Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Reevely: Canada’s doomed transit tax credit never did much good

Ottawa Citizen

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, March 23, 2017

Hate for the plan to kill the federal tax credit for monthly transit passes in July made unlikely allies when the Liberal government’s new budget came out Wednesday.

The move means money out of people’s pockets, no question. But it shouldn’t make much difference to transit use or the environment.

“I know they’re getting out of those so-called boutique tax credits but that was one I would have hoped they would have kept,” Mayor Jim Watson told reporters. Ottawa sells nearly 145,000 transit passes a month, and a 15-per-cent tax credit does make them obviously more appealing. Over a year, it’s like a 12-for-10 deal.

Take a rare peek at LRT construction

Ottawa Citizen

By Ottawa Citizen, March 23, 2017

Mayor Jim Watson tweeted a photo of the progress at a LRT station.

Bald eagle spotted at Carp

By John Curry, Ottawa Community News, March 22, 2017

In mid-afternoon during the snowstorm which hit the area on Tuesday, March 14, Kevin Jackson of Carp heard a fire truck on the nearby Carp Road and glanced out to take a look.

And what he saw was not only a fire truck going along the Carp Road but also a bald eagle which had landed in a tree by the nearby Carp River out his back door. He managed to snap a few pictures of the bald eagle as it was flying along the river and Carp Road.

Federal budget 'great news' for Ottawa says Watson

By Ted Raymond, CFRA News, March 22, 2017

Ottawa mayor Jim Watson is pleased with the federal budget, which was tabled in the House of Commons on Wednesday.

The federal government plans to spend $20 billion across the country on public transit. The document doesn't list a specific funding commitment for Ottawa's phase 2 of LRT, but Watson says he's been assured the feds will be there with the $1.15 billion dollars to complete the project. He says he was called by the Infrastructure Minister's office on Tuesday, confirming the cash will be there.

Parks, arts and culture funding gets boost

Budget 2017

Ottawa & Region

New

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Sun, March 22, 2017

Aside from the billions earmarked in the 2017 budget for housing and childcare, the government’s social infrastructure agenda includes millions of dollars for building new cultural spaces and making them accessible to all Canadians.

(...) Eligible projects include constructing and renovating buildings (adding ramps, automatic door openers and accessible washrooms), providing accessible information and communication technologies, and retrofitting vehicles.

(...) The government will also give Parks Canada $364 million over the next two years to manage national parks, marine conservation areas and historic sites.

Ontario plunges into cap and trade with first carbon auction - Toronto - CBC News

By Mike Crawley, CBC News Ottawa, March 22, 2017

The Ontario government's new climate-change plan kicks into high gear Wednesday, but the opposition leader is vowing to scrap the program if he wins next year's election. The province holds its first-ever auction of greenhouse gas emission permits under its new cap-and-trade program this afternoon.

Fuel companies, natural gas distributors, auto makers, steel mills and chemical factories are among the firms purchasing the permits.

Cleanup costs for new Sir John Carling hospital site in the millions

Ottawa Citizen

By Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen, March 22, 2017

It will cost at least $11 million to clean up the site of the former Sir John Carling building to make room for a new Civic hospital, Public Services and Procurement Canada estimates.

And that price tag could get much higher.PSPC, the federal department in charge of transferring the land on the eastern site of the Central Experimental Farm to The Ottawa Hospital, has released a map with proposed boundaries for the hospital land, as well as estimates of cleanup costs. Removing soil and rubble within the building footprint would cost between $8.3 million and $8.6 million, it said. Treating and monitoring impacted groundwater would cost an estimated $2.8 million and excavation of contaminated fill outside the building’s footprint has not yet been costed. In addition, there are environmental costs and the possible cost of removing or refurbishing the building’s former cafeteria, which still sits on the site.

Budget 2017: City to benefit on housing and child care; mum on LRT

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, March 22, 2017

The City of Ottawa should benefit from billions in federal money for transit, housing and child care, but city hall will have to wait longer to learn exactly how much it will collect.

When it comes to the federal budget, the city’s interests are usually focused on transit and housing. There’s plenty of cash up for grabs in the budget that would help ordinary Ottawa residents find housing and travel across the city.

Planning Committee to vote on proposed towers at Westgate Mall

By Ted Raymond, CFRA News, March 21, 2017

The Westgate shopping centre could see several tall towers built in the coming years if the planning committee approves a proposed development plan.

(...)Councillors Jeff Leiper and Riley Brockington are on the record in the proposal to committee, offering general support for the redevelopment.

"Kitchissippi residents are generally in favour of the Westgate redevelopment, and I am supportive of greater height and density on this under-utilized land," Leiper says in the report. "Predictably, I am particularly keen to see cycling improvements foreseen by the plan on Carling implemented as quickly as possible, and I will be asking staff to take whatever steps necessary to leverage those beginning with the first phase of construction."

Lower speed limits for Hintonburg streets

CTV Ottawa News

By CTV News Ottawa, March 21, 2017

Hintonburg is putting the brakes on speed limits.

Speed limits on 31 residential streets in Hintonburg will be reduced to 40 km/hr.The current speed limit is 50km/hr.

The Hintonburg Community Association canvassed 2 thousand residents in a door-to-door petition blitz over the last 13 months."This last year of pounding the pavement has finally paid off and I can’t wait to see these 40km/hr signs go up and the speed of vehicles on residential streets go down, stated Dickson Davidson with the HCA in a news release.

Gatineau transit workers strike again today - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, March 21, 2017

Gatineau commuters who rely on public transit will again be looking for alternative arrangements Tuesday as bus drivers and mechanics strike for the second time in six days.

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.

Get ready for the first frostbite advisory of the season - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, March 21, 2017

Just two days into spring and Ottawa is already facing its first frostbite advisory of the season.

It's almost hard to believe – with today's forecasted high of 7 C and a few periods of sunshine – that temperatures will plummet to double digits below the freezing mark Tuesday evening.