By Mahanaz Yakub, EV Autonomy, May 10, 2022
Doug Ford says he wants '100%' clean energy — but how?
By Jessica MacDiarmid, National Observer, May 17, 2022
Premier Doug Ford said he won’t be satisfied until Ontario’s energy grid is 100 per cent clean during the second and final debate between political party leaders in advance of the province’s June 2 election.
...That is unlikely: emissions from Ontario’s energy grid are expected to triple by 2030 as natural gas fills the void left by the province’s three aging nuclear reactors set to go offline in the coming years.
Proposed waste management system could force residents to think twice about what they toss
By Pippa Norman, Ottawa Citizen
...Ever since the City of Ottawa switched to bi-weekly garbage pickup in 2012, he has seen a dramatic increase in the number of raccoons, rats and skunks making stops at their trash buffet, he said.
“People have nowhere to put it. They think they have to put it outside, and the longer it sits outside, the more vermin it attracts,” Allen said.
Now, he is even more worried, as the city weighs a proposal to limit the amount of trash that residents can put out for collection every two weeks. Go over the limit, and you would have to pay a fee for each extra bag of garbage. This is a variation on the “pay-as-you-throw” (PAYT) system that is designed to deter people from throwing out items they could reuse or recycle instead.
Cullen: Land-use planning is a crucial Ontario election issue
By Alex Cullen, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed
Decisions by the Doug Ford government are undermining local autonomy and public participation in matters of land development.
....The minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has the power to override local planning policies to impose zoning conditions to favour a site-specific development. This can be done without notice, without holding a public hearing involving affected residents,
...The city’s revised Official Plan seeks to accommodate growth through a combination of expanding the urban boundary and intensifying current urban areas. However, some land developers found their projects not included in the plan and are lobbying for inclusion (thereby increasing urban spawl).
Cavanagh quarry seeks to undo environmental protections
By the Almonte Millstone News
Thomas Cavanagh Construction has applied to the City of Ottawa to reverse the existing EP3 environmental protection of 18 hectares of land immediately bordering Burnt Lands Provincial Park – a Nature Reserve class park at the intersection of March Road and Burnt Lands Road.
...“Friends of Burnt Lands” – concerned citizens of Ottawa and Mississippi Mills – have asked the City of Ottawa and Ontario government to reject the application. There is insufficient justification in the application to reverse the existing EP3 zoning / environmental protections.
Lincoln Fields pedestrian bridge outage during LRT work has west-end communities crossed
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
Communities separated by the Transitway south of Lincoln Fields are alarmed that a bridge connecting them will be demolished with no hint from the city about when the new crossing will be ready.
...A replacement pedestrian bridge spans the Transitway not far to the north, but the city recently announced that it won’t be ready to provide uninterrupted access over the Transitway. The opening date for the new bridge is in the air because of a design snag involving a recently identified underground utility.
Les grandes villes contre l’étalement urbain?
Par André Verville, Le Droit, le 14 mars 2022
POINT DE VUE/ Personne ne semble voir ce grand paradoxe qui s’est subrepticement développé depuis quelques années: les maires des grandes villes qui se font soudain les apôtres les plus motivés de la lutte aux changements climatiques, en s’attaquant publiquement à l’étalement urbain.
Davantage de sentiers officialisés dans le parc de la Gatineau
Par Stu Mills, ICI Radio-Canada Ottawa Gatineau, le 14 mai 2022
Après des années à avertir les visiteurs du parc de la Gatineau de rester sur les sentiers balisés, la Commission de la capitale nationale (CCN) a commencé à convertir de nombreux chemins pédestres et cyclables en sentiers officiels.
En plus des 200 kilomètres de routes forestières officielles entretenues par la CCN, les gestionnaires du parc estiment qu'il existe plus de 300 kilomètres de sentiers non officiels conçus par des usagers.
City finance committee approves $150 million in funding for new Civic Campus
By Ted Raymond, CTV News Ottawa, May 3, 2022
The city of Ottawa’s finance and economic development committee has taken a first step toward providing $150 million to the Ottawa Hospital to help pay for the new Civic Campus.
...The four "guiding principles" to support the work and recommendations are:
- ... Supports the city’s climate change goals and community sustainability.
Ontario election 2022: Few pickup opportunities for PCs in Ottawa area
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen
It won’t be easy for the Progressive Conservatives to gain seats in the City of Ottawa in the June 2 provincial election.
...While The Ottawa Hospital doesn’t seem concerned about the impact of the provincial election on the Civic project, there’s still pressure on local politicians from some parts of the city to reconsider the location in federal green space.
...When it comes to environmental policies, the City of Ottawa has been writing a solid waste master plan that will be completely informed by what the provincial government does with its own waste-management strategies.
Kanata's Blanding's turtles headed for extinction as development breaks up their habitat
By Bruce Deachman, Ottawa Citizen
...“They’re one of the longest-lived freshwater turtles,” says Auge, “so there’s some knowledge in them.”
Beyond simply their research value, Auge says the turtles significantly contribute to the biodiversity of the region. “That, by itself, is important. They’re predators, while their eggs and hatchlings are eaten by other predators. They play an important role in the ecosystem, and for that reason alone it’s important not to let them die off.”
Unfortunately, that’s precisely what’s happening.
As an election looms, will climate policy be an issue in Ontario?
Interview with Fatima syed, the Narwhal, City News
Recently the Progressive Conservative government released a climate plan. Actually, they specifically said not to call it a "plan". It's a set of emissions targets and how they plan to hit them. It's not very long and thin on details, and the government's budget didn't add much to it. But does any party in Ontario have a serious climate plan? And with a pandemic, a housing crisis and an inflation spike blowing through household budgets, it's worth asking how big an issue the climate will be in the upcoming election campaign.
