Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Feds promise money, again, for Ottawa’s unnecessary sewage-tank project

Ottawa Citizen

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, October 11, 2016

Huge tanks to hold downtown’s rainwater and sewage aren’t sexy, Mayor Jim Watson admitted on Tuesday as he announced funding for them for about the 47th time.

The “combined sewage storage tunnels,” vast horizontal tubes to run from LeBreton Flats to New Edinburgh Park and from Chamberlain Street to the Supreme Court, may be the most-promised construction project in Ottawa history. At $232 million, they’re by far the most expensive part of the plan to cut sewage overflows into the Ottawa River.

Extra work adds $57.4M to LRT project

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, October 11, 2016

The first phase of LRT has cost $57.4 million more since council approved the massive infrastructure project in 2012.Council endorsed much of the additional spending, beyond the $2.1-billion construction budget, as part of the final sign-off for the Confederation Line LRT.

The extras identified in 2012 included the $226-million Highway 417 widening ($206 million came from the province) and a $63-million LRT “transition” fund, plus a general $100-million contingency fund.

@Kady’s Watchlist for Oct. 11 – Electoral reform, Energy East up for debate in Ottawa tonight

Ottawa Citizen

By Kady O'Malley, Ottawa Citizen, October 11, 2016

Meanwhile, the Council of Canadians and Ecology Ottawa are set to co-host an evening town hall of their own that will explore “the threat to water from the Energy East tar sands pipeline” – and particularly, the “catastrophic impacts” that a spill could have on the Rideau, Mississippi and Ottawa rivers, as detailed in a newly released report from Montreal-based technical firm Savaria Experts-Conseils – at the Ottawa Public Library.

Fundraising campaign launched for Sir John A Macdonald winter trail

By Melissa Murray, Ottawa Community News, October 7, 2016

Instead of a blustery, vacant, unappealing pathway, Dave Adams is hoping to fulfill his dream of making the Sir John A Macdonald multi-use path an urban winter trail all season long.But he needs a little help.

Before the first snowflakes even fly, a crowdfunding campaign for the trail has begun and has already raised almost half of its goal of $20,000.

Apple orchards in eastern Ontario experiencing 'weird, wonderful flavours' after drought - Ottawa - CBC News

By Hillary Johnstone, CBC News Ottawa, October 10, 2016

The severe drought in eastern Ontario this summer had a sweet effect on apple orchards, according to some growers in the region. Ontario apple growers searching for next great apple

Even though the apples are small, and falling off the trees early, they're also much sweeter than normal.

"The taste is fantastic," said Darryl Maloney, owner of Log Cabin Orchard in Osgoode, Ont. south of Ottawa.

Today’s letters: Climate change, Catholic funerals and mental health

Ottawa Citizen

By Jim Deacove and John Hollings, Ottawa Citizen Letters to the Editor, October 7, 2016

Carbon pricing will have unintended consequences

Re: A simple way to bring in a price on carbon, Oct. 3.

Another expert praises the notion of a carbon tax because it will make the public cut down on using gas. I have to admire these experts for finding yet another way to tax gas. What else can they tax, using the reason that it will cause us to conserve more? I wouldn’t be surprised if, somewhere, an expert is figuring out how to control and tax moonlight. Too much full moon is not good for the environment.

Andrew Coyne: Liberals’ carbon price hardly a drastic measure

By Andrew Coyne, Ottawa Citizen, October 7, 2016

Well, that escalated quickly. If there were ever any prospect of a civilized national debate about how to reduce Canada’s carbon emissions, it ended about five minutes after Justin Trudeau stood in the House of Commons Monday to announce what everyone already knew: that there would be a minimum national price on carbon, and that if the provinces did not impose such a price the federal government would do it for them.

The rhetoric since then from certain premiers and Tory leadership candidates has been so scandalized that you would think there was something either new or shocking in the announcement. But a $10-a-tonne carbon price starting in 2018, rising to $50 in 2022, is neither. BC is already charging $30; Alberta will be charging $20 as of Jan. 1, rising to $30 in 2018; Quebec and Ontario have cap-and-trade systems either in place or in the works worth roughly similar amoun

Presto website down over Thanksgiving weekend

Ottawa Citizen

By Megan Gillis, Ottawa Citizen, October 7, 2016

Commuters won’t be able to load their Presto cards online or by phone this holiday weekend.

Metrolinx, the company behind the Presto payment card system for Ottawa and Toronto transit systems, has shut down its website for an upgrade. The site is expected to be back online by early Tuesday morning.

Transit users can still use the card to pay their fare and buy and load cards at Presto customer service outlets. To find a location, visit www.octranspo.com. The auto-load function will continue to work.

Energy East pipeline spill would affect Ottawa's drinking water within 48 hours

rabble.ca

By Brent Patterson, Rable.ca, October 6, 2016

A new 30-page technical report commissioned by The Council of Canadians and Ecology Ottawa finds that a spill from the proposed 1.1 million barrel-per-day Energy East Pipeline could have catastrophic impacts on the Rideau, Mississippi and Ottawa rivers and put the region's drinking water at risk.

The pipeline would cross the Rideau River just north of Kemptville (near the Baxter Conservation Area), the Mississippi River (north of Pakenham) and 68 watercourses in the Rideau and Mississippi watersheds.

Sanger: How to offset the hardship from carbon pricing

Ottawa Citizen

By Tony Sanger, Ottawa Citizen, October 6, 2016

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Environment Minister Catherine McKenna demonstrated admirable backbone this week by telling provinces they’ll introduce a minimum $10 per tonne price on carbon in 2018, which will rise to $50 per tonne by 2022, if provinces and territories don’t do so themselves.

This announcement led to wailing by some politicians, but polling suggests that they’re offside with a majority of Canadians and the vast majority of economists. A recent Nanos poll reported that 62 per cent of Canadians support having a Canada-wide minimum price on carbon. Surveys have found high majorities of economists (more than 80 per cent) also support carbon pricing.

Today’s letters: The drip, drip drip of stormwater charges

Ottawa Citizen

By Thomas Mason, Thomas Brawn and Rebecca Clifton, Ottawa Citizen Letters to the Editor, October 6, 2016

Can we send other bills to the city?

Re: Stormwater fee won’t cover costs: mayor, Oct. 5.

The politicians forced Goulbourn township to join the municipality of Ottawa. Now these undisciplined spendthrifts are imposing a charge for water and sewer infrastructure that are not used by those who have their own wells and septic systems. Does this mean those of us not using this infrastructure will be able to send our bills for well upkeep and septic cleansing to the city tax gurus? Are these politicians proposing to put these infrastructures into our properties?

The upcoming battle for Elgin Street — and yes, it involves parking

Ottawa Citizen

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, October 6, 2016

A battle is on for the soul of Elgin Street, between the people who run the businesses that line it and the customers who patronize them.

Elgin is due for a major reconstruction and the city’s trying to work out how best to divide it among all the people who want to use it — pedestrians, drivers and cyclists, merchants and residents and customers and people just passing through. They’ve had public consultations, surveys, write-in questionnaires, the results of which are difficult.

The No. 1 comment from everyone, all thrown into a big pile: Widen the sidewalks. No. 2: Add bike lanes or tracks. No. 3: Plant street trees. No. 4: More patios.