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Mainstreeter » Elgin and Hawthorne: You Could Be Next! City considers turning portions into complete streets

By Rob Barnes, Mainstreeter, February 2017

Elgin Street and Hawthorne Avenue will soon become friendlier to cyclists and pedestrians, City of Ottawa officials told people at a public consultation last month.

The consultation unveiled plans for Elgin Street south of Lisgar Street, and Hawthorne Avenue between Isabella and Main streets. Both Elgin and Hawthorne will be renewed as part of the city’s ongoing maintenance schedule for all city streets.

Through the renewal process, Elgin and Hawthorne could become ‘complete streets’ – a format used in Main Street reconstruction to make the roadway easier to use for a wider range of pedestrians, cyclists and motorists.

Will OC Transpo's ridership plummet now that there's no transit tax credit? Probably not.

Metro Ottawa

By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, March 30, 2017

The federal government’s decision to discontinue the public transit tax credit likely won't cause a mass exodus from Ottawa buses, experts told Metro.

In last week’s budget, the 15 per cent non-refundable tax rebate was eliminated. Finance Minister Bill Morneau said in announcing the measure that the credit was not encouraging people to take transit to the extent it was designed to.

Statistics from the City of Ottawa show that 1,218,237 monthly passes were sold in 2006, the year the tax credit was introduced, and that 1,273,539 were sold in the first full year the credit was in place — a jump of 55,000 passes.

University of Ottawa team hoping to go the farthest on the least fuel

Metro Ottawa

By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, March 30, 2017

A group of University of Ottawa students are hoping to boldly go further than anyone has ever gone before on a single litre of gas.

The team of engineering students is headed to Detroit next month for the Shell Eco-marathon, in which hundreds of teams will compete to achieve mind-blowing feats of fuel efficiency.

Patrick Dumond, the Ottawa team’s faculty advisor, said the competition is a great opportunity for the students to take ideas from classroom and apply them where the rubber hits the road.

Uber pushing back against federal requirement to charge GST

Metro Ottawa

By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, March 30, 2017

Rideshare firm Uber is pushing back against changes in the federal budget that will require it to charge customers GST.

The government introduced the change in the budget clarifying a rule that currently requires taxi operators to charge GST for fares. The changes set to come into place on July 1 this year will mean the company has to charge the tax, as taxi drivers already do.

On the day he introduced his budget, finance minister Bill Morneau said it was an issue of fairness.

STO strike continues as boths side suggest arbitration

Metro Ottawa

By Staff, Ottawa Metro News, March 30, 2017

La Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) and its union were continuing to negotiate during rotating-strike action on thursday, hoping to bring their long labour dispute to an end.

The two sides exchanged offers on Thursday as drivers pulled off the road for the third time in as many weeks. Prior to the rotating strikes, the union had engaged in a work-to-rule campaign for several weeks.

During that campaign, drivers refused to work overtime and reported even the smallest issues to mechanics, leading to many cancellations and other delays.

Residents worry about asbestos after row house fire in Nepean - Ottawa - CBC News

By Robyn Miller, CBC  News Ottawa, March 30, 2017

Some residents displaced by a large fire in Nepean earlier this month are concerned that items being retrieved from the wreckage and returned to them could be contaminated with asbestos.

They also said Minto, the property owner, isn't doing enough to warn people about the potential dangers.

Farmer calls city plan to rejuvenate ByWard Market a 'quick fix' - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, March 30, 2017

A farmer whose family has sold produce in the ByWard Market for generations calls the city's plan to make the Ottawa landmark profitable again a "quick fix," and he believes resellers will continue to keep local farmers away.

Gerry Rochon began selling fruit and vegetables from his family farm in the ByWard Market 55 years ago, helping his parents at their booth. "I was pretty well raised on the ByWard Market. It's dear to my heart. My parents went there. My grandfather had a booth down there," Rochon told interim host Hallie Cotnam on CBC's Ottawa Morning.

Picton issues precautionary boil water advisory after barge fuel leak - Ottawa - CBC News

By Elise Skura, CBC News Ottawa, March 30, 2017

Prince Edward County is warning residents to boil their water after fuel spilled from a partially submerged barge was detected in a sampling line at the Picton-Bloomfield drinking water plant.

On Tuesday night, Prince Edward County's mayor declared a state of emergency because contaminants leaking from the barge were floating close to a water intake pipe.

Guilty plea for driver who pushed cyclist with his car on Bronson

Ottawa Citizen

By Andrew Seymour, Ottawa Citizen, March 30, 2017

A Quebec driver who was caught on video pushing a cyclist through a downtown Ottawa intersection with his car has pleaded guilty to assault and dangerous operation of a motor vehicle.

Driver Patrice Lepage and cyclist Victor Jung were both headed northbound on Bronson Avenue near the Slater Street intersection on Jan. 11 at about 3:20 p.m. when they got into an argument.

Ottawa Weather: March 30, 2017

Ottawa Citizen

By the Ottawa Citizen, March 30, 2017

Doesn’t winter realize we’ve already moved on to spring?

A special weather statement has been issued by Environment Canada warning of snow. Lots of it.

While today will be sunny and warm – a high of about 6 C – Ottawans should expect 5-10 cm of snow to fall from Thursday night to Friday night.

UPDATE: Committee approves re-zoning for farmers’ market

StittsvilleCentral.ca

By Glen Gower, StittsvilleCentral, March 28, 2017

Good news: The City of Ottawa’s Planning Committee unanimously approved re-zoning for Village Square Park that will allow for a farmers’ market to operate starting this June.

Leading up to the meeting, city staff received 15 comments from the public about the re-zoning, with all in favour except for one. That may not sound like a lot of feedback, but it’s actually quite high for a relatively benign zoning change.

Trailhead development given green light

By Jennifer McIntosh, Ottawa Community News, March 29, 2017

Despite opposition from the local city councillor, a proposal to replace the Trailhead Paddle Shack on Scott Street with a highrise was approved by the city’s planning committee on March 28.

The 22-storey building will include retail at grade, as well as four storeys of office space and residential units.

(...)Gary Ludington, chair of the Westboro Community Association, said residents knew what they were doing when they created the community design plan, and the development is not what the plan intended.