Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Elmvale Acres residents score reduction in shopping mall redesign

By Erin McCracken, Ottawa Community News, March 28, 2017

Elmvale Acres residents have scored a tentative victory with the downsizing of redevelopment plans for the Elmvale Acres Shopping Centre.

“To me it’s a very positive step forward,” said Kevin Kit, president of the Elmvale Acres Community Association, which was established in response to the development application.

(...) “I wasn’t happy with the plan, our urban planner wasn’t happy,” said Kit, referring to an expert the association hired to help advocate for the community’s interests. “I knew the residents weren’t going to be happy as well, based on the visioning and the survey. Elmvale’s collective voice was not reflected in the plan.”

Planning committee OKs three farmers' markets

Ottawa & Region

News

Ottawa

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Sun, March 28, 2017

The city planning committee on Tuesday 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.

The markets will be run by the Ottawa Farmers’ Market Association, which also operates the Lansdowne Market and one at the Ray Friel Recreation Complex in Orléans.

Gatineau transit workers to strike again Thursday - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, March 28, 2017

Gatineau transit workers have set Thursday as the day for their third in a series of rotating one-day strikes.

The Société de transport de l'Outaouais (STO) has been locked in a labour dispute with Local 591 of the Syndicat uni du transport, the union representing drivers and mechanics, who have been without a contract since Dec. 31, 2014.

Today’s letters: A family-friendly budget, in praise of Rachel Homan

Ottawa Citizen

By Dr. Bob Ryerson, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, March 28, 2017

Uber and its clients aren’t so special

Uber’s complaints about the federal budget are baseless. My clients have to pay HST, so do the taxi companies’ clients, so do the clients of just about every other business in Canada. Why not Uber’s?

Ottawa Repair Cafe wants to fix the things you might throw out

Metro Ottawa

By Haley Ritchie, Ottawa Metro News, March 27, 2017

Reuse, recycle and repair before you replace — that’s the mission of the “repair café” coming to the Ottawa Tool Library in April.

“We want to extend the life of stuff, reducing waste but also bringing people together to share their skills and knowledge,” said volunteer Emily Brown, who is organizing the fix-it social next month.

The tool library, located in Makerspace North inside the City Centre plaza, launched in 2014. Members pay a monthly fee and are able to borrow a variety of tools and kitchen gadgets for short-term use, from table saws to pasta making machines.

Ottawa lacks recent data on red-light cameras

Metro Ottawa

By Ryan Tumilty, Ottawa Metro News, March 27, 2017

Though 20 new red-light cameras will be added to Ottawa’s streets this year, it's been five years since the city took a detailed look at the effectiveness of the cameras already in place.

Currently, the city has 34 red-light cameras, which issued a combined 17,870 tickets last year. But the city doesn’t keep track of how many tickets are traceable to each camera.

In 2012, the city released collision data showing a 29 per cent drop over 10 years in right-angle collisions. Over the same period, the number of collisions dropped 12 per cent overall, but rear-end collisions jumped by 20 per cent.

Little danger to environment after Picton Bay barge mishap, officials say - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, March 27, 2017

Officials in Prince Edward County are reassuring residents that a partially submerged barge in Picton Bay, about 60 kilometres southwest of Kingston, poses little risk to the environment.

The bow of the Pitts Carillon, a 27-metre barge owned by Galcon Marine, is resting in shallow waters after it began taking on water late Thursday, according to McKeil Marine, the company that was chartering the vessel and is now taking responsibility for the salvage operation. The barge's stern remains afloat, the company said.

Stage 2 bus detour would connect Scott Street with SJAM parkway

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, March 27, 2017

Buses would buzz the Westboro Beach community after crossing a temporary bridge over an LRT construction zone during a two-year detour at the west end of Scott Street.

“We are very concerned, not only about the buses, but the buses plus the traffic on Scott Street,” Mari Wellman, chair of the Westboro Beach Community Association, said Monday.

“We continue shaking our heads. Scott is just a terrible street.”

Waste Management trashes plan to accept Quebec debris

Ottawa Citizen

By John Willing, Ottawa Citizen, March 27, 2017

The waste facility on Carp Road has trashed plans to take construction and demolition debris from western Quebec.

Wayne French, the director of public affairs for Waste Management, wrote to the city on Monday saying the company won’t include western Quebec communities as part of the service area for the West Carleton Environmental Centre

.French told the Citizen that the company decided “it was the right thing to do.”

Uber slams new tax announced in federal budget - Ottawa - CBC News

By Steven Fischer, CBC News Ottawa, March 26, 2017

Uber Canada is criticizing the federal government's move to require ride-hailing companies to pay 13 per cent HST as bad for business, customers and the environment.

The change was announced in Wednesday's federal budget and is set to go into effect July 1.

"This new tax on innovation would hurt over a million Canadians who use ride-sharing to earn income and get around their cities," said Uber Canada general manager Ian Black in a statement.

Earth Hour marks 10 years with lights out tonight - Toronto - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, March 25, 2017

Many Canadians will be spending an hour with the lights out tonight as they join people around the world in marking the tenth annual Earth Hour.

The event is aimed at drawing attention to climate change and for people to show they support efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The World Wildlife Fund has championed Earth Hour since 2007 when it started in Australia.

City hall blog: The two other city projects that need federal money

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, March 24, 2017

Lost in the anticipation of being showered with transit and housing money by the federal government is the ongoing sleeper issue of digging a potentially multibillion-dollar traffic tunnel under Sandy Hill.

It’s hard to talk about building a car and truck tunnel when we’re trying to build more than $5-billion worth of rail systems across Ottawa, but the city has little choice. Transport trucks are cutting through Lowertown to either access Highway 417 or, going the opposite direction, provincial highways in Gatineau and it’s one of the Ottawa’s top safety problems. More traffic could be coming to that interprovincial truck route, too.