Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Lion Electric gets the largest order so far for electric school buses in North America

By Sustainable Bus, January 21, 2021

Lion Electric has just achieved the largest order so far for 100% electric school buses from a North American operator. The operator Autobus Séguin, based in Quebec, in fact has ordered 60 units of LionC buses. The operator’s goal is to electrify the entire fleet of more than 310 school buses by 2030.

In early 2019, Keolis Canada ordered 12 electric school buses Type C from Lion Electric. It was released that, according to a survey, 92% of Quebeckers want school boards and schools to increase their use of electric buses.

(...)“We are happy to continue the pioneering tradition established at Autobus Séguin by participating in this current wind of change, and by making this important shift towards the electrification of school transportation. Lion Electric, which will assist us in the transition and integration of these new buses, is an ideal partner for the success of this project. Ultimately, our ambition is to electrify our entire fleet of more than 310 school buses by 2030,” said Stéphane Boisvert, President at Autobus Groupe Séguin.

https://www.sustainable-bus.com/news/lion-electric-autobus-seguin-largest-order-electric-school-buses-north-america/

Indigenous conservation can get Canada to climate goals: former MP Ethel Blondin-Andrew to Trudeau

By Luke Ottenhof, National Observer, January 25, 2021

For Ethel Blondin-Andrew, the most important solution to Canada's climate crisis is also dangerously underfunded: Indigenous-led conservation.

“We have the vision, we need the resources,” Blondin-Andrew said in this year's first Conversations event with Canada’s National Observer founder and editor-in-chief Linda Solomon Wood on Thursday evening. “We have a head start. We have the fundamental traditional knowledge, the relationship.”

Blondin-Andrew was the first Indigenous woman elected to the House of Commons and to serve in federal cabinet. She now works with the Indigenous Leadership Initiative (ILI) to develop Indigenous governance and stewardship of the land via programs that train Guardians and educate youth on land use planning. She explained at the event on Zoom that the initiative builds on traditions that have been around for generations, and which account for significant strides in conservation and climate policy.

Blondin-Andrew noted that 80 per cent of the world’s remaining biodiversity exists on Indigenous-managed land, which she said is no accident: Knowledge and stewardship practices passed down for generations have cultivated healthy, sustainable environments while extraction capitalism ravages the rest of the world. But much of this work is done on threadbare budgets, with few institutional resources. With climate change experts estimating we’re on a far-worse track than previously thought, and with one million species on the verge of extinction, successful Indigenous land management isn’t a suggestion. It’s an imperative.

ByWard businesses say it's their turn for a revamp

By Kate Porter, CBC News Ottawa, January 22, 2021

A $129-million plan to rejuvenate the historic ByWard Market heads to Ottawa city council for approval next week, and business owners say it's about time the downtown area saw some civic love by way of upgrades.

(...)The idea is to make better use of the city's 10 hectares of the market, mostly its streets. The city plans to "reclaim" 3.2 hectares of that space for pedestrians by widening sidewalks for patios and benches, and reconfiguring roadways so whole streets can be closed for events and festivals.

(...)At the "gateway" to the area, the ramp over the sombre pedestrian underpass at Sussex Drive and Rideau Street could be demolished to make the area brighter and improve cycling connections.

(...)

Coun. Mathieu Fleury says the cost is comparable to a couple of road renewals, and believes the city can make the case for funding. The revamp creates coveted public outdoor space, and helps local businesses and farmers recover from the pandemic. Plus the National Capital Commission already has a major stake, he points out.

"It just checks so many of those boxes when you think of a federal or provincial [funding] application," said Fleury.

Pellerin: Limits on housing in Ottawa can't just be left to homeowners

By Brigitte Pellerin, Ottawa Citizen, January 24, 2021

There’s a line in Randall Denley’s recent column on the fuss about that modest development proposal in Kanata that really got my attention:

“Selling intensification in existing neighbourhoods is a tough challenge. Few people buy a home, then say, ‘Boy, I hope this street really changes in the future.’ They are unlikely to be swayed by the argument that apartment buildings should be constructed next to their house to protect some unspecified piece of rural land somewhere else.”

True. But why do we think it’s OK for housing to be such a heartless capitalist venture?

Two-thirds of Canadians are homeowners. It may sound like a lot but when you compare with other countries we’re nowhere near the top. Unsurprisingly, the higher the income, the more likely a person is to own a home. The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation has details in beautifully coloured graphics, if you’re curious. For most homeowners, their house is by far the biggest asset they’ll ever own. So naturally they do everything in their power to protect that investment.

It’s understandable, but it has nasty side effects, the most important being that we inadvertently become selfish and short-sighted. We don’t want change, intensification, bus routes, homeless shelters or safe injection sites anywhere near our backyard. From an individual perspective, it makes sense. But when everyone reacts the same way, what does that do to our ability to offer decent housing and services to those of us who cannot or do not wish to become owners of a single-family home?

