Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

LRT facility site would cost more, but city says it’s not throwaway

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, August 22, 2017

An alternate location for a proposed LRT maintenance and storage facility west of Moodie Drive will cost up to $15 million more, but the city says it’s not throwaway money since the work will grease the wheels for the future Kanata connection.

As part of the Stage 2 rail expansion, the city has been studying how trains will operate around the new terminus at Moodie Drive in 2023. The preferred location for the station is on the east side of Moodie Drive and until recently the city was leaning toward building a light maintenance and storage facility just north off Moodie Drive.

StittsvilleCentral.ca

By StittsvilleCentral, August 22, 2017

The City of Ottawa is pleased to announce the annual GLAD Cleaning the Capital fall campaign will take place from September 15 to October 15.

Early bird registration is now available.

Registration is quick and easy: Go to ottawa.ca/clean, or call 3-1-1 (TTY: 613-580-2401) to register for the cleanup. The interactive map on our website will show you which locations have already been claimed, allow you to register your own project site and choose the cleanup supplies that you need.

Ottawa River gets heritage designation

Metro Ottawa

By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, August 21, 2017 The Ottawa River got a largely symbolic designation yesterday meant to encourage Canadians to treat the waterway with more respect. The Quebec government officially gave the river a heritage designation, adding to the designation the federal and Ontario government gave the river last year. The designation doesn’t change any rules on development or activity on the river, but is meant to inspire people to protect the river.

(...)Meredith Brown with Ottawa Riverkeeper said the designation is a move forward, but there is much to be done.

“It’s not a legally binding designation,” she said. “It has no legal teeth. It’s really about recognition and raising awareness about the importance of the river.” Source: Ottawa River gets heritage designation | Metro Ottawa

PSPC downplays hospital clean-up costs

Metro Ottawa

By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, August 21, 2017

Government officials responded Monday to the escalating costs of cleaning up the former Sir John Carling site, saying numbers Metro obtained represent the worst-case scenario.

As Metro first reported last week, documents obtained through access to information show the cost to clean up contaminated soil on the site, which is set to be the home of the new Ottawa Hospital, jumped from between $8.3 and $8.6 million to $12.1 million.

The site was contaminated after the implosion of the former Sir John Carling Building in 2014, and most of the contaminated soil is in the former building’s footprint.

Looking for Lichen ... in all the right places

OttawaCommunityNews.com

By Karen Runtz, Ottawa Community News, August 21, 2017

Lichen are found on every continent and in places where most of us would never expect it — like Canada’s Arctic, home to an estimated 1,000 species and where local lichenologist Dr. Troy McMullin spent three weeks this summer collecting specimens.

Perhaps you read the Ottawa Citizen story about the interesting encounter he and fellow biologist Paul Sokoloff had there with an Arctic wolf. No? You can ask him about that when he talks to the Macnamara Club about lichen on Sept. 5.

Every lichen lives on top of something else — usually rock and soil, bark and wood, elements that are left for a long time without moving. Most are tiny and best viewed through a hand lens.

One half at a time, Ottawa River gets heritage status

Ottawa Citizen

By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, August 21, 2017

The Quebec side of the Ottawa River is finally just as historic as the Ontario side — but the new status doesn’t bring any new form of automatic protection.

The designation by Quebec Monday celebrates the river’s history as a superhighway and focus of human settlement in the thousands of years before roads.

It is one of North America’s most important flyways, providing habitat to more than 300 species of birds, and sustains more than 80 species at risk.

(...)Catherine McKenna, minister for Parks Canada, added in a statement: “Preserving the Ottawa River for swimming, drinking and fishing is key to the vision of Ottawa as the greenest capital in the world.”

How freezing fruit flies helps us better understand a warming climate - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, August 21, 2017

If there's one thing Heath MacMillan knows a thing or two about, it's how to kill a fruit fly.

The Carleton University biology professor has been cooling down the tiny pests in an attempt to figure out what causes them to become injured and then die.

It may seem gruesome, but according to MacMillan, it's work that — as the planet's climate continues to change, becoming warmer overall but also fluctuating more — could be vital.

Zero-waste grocery store has big opening weekend

Metro Ottawa

By Jesse Cnockaert, Ottawa Metro News, August 20, 2017

A promising start at Ottawa’s first zero-waste grocery store has the owner thinking it’s likely we’ll be seeing more of them in the future.

The grand opening for Nu Grocery, located at 1130 Wellington St. W, was held Saturday and the high volume of customers who have already taken advantage of this environmentally-friendly style of grocery shopping has made opening more stores seem within reach of owner and founder, Valérie LeLoup.

Will bicycles be allowed on LRT at peak hours? - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, August 21, 2017

Less than a year before light rail is expected to be up and running in Ottawa, cyclists fear their access to the trains with their bikes will be restricted during peak hours.

So far, there is no clear answer from the City of Ottawa about what the new LRT experience will be like for cyclists, who are increasingly concerned there will be a gap in service on the Confederation Line.

"There are indeed voices saying that getting on trains with your bike would not be allowed every hour and that worries us," said Étienne Grall of Bike Ottawa, an organization that promotes the interests of cyclists in Ottawa.

Ottawa's first no waste grocery store opens

By CFRA News, August 19, 2017

Ontario’s first zero waste grocery store has arrived and it is located in Ottawa’s Hintonburg area. Nu Grocery Store offers products in bulk that can be purchased in reusable containers. If a consumer does not bring their own container, a glass jar is available for rent or purchase at the store.

“As a society, we produce mountains of waste and the sad news is that most of it actually preventable,” said owner, Valerie Leloup.On the Nu website, Leloup said “the average Canadian produces more than 700kg of waste per year, one of the highest rates among developed countries. Many of us recycle and compost, but the majority of our waste still ends up in a landfill.”

Toddler knocked out of stroller after being hit by sidewalk cyclist - Ottawa - CBC News

By Trevor Pritchard, CBC News Ottawa, August 19, 2017

The mother of a toddler knocked out of his stroller Thursday afternoon by a cyclist riding on the sidewalk is urging bike riders to stay on the road.

Lindsay Nelson said she was waiting for a bus near Greenbank and Baseline roads with her three children when a southbound cyclist clipped the stroller where her 13-month-old son Magnus Mayes was taking a nap.The impact was so strong that Magnus fell out of the stroller, striking his head on the pavement, Nelson said.

"She was going extremely fast," she said. "Much too fast to be next to women and children on the sidewalk like that."

No swimming: City issues advisory for five beaches

Ottawa Citizen

By Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen, August 19, 2017

All five of the city’s urban beaches have been placed under a no-swim advisory.

Mooney’s Bay, Britannia Beach, Westboro Beach, Petrie Island East Bay and Petrie Island river beaches were all covered by the advisory Saturday, prompted by heavy rainfall. The advisory was initiated on Friday, when the city logged 18 mm of rain. The city issues advisories if if bacteria levels are over 200 E. coli per 100 mL of water tested for one day or if bacteria levels are over 100 E. coli per 100 mL of water tested on two or more consecutive days. Those who swim during an advisory are at risk of getting a skin, ear, throat or gastro-intestinal illness, the Ottawa Public Health warns.