By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, April 26, 2019
City council risked Ottawa looking like a backwater town — one whose riverside communities and neighbouring municipalities are fighting bloated waterways — if it voted against a motion this week acknowledging that something wonky is happening with the environment.
So, a large majority of councillors on Wednesday sided with Coun. Shawn Menard and his proposal for the City of Ottawa to declare a climate emergency.
That was the easy part.
Now, with city hall in an “emergency” environmental mode, and a council about to decide on its term priorities, it will be pressured to make sure staff and politicians are keeping climate change at the core of each decision across the corporate portfolio.
https://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/analysis-a-city-with-communities-under-water-had-little-choice-but-to-declare-a-climate-emergency