Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

CBC Ottawa Explains: How would Watson and Doucet tackle climate change?

By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, October 21, 2018

Exactly two weeks before Ottawa's municipal election date, a United Nations panel of nearly 100 scientists set off a loud siren.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, the world needs to make dramatic moves over the next 12 years to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

(...)"They're moving, but they're moving so slowly that it's not adequate to the challenge at hand," said Robb Barnes of Ecology Ottawa.

For Barnes and other environmental advocates, Mayor Jim Watson's office hasn't made climate change a major priority. They point to both a lack of leadership and to his promise to keep spending increases capped at the rate of inflation.

(...)Unlike Watson, Doucet has not made specific environmental promises. Instead, he told CBC News that sustainability would be his top priority and would be the lens through which every decision is made.

City of Ottawa, residents to begin reforestation of tornado-ravaged Arlington Woods

By Jacquie Miller, Ottawa Citizen, October 21, 2018

The city will soon announce a program to replace some of the trees that were lost when a tornado ripped through Arlington Woods, residents were told during a solemn ceremony at the edge of a devastated forest on Sunday.

About 130 neighbours stood at a clearing at the edge of Bruce Pit in what was once a forest of 150-year-old pines, listening to speeches, music and poetry.

The tornado that touched down a month ago destroyed many of the trees that were a beloved part of the neighbourhood in the west end of Ottawa off Greenbank Road.

A city program will allow residents to choose trees that will be planted in rights-of-ways in the neighbourhood, said Robert Onley, a vice-president of the Trend-Arlington Community Association.

Preventative boil water advisory for Hull sector

By 1310 News, October 19, 2018

As work continues to modernize the Hull water treatment plant, a large-scale boil water advisory is scheduled to start this weekend.

The preventive boil water advisory will affect the entire Hull sector, with the exception of the Plateau district, and will be in effect for more than five days, starting at 7 a.m. on Saturday.

If you're affected, you need to boil your water for one minute before consuming it, and you're asked to cut back on water use as well.

Randall Denley: Ontario’s $3B cap-and-trade bill not the budget black hole it seems

By Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen, October 18, 2018

There he goes again. Ontario Premier Doug Ford has smashed up the climate-change china shop, broken everything in sight, and now we’re being handed a bill for $3 billion.

Or, as the NDP put it, “The direct result of Ford’s favour to big polluters will be $3 billion in costs piled onto the backs of the people of Ontario. That means ripping $3 billion right out of folks’ bank accounts, or cutting $3 billion from things like health care.” The Liberals chimed in too, but less colourfully.

It does sound bad, until one considers what the province’s Financial Accountability Office is actually saying. Accountability officer Peter Weltman rightly focuses on the news that cancelling the Liberal cap-and-trade plan is not quite the neat equation that we had been led to believe. That’s only part of the story, though.

Ottawa Votes: Most Ottawa candidates oppose nuclear dump at Chalk River

By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, October 19, 2018

Most of the Ottawa council candidates who answered a survey by Ecology Ottawa say they oppose construction of a low-level radioactive waste facility at Chalk River.

Six incumbent councillors — Riley Brockington, David Chernushenko, Keith Egli, Mathieu Fleury, Jeff Leiper and Catherine McKenney — declared their opposition to the dump. Incumbent Mayor Jim Watson’s campaign did not respond, while candidate Clive Doucet declared opposition.

Ecology Ottawa says 73 candidates responded that they would oppose the structure, six said they would not, and 34 did not respond.

The disposal facility will contain a variety of low-level waste such as lab clothing, mop heads, debris from future demolition of aging buildings, and contaminated soils. Opponents say the waste facility is too close to the Ottawa River and could spread contamination downstream. Canadian Nuclear Laboratories says the groundwater at the site runs away from the river, not toward it, and the facility will be covered with a watertight cap. Activists however present an analysis that says the water would leak eventually and would drain into the river.

Ottawa Riverkeeper also opposes construction.

Reevely: Watson's pledge on seniors and transit makes little sense

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, October 19, 2018

If tech magnate Terry Matthews cared to hop the No. 64 bus from his Brookstreet Hotel to his Wesley Clover stables, he’d pay less for the OC Transpo trip than a part-time Walmart clerk does to get to and from work.

