By CTV News Ottawa, July 28, 2018
A weather advisory has been issued for the city of Ottawa about the possibility of funnel cloud formation.
According to Environment Canada, severe thunderstorms with winds up to 70 km/h and pea sized hail are also expected as part of the storm moving into the region.
The funnel clouds are created by "weak rotation under rapidly growing clouds or weak thunderstorms."
By CBC News Ottawa, July 29, 2018
The driver of a van who was filmed splashing pedestrians near the University of Ottawa has been fired, according to both Ottawa police and the company the driver worked for.
Dash cam video emerged online late last week of a white Black & McDonald van that appeared to be intentionally veering toward large puddles on King Edward Avenue and soaking people on the sidewalk.
The 45-second clip, uploaded to YouTube with a July 27 time stamp, showed the driver splashing three sets of pedestrians.
By Matt Elliot, CBC News, July 29, 2018
Toronto's former chief planner announced just before the nomination deadline on Friday that she will run for mayor. In filing to run, she upturned what most assumed would be a dull mayoral election, with Mayor John Tory coasting to a second term without a high-profile challenger.
Keesmaat has a history of shaking things up like this. When she came to Toronto City Hall as chief planner in 2012 under the tumultuous reign of former mayor Rob Ford, hers was an unlikely and surprising hire.
Ford opposed bike lanes. She rode her bike to work.
By CTV News Ottawa, July 27, 2018
The Pretoria Bridge is closed this morning due to a water man break.
The crossing is closed between Colonel By and the Queen Elizabeth near Elgin Street and Main Street.
It is unclear how long the road will be closed while workers make repairs.
By Tom Spears, Ottawa Sun, July 27, 2018
Summer is a time when two common roadside plants are blooming, and people sometimes mix them up. That might not matter with most wild flowers, but one of these can be harmful.
Wild parsnip and Queen Anne’s lace are both members of the carrot family. Both have clusters of tiny flowers arranged in a circle that is mostly flat on top. And if you just look at photos of them, it can be hard to tell the difference.
Why does it matter?
By CBC News Ottawa, July 25, 2018
Some people living in Gatineau, Que., are facing flooded basements for the second time in nine months, leaving homeowners reluctant to approach insurance companies out of fear they'll lose their coverage.
Heavy rains swept through the region Monday, overnight Tuesday and into Wednesday, flooding culverts and triggering sewer water backups.
By CBC News Ottawa, July 26, 2018
Ottawa Public Health (OPH) is asking residents to protect themselves from mosquito bites while outdoors, after the agency found the West Nile virus in local mosquitoes.
West Nile is a mosquito-transmitted virus that can be transferred to humans through a bite from an infected insect. In a small number of cases, the infection can cause serious illness.
There has been no reported, confirmed or probable human cases of the virus in Ottawa in 2018, OPH said in a news release issued Thursday. In Ontario, as of July 21, there have been two reported human cases this year.
By CBC News Ottawa, July 26, 2018
After initially ruling out changes to the Holland Avenue bike detour this year, Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson has now announced plans to alter the bike lane after cyclists complained about its dangers.
By Giacomo Panico, CBC News Ottawa, July 26, 2018
Ecology Ottawa is calling on the city to catch up with Montreal, Toronto, Chicago and other North American jurisdictions by passing a bylaw to force building developers to include roofs with gardens and greenery when possible, and encourage the green retrofit of existing roofs.
"We can imagine a city that's much cooler, much greener, with water that's entering our creeks and streams that's much cleaner," said Robb Barnes, executive director of Ecology Ottawa.
The city currently lacks the authority from the province to pass a bylaw that would require builders to make a percentage of their roofs green.
By Mohamed Adam, Ottawa Citizen, July 25, 2018
Wherever you stand on Doug Ford’s decision to kill Ontario’s cap-and-trade program, the cancellation of the green renovation rebates is causing such consternation among small businesses and homeowners that the premier must rethink the implementation.
At the very least, Ford has to extend the Oct. 31 deadline the government has set for all work associated with the rebates to completed. Window manufacturers and installers in Ottawa and across the province fear that the cancellation of the rebates, and more particularly the deadline, will put a strain on their bottom lines and damage their businesses. Ford must listen.
“I’d love to have everything done by October 31. Nothing would make me happier, but it is not going to happen,” Pat Hunter president of Ottawa’s Comfort King Windows and Doors, told CBC Radio.
By Megan Gillis, Ottawa Citizen, July 26, 2018
Ottawa Fire Services has lifted the open-air fire ban after days of rain on what were tinder-dry conditions.
But they’re reminding people that they need a burn permit for any such fire in Ottawa.
Burn bans may also still be in effect in other areas so “always check with the local fire department before lighting a fire.”
By Kieran Delamont, Ottawa Citizen, July 26, 2018
A severe thunderstorm warning is in effect for the Ottawa area on Thursday night, with Environment Canada warning that “large hail” may hit the northern part of the city.
Environment Canada issued the warning at 10:15 p.m., saying that “areas of strong to severe thunderstorms are moving eastward at 70 km/h.” Winds, they said, could be as strong as 90 km per hour.
A previous thunderstorm watch had said that “these storms are expected to show a weakening trend this evening. However, there appears to be a chance that that they may be slow to weaken and could produce an isolated damaging wind gust or local large hail.”