Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Community associations propose downtown canal access for kayaks and canoes

Metro News

By Haley Ritchie, Ottawa Metro News, April 20, 2016

A new proposal by two downtown community groups could see the Rideau Canal become a little more animated in the summer by providing more public access to canoes and kayaks.

On Wednesday, the Glebe Community Association and Ottawa East Community Association penned an open letter detailing the request to MPs Mélanie Joly and Catherine McKenna.

The letter is asking for a pilot project that would add two temporary floating docks and accessible gates along the canal this summer to increase access.

Not everyone pleased with new alignment of Cleary LRT station

By Melissa Murray, Ottawa Community News, April 19, 2016

The city may be labelling the new the Cleary light rail transit station realignment as an improvement, but not everyone agrees.

The city now plans to have the station front onto Richmond Road. To do that, the plaza at 747 Richmond Rd. will need to be acquired by the city in its entirety.

Previously, the route cut through the Unitarian Church campus, which drew heavy opposition from members of the church and the 130 senior tenants of Unitarian House.

Mosquito control program begins in Kanata North

Ottawa & Region

News

Ottaw

By Ottawa Sun, April 20, 2016

North Kanata residents can expect to hear the sounds of helicopters for the next while as the City of Ottawa kicks off its nuisance mosquito control program.

The program, targeting mosquito larvae in wetlands, will be underway through the summer, beginning Thursday and ending Sept. 15.

Contractors will do daily ground applications of a liquid larvicide in selected areas, while application of granular larvicides by helicopter is expected to take place sometime in the next two weeks.

Construction 'crunch' coming for Ottawa roads, transit, city warns - Ottawa - CBC News

By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, April 20, 2016

City officials are warning residents to expect an especially busy construction season, especially near the University of Ottawa, as it tries to finish up transit and road projects ahead of a big tourism year in 2017.

This will be a critical year for building the first phase of the city's light-rail transit network, which is slated to open in 2018.

Your letters for Wednesday: Stormwater, hockey and assisted dying

Ottawa Citizen

By Bryan Orndorff, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, April 20, 2016

Nuance key on stormwater debate

Re. Criticism prompts city to consider more options for ‘rain tax,’ April 15

Bob Gregory’s idea of allowing rural areas to pay for rural stormwater costs is a good one. Coun. David Chernushenko is being picky asking why everyone shouldn’t pay for downtown storm sewers. He doesn’t seem to mind that rural folks don’t pay for the watermains and sanitary sewers downtown, which are far more costly.

Death from above for migratory songbirds at Ottawa airport

Ottawa Citizen

By Andrew Duffy, Ottawa Citizen, April 20, 2016 A Transport Canada database reveals that passenger jets have twice struck flocks of birds at the Ottawa International Airport this spring.

Already this year, 16 bird strikes have been reported at the airport, including one incident last month in which a WestJet Dash 8 turboprop collided with a flock of migratory snow buntings during its approach to landing. Five dead birds were found on the runway.

Ottawa big tree advocates call for more data on chopping permits

Metro News

By Lucy Scholey, Ottawa Metro News, April 19, 2016

It was Easter weekend when Rockcliffe resident Al Crosby and his neighbours first noticed the red stakes marking a section of trees to be cleared on the airbase.

“They stood out like a sore thumb in the white snow,” he said.

But when he searched online to find out if the city issued a tree-felling permit for the swath of trees, he came up short. After reaching out to a contact in the forestry department, he said, someone showed up on site and halted the tree-cutting plans on the land, which is being redeveloped. As it turns out, there was no permit.

University of Ottawa board to vote on fossil fuel divestment

Metro News

By Haley Ritchie, Ottawa Metro News, April 19, 2016

The University of Ottawa Board of Governors will meet next week to vote on whether the school should continue investing in fossil fuels or make an environmental statement by shedding its oil and gas shares.

Fossil Free uOttawa organizer and fourth year developmental psychology student Misha Voloaca said he’s confident the board will vote to divest.

“There’s support from the university community and we hope the board will listen to the science, the economics and the university community,” he said.

Canada’s green tech is falling behind, report says

Ottawa & Region

News

Ot

By Megan Gillis, Ottawa Sun, April 19, 2016

Just as Prime Minister Justin Trudeau gets ready to head to New York to sign the Paris Agreement, a new report shows that Canada’s green tech industry is falling behind when it should be ramping up to meet tough new climate targets and replace lost resource sector jobs.

The fifth annual Canadian Clean Technology Industry Report pegs revenue of Canada’s “first new industry of the 21st Century” at $11.63 billion in 2014, with nearly 800 firms and 55,600 workers. Jobs were up 11 per cent from 2013.

Former Agriculture Canada officials urge Trudeau to keep the hospital off the farm

Ottawa Citizen

By Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen, April 19, 2016

The former deputy minister of Agriculture Canada and other former members of the department’s leadership team have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging him to keep the new Civic hospital off the Central Experimental Farm.

“We would all like to see a new state-of-the-art health care facility built in Ottawa, but we do not believe that valuable research fields of the Central Experimental Farm need to be sacrificed to achieve this,” wrote former deputy minister Gaëtan Lussier in an open letter signed by 13 former agriculture officials, researchers and even a former hospital board member.

OC Transpo to make service adjustments this spring

CTV Ottawa News

By CTV News Ottawa, April 18, 2016

Many Ottawa commuters will have to make changes to their usual routes this spring.As of Sunday, April 24 Campus Station will be closed to make way for construction of the O-Train Confederation Line. The uOttawa pedestrian and cycling underpass at the station will also be closed for the light rail project between Monday, May 2 and Monday, August 22.

Temporary adjustments will be made to connect travelers throughout construction. This includes additional capacity during peak periods on routes 5 and 14, which run along Elgin Street. It also means west-end afternoon peak period service will start at Mackenzie King Station instead of Campus Station.

Denholm, Que., calls for province's help after spring thaw washes out road - Ottawa - CBC News

By CBC News Ottawa, April 18, 2016

Residents of a small town north of Gatineau are calling on the Quebec government to pay for repairs to a washed-out main road that's forcing people to take long detours.

The spring thaw has split Paugan Road in the town of Denholm, Que., in two, making it impossible to pass between highways 105 and 307.

The road is an important connection between the towns of Poltimore and Low. About 25 residents live on the road, including Danielle Savard.