The fact he’s 75 matters more than his billions, a loopy situation that Jim Watson proposes to worsen with more free transit for senior citizens.

The pledge is just tossed into Watson’s latest (and probably last) set of election promises: “Provide no-charge transit service to seniors on Sundays, in addition to Wednesdays.” There’s no rationale or explanation.

ARMCHAIR MAYOR: Make Ottawa the healthiest, cleanest city

By Jake Cole, Ottawa Citizen, October 18, 2018

On Monday, citizens of Ottawa elect a new city council. To help guide discussion, we’ve asked people for ONE idea that would make the city a better place – without necessarily breaking the bank. Today, Jake Cole challenges councillors to make this the healthiest city on the planet.

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Ottawa does not currently show up on “best cities to live in” worldwide listings.  But it could. Wouldn’t it be nice to know that we are healthier and live longer, that we are blessed with clean air to breathe, pure water to drink, healthy food choices, access to cutting-edge disease prevention information, abundant green spaces, and health and environment conscious employers?

What if our aspiring councillors in Monday’s municipal election were challenged to make our city the healthiest one in Canada, maybe the world? How would they react? I’d like to think that, with the will and some help, our councillors could meet that challenge. I also think people would be keen to vote for someone who could work hard to help make each of us healthier.

Watson promises free Sunday transit for seniors

By Laura Osman, CBC News Ottawa, October 18, 2018

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson is promising an extra day of free transit for seniors if he's re-elected Monday.

The announcement was among his final list of campaign promises of the election, released in an emailed statement late Thursday afternoon.

"This measure is not only a cost saving opportunity for seniors; it encourages them to leave their home and take part in social outings, helping to fight widespread loneliness and isolation affecting many seniors," Watson said in the release.

'If we wanted beauty, we'd travel to Paris': how Calgary resisted its iconic pedestrian bridge

By Melissa and Chris Blunklett, The Guardian, October 17, 2018

The controversial Peace Bridge is now one of the most-used walking and cycling routes in Calgary. The councillor behind it reveals the project’s stormy process,

“The level of hatred directed towards that piece of infrastructure was out of proportion with the cost,” says Druh Farrell as she recalls the stormy process leading to the construction of Santiago Calatrava’s pedestrian and cycling Peace Bridge in Calgary. “It was an incredibly painful process. It became so intense.”

Doug Ford’s decision to cancel cap-and-trade keeps getting worse

By the Editor, Toronto Star, October 17, 2018

It’s taken some time but Doug Ford’s government finally has a number on climate change that they really want to talk about: $264.

That’s what Ontario’s financial accountability officer says a typical household would have paid in additional costs next year had the provincial cap-and-trade program to fight climate change by putting a price on carbon remained in place.

(...)But, as usual, there is far more here than can be summed up by the simplistic money-in-your-pocket slogans that Ford’s PCs like best. In fact, their misguided decision to axe the provincial program means Ontario families are now set to pay more under the federal backstop, and get less environmental benefit from it.

 

UCPR investing $125,000 over five years for mountain biking in Larose Forest

By Francis Tessier-Burns, The Review, October 16, 2018

The United Counties of Prescott and Russell is hoping to turn Larose Forest into a destination location for mountain bikers.

Last year, the UCPR pledged $25,000 a year for the next five years to create a trail network in the forest. That amount is being financed by the forest’s reserve fund.

About 20 kilometres of trails have been built so far and now Louis Prévost, the UCPR’s director of planning, is looking to expand to more than three times that distance.

Action Champlain all-candidates meeting kept focus on environment, cement plant

By Louise Sproule, The Review, October 15, 2018

Not all municipal candidates showed up for a quick “speed candidating” element added to what started out as a mayoralty debate, but all four mayoralty candidates attended the debate organized by Action Champlain on October 10 at École Saint-Jean-Baptiste School.

The meeting began with candidates from each ward having the opportunity to say a few words about their campaigns.

Moderator Guy Rouleau officiated at the meeting, and asked each candidate to state right off the top, whether he or she was for or against the proposed cement plant for the L’Orignal area. After answering that question, candidates could introduce themselves and then offer their vision for Champlain Township.