By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, September 27, 2017
A rural councillor “absolutely wimped out” in voting against a lower stormwater fee increase for 2018, a council colleague said Wednesday.
Barrhaven Coun. Jan Harder skewered Osgoode Coun. George Darouze after a council meeting at which politicians voted 20-3 to increase the stormwater fee by five per cent in 2018, rather than the 13 per cent recommended by staff. Councillors Jeff Leiper and Michael Qaqish also voted against it.
By Kieran Delamont, Ottawa Metro News, September 26, 2017
The city has put in place new guidelines for planting trees in new suburb developments that sit on top of sensitive marine clay soils. The guidelines will ease slightly restrictions that date back to the 2005 Clay Soils Policy, which mandated that city-planted trees required a setback from the house that was equal to the height of the tree. That policy, however, led to many new subdivisions being built with only four types of small trees: Amur Maple, Serviceberry, Crab Apple, and Japanese Lilac trees. Some streets were even built with no trees at all.
“When we started building some of these new subdivisions after the new guidelines came into effect,” said Rob Pierce of the Greater Ottawa Home Builder’s Association. “We were shocked, as the developers, that we were able to build so few trees. […] Over the past 10 years, we’ve tried a couple times to work on these guidelines, with no success.”
By CBC News Ottawa, September 26, 2017
Uber is threatening to cease operations in Quebec next month if the province doesn't back down on new, stricter rules regulating the ride-hailing service.
Jean-Nicolas Guillemette, director general of Uber Quebec, said the service will shut down Oct. 14 if nothing changes.
On that date last year, the two sides agreed to a pilot project that allowed the ride-hailing company to operate.
By CBC News Ottawa, September 26, 2017
Dozens of people attended a meeting about re-zoning for the new Civic campus of the Ottawa Hospital on Monday night, including several residents who say they're worried the full environmental impact of the project is still unknown.
(...)"One of the biggest concerns is losing our urban green space. It's a gem," Sharanne Paquette said.
With the environmental assessment yet to be carried out, some local residents worry about the project moving forward without knowing the full details.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, September 26, 2017
The City of Ottawa is making the right choice by changing the structure of water and sewer bills, a research group says.
Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, an independent group of economists who look for solutions to improve Canada’s financial and environmental outlook, published a report on Tuesday highlighting the importance of properly funding drinking water and wastewater systems.
Ottawa is cited as one municipality that’s starting to do a better job of setting appropriate user fees to pay for the maintenance of infrastructure.
By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, September 25, 2017
The World Wildlife Federation (WWF) is hoping a new program can help the government see the health of rivers and watersheds all with a little help from you.
The WWF launched a new citizen science program in Ottawa Monday that aims to use volunteers to collect information about bugs in the river. The bugs in turn help scientists determine just how healthy a river is.
Elizabeth Hendriks, vice-president for freshwater with the WWF, said the health of Canada’s watersheds are not that well understood and they’re hoping this program can help. “We don’t actually have the data to understand the health impacts.”
By Jesse Cnockaert, Ottawa Metro News, September 25, 2017
A wet summer and a record-breaking heat wave at the beginning of fall has made this an unusual growing season, and pumpkin crops have paid the price.
“It’s crazy,” said Mark Saunders, co-owner of Saunders Farm in rural south Ottawa, who said his pumpkins suffered because of intense rainfall at the start of the growing season in April and May.
By June, he estimated they were getting triple the normal amount of rainfall, which was bad news for pumpkins.
By May Warren, Ottawa Metro News, September 25, 2017
More bike parking is on the way as part of Ontario's climate-change plan.
Minister of Tourism, Culture and Sport Eleanor McMahon, herself an avid cyclist, announced Monday that $1 million will go toward better bike parking at museums and cultural attractions, including bike racks, rings and indoor lockers and storage rooms.
"This investment will help make our communities more cycling-friendly and encourage more people to leave their cars at home and ride their bikes instead," said Minister McMahon in a release.
By CTV News Ottawa, September 25, 2017
It may be fall on the calendar but this weather is decidedly dead of summer. A heat warning continues in effect for much of Eastern Ontario as soaring temperatures continue to break records.
Last year on this very day, we hit a high of 17 degrees. That's halfway to where we got today and that's not even taking into account the humidity.
By CBC News Ottawa, September 25, 2017
Enormous wind blades will be taking up space on the Queensway for weeks as they make their way to Quebec, according to the Ministry of Transportation.
The turbines, which come from a manufacturing plant in Tillsonburg, Ont., have been in transit since Aug. 22.
They're heading to a wind farm in Saint-Sylvestre, Que., and caused some commuters to grumble and snap photos as enormous blades were transported through Ottawa last Friday.
By CBC News Ottawa, September 25, 2017
A late-season, record-setting heat wave prompted Ottawa Fire Services on Sunday to ban all open air fires in the city, even for permit holders.
The measure is precautionary to avoid possible grass or bush fires due to hot, dry conditions across the region.
It also applies to residents or landowners who have a municipal Open Air Fire Permit intended for campfires, brush pile and agricultural burns.
By Paul McCooey, Ottawa Citizen, September 20, 2017
As the concern over climate change grows, so does the interest in energy efficient building and retrofitting.
The Green Energy Doors Open (GEDO) tour Sept. 30 to Oct. 1 showcases passive and net zero homes and buildings around Ottawa — as well as an Energy Showcase featuring green energy exhibits that will provide a snapshot into the future of sustainable living.
“It’s really a way to showcase the upcoming future lifestyles, the low carbon lifestyle that we are going to have to adopt eventually,” said Paul Cairns, executive director of SMARTNet Alliance, a tour partner that develops green energy business networks.