By Sonia Shaw, National Observer, January 31, 2020
Across the warming globe, a mass exodus of tens of thousands of species is transforming the distribution of biodiversity — and challenging fundamental tenets in conservation policy and science. Are policymakers, land managers, and conservationists prepared?
...Now, a growing number of scientists say that conservation policies based on the native-alien dichotomy could actually threaten biodiversity.
By Bob Weber, CBC News (Canadian Press), February 2, 2022
Joni Mitchell was right — they really are paving paradise and putting up parking lots.
Statistics Canada's first survey of urban green space shows that, just as the singer-songwriter warned, cities across the country are getting greyer and browner.
(no mention of Ottawa but in the study itself, Kanata is mentioned as a problem area)
Par Mathieu Bélanger, Le Droit
Jugeant que les citoyens ont fait leur part dans l’atteinte des objectifs de réduction des déchets au cours des dernières années, la Ville de Gatineau se tournera principalement vers les industries, commerces et institutions (ICI) de son territoire d’ici la fin de la présente décennie pour réduire son empreinte écologique.
Par Radio Canada Ottawa, le 24 janvier 2022
Les groupes et personnes qui souhaitent prendre part à la Commission d’enquête sur le train léger sur rail d’Ottawa peuvent en faire la demande.
...Nous encourageons les personnes ou les groupes qui souhaitent participer à cette enquête à visiter le site web et à remplir le formulaire de demande dès aujourd’hui
, peut-on lire.
Ces demandes de participation doivent être soumises d’ici au 28 février, précise-t-on.
By Joanne Chianello, CBC News Ottawa
The task force asked to find ways to make Ontario housing more affordable wants to do away with rules that entrench single-family homes as the main option in many residential neighbourhoods, according to a draft report.
...According to the report, Ontario lags behind many other G7 countries when it comes to the number of dwellings per capita. And housing advocates have long argued that more modest-projects — duplexes, triplexes, tiny homes and townhouses — are needed in established neighbourhoods, especially if the environmental and infrastructure costs of sprawl are to be avoided.
By Ken Rubin, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed, January 13, 2021
Voluntary land giving for social and community purposes can be a way for individuals to help fight climate change.
Making a land donation can take several paths and is not a simple matter — but it can be rewarding.
That’s what my wife Debbie and I found when we gifted our farmland beside Gatineau Park for conservation purposes. From start to finish, it took about five years.
Par Mathieu Bélanger, Le Droit, le 20 janvier 2021
Après de longues recherches, la Ville de Gatineau croit avoir trouvé le terrain qui pourra accueillir le futur écocentre du secteur Aylmer.
...«Un écocentre est un service de proximité qui nous permet de réduire le volume de déchets qui se retrouve dans les dépotoirs, a noté le conseiller Gilles Chagnon. Ce dernier milite depuis sa première élection, en 2017, pour la construction de cet écocentre.
By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, January 20, 2021
A team led by Toronto-based developer Dream has been chosen to build a pair of towers at LeBreton Flats that promises a mixture of affordable housing units, social programs and environmentally friendly construction that Ottawa rarely sees.
...The NCC also touted the project's green credentials on Thursday, saying it would become the largest residential building in Canada to be considered "zero-carbon" by the Canada Green Building Council.
By Brigitte Pellerin, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed
It costs more up front, but a home that adheres to the five passive principles can save the owner on utilities, and help fight climate change.
As we watch our money burn to pay for the Enbridge bill that saves us from freezing, we might like to start thinking about alternatives. How would you like your bill to be $30 a month or even less?
By Tom Shoebridge, InsideOttawaValley, January 16, 2021
Dr. Paul Keddy loves Lanark County, and he wants to help protect its natural environment for our grandchildren’s grandchildren and beyond, but he knows that old ways are hard to change.
... He has signed a Conservation Agreement with the Mississippi Madawaska Land Trust (mmllt.ca) to ensure that the conservation values of his property will be safeguarded for generations to come.
By CBC News Ottawa, January 7, 2021
The National Capital Commission is again turning a road beside the Rideau Canal in Ottawa into a multi-use path to let people get distanced outdoor exercise.
Starting Jan. 15, Queen Elizabeth Driveway will be closed to vehicles on Saturdays and Sundays from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Somerset Street West in Centretown and Fifth Avenue in the Glebe.
By Daniel Buckles, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed, January 6, 2021
Recently, Canada’s Minister of Natural Resources announced a call for proposals to plant two billion trees in Canada, with funding of $3.2 billion over ten years. Municipalities are eligible for the funding, as are non-profit organizations and Indigenous communities and organizations.
While rural areas offer the most scope for the dense forests that absorb greenhouse gases that cause climate change, Ottawa could use the boost to its urban tree canopy. Some neighbourhoods have been tree deserts for decades, while others are losing trees at a fast clip under the pressure of intensification.