Stone: Canada needs a serious strategy to adapt to climate change

By John Stone, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed

Last week, the federal government launched a consultation process to help bring together a national climate adaptation strategy for Canada by November, in time for COP-27, the next global climate conference to be held in Egypt. Building resilience against climate disasters will be high on the agenda.

There is no longer any doubt that climate change is real. The weekend’s devastating storm, which tore down trees and power lines all over Ottawa and wreaked havoc on much of Ontario, including deaths and serious injuries, was the most recent stark sign.

Find the whole article here.

Doug Ford says he wants '100%' clean energy — but how?

By Jessica MacDiarmid, National Observer, May 17, 2022

Premier Doug Ford said he won’t be satisfied until Ontario’s energy grid is 100 per cent clean during the second and final debate between political party leaders in advance of the province’s June 2 election.

...That is unlikely: emissions from Ontario’s energy grid are expected to triple by 2030 as natural gas fills the void left by the province’s three aging nuclear reactors set to go offline in the coming years.

Find the whole article here.

Proposed waste management system could force residents to think twice about what they toss

By Pippa Norman, Ottawa Citizen

...Ever since the City of Ottawa switched to bi-weekly garbage pickup in 2012, he has seen a dramatic increase in the number of raccoons, rats and skunks making stops at their trash buffet, he said.

“People have nowhere to put it. They think they have to put it outside, and the longer it sits outside, the more vermin it attracts,” Allen said.

Now, he is even more worried, as the city weighs a proposal to limit the amount of trash that residents can put out for collection every two weeks. Go over the limit, and you would have to pay a fee for each extra bag of garbage. This is a variation on the “pay-as-you-throw” (PAYT) system that is designed to deter people from throwing out items they could reuse or recycle instead.

Find the whole article here.

Cullen: Land-use planning is a crucial Ontario election issue

By Alex Cullen, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed

Decisions by the Doug Ford government are undermining local autonomy and public participation in matters of land development.

....The minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing has the power to override local planning policies to impose zoning conditions to favour a site-specific development. This can be done without notice, without holding a public hearing involving affected residents,

...The city’s revised Official Plan seeks to accommodate growth through a combination of expanding the urban boundary and intensifying current urban areas. However, some land developers found their projects not included in the plan and are lobbying for inclusion (thereby increasing urban spawl).

Find the whole article here.

Cavanagh quarry seeks to undo environmental protections

By the Almonte Millstone News

Thomas Cavanagh Construction has applied to the City of Ottawa to reverse the existing EP3 environmental protection of 18 hectares of land immediately bordering Burnt Lands Provincial Park – a Nature Reserve class park at the intersection of March Road and Burnt Lands Road.

...“Friends of Burnt Lands” – concerned citizens of Ottawa and Mississippi Mills – have asked the City of Ottawa and Ontario government to reject the application. There is insufficient justification in the application to reverse the existing EP3 zoning / environmental protections.

Find the whole article here.

 

Lincoln Fields pedestrian bridge outage during LRT work has west-end communities crossed

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen

Communities separated by the Transitway south of Lincoln Fields are alarmed that a bridge connecting them will be demolished with no hint from the city about when the new crossing will be ready.

...A replacement pedestrian bridge spans the Transitway not far to the north, but the city recently announced that it won’t be ready to provide uninterrupted access over the Transitway. The opening date for the new bridge is in the air because of a design snag involving a recently identified underground utility.


Find the whole article here.

Les grandes villes contre l’étalement urbain?

Par André Verville, Le Droit, le 14 mars 2022

POINT DE VUE/ Personne ne semble voir ce grand paradoxe qui s’est subrepticement développé depuis quelques années: les maires des grandes villes qui se font soudain les apôtres les plus motivés de la lutte aux changements climatiques, en s’attaquant publiquement à l’étalement urbain.


Lire l'article au complet ICI.

Davantage de sentiers officialisés dans le parc de la Gatineau

Par Stu Mills, ICI Radio-Canada Ottawa Gatineau, le 14 mai 2022

Après des années à avertir les visiteurs du parc de la Gatineau de rester sur les sentiers balisés, la Commission de la capitale nationale (CCN) a commencé à convertir de nombreux chemins pédestres et cyclables en sentiers officiels.

En plus des 200 kilomètres de routes forestières officielles entretenues par la CCN, les gestionnaires du parc estiment qu'il existe plus de 300 kilomètres de sentiers non officiels conçus par des usagers.

Voir l'article au complet ICI.

Ontario election 2022: Few pickup opportunities for PCs in Ottawa area

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen

It won’t be easy for the Progressive Conservatives to gain seats in the City of Ottawa in the June 2 provincial election.

...While The Ottawa Hospital doesn’t seem concerned about the impact of the provincial election on the Civic project, there’s still pressure on local politicians from some parts of the city to reconsider the location in federal green space. 

...When it comes to environmental policies, the City of Ottawa has been writing a solid waste master plan that will be completely informed by what the provincial government does with its own waste-management strategies.

Find the whole article here.

Kanata's Blanding's turtles headed for extinction as development breaks up their habitat

By Bruce Deachman, Ottawa Citizen

...“They’re one of the longest-lived freshwater turtles,” says Auge, “so there’s some knowledge in them.”

Beyond simply their research value, Auge says the turtles significantly contribute to the biodiversity of the region. “That, by itself, is important. They’re predators, while their eggs and hatchlings are eaten by other predators. They play an important role in the ecosystem, and for that reason alone it’s important not to let them die off.”

Unfortunately, that’s precisely what’s happening.

Find the whole article here.

Email:
Phone: 613 860 5353
Address:
123 Slater St, Floor 6
Ottawa, ON K1P 5H2