Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Councillor gains support for proposed ‘park-and-cycle’ pilot, staff report expected in 2019

By Beatrice Britneff, Global News Ottawa, August 15, 2018

Councillors on Ottawa’s transportation committee say they’re in favour of launching a so-called “park-and-cycle” pilot project in the city, but the initiative proposed by Coun. Marianne Wilkinson has a few bureaucratic hurdles to jump before it can kick into high gear.

The Kanata North councillor got her colleagues to support a broader study of the idea on Wednesday, after a handful of residents complained about getting fined $95 earlier this summer for leaving their cars in the parking lot at Andrew Haydon Park during the work day.

READ MORE: Section of Ottawa River Pathway off limits for emergency repairs: NCC

These commuters treat the lot off Carling Avenue, which they and Wilkinson insist is underused, like a “park and ride” – except instead of switching onto a city bus, commuters hop on their bikes and cycle on the Ottawa River recreational pathway into the downtown area.

Water line replacement on Centre Street – Construction starting August 13

By The Review, August 14, 2018

On August 13, construction began on Centre Street in Alexandria, between Main Street South and Bishop Street South to replace a water main. Work crews will be replacing the four-inch iron main with a new six-inch PVC pipe. This will improve the quality and quantity of water for residents served by this main.

Crews will be constructing a temporary overland water main which will be installed during the week of August 13. Construction of the new water line is expected to begin on August 20.

In order to minimize water pressure losses, Water Works staff may be required to enter local residences to hook up a temporary service. The entire project is expected to take five weeks.

Developer flooding Shea Woods didn’t break any rules: Province

By Devyn Barrie, StittsvilleCentral, August 14, 2018

A developer draining water from its construction site and into the Shea Woods, leaving behind messy residue, did not violate environmental regulations, the province said.

We got a lot of response from a story in our notebook published last week about the flooded woods. Many readers left comments and emails asking whether this broke any rules and what kind of compensation may be required, either by the province or City of Ottawa.

The draining was discovered late last month when concerned residents emailed Coun. Shad Qadri about it, also copying this newspaper in the communications. Soon after, the city visited the site and told the developer to direct their drainage to a nearby storm pond instead.

Making OC Transpo more affordable is a thorny election promise

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun, August 14, 2018 There’s probably a reason why only a handful of municipal election candidates address transit affordability in their campaign platforms posted online. It’s not easy to stop annual fare and transit tax increases. Freezing fares would require more government money to run OC Transpo, and more government money could result in higher taxes or cuts in other services. Transit fares might be a campaign issue in the Oct. 22 municipal election, but candidates will have to be creative if they push proposals to hold or reduce prices. In a scan of candidates’ websites, the most aggressive proposal on transit affordability is coming from Shawn Menard, a candidate in Capital ward. “Free public transit is achievable in Ottawa,” Menard said. https://ottawasun.com/news/local-news/council-candidates-need-to-be-creative-if-they-campaign-against-rising-transit-fares/wcm/5b037edb-6e47-4545-a6cc-fb1781224cec

Home games this week virtually must wins for Fury FC

With less than a third of the regular season remaining, the numbers shouldn’t lie. Ottawa Fury FC has been to respectable at home at TD Place stadium this season, picking up 20 of 36…

Vanishing lines a costly problem for roads department

By Laura Osman, CBC News Ottawa, August 14, 2018

The painted lines on Ottawa's roads are literally disappearing, leading to a surge in complaints from residents and saddling the city with a costly problem to solve.

The rapidly fading road markings have been an issue since 2012, when council voted to save money by repainting them just once a year. A few months later the federal government made it mandatory for municipalities to use paint with low volatile organic compounds (VOC), a more environmentally friendly alternative to the longer-lasting product many cities had been using.

The problem is, low-VOC paint tends to last less than a year on Ottawa's roads, and by spring many markings have disappeared completely.

Photo radar coming to Ottawa school zones in 2019

By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, August 15, 2018

The City of Ottawa expects to start rolling out photo radar in school zones in 2019, and is now gathering data to figure out where speeders pose the greatest danger.

The city's manager of traffic operations, Chris Brinkmann, updated councillors on the plan during Wednesday's transportation committee meeting.

Ontario passed legislation in 2017 allowing cities to use photo radar, but hasn't issued detailed regulations. Brinkmann said municipalities have been working together on an implementation plan, but the ball remains in the province's court.

