City seeks to convert all street lights to LED by 2020
Ottawa Citizen

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen, September 30, 2015

Like cities across North America, Ottawa is looking to fully covert all of its street lights to LEDs.

Light-emitting diode technology has been used here before in several pilot projects, including one on Carling Avenue where more than 750 fixtures were converted. The project netted about $72,000 in annual savings based on 2014 rates.

Street lighting accounts for 17 per cent of the electricity used by the city, according to staff report to be discussed next week at the transportation committee meeting. LED technology could reduce that energy use by more than 50 per cent. Since street lighting costs last year were $7.2 million, the city says the potential savings are significant.

‘Urban creep’: Manotick fears OMB ruling could cost village its rural character
Ottawa Citizen

By Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen, October 6, 2015

An Ontario Municipal Board decision to allow the rezoning of 124 hectares between Barrhaven and Manotick will expose the historic village to urban creep, says the head of the Manotick Village and Community Association.Association president Klaus Beltzner wants to prevent Barrhaven from overrunning Manotick. “This basically gives the green light for developers to hopscotch across rural lands,” he said.

“The city has lost a significant case.”

Ottawa garbage workers could have tools to search your trash
Metro News

By Lucy Scholey, Ottawa Metro News, October 5, 2015

It’s not quite like finding a needle in a landfill – more like finding (and fining) the dirty syringe tosser.

The City of Ottawa may soon have grounds to sift through your garbage bag if they suspect you have discarded something harmful to its waste collectors. But one councillor says it’s a veiled attempt to ensure Ottawa residents are complying with garbage and green bin rules.

On Monday, the city’s environment committee approved amendments to the solid waste bylaw that aims to prevent Ottawa residents from tossing things like syringes or sharp items. It would also allow city employees to enter private property “at any reasonable time” to inspect your garbage.

Inaugural Ottawa Tree Festival is branching out with events and art
Metro News

By Haley Ritchie, Ottawa Metro News, October 5, 2015

From the paper we write on, to the desks we sit at, to the shade on our walk home – in Ottawa, we’re surrounded by trees all day but rarely think too hard about them.

The organizers of Ottawa’s inagural Tree Festival, running until Friday, would like to change that.

“We take trees for granted,” explained festival founder Christine Earnshaw. “People aren’t educated, because we’re not culturally focused on our natural history or the environment we live in. Our mission is to get this topic into the public realm.”

580 CFRA News Talk Radio :: Pilot project will see parking spots transformed into patios and parks :: News - Article

At Christie Cameron, CFRA News, October 5, 2015

A new pilot project launched on Monday will see on-street parking spaces transformed into patios, small parks and vending stalls.

As part of the Streetside Spots project, the City will allow up to 25 parking spaces to be converted in the spring of 2016.

"It's something that a number of other cities in North America do and it's turned out to be a really interesting way to break up the streetscape," says Keith Egli, the chair of the transportation committee.

Water-safety report slammed as 'waste of time'
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Ottawa Sun

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun, October 5, 2015

A plan to force businesses and institutions to install devices to keep contaminated backflow out of the drinking water system got an OK from the city’s environment committee Monday — but one councillor slammed the process as “a repetitive waste of time.

”Rideau-Goulbourn Coun. Scott Moffatt said he’s been shocked to learn that the report on protecting the city’s driking water is similar to a document that council approved back in 2008 — a plan was never implemented.

‘Backflow prevention’ will cost owners of large buildings up to $20,000
Ottawa Citizen

By Joanne Laucius, Ottawa Citizen, October 5, 2015

Thousands of large buildings in Ottawa, including hospitals, schools, businesses and apartment complexes, should be required to to install “backflow prevention devices” to protect the quality of drinking water, the city has recommended.

The devices will cost between $500 and $20,000 per building, with building owners paying the cost. The staff recommendation to change the city’s water bylaws will bring Ottawa into line with 30 other municipalities across the province, including Toronto, Hamilton and London.

Will Kanata-Carleton use strategic voting?
Ottawa & Region
News
Ottawa Sun

By Chris Lowrey, Ottawa Sun, October 3, 2015

Will voters in Kanata-Carleton heed the call of those espousing strategic voting? We're just over two weeks away from finding out.

The riding, which is new this election, covers an area that has traditionally voted Conservative.

(...)

"Nobody expected this race to be as close as it is," said Graham Saul, executive director of Ecology Ottawa.

"Six out of 10 people that were leaning Green, NDP or Liberal said they would be willing to vote strategically."

He said local polling, even with the smaller sample sizes, is critical so voters can make informed choices.

"If someone wants to vote strategically, knowing where each candidate places is absolutely essential," Saul said.

Royal Galipeau's tree-planting roots run deep
Metro News

By Amanda Pereira, Ottawa Metro News, October 4, 2015

There’s a lot you may know about Royal Galipeau.

He is the Conservative candidate for the Orleans riding in the upcoming election; he is a husband, a father and has been elected as a member of Parliament three times in a row.

But one thing you may not know about the Galipeau is that he is a keen environmentalist and an avid tree planter.

Ottawa West—Nepean profile: Conservative candidate Abdul Abdi
Metro News

By Michael Woods, Ottawa Metro News, October 4, 2015

For Abdul Abdi, making the move to politics after more than decade in policing is a “natural transition.

”The Conservative candidate in Ottawa West—Nepean is on unpaid leave from the Ottawa Police Service, where he has worked for the past 11 years.

(...)

Abdi cites light rail, Ottawa River clean-up and the planned expansion of the Ottawa Hospital’s Civic campus as Baird’s local legacy.

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