NCC board: Tram preference on Wellington, new pathways at LeBreton Flats, master plan for Gatineau Park

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, January 21, 2021

The NCC prefers a Gatineau-based interprovincial tram system running on the surface of Wellington Street in Ottawa, rather than in a tunnel under Sparks Street.

The agency doesn’t mind both of the options proposed by the Société de transport de l’Outaouais for running a tram over the Portage Bridge and into Ottawa, but it sees the Wellington Street route as an opportunity to pursue an interprovincial transit loop between the two downtowns.

The NCC board on Thursday approved in principle the STO’s idea to run a tram on the surface of Wellington Street “as the most closely aligned option with NCC plans.”

The City of Ottawa has expressed preference for the Sparks Street tunnel option, worried about Wellington Street’s ability to accommodate several modes of transportation.

Greening the Official Plan: activists push city to add environmental values

By Paige Peacock, Capital Current, January 20, 2021

Environmentalists are urging city council to inject green values into its revamped Official Plan, which will frame Ottawa’s expansion and development for the next 25 years.

Some citizens are concerned about how the municipal government intends to address climate change and incorporate environmentally sustainable policies and strategies into the city’s blueprint for growth, which will be drafted over the next year or so.

Paul Johanis, chair of the Greenspace Alliance — a local non-profit environmental organization — says that the Official Plan must hold the City of Ottawa accountable about climate change.

(...)Shyanne Matone, a youth climate ambassador with Ecology Ottawa, said that while there is progress being made on the issue, Ottawa needs to do more.

“Certain things we are definitely making important moves on — such as the electric bus pilot program that the city is putting money towards — but in other ways, not so much,” said Matone. “Our main goal is to ensure that the city doesn’t pursue urban expansion.

“All of our growth over the next 25 years should come from intensification, making communities more compact, more walkable, using public transit and bike lanes so that people have access to what they need without needing to own a vehicle.”

For Matone, urban sprawl is a major concern.

https://capitalcurrent.ca/greening-the-official-plan-activists-push-city-to-add-environmental-values/

18 Destinations Impacted By Climate Change

By Tyler Moss and Caitlin Morton, Conde Nast Traveler, January 20, 2021 (original article July 2020)

As ice caps melt and wildfires rage, global warming is occurring faster than we could have imagined. In countries affected by climate change, many of the world’s prime travel destinations are at risk of suffering serious consequences: Rising sea levels and more dramatic weather events are endangering major cities, like Venice, with flooding. Increased temperatures are depleting resources that tourism industries depend on, with reduced snowfall in the Alps, and scant harvests in Northern California’s vineyards. Some natural wonders, like the Great Barrier Reef, are facing the prospect of vanishing entirely.

It's possible to responsibly visit most of these destinations and support them with your tourism dollars—but you can also admire such fragile spots from afar, and donate to organizations like the Coalition for Rainforest Nations and Clean Air Task Force that are fighting to preserve and protect them. Either way, developing an awareness of the destinations most at-risk is the first step in becoming an advocate for their protection. Below, 18 countries affected by climate change, and the sights we stand to lose.

https://www.cntraveler.com/gallery/10-places-to-visit-before-theyre-lost-to-climate-change?utm_source=nl&utm_brand=cnt&utm_mailing=CNT_Daily_PM_012021&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_medium=email&bxid=5e26109acff06b7c7c2bf0c1&cndid=59707916&hasha=6cf0e4c8dfed7b7e28f22e123857e24f&hashb=98ea0c210c9a676289b9df9ea6001df4cde8d109&hashc=8a76ebf16124e17465df5656bc363ab4541aba5ea012015168bfe0855acf2fa0&esrc=bounceX&utm_content=Final&utm_term=CNT_Daily

Lopoukhine: NCC must decide to truly protect Gatineau Park

By Nikita Lopoukhine, Ottawa Citzen, January 20, 2021

The National Capital Commission (NCC) board of directors will meet on Thursday to consider the fate of Gatineau Park. After much consultation and input from citizens, special interest groups and an advisory panel, the Gatineau Park Master Plan will be deliberated by board members.

The draft plan, released for public review in the fall of 2020, focused on conservation. Comments received were incorporated into a final plan. It is not clear how many of these comments were included in the plan submitted to the Board because the final version is not open for review.

But an important point that the draft plan raised is the glaring absence of governing legislation for the park.

The National Capital Act establishes a 15-member Commission (board of directors) that meets periodically to address topics that vary from the development of LeBreton Flats to issues affecting the Greenbelt and Gatineau Park. The NCC reports to Parliament through Minister Anita Anand, as designated by an order under the National Capital Act. This Act establishes and assigns responsibilities to the NCC but interestingly does not reference Gatineau Park other than providing for payments to municipalities in lieu of taxes.