Flood-damaged NCC pathway to remain closed until November

By Sandra Abma, CBC News Ottawa, August 14, 2018

A major restoration of the flood-damaged Voyageurs Pathway in Gatineau is well underway, but snow could be flying before cyclists and runners can use it again.

Boasting some of the best views of Parliament Hill, the path runs along the north shore of the Ottawa River from the Canadian Museum of History to the Portage Bridge. It's been closed since the spring of 2017, when major flooding caused severe erosion and numerous potholes, making it unsafe for users.

• Flood-damaged NCC paths closed until 2018
• Receding waters reveal pothole-riddled paths in Ottawa, Gatineau​​

The $612,000 restoration, one of 20 projects paid for through a $55-million infrastructure fund included in the last federal budget, will replace the path's surface with more durable asphalt and plant flood-resistant vegetation.

Celebrate the Ottawa River in music and song

By Eva Schacherl, Kitchissippi Times, August 8, 2018

The idea for a concert at Westboro Beach was hatched at the community’s opening barbecue in June. Several  Kitchissippi-area volunteers were there, collecting signatures on a petition to protect the Ottawa River from nuclear waste contamination.

This ‘sleeper’ issue has been well below the radar for local residents, it’s fair to say. That’s in spite of the fact that the proposal for a nuclear waste mega-dump at Chalk River (a federal government nuclear research facility) surfaced in 2016, and that Ottawa residents could not depend more on the Ottawa River – for drinking water, recreation and quality of life.

Researchers hoping hungry caterpillars can thwart invasive species

By CBC News Ottawa, August 11, 2018

Researchers at Ottawa's experimental farm are hoping to use some hungry, hungry caterpillars to help control a vine that is pushing its way across farmers' fields.

Dog-strangling vine is an invasive species that is gaining root across farmer's fields and backyard gardens in Canada. It's surviving Canadian winters easily and can really only be removed with backbreaking efforts.

"In Ottawa, we see it all over the place, getting into old fields and hedgerows," said Dr. Tyler Smith a researcher with Agriculture and Agri-food Canada. "There is no effective way to control it."

Gatineau plans special meeting as residents raise stink about garbage pickup

By CBC News Ottawa, August 11, 2018

Gatineau city councillors will hold a special meeting to respond to the garbage woes plaguing the city following the implementation of a new bylaw on garbage pickup limits.

Since July 15, Gatineau households have been prevented from throwing out bulky items and construction waste on their regular garbage day — one of the city's new rules designed to divert compostable and recyclable materials from its dump.

Many residents are complaining, however, that people are now illegally dumping garbage on the edges of streets and on other people's properties.

Armchair mayor: Photo radar will save lives in Ottawa

By Emile Thérien, Ottawa Citizen, August 10, 2018

The biggest improvement our city could make would be introducing photo radar.

I and many other safety advocates were disappointed in 1995 when the Ontario government rescinded its photo-radar program. Between mid-August and December 1994, before the program was cancelled, one safety research report found that photo radar was having a dramatic impact on speeding in Ontario. The Ministry of Transportation report says the proportion of drivers speeding dropped by as much as 42 per cent, depending on the location. There was also a big change among high-speed drivers. For example, at one research site, there was a 71-per-cent reduction in drivers driving faster than 150 km/h. In the month prior to photo radar, there were 997 vehicles driving more than 150 km/h at the four-lane test site. This dropped to 287 in the last month covered by the report.

So when can we have it in our city? Bill 65 (the Safer School Zones Act, 2017) added powers for municipalities under the Highway Traffic Act related to the implementation of photo radar, but these amendments and associated regulations aren’t yet in effect. In the meantime, this city is involved in a working group on joint procurement and a processing centre for what’s called the “automated speed enforcement initiative.”

Beautiful weather, calm waters for Riverkeeper 4K swim

By the Ottawa Citizen, August 11, 2018

Almost 300 swimmers enjoyed beautiful weather and an unusually calm Ottawa River in the fifth annual Riverkeeper 4K swim.

The event is the Ottawa Riverkeepers’s largest annual fundraiser. Participants raised a record-breaking $22,500, and total revenue from all sources was $42,500.

Swimmers departed from Shirley’s Bay in Ottawa at about 8 a.m. There were also two smaller course loops of 750 metres and 1.5 km at Aylmer’s Parc des Cèdres.

Ottawa teenager David Quire crossed the river in 55 minutes 40 seconds.

Organizers said the youngest participant was 13, the oldest was 75. Once again, local federal politicians Catherine McKenna and Will Amos participated.