Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Some OC Transpo fares set to rise by almost six per cent

Ottawa Citizen

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen, November 27, 2015

The cost of an e-purse regular fare is set to jump to $3 per trip in 2016, up from $2.84. That’s an increase of nearly six per cent. The corresponding express fare would rise 11 cents to $4.39 per ride.

Cash fares could also climb by a dime for the third year in a row to $3.65 per ride, a 2.8 per cent increase.

But the cost of monthly community passes, held by passengers who receive Ontario Disability Support payments, will be frozen at $41.75.

Suzuki joins Ottawa climate marchers with new hope

Ottawa Citizen

By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, November 27, 2015

David Suzuki came to Montreal for a week and found out that his foundation is holding a climate march in Ottawa on Sunday. So he’s leading it.

For the first time in many years, he says he will be marching with hope that Canada will make meaningful reductions in greenhouse gases.

Road closures planned in downtown core for climate change march this Sunday

Ottawa Citizen

By Allison Mah, Ottawa Citizen, November 27, 2015

Police are warning motorists of possible traffic disruptions on Sunday from planned road closures in the downtown core for a march on climate change.

Laurier Avenue between Elgin and Nicholas streets will be closed between 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Wellington Street between Elgin and Kent streets will be closed between 2:30 p.m. and 4:30.

The “100% Possible Climate March,” organized by Ecology Ottawa and taking place days before a scheduled UN climate summit in Paris, will begin at Ottawa City Hall at 12:30 p.m. before moving to Parliament Hill at 1:30 p.m.

Global climate change march coming to Ottawa

By Alex Robinson, Ottawa Community News, November 23, 2015

Thousands are expected to march through Ottawa to urge leaders to take bold action on climate change on the eve of a major United Nations summit.

The march, called “100% Possible”, will be one of many held in major cities across the globe to push political leaders to commit to having 100 per cent renewable energy by 2050.

Organizers are expecting people will come from as far away as Toronto and Montreal to participate in the Ottawa march on Nov. 29, which they are billing as a family-friendly celebration.

Ontario and Quebec cities, towns sign climate change covenant - Ottawa - CBC News

By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, November 26, 2015 Ontario and Quebec cities will share their best ideas for dealing with climate change and champion the role cities can play, even if a new agreement between their two associations doesn't offer specific targets.The "climate change action covenant" signed Nov. 25 in Ottawa between the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Union of Quebec Municipalities also urges upper levels of government to invest in infrastructure such as storm water management systems and public transit, which need bolstering as the climate changes and emissions need to be curbed.

Bike commuting study finds Ottawa lacking in downtown cycling routes

Ottawa Citizen

By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, November 26, 2015

Ottawa bicyclists have easy access to the O-Train but are desperately short of routes to get through the downtown core, according to a new study comparing bike commuting in five Canadian cities.

In fact, Ottawa ranked last in the number cycling paths and bike lanes through the downtown, according to the study, Cycle Cities, released Thursday by the Pembina Institute. Researchers compared bike commuting in Toronto, Montreal, Calgary, Vancouver and Ottawa.

Northern lights moving south, study shows

Ottawa Citizen

By Tom Spears, Ottawa Citizen, November 25, 2015

The northern lights are shifting south from the Arctic, and will appear more often in the skies over Ottawa in decades to come, a new study says.

The reason: Earth’s magnetic field is becoming gradually weaker, and this affects how the solar wind — charged particles from the sun — bounces off it.

In time, the aurora could reach as far as the southern United States.

Ottawa, the city wants your opinion on the Uber debate. Give it to them

Metro News

By Steve Collins, Ottawa Metro News, November 22, 2015

Ottawa’s taxi drivers have a right to complain these days: They’re squeezed for higher fees for airport pickups and are losing business to gray market upstarts like Uber.

So it wasn’t a surprise when my last cabbie started complaining about the aggressive, unregulated and underinsured competition.The standard rant took a surreal twist, though, when he unpacked his theory that Uber was run by a certain ethnic group for unspoken nefarious purposes.

Reevely: One part of Alberta’s climate-change plan Ontario shouldn’t copy

Ottawa Citizen

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, November 23, 2015

With the premiers and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau meeting in Ottawa Monday, Alberta Premier Rachel Notley unveiled a long-in-the-making plan to reduce her province’s carbon emissions on Sunday.

The announcement — not the plan, but the announcement — was a bit of a rush job, but there is a bit of a rush. Trudeau called his first first-ministers conference on short notice and there’s this major climate-change summit coming up in Paris in just a few days. Notley’s announcement will change the whole discussion at the Museum of Nature and she can can go to Paris and have something to boast about.

uOttawa signs Montreal Pledge to measure carbon footprint of investments

Ottawa Citizen

By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, November 23, 2015

The University of Ottawa has become the first university in Canada — and only the second in the world — to sign the Montreal Carbon Pledge, committing itself to calculating and publishing the total carbon footprint of its $2-billion investment portfolio.

The pledge, announced Monday, comes just a week before the start of the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris. It’s part of uOttawa’s existing commitment to cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 34 per cent from 2005 levels by the year 2020

New vision unveiled for upper Rideau Street

Ottawa Citizen

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen, November 22, 2015

A new neighbourhood blueprint is poised to dramatically change the look and feel of Rideau Street’s eastern reach, a gateway to Ottawa’s downtown and Parliament Hill.

Although the plan for Uptown Rideau — a 1.2-kilometre stretch of road between King Edward Avenue and the Cummings Bridge — has been under development for months, some community groups remain deeply concerned about parts of it, including a mechanism for developers to play around with a building’s density (without increasing it).

Not so Green: Candidate's signs remain, weeks after vote

Ottawa & Region

New

By Sam Cooley, Ottawa Sun, November 20, 2015

A Greely man finds it "ironic" that at least two Green Party signs remain along a busy local street, a month after the federal election.

Alexander Hope lives in Carleton riding, where one of Deborah Coyne's Green Party election sign has been staring him in the face for the past few weeks.