Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

City bus service at the 'peak of the peak of detours'

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, April 18, 2018

OC Transpo’s top manager says the service is “at the peak of the peak of detours” because of downtown construction, creating a “fragile” network that relies heavily on buses redirected to routes in response to demand changes.

“I’m sensitive to how important this is for our customers because any cancelled trip or any impact to our customer is important because we’re here to serve them and we care very much about their service,” John Manconi said after a transit commission meeting Wednesday.

City hall blog: Transpo isn't predicting a bike overload on the Confederation Line

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, April 18, 2018

OC Transpo isn’t predicting trains full of bikes with the opening of the Confederation Line.

The transit agency this week provided council with numbers after Coun. Keith Egli asked about bike statistics in February when the transit commission and council approved a plan to allow bikes on LRT trains during all operating hours.

The Confederation Line is scheduled to open in November.

Transpo said it believes there will be about one bike per Confederation Line train, on average, at any given time during the morning peak period. Staff came up with that estimate based on the number of bikes carried on buses (the “rack and roll” program) on detoured Transitway routes at Tunney’s Pasture and St. Laurent stations during the morning peak times in summer and fall 2016.

Small earthquake felt near Mont Laurier

By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, April 18, 2018

There was an earthquake north of Mont Laurier on Tuesday evening, and while some people reported feeling it, there was no damage.

The earthquake happened about 15 kilometres north of the town at 6:59 p.m. Tuesday, said Earthquakes Canada.

This region is part of what geophysicists call the West Quebec Seismic Zone, where the bedrock is prone to many small earthquakes and a few larger ones.

Cornerstone project of Ottawa River action plan six months behind schedule

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, April 18, 2018

The $232-million crosstown sewage interceptor being built under downtown is behind schedule by six months, the city says.

The six-kilometre tunnel network will capture overflows from combined sewers before the diluted sewage enters the Ottawa River. The intercepted wastewater will be sent to the sewage treatment facility.

In a memo sent to council Wednesday, infrastructure director Alain Gonthier says heavy construction was expected to be done in late 2019, but now it looks like it will last about six extra months, extending work into 2020. He attributes the delay to the excavation of the shaft and starter tunnel at Chamberlain Avenue and Kent Street in 2017 and challenges commissioning the tunnel boring machine.

OC Transpo PRESTO cards will be available soon at stores including Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws

By StittsvilleCentral, April 16, 2018

Mayor Jim Watson, Transit Commission Chair Stephen Blais, Garry Griffin, Shoppers Drug Mart District Manager, and Annalise Czerny, PRESTO’s Executive Vice-President, were at a Shoppers Drug Mart in Barrhaven today to announce that Presto card services will be rolling out to retailers across Ottawa.

Transit customers will be able to purchase monthly passes, load funds, check their balance, and set age-based discounts at 66 Shoppers Drug Mart, Loblaws and Real Canadian Superstore locations in Ottawa. The new retail locations are currently being rolled out in a phased approach, with all stores expected to have Presto services available by the end of May. For an up-to-date listing of locations, visit octranspo.com or prestocard.ca.

Gatineau Park closed following ice storm

By Josh Pringle, CTV News Ottawa, April 17, 2018

You won’t be able to go for a spring hike in Gatineau Park today.

The National Capital Commission says Gatineau Park is closed until further notice for safety reasons.

The freezing rain, ice pellets and strong winds caused tree branches to fall across the park, creating hazardous conditions.

Cornwall council cuts back on grass trimming despite tick concerns

By CBC News Ottawa, April 16, 2018

The grass will be allowed to grow a bit longer in Cornwall, Ont., this summer despite concerns from public health officials and one councillor that it could expose residents to ticks.

Coun. André Rivette unsuccessfully implored fellow councillors in a meeting Monday to cancel $107,500 worth of proposed cuts to the maintenance budget that will reduce lawn cutting.

Prior to the meeting, Rivette told CBC Radio's Ontario Morning he believes in a lean budget, but this cut just didn't make sense.

Egan: Looks like LRT actually works. But did $2B buy a nickel of excitement?

By Kelly Egan, Ottawa Citizen, April 16, 2018

The first LRT train travelled through the downtown tunnel on the weekend, right to the edge of Tunney’s Pasture.

One would have thought, $2 billion and five-plus years later, this would be cause for celebration. Where was the magnum of champagne being rapturously smashed on the bow (the bumper?) of the train — the ribbon-cutting by Watson-Naqvi-Chiarelli-McKenna Inc., the appearance of the town crier and Dave Smith?

Instead, we had a tweet from the mayor on a Saturday afternoon. Then — hang on — some retweets!

This was a lost opportunity, in other words. But this has been the story with the whole building of the LRT. There has, I think, been a failure to engage the public in pride-building in the biggest project the city has ever undertaken. Mass humility, dearest Ottawa, is overrated.

Petrie Island owlets rescued from ice storm peril after mother injured

By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, April 17, 2017

Arborist Trevor Miazga had just got home from one emergency callout due to Monday’s ice storm, when he answered the call for another.

Two baby great-horned owls had spent hours alone in their Petrie Island willow tree nest after their mother had been critically injured earlier in the day, likely by a falling chunk of ice.

“We love nature, so when we heard about a couple of baby owls, we headed out to help,” Miazga said Monday night.

Freezing rain likely to make Monday morning commute a messy one

By Paula McCooey, Ottawa Citizen, April 16, 2018

The messy winter storm that has threatened Ottawa all weekend arrived Sunday afternoon with freezing rain and ice pellets that were making streets and sidewalks slippery.

The City of Ottawa urged people to drive, bike and walk “with caution”. The city confirmed staff would be salting and plowing “as necessary throughout the day/night.” There were 120 city trucks salting streets Sunday evening, the city added.

Freezing rain coats the capital

By CTV News Ottawa, April 16, 2018

April showers coated Ottawa in a layer of ice.

A Freezing Rain Warning remains in effect for Ottawa and eastern Ontario today. Environment Canada says the freezing rain should continue during the morning commute, before changing to rain this afternoon.

The freezing rain began falling Sunday afternoon, covering roads and sidewalks across the region. Ottawa received 11.4 mm of freezing rain on Sunday, with more precipitation falling overnight.

(...)The Rideau River Conservation Authority says there is “no significant flooding” anticipated across the Rideau River this weekend.

No ticket to ride: OC Transpo inspectors fining fewer fare jumpers

By Jérémie Bergeron, CBC News Ottawa, April 16, 2018

An articulated OC Transpo bus arrives in front of you. You don't have change, or your Presto card, but you board through one of the back doors of the bus anyway — even though you're a little nervous at flouting the rules.

Fortunately for you, there's no inspector on board — and you reach your destination without getting a ticket.

This sort of scenario has become increasingly likely, as an analysis of OC Transpo ticket data by Radio-Canada shows that dodging fare inspectors is now easier than it's been in a long time.