Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

First edition Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival delivers thought-provoking features

By Kieran Delamont, 1310 News, October 15, 2018

With more and more people in the city, and the world, adopting a plant-based diet — ranging from vegetarians to steadfast vegans — the genre of the ‘vegan film’ has emerged.

You’ve probably heard of some of the big ones, like Cowspiracy, Food Inc., or Forks over Knives. Usually, they are films with a pretty simple message — that our industrial meat industry is either unsustainable, immoral, or both.

Until now, says Shawn Stratton, that genre of film has not had its own international film festival. But on Sunday, Stratton hoped to change that with the debut of the Ottawa International Vegan Film Festival, held at the Mayfair Theatre in Ottawa South.

Kitchissippi heads to the polls

(...)This time, it’s all about development

When asked about challenges and opportunities for Kitchissippi in the next term of council, Jeff Leiper had the same answer for both questions: development. “We need gentler intensification.”

(...)“I understand about the problem of re-development and there’s been an awful lot of talk about doing something about slowing intensification,” says Daniel. “The policy of intensification is the problem. But there hasn’t been very much that’s changed in the past four years. I think we need to change the mindset on council about intensification, spread it out along the LRT and have other wards take their fair share of the responsibility for intensification.”

(...)Safer streets

On this topic, Daniel Stringer hones in on bike lanes. “I think we spent four years focusing on bicycles and bike lanes, many of which are unsafe. My focus would be on paving the streets. I’ve identified 27 disgracefully neglected streets that are crumbling and need to be re-surfaced. That’s a priority for me.”

SNC accepting tree orders for spring 2019

By The Review, October 12, 2018

There are many ways for residents to take advantage of subsidies to help plant trees and South Nation Conservation (SNC) is encouraging interested residents to contact the office early to help plan their planting project. SNC has also added new funds to help property owners plant more trees alongside watercourses and farm fields. This is one of the new initiatives that the Conservation Authority is taking towards addressing the loss of regional forest cover.

In August, SNC published a report called “Protecting and Increasing Forest Cover in the South Nation Conservation Jurisdiction” outlining future recommendations including the enhancement of the Conservation Authority’s tree planting services.

Among the enhancements is a new subsidy now available from SNC for 1-acre tree plantings alongside riparian (watercourse) areas or windbreaks (alongside fields). Riparian tree planting protects water quality by acting as an organic filter between land and water, while windbreak planting provides wind shelter and protects soil from erosion.

Maxville water project over-budget, but mayor won’t say how much

By James Morgan, The Review, October 12, 2018

The mayor of North Glengarry is downplaying reports that the Maxville water project is $1 million over budget. Mayor Chris McDonell said the project is not quite half complete so it’s difficult to say how much over-budget the $10.5-million project is.

“I know we’re over-budget on some of the items,” he said. Sidewalks are among the cost over-runs, according to McDonell, who is not seeking re-election on October 22.

The project involves building a water pipeline from Alexandria to Maxville and then constructing watermains to serve residences and businesses in the village. Maxville already had a sewer system and water came from private wells. McDonell said some of those wells were no longer a source of safe drinking water. Work began on the project in May, including the construction of the water tower. The total project is expected to take two years to complete.

Doucet argues his platform more affordable, touts regional rail

By Jason White, 1310 News, October 12, 2018

One of the candidates for mayor is painting himself as more fiscally conservative than the incumbent, and argues that his proposed regional rail system would reduce Ottawa's traffic problems.

Clive Doucet has been challenged by Mayor Jim Watson on the cost of his platform, but he calls Watson a big spender -- and insists that his platform is affordable within the city's budget.

"I'm an old guy, and I think as you get older, one of the things that happens is you get more conservative," said Doucet.

Doucet says 10 to 15 per cent of the city's $3.4 billion budget is disposable income, and can be allocated to different priorities. He admits, money spent in one area is money that has to be found somewhere else.

Barnes: Ottawa could become a green capital in the next term of council

By Rob Barnes, Ottawa Citizen, October 11, 2018

In the lead-up to the Oct. 22 municipal election, all eyes will be on the tight races and public debates. While the horserace aspect of an election can be entertaining, it’s critical to take a longer-term view.

What kind of future is possible if Ottawans elect a greener city council – one with a level of vision and ambition appropriate for a world-class capital? What could Ottawa look like in 2022, at the end of the next term of council?

The next term of council will be tasked with updating the city’s Official Plan. This is no minor job. The Official Plan provides a decades-long vision for the future growth of our city. The Official Plan deals with everything from community design to zoning to transportation planning and protection of natural areas.

