years.