By Mitchell Beer, Ottawa Citizen, January 5, 2018
If Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa city council had funded their signature light-rail project the way they committed to their “Energy Evolution” transition plan just before the holiday, they’d have made a bold, ambitious decision to retire OC Transpo’s last horse and buggy by 2025. And they would have put off the vote to fund replacement vehicles until the next term of council.
During budget deliberations late last year, Watson and the council majority allotted $500,000 – a pathetic 56 cents per Ottawa resident, with no dedicated staff – to begin implementing Energy Evolution, a set of nearly three dozen prioritized action items to begin making good on the city’s climate and energy commitments.
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/beer-mayor-watson-stop-turning-your-back-on-climate-leadership