Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

580 CFRA News Talk Radio :: Province spends $1.35M to teach students ways to conserve energy :: News - Article

By Allison Sandor, CFRA News, February 19, 2016

The provincial government is spending $1.35-million over the next three years to help teach kids to conserve energy.

Jasper Jayes, a grade 12 student at Woodroffe high school said students must play their part to fight climate change.

"Obviously this is the only planet we have and we need to take care of it, so if everyone just didn't really pay any attention to how their actions impact the environment, I think things would go bad pretty quick for us," said Jayes.

580 CFRA News Talk Radio :: Portion of Bayview Bridge collapses during planned demolition work :: News - Article

By Allison Sandor, CFRA News, February 19, 2016

The City of Ottawa says there were no reported injuries, after a portion of the Bayview Bridge collapsed earlier Friay.

Crews were demolishing the bridge as part of the LRT Confederation Line project when part of the structure collapsed within the construction zone, reportedly crushing an excavator.

The city says the collapse will not significantly impact the construction schedule for the LRT project.

Ontario blue box costs and contents to become packagers' concern - Ottawa - CBC News

By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, February 19, 2016

Ontario cities could save $115 million a year by relinquishing the costs and contents of blue boxes to the manufacturers that created the recyclables in the first place, according to environment minister Glen Murray.

That's a big piece in the proposed Waste-Free Ontario Act being debated this week at Queen's Park.

The current system isn't working, Murray said, because most materials still end up in landfills.

Chernushenko: How the city can be bold in fighting climate change

Ottawa Citizen

By David Chernushenko, Ottawa Citizen, February 19, 2016

When it comes to bold action on climate change, the political stars are finally aligning.

We have a brief window of opportunity to prevent our changing climate from becoming a full-blown climate crisis – with all the social and economic costs that would entail – and political leaders must rise to the occasion.

It may already be too late to prevent many impacts, but we can still try to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius. Beyond that critical threshold, the planet’s ecosystems will be too stressed to continue supporting much of today’s human population, let alone many other species.

Kanata North residents vote to fund anti-mosquito program

Ottawa Citizen

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, February 19, 2016

Residents of Kanata North itching for help from City Hall have voted to pay a contractor $1.4 million to attack mosquito larva.

Kanata North Coun. Marianne Wilkinson announced the results of the community vote Friday, with 1,827 out of 2,525 ballots returned, or about 72 per cent, voting in favour of the mosquito control program.

Reevely: Experimental Farm needs protecting, McKenna says

Ottawa Citizen

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, February 19, 2016

The Central Experimental Farm should have some formal protection that would keep politicians from handing pieces of it off to other people, environment minister and Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna says.

She doesn’t know what form that might take, and it’s not a problem that’s at the top of her long to-do list, she told the Citizen’s editorial board Friday afternoon, but “I’d like to see some options around that.”

Warm winter good for Ottawa's water budget, city says

Metro News

By Emma Jackson, Ottawa Metro News, February 18, 2016

The unseasonably warm winter has thawed the city’s budget after last year’s deluge of frozen pipes, officials say.

Last February, the frost layer was 1.6 metres deep and one day more than 60 properties had no water because of frozen services.Combined with a record number of water main breaks in March – also due to deep frost – crews were out around the clock, said environmental services manager Dixon Weir.

580 CFRA News Talk Radio :: Hubley: Double-deckers better alternative to articulated buses :: News - Article

By Caissie Aylward, CFRA News, February 18, 2016

One city councillor says double-decker buses might be a better alternative to articulated buses.This comes after dozens of articulated buses, also known as accordion buses, got stuck in the snow causing hours-long delays Tuesday afternoon after a record-breaking snowfall.

Kanata South Councillor Allan Hubley says the double-deckers would be more efficient.

"I'm a bigger fan of the double decker," he said. "We don't seem to have those issues with the double decker. They actually hold more people which allows us to get more people around the city faster."

Ottawa committee to vote on controversial Stittsville subdivision plan

Metro News

By Lucy Scholey, Ottawa Metro News, February 17, 2016

A city councillor vocally opposed to a large Stittsville subdivision plan is rallying residents to have their say at next week’s planning committee.

Minto is proposing a 400-plus-unit residential development for Potter’s Key – a 24-hectare parcel of undeveloped land off Hazeldean Road and adjacent to the communities of Jackson Trails and Echowoods. Two parks are included in the plan, including a small soccer field, half a basketball court and a rink.

There are several problems with the proposal, according to Stittsville Coun. Shad Qadri, including an increase in traffic, the lack of a connection to major route Hazeldean Road, construction vehicle access and a landscape buffer.

Strong support for expanding Para Transpo, survey says

Metro News

By Emma Jackson, Ottawa Metro News, February 16, 2016

People with mental health issues and developmental disabilities should be allowed on Para Transpo, customers say.

A report to the Transit Commission shows 72 per cent of 934 questionnaire respondents think Para should expand its client base beyond those with physical challenges.

Ottawa committee adopts stricter greenhouse gas target

Metro News

By Lucy Scholey, Ottawa Metro News, February 16, 2016

The city's environment committee adopted a “groundbreaking” new plan to tackle climate change on Tuesday.

If council gives the green light to Capital Coun. David Chernushenko’s plan, the city would set an unprecedented reduction target on greenhouse-gas emissions.

“We’re going to remind people – industry, as well as the average citizen, all the institutions here – we’ve all got a role to play. And the city is going to play its leadership role,” said Chernushenko, who chairs the environment committee.

Emerald ash borer beetle leaves Kanata woodlot devastated

Ottawa & Region

Ne

By Ottawa Sun, February 16, 2016

The emerald ash borer claimed another forest when crews moved in to cut down much of the beetle-infested ash tree woodlot in Kanata’s Stonegate Park.

“A very nice park has just been turned into wasteland,” area resident Bernard Caron said Monday. “It’s shocking to see a full forest destroyed in one day.”