Park plans are not an easy document to prepare and, in the case of Gatineau Park, even more difficult. Gatineau Park is a federal park, as are Banff or Fundy national parks, belonging to all Canadians. The park is the most visited in Canada on a per capita basis, with multiple access points and many vested interests focused on recreation, private property owners, and adjoining municipal plans. Assuring conservation outcomes without a governing statute is a complex task taken on by NCC staff.

The implications of not having governing legislation and thus no oversight by Parliament are many. Park boundary changes, for example, are at the whim of the NCC. The fact that a revised master plan is being considered by unelected commissioners is in sharp contrast to the national park example, wherein the minister responsible for national parks signs off on publicly released plans and tables them in Parliament.

Law should require disclosure of risks of harm to public, environment: info commissioner

By Carl Meyer, National Observer, January 18, 2021

Canada’s freedom of information law should require government institutions to disclose details about a risk of significant harm to public health and safety or environmental protection, says the federal information watchdog.

Information commissioner Caroline Maynard made the recommendation as part of a submission to the government, which is reviewing the access to information process, including the federal Access to Information Act.

Treasury Board president Jean-Yves Duclos had asked Maynard for her input on how to improve the information disclosure regime, which is supposed to ensure the government is transparent and accountable to Canadians.

In a document detailing her “observations and recommendations” that was announced Jan. 11, Maynard pointed out that six provincial access to information laws require the disclosure of government information related to public health or environmental protection.

(...)The six provinces with freedom to information laws containing these kinds of public interest provisions are British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island and Newfoundland and Labrador.

(...)The laws in four of the other provinces echo similar language, while Ontario's law says the government must, “as soon as practicable,” disclose any record if it has “reasonable and probable grounds” to believe it's in the public interest to do so, and it “reveals a grave environmental, health or safety hazard to the public.”

Planet faces 'ghastly future of mass extinction,' climate disruption, top scientists warn

By Pheobe Weston, National Observer, January 18, 2021

The planet is facing a “ghastly future of mass extinction, declining health and climate-disruption upheavals” that threaten human survival because of ignorance and inaction, according to an international group of scientists, who warn people still haven’t grasped the urgency of the biodiversity and climate crises.

The 17 experts, including Prof. Paul Ehrlich from Stanford University, author of The Population Bomb, and scientists from Mexico, Australia and the U.S., say the planet is in a much worse state than most people — even scientists — understood.

“The scale of the threats to the biosphere and all its lifeforms — including humanity — is in fact so great that it is difficult to grasp for even well-informed experts,” they write in a report in Frontiers in Conservation Science that references more than 150 studies detailing the world’s major environmental challenges.

City of Ottawa wants feedback regarding snow removal, winter maintenance

By Mike Vlasveld, City News, January 18, 2021

The City of Ottawa says it wants to hear what residents think of the job its winter maintenance teams have been doing; plowing, salting and sanding local roads and sidewalks.   The City of Ottawa is reviewing its Winter Maintenance Quality Standards (WMQS), and it says residents can help out in a few different ways, here: by completing a survey, available until February 19; participating in one of four virtual workshops, January 25, 26, 27 or 28; and/or sharing an idea or question in a discussion forum.   Anyone looking to complete the survey by phone, or who might require other accessibility related accommodations, can call 613-282-2685.

(...)Issues such as climate change, accessibility, sustainability, equity and healthy living have evolved since the current standards were put in place in 2003. The 2021 review will focus on:

• Residential roads
• Sidewalks
• Cycling pathways
• Multi-use pathways for walking, cycling and rollerblading

 

Pandemic has created a moment to make a big move to revamp the ByWard Market, advocates say

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Citizen, January 18, 2021

The ByWard Market is Ottawa’s downtown and it deserves the attention of governments when the time comes to doling out stimulus money in a post-pandemic national capital.

Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury and restaurateur John Borsten made that argument during a walkabout of the tourist district, which had the eerie feeling of an abandoned town on a grey winter day as eateries, retailers and other businesses stayed dark during the provincial economic shutdown to curb the spread of COVID-19.

(...)There have already been upgrades to the market’s public realm, such as the George Street plaza outside of the central market building and the William Street pedestrian walkway between George Street and Rideau Street. Those two projects helped set the vision for a grand pedestrian entranceway to the ByWard Market from Rideau Station and the Rideau Centre.

(...)Fleury and Borsten stopped at York Street and ByWard Market Square, and reflected on the awkwardness of the current design, with an island of car parking in the middle of a super-wide publicly owned concrete corridor. The public realm plan prioritizes a transformation in the space to create a “flex plaza” between ByWard Market Square and Sussex Drive to accommodate different uses, such as festivals and outdoor dining. There would even be more trees.