Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Science of spring: The flower with its own central heating system

Ottawa Citizen

By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, April 15, 2017

As early spring is melting snow in the woods, there is one plant native to our region that pushes the schedule, melting snow before sunshine can do the job.

You will sometimes see it in low-lying, swampy areas: circles of bare earth forming in the remaining snow. And in the centre, you’ll see a tough, stubby plant pushing up like the tip of a missile, and at its centre a red, pointy spike. This is a flower.

It’s called the skunk cabbage, and you won’t ever mix it up with a delicate rose. But more on the smell in a moment.

Science of spring: Songbirds now report their location as they fly

Ottawa Citizen

By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, April 14, 2017

Automation has come to the world of biologists who study bird migration, taking away some of the hard labour involved in studying tiny creatures that live in treetops.

This is a happy change for York University’s Bridget Stutchbury, who has chased songbirds through forest canopies for decades.

In the old days, she would put a tiny geolocator on a bird — a device that recorded where it went. The drawback: She would send birds south with these tiny backpacks, but she had to catch them again the next spring to extract the data. That meant putting out nearly invisible nets and waiting for the bird to fly into one.

Beechwood Market looking to move to Optimiste Park this fall

By Michelle Nash Baker, Ottawa Community News, April 13, 2017

The Beechwood Market will be on the move this September.The market that will launch again this June operates on the grounds of St. Charles Church, 135 Barrette St.

Modbox owns the church land that will be undergoing redevelopment, beginning as early as this fall.Market operator Chris Penton said he wanted to make sure his vendors and clients in the community don’t lose the opportunity to purchase local food in the neighbourhood so he began looking for a temporary solution for this fall.

City hosts weekly updates for New Edinburgh concerning sewer project

By Michelle Nash Baker, Ottawa Community News, April 13, 2017

This week, idling trucks at 6:30 a.m., detouring cycling routes and cycling safety were top of mind of residents who live on Stanley Avenue and Queen Victoria Avenue, where the city’s sewer tunnel project is underway.

In an effort to keep the lines of communication open, Ottawa is holding weekly public meetings concerning the combined sewer storage tunnel construction work in New Edinburgh.

Rideau River ospreys settle in on rebuilt platform

Ottawa & Region

News

Ot

By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Sun, April 13, 2017

A pair of ospreys are making their home on a new nesting platform landowner Dave Craig erected on his Rideau River property after accidentally toppling the old pole last summer.

The birds started building their nest last week on the 16-metre tall wooden pole Craig installed in August.

“I hope they don’t get in trouble for building without a permit,” Craig joked Thursday.

Wellington West neighbours push back over diner's patio plans - Ottawa - CBC News

By Stu Mills, CBC News Ottawa, April 13, 2017

For Ottawa diner owner Jeff Frost, patio season never arrives, and seems like it never will.

For two years, Frost has been hoping to serve customers seated on a brick patio located beside his Wellington Street West eatery, but ongoing delays and objections from neighbours mean the outdoor area may sit empty for another summer.

(...)"We're opposed to it because of the issue of noise," said Green, who has lived in the same house near the corner of Wellington Street West and Western Avenue for 40 years.

Street where pedestrian was killed has speeding issue, says councillor

Ottawa Citizen

By Shauna McGinn, Ottawa Citizen, April 13, 2017

The Orléans street where an elderly man was struck and killed yesterday has had a speeding problem for years, says the area’s city councillor.

Coun. Bob Monette said Thursday he often hears residents complain of drivers far exceeding the 40 km/h speed limit on Prestone Drive, near St. Joseph Boulevard.

A number of traffic calming measures were put in place as a response, such as temporary speed display boards that flash when a driver goes over the limit.

Open air fire ban in effect

By Ted Raymond, CFRA News, April 12, 2017

A City-wide open air fire ban is now in effect.Ottawa Fire says the ban is in place to prevent the spread of grass and brush fires, and will be in effect until green grass begins to show through the dead tall grass around the city.

All open air fires banned, including for anyone with an Open Air Fire Permit. Ottawa Fire says there will be zero tolerance enforcement while the ban is in effect.

Mayor Watson wants city to have a greater say on LeBreton redevelopment

By CFRA News, April 12, 2017

Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson wants the city of Ottawa to have a louder voice when it comes to the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats.

At the beginning of Wednesday's city council meeting Watson announced his intention to launch formal negotiations with RendezVous LeBreton Group and the National Capital Commission over the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats. Watson has tasked staff with preparing a report about the risks and benefits of such a partnership and will ask councillors on FEDCO to review the findings in the near future.

"This development has the potential to be a tremendous City-building opportunity. We need to be at the table to ensure that the public areas within the LeBreton Flats redevelopment are distinctive, but also developed in a manner that is consistent with the City’s urban design and accessibility standards," the Mayor said.

New 30 km/h speed limit approved by council - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, April 12, 2017

For the first time in Ottawa, some streets could see 30 km/h speed limits after council approved the new policy on Wednesday morning.

Not all streets would qualify for the new, lower speed limit. Only quiet, narrower local roads with little transit service, or streets where traffic is already travelling at speeds lower than 35 km/h, could see limits lowered to 30 km/h.

Council did approve a motion by Coun. Keith Egli, chair of the transportation committee, to extend the 30 km/h policy to wider roads that are "at the main pedestrian entrance to a school," and on busier streets where schools are located.

Proposed 22-storey tower on Scott Street worries councillor

Ottawa Citizen

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen, April 12, 2017

Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper made a last-ditch appeal to council Wednesday to reject a spot-rezoning proposal for a 22-storey tower at 1960 Scott St., which will replace the iconic timber building formerly home to Trailhead Paddle Shack.

The site is currently zoned for a maximum of six storeys. Approving such a large leap in height left Leiper worried the city is “setting a new planning context for the entire area without an honest and transparent discussion with residents about their neighbourhood is likely to change.”

But Mayor Jim Watson scoffed at the councillor’s concerns, and added he was disappointed some members of council who are “great advocates for transit-oriented development, cycling and pedestrian-friendly cities voted against a project that is right across a street from a transit station of the LRT.”

Council OKs new management for ByWard, Parkdale markets

Ottawa Citizen

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen, April 12, 2017

Council endorsed a new governance structure for the ByWard and Parkdale markets, with hopes that severing oversight from city hall will produce fresh ideas.

By pulling the bureaucracy out of the markets business, the city believes there will be a new perspective to running the operations. The city will create a not-for-profit municipal services corporation to run the markets starting in 2018.

(...)Meanwhile, council also approved farmers’ markets in three locations, two of which are new — Village Square Park in Stittsville, the Byron Linear Tramway Park in Westboro and the Riverview park-and-ride in south Ottawa.