By Tom Spears, Ottawa Sun, March 16, 2016
Thursday brings Ottawa back to a full 12 hours of daylight, an informal quirk of astronomy that happens three days before the first real day of spring.
The spring equinox, when the sun crosses the equator to appear over the northern hemisphere, happens early Sunday morning. That’s the official start of spring.
By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, March 16, 2016
You know who liked the environment? Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, the Ontario Progressive Conservatives are very keen to have you realize.
Or, rather, they’re keen to have reluctant Progressive Conservatives realize, as those habitual Tories try to figure out what to do with a leader who wants to fight climate change by making greenhouse-gas emitters pay.
By Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen, March 16, 2016
It’s easy to see why rural residents are not deeply thrilled with the city’s plan to siphon $2 million from their pockets to help pay for rural ditches, culverts and storm ponds. The service they get now is not very good and people would naturally assume they are already paying for it through their property taxes.
The thing is, they aren’t. Stormwater management is paid for entirely by people whose homes are connected to city water or sewers. Rural residents have been getting a free ride.
By Burton Blais, Dave Watchorn and Jeff Spooner, Ottawa Citizen Letters to the Editor, March 16, 2016
The wrong people benefit from wind farms
Re: New Eastern Ontario wind farms a betrayal, mayors near Ottawa say, March 11.
Home ownership is the biggest investment a person can make. Many people depend on the value of their homes to underwrite their futures, whether it be generating capital for their kids’ educations, serving as a stepping stone to a better home, or even financing their retirement. Folks who choose to live in rural areas already face challenges in marketing their properties, compared to their city cousins.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, March 16, 2016
Shifting the stormwater program into the tax budget isn’t as easy as it sounds, but it’s ultimately up to council if it wants another $42 million funded by the citywide tax levy.
Some residents rallying against a proposed fee to pay for stormwater infrastructure have suggested the program should simply come out of the property tax pot since it’s a citywide service. The city currently pays stormwater costs with the money collected from water and sewer bills, which means any property not receiving a water bill isn’t paying for stormwater maintenance.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, March 16, 2016
West Carleton-March Coun. Eli El-Chantiry says it’s “disheartening” hearing former colleague Doug Thompson criticize the city for proposing a new stormwater fee.
“He knew exactly what was happening here,” El-Chantiry said Wednesday at city hall, pointing out Thompson was on the council at amalgamation that placed the stormwater program on the water and sewer rates.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, March 15, 2016
A former city councillor and the last mayor of Osgoode says charging rural landowners a stormwater fee is “wrong.”
“I think it’s the wrong way to go to even bring it up,” Doug Thompson said Tuesday.
Thompson, who served more than 30 years in municipal politics, said he doesn’t agree with the city’s going after revenue from people whose homes aren’t connected to the municipal water and sewer network.
By Aidan Cox, Ottawa Citizen, March 15, 2016
One Centretown resident is convinced the city’s biweekly garbage collection has created a rat infestation in her neighbourhood.
“What (biweekly collection) has done is it has created a never-ending supply of food for these rats,” claims Shannon Lee Mannion, resident of a multi-unit complex near Florence and Kent streets.
Par Mathieu Gothier, ICI Radio-Canada Ottawa Gatineau, le 14 mars 2016
Alors que le temps doux se poursuit depuis plusieurs jours dans la grande région d'Ottawa-Gatineau, les autorités surveillent les niveaux d'eau des cours d'eau, particulièrement celui de la rivière des Outaouais.
La crue de la rivière s'amorce plus tôt qu'à l'habitude en raison des températures clémentes. La Commission de planification de la régularisation de la rivière des Outaouais estime d'ailleurs que le niveau du cours d'eau demeurera au-dessus des normales de saison cette semaine.
By Ted Raymond, CFRA News, March 14, 2016
The City of Ottawa has imposed heavy load restrictions within the city, as the temperature rises and the spring thaw affects city road strength.
As of 12:01 a.m. Monday, vehicles and trailers with a weight of more than five tonnes or 11,000 lbs. per axle are prohibited on all non-truck roads in the city, as well as any roads with signage posted, and roads listed as restricted on the urban and rural truck route maps.
By Tracy Johnston and Kyle Bakx, CBC News Ottawa, March 14, 2016
Justin and Leanne Mills are in a situation familiar to many Albertans these days.
Justin is still working as an oil well cementer in Lloydminster, but his income is down by 50 per cent and the family is dealing with a painful readjustment of their future.
By Joanne Chianello, CBC News Ottawa, March 14, 2016
The city of Ottawa is contemplating a new frontier in cycling infrastructure: advisory bike lanes, which allow cars to veer into cycling lanes in order to avoid oncoming traffic.
As part of a project to slow down traffic on Byron Avenue, the city is looking at installing the advisory bike lanes on parts of the road between Island Park Drive and Sherbourne Avenue. If the plan goes ahead, Ottawa could be the first city in Canada to install advisory bike lanes next year.