By Lucie Scholey, Ottawa Metro News, July 24, 2016
Good news for Ottawa sunbathers who soaked up last week’s heat wave: expect more warmth in the second half of the summer.
Dave Phillips, Environment Canada’s senior climatologist, is predicting a “normal to slightly warmer than normal” August for the Ottawa Valley.
“This is not the end of the days above 30,” he said.
So far, Ottawa has had more hot days this summer compared to last year, although we have yet to see a record-breaking heat wave.
By Kristy Nease and Hallie Cotnam, CBC News Ottawa, July 24, 2016
The Ottawa farmers who manage the city's only pick-your-own saskatoon berry patch have decided to call it quits and make this season's harvest their last.
The Ovens Berry Farm, which also produces strawberries and raspberries, has been in operation for 38 years. But after decades of toiling in the dirt, Ron and Maureen Ovens need a break.
By Don Butler, Ottawa Citizen, July 24, 2016
Two weeks before the National Capital Commission unveiled a concept plan for a proposed linear park that could eliminate two of the four lanes on a western section of the Sir John A. Macdonald Parkway, NCC officials huddled to try to come up with a positive spin to present to the public.
Emails released to Postmedia under access to information reveal that NCC chief executive Mark Kristmanson — evidently concerned about the public response to the two-lane option — urged senior officials to think of a “more positive message” during a meeting in early March.
By StittsvilleCentral, July 23, 2016
Minto is proposing several measures to protect Blanding’s Turtles at the new Potter’s Key development on Hazeldean Road. They’ve applied to Ontario’s Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) for permission to proceed with the development, which could impact the animals, classified as a Species at Risk in Ontario (SARO).
Construction could affect up to 21.3 hectares of the species’ habitat. This type of MNRF permit is not uncommon for developments in our area, and is required if there’s a potential that any endangered or threatened species’ habitat will be disturbed.ADVERTISEMENTSome of the steps Minto says they’ll take to mitigate the
By Michelle Nash Baker, Ottawa Community News, July 22, 2016
A recent review of Vanier streets has one group looking for action.
Healthy Transportation Coalition held a street audit on July 9 in the neighbourhood in an effort to explore four elements of the neighbourhood’s roads and pathways: safety, accessibility, convenience and connectedness, and comfort and attractiveness.
The results called for the area to have better pedestrian infrastructure.
Karen Hawley led the group through both a training session as well as the walks. Now she is in charge of compiling the data.
By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Sun, July 22, 2016
A long-awaited underpass that runs beneath Via Rail tracks in Barrhaven partially opened on Friday.
Two lanes of Greenbank Road between Malvern Drive and Berrigan Drive/Wessex Road were to open to traffic at around noon, while two others will open later this year.
The underpass beneath the Via tracks will allow vehicles to move freely on Greenbank Road, a major north-south artery that moves a lot of traffic in and out of Barrhaven at rush hour, while also enhancing safety for drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and trains, the city says.
By Joanne Chianello, CBC News Ottawa, July 22, 2016
A community group is racing against the clock to raise money that would help pay for a two-acre property it wants to see turned into a city park.
More than 70 residents of the City View neighbourhood in College ward attended a public meeting on Thursday to discuss the issue. They were clearly frustrated with the city's policy not to buy land for parks, even in communities where there isn't enough greenspace.
But most in attendance appeared ready to pay a $5 a month — or more — special levy to help purchase the recently designated heritage home at 21 Withrow Ave., an 1840s stone house that once belonged to a Confederation poet and is currently listed for sale with an asking price of $2.3 million.
By CBC News Ottawa, July 22, 2016
Ottawa's Fletcher Wildlife Garden on Prince of Wales Drive is a popular place for bird watchers, dog walkers and anyone who likes to experience the diversity of nature in an urban setting.
Michel Monette, an amateur naturalist, visits every summer to cycle around the garden's trails and take photos. He's noticed that in recent years the number of bumblebees has declined.
"You can spend an hour watching and you'll see one, two, three, where in past years there would be 30 or 40. And they'd be bumping into each other. I have pictures of them on top of the flower heads crawling all over each other, compared to now," says Monette.
By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, July 21, 2016
Wildlife lovers along the Rideau River near Kars are heartbroken after a long-standing osprey nest near the W.A. Taylor Conservation Area was toppled Tuesday night and at least one nearly full-grown fledgling killed.
Landowner Dave Craig — who had erected the nesting platform after buying the property in 1985 — was cutting grass below the nest when he accidentally clipped it with his tractor.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, July 21, 2016
OC Transpo’s customer service approach is “ill-prepared” for the switch to LRT and the agency should have a new strategy in place a full year ahead of the launch, a document prepared for Transpo management shows.
Transpo hired Janet LeBlanc and Associates to assess “customer experience modernization” before the 2018 LRT implementation. Postmedia obtained the consultant’s report through an access to information request.
By Peter Calamai, Ottawa Citizen, July 20, 2016
One very important facet has been missing from news reports concerning the alleged withholding of relevant information about nuclear risks from the five people in change of Canada’s nuclear safety watchdog.
Four of the five permanent commissioners of the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission are part-time appointees. Only the CEO and president, PhD physicist Michael Binder, works full-time at the demanding job of overseeing the safety of nuclear power reactors, research reactors, medical and industrial radio-isotopes, uranium mining and fulfilling Canada’s obligations for ensuring the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons or bombs.
By Evelyn Harford, Ottawa Citizen, July 20, 2016
Another heat wave is upon us in the National Capital. Environment Canada issued a heat warning Wednesday morning for virtually all of Ontario, and a southern slice of Manitoba.
Hot and steamy weather built up through the day Wednesday and was expected to intensify Thursday and continue through the weekend.