Nussbaum: Climate change solutions start right here in Ottawa

By Tobi Nussbaum, Ottawa Citizen, October 11, 2018

The conclusions in this week’s report from the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) are stark: The world needs to de-carbonize by 2050 or risk catastrophic impacts. Yet, greenhouse gas emissions remain on an upward trajectory. The critical work of reducing and eventually eliminating carbon as a source of energy will require sustained political will and public demand for action. But as much as the climate crisis is a global problem, solutions need to begin in our towns and cities.

In particular, our municipalities have the ability to lead the transformation with two of the major sources of carbon pollution: transportation and buildings (heating, cooling and powering).

Reducing our transportation emissions means providing residents with efficient, reliable and secure low- or no-carbon options to move around the city. Investing in public transit is key – not just in the light rail transit system – but also by ensuring buses are reliable, efficient and not stuck in regular traffic, through the wide-scale deployment of transit priority measures. We need to also look at how we finance public transit; our tax dollars currently subsidize the construction and maintenance of roads to a much greater extent than we subsidize transit. Transit riders in Ottawa pay the highest cash fare in Canada, which is why I fought (unfortunately unsuccessfully) to freeze fares during LRT construction. We also need to ensure residents have safe options to move around by foot or two wheels on wide sidewalks and bike lanes, adequately cleared in winter.

Cities around the world are also finding innovative ways to encourage residents to make their homes and businesses more energy-efficient. Through the use of municipally

Nobel Prize-winning economist says carbon taxes are the solution to climate change

 

Just hours before William Nordhaus and Paul Romer won a Nobel Prize on Monday for their work on the economics of climate change, the UN issued a dire warning about global warming.

The report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change says that an extra single degree of heat could make a life-or-death difference in the next few decades for multitudes of people and ecosystems on this fast-warming planet.

But Romer — whose work focuses on adapting economic theory to take better account of environmental issues and technological progress — says this crisis can easily be averted through economic policy.

Ottawa Votes: What you need to know about the candidates in Rideau-Vanier

In the lead-up to Ottawa’s municipal election, this newspaper surveyed every candidate, providing them with a list of questions. It’s an exercise that’s meant to help residents get to know the candidates better and to get a firm sense of where they stand on important issues facing our city.

Our survey was broken into three parts: City issues, ward-specific questions, and an ‘about you’ section. Candidates appear in alphabetical order and surveys were completed and returned to this newspaper by Sept. 7.

(...)4. What should the city do to slow down traffic in neighbourhoods?

(...)5. Where should the city extend LRT first after Stage 2? Kanata or Barrhaven?

(...)6. What should the city do to get more people using their green bins, beyond allowing plastic bags?

(...) Are you happy with the snow clearing operations for roads, sidewalks and paths? If not, what should be done to improve the winter maintenance program?

New Quebec government has to make 'major change' if it hopes to meet emissions targets, environmentalists say

By Benjamin Shingler, CBC News, October 10, 2018

Quebec environmentalists are urging the new provincial government to come up with a clear plan to curb greenhouse gases in the wake of a gloomy international report on climate change.

François Legault's Coalition Avenir Québec has committed to meeting the emissions targets outlined in the Paris agreement but has not said how that would be accomplished.

During the election campaign, the CAQ scored lowest among Quebec's four main political parties in a report card prepared by environmental groups.

Five-day preventive boil water advisory coming up for Hull area

By the Ottawa Citizen, October 10, 2018

A preventive boil water advisory will begin for about 70,000 residents in Gatineau’s Hull district Saturday, Oct. 20, as the city begins the latest stage of its $68-million water system upgrade.

The advisory will last a minimum of five days, the city said in a news release. Hull’s Plateau district will be unaffected.

Residents are asked to boil their water for one minute before consuming it. Affected residents are also being asked asked to reduce water use while the work is underway.

Affected residents may notice some discoloration (yellowish or brownish) in their water while the work is underway.

Work on the modernization of the Hull filtration plant began in the spring of 2017 and is expected to be completed next summer.

NCC invites naming suggestions for new riverside park along SJAM Parkway

By the Ottawa Citizen, October 10, 2018

The National Capital Commission’s brand-new Ottawa River South Shore Riverfront Park needs a new, and hopefully more elegant, name and you can help.

The NCC is inviting suggestions from the public to name the sweeping nine-kilometre-long green space that follows the river along the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway.

According to the NCC guidelines, the park can be named after one of three things:

• a person of national stature who has made a substantial contribution to the building of Canada and its identity in the world, or to an aspect of Canadian culture worthy of special recognition;
• a place or event with a significant historical or cultural legacy in Canada, or;
• a local or regional figure who has contributed to the building of the Capital.