By Megan Gillis, Ottawa Citizen, April 9, 2016
When Uber driver Anupam Kakkar recently dropped off a customer near a taxi stand at Metcalfe and Sparks, a trio of licensed cabbies quickly spotted him.
“F— Uber, f— Uber,” the cabbies started shouting, Kakkar says.
(The customer had unintentionally tipped the taxi drivers off by hopping out of the back seat of the Uber, instead of the front, where most clients ride more discreetly.)
By Patrick Langston, Ottawa Citizen, April 8, 2016
When Ottawa green builder Roy Nandram returned to his native Guyana a few years ago to scatter the ashes of a brother, he got a poignant reminder of why we have to change how we build homes.
Nandram, president of RND Construction, and other members of his family went to scatter the ashes at a spot by the sea where he and his brother used to play and fish as boys. The sea, he immediately saw, had risen so much that the beach no longer existed — a signal of dire global warming to which greenhouse gas-emitting buildings contribute.
By Stittsville Central, April 8, 2016
On April 6, a Public Open House was held in Stittsville to review the City’s flood remediation measures planned for the Cypress Gardens/Westwood and neighbouring area.The City is initiating this work due to issues that came to light from the major storm event that occurred in July 2009 where a number of homes flooded in the south end of Stittsville.
I was the Councillor during this time and know this was an extremely difficult time for the community and had a major impact on some residents in this area. The City has taken this issue very seriously and following the major rainfall, the City evaluated flood control measures and a mitigation plan was recommended for the west end area.
By Terry Pedwell, CTV News Ottawa, April 8, 2016
SAULT STE MARIE, Ont. -- The $3.4 billion included in last month's federal budget for transit infrastructure will begin rolling out to municipalities this year, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced Friday as he expanded on his government's plan to invest the money.
The prime minister didn't specify how much individual communities would receive, but he did say Ontario in particular could expect to receive about half the money -- $1.5 billion.
The federal government will also pay a larger share of the cost of projects, and provinces and municipalities can spend the money as they see fit, Trudeau told a news conference at a transit headquarters building in Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.
By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, April 8, 2016
City council’s taxi-regulating committee staggered to a sensible conclusion Friday afternoon on letting “ride-sharing” companies like Uber work in Ottawa and slashing regulations on traditional taxis.
Starting in six months. And in the meantime, nobody knows what will happen.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun, April 7, 2016
Uber finally released its analysis Thursday morning of the City of Ottawa’s proposed taxi reforms, with the city’s insurance proposal giving the international ride company the biggest concern.
The company wants to see the city require $2 million of non-owned automobile insurance coverage, rather than $5 million. The city’s consultant, KPMG, recommended $2 million in coverage, but the city’s legal department is recommending $5 million.
By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, April 7, 2016
Lakes in the upper Rideau River watershed are likely to rise in the next few days as our heavy April snow melts.
The water could reach flood levels on Bobs and Christie Lakes, the Rideau Valley Conservation Authority says.
“With the level of Bobs Lake close to the Full Supply Threshold, water has to be released. However, the release is being done as gradually as possible to minimize the impacts on both lakes. While levels are likely to increase downstream of Christie Lake, no flooding is expected,” it said in an announcement Thursday.
By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, April 7, 2016
The flood waters and debris have receded in Horton Township near Renfrew, but Steve Osipenko hasn’t forgotten the frightening speed of last week’s massive landslide, and the flooding it caused.
Ten hectares of land slid into the Bonnechere River downstream from Renfrew on the night of March 28 to 29, clogging the fast-running river with trees and clay.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, April 7, 2016
Councillors interrogated an Uber official for three hours Thursday on the contentious “ride-sharing” issue during a marathon meeting, the likes of which haven’t been seen in the Jim Watson-run city hall.
The day was packed with speeches from cabbies, Uber drivers, union reps, tourism agencies and accessibility advocates. But the key event featured councillors dissecting Uber’s business practices and testing its tolerance of requirements in a new taxi bylaw.
By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, April 7, 2016
By the time the guy from Uber Canada was done making his pitch to city councillors for deregulating Ottawa’s taxi industry, the taxi people were wondering whether they needed to say anything at all.
Uber’s policy manager Chris Schafer had walked into the meeting of the committee considering legalizing his company’s operations here looking like a winner. A week ago, City Hall released a proposed set of rule changes that would eliminate the taxi business’s legal stranglehold on driving people for money, allowing companies like Uber to compete with cabbies on pretty favourable terms.
By Emma Jackson, Ottawa Metro News, April 6, 2016
Pedestrians are losing out at Lansdowne Park, and fixing Bank Street bridge could be the solution, Coun. David Chernushenko said Wednesday.
A staff report found that more than half of all visitors took alternative transportation to major events like RedBlacks games and the AC/DC concert last year.
But only eight to 10 per cent of visitors walked there, something Chernushenko said could change if Bank Street’s famously hostile bridge was more comfortable for pedestrians and cyclists.
By Cassie Aylward, CFRA News, April 6, 2016
Major disruptions are possible during Friday morning's commute as several Ottawa cab drivers are planning to disrupt OC Transpo routes in protest of Uber, multiple sources tell CTV News.
Those sources say some cabbies are planning a blockade at OC Transpo garages, like the one on St. Laurent Boulevard, to stop buses from getting to their routes.
Coventry Conections, Blueline, and taxi union head Amrik Singh say there are no such plans.