By Emma Jackson, Ottawa Community News, September 2, 2015
Apartment dwellers rejoice: now you can use a handy-dandy bag to store your recycling instead of having to cart unwieldy bins down to the garbage room.
Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson and environment committee chairman Coun. David Chernushenko unveiled the city’s new blue bag initiative on Sept. 2 at the Beaver Barracks building on Metcalfe Street.
By Ottawa Citizen, August 29, 2015
In 2005, a group of community activists in San Francisco commandeered a parking spot, covered it with turf, added a potted plant and the “parklet” was born.
These “streetside spots” — which can also be a patio or a retail vending stall, as well as a tiny park — are no longer guerrilla affairs. They have popped up in parking spots all over North America and are governed by municipal bylaws. Fans say they add vibrancy to the urban landscape, free up sidewalks and tempt pedestrians to linger and shop.
By Lucy Scholey, Ottawa Metro News, September 2, 2015
An Ottawa city councillor remains hopeful a low-income community in her ward will be the chosen site for a new “revitalization” project.
Gloucester-Southgate Coun. Diane Deans wants Albion-Heatherington to be the testing grounds for the city’s first mixed-income neighbourhood. But in July, councillors instead opted to cast a wider net and explore all options.
On Tuesday, the planning committee will create a special group of councillors to work with staff on selecting the pilot site to improve the “health, vibrancy and livability of low-income neighbourhoods.” They will choose a neighbourhood by the end of this year.
By Haley Rtichie, Ottawa Metro News, September 2, 2015
Tension between some vendors at the Ottawa Farmer’s Market and the City of Ottawa boiled over last Sunday when some businesses refused to close early to make space for other events.
The city asked the market to close three hours early on Sunday because the beer festival, Savour Ottawa luncheon and a Red Blacks game would mean heavy foot traffic.
By Alison Sandor, CFRA News, September 2, 2015
This is the last weekend this summer that you will be able to take part in the Alcatal-Lucent Sunday Bikedays.
Sunday will be the last summer day you can cycle car-free on Colonel By Drive, the Sir John A Macdonald, Sir George-Etienne Cartier and the Gatineau, Champlain and Fortune Lake parkways.
By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun, September 2, 2015
The city’s transportation committee wants to try converting as many as 25 on-street parking spaces into patios or “parklets” next spring and summer.
The committee didn’t even need to talk about the program Wednesday. A unanimous vote sufficed.
The city would start with 25 locations as a test run and begin taking applications in October. The “greatest geographical diversity possible” will be the city’s guiding principle. Five spots will be reserved for parklets, which could simply be public places for people to sit.
By CBC News Ottawa, September 2, 2015
The city on Wednesday unveiled its new weapon in the fight to make recycling easier for people who live in apartment buildings.
It's a reusable blue plastic bag.Right now, only about 16 per cent of household items that can be recycled are being properly diverted in Ottawa.
By Roberta Montpetit, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, September 2, 2015
Re: Fellow cyclists: To get respect, we have to give it to others, Aug. 28.
As a driver, I dread cyclists. As Matt Moore so aptly said in his opinion piece, too many cyclists (even if they are in the minority) give all cyclists a bad reputation.
By Alison Sandor, CFRA News, September 1, 2015
Mayor Jim Watson promised there are no plans to raise taxes by more than two per cent next year, despite a deep deficit.
The city is $41-million dollars in the hole, partially due to increased maintenance costs over the freezing winter and arbitration awards for city employees.
By Alex Robinson, Ottawa Community News, September 1, 2015
Rather than sit on a beach during his summer vacation, Derek Olive picked up his guitar case and set off on a cross-country bike trip to spread an environmental message.
The Montreal singer-songwriter started in Vancouver and made his way across Canada to bring awareness to the David Suzuki Foundation’s Blue Dot campaign, while promoting his new folk album, Mystery & Dust.
By Louise Rachlis, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, August 29, 2015
Re: Fellow cyclists, we need to talk, Aug. 27.
Three rings of the bike bell to Matt Moore for his opinion piece.
I live near the Pretoria Bridge, and whether I’m walking, cycling or driving, like Moore, I’ve been passed by bikes on the left, passed on the right, passed on the sidewalk, and passed on the bike path, rarely with a bell or a warning, even while I myself am passing on my own bike.
By William Hallett, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, September 1, 2015
Re: Fellow cyclists: To get respect, we have to give it to others, Aug. 28.
I could not agree more with Matt Moore’s comments on his fellow cyclists. As a pedestrian — I’ve never driven a car — my particular beef is cyclists on the sidewalk, often moving at high speed. This even happens where there are bike paths.
On the St. Patrick Bridge, cyclists routinely ignore the bike paths installed at considerable expense and use the sidewalk instead.