Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Passengers fume as O-Train relaunch goes awry

Ottawa Citizen

Ottawa Citizen, Mar. 2, 2015

Transit Commission chairman Stephen Blais was delayed in arriving at the Carleton University O-Train station after he opened the expanded service by riding the train from the Greenboro station. The city had planned to launch the event with fanfare, inviting reporters to a 9:30 a.m. briefing at Carleton University. Instead, reporters were greeted by angry commuters, some of whom had been delayed by more than an hour. via Passengers fume as O-Train relaunch goes awry | Ottawa Citizen.

Drought-stricken California seeks Canadian gas

Financial Post

By Robert Tuttle and Lynn Doan, Bloomberg News, Mar. 2, 2015

Driven out of their best U.S. markets by the shale boom, Canada’s gas producers are turning to the power- hungry West Coast. Canadian gas shipments to Washington state are the highest seasonally since at least 2008, and exports through a border point in Eastport, Idaho, surged in November to a winter record, data compiled by Genscape Inc. show. Demand from California gas- fired power plants is increasing as a drought now in its fourth year cuts hydroelectric production. via Drought-stricken California seeks Canadian gas | Financial Post.

Farm families fight huge legal bill from wind-farm companies

Ottawa Citizen

By Colin Perkel, Ottawa Citizen, Mar. 1, 2015

TORONTO A demand that four Ontario families pay hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal costs to billion-dollar companies is a thinly disguised warning to anyone pondering a challenge to industrial wind farms in Ontario, the families say. In asking the courts to set the legal bill aside, the citizens say the award would cripple them financially and undermine access to justice, even in important public-interest cases. Court documents show the companies — K2 Wind, Armow, and St. Columban — are seeking $340,000 in costs from the Drennans, Ryans, Dixons and Kroeplins, who lost their bid to scuttle three wind-farm projects. via Farm families fight huge legal bill from wind-farm companies | Ottawa Citizen.

Local arborist to compete for international tree-climbing crown

Ottawa Citizen

By Peter Mazereeuw, Ottawa Citizen, Mar. 1, 2015

Leilak Anderson has what seems like one of the most dangerous jobs in the world, and he wants to prove he can do it better than anyone else. The Outaouais-based arborist is set to compete in the International Tree Climbing Championship in Florida again this month. Already a Quebec champion and five-time international competitor, Anderson hopes to finish in the top 10 at this year’s meet after just missing that mark last year. via Local arborist to compete for international tree-climbing crown | Ottawa Citizen.

NCC unveils short list of Lebreton Flats proposals

By Steph Willems, Ottawa West Community News, February 19, 2015

The Ottawa Senators’ plan for a downtown arena is among the four proposals shortlisted by the National Capital Commission for the redevelopment of LeBreton Flats. The proposals for the vast, underutilized site just west of downtown will be given until November of this year to submit detailed design proposals and financial plans to the NCC for consideration. The finalists, of which only vague details are presently known, were announced on Feb. 18 by NCC chief executive Mark Kristmanson and board members Pierre Lanctot and Kay Stanley. via NCC unveils short list of Lebreton Flats proposals.

South Ottawa, Nepean French high schools going green with new solar panels

By Staff, Ottawa Community News, February 21, 2015

The rooftops of high schools in south Ottawa and Nepean are going green in a high-tech way.

Franco-Cité Catholic secondary school on Smyth Road in the Riverview Park neighbourhood of south Ottawa will be outfitted with a 150-kilowatt rooftop solar-panel system that is expected to generate 244,000 kilowatt hours of energy.

It will also generate $1.8 million in income over 20 years for the Ottawa-based French Catholic school board, Conseil des écoles catholiques du Centre-East, which has 21,000 students in 41 elementary and 10 secondary schools.

Franco-Ouest Catholic secondary school in Nepean will be equipped with a similar 100-kilowatt system that is expected to produce 140,000 kilowatt hours of energy and provide $1 million in income for the school board’s sustainable development projects.

Lobby group GottaGo! says the city should install more public toilets

We're spending billions on a rapid transit system that we hope will get people out of their cars. But if seniors, men with prostate issues, folks with illnesses, people with disabilities or parents with young children are worried about what they're going to do if they get caught short on a train with no place to go, then they may decide not to take transit, writes Joanne Chianello.

Denley: Pointless new rules for wildlife protection

Ottawa Citizen

By Randall Denley, Ottawa Citizen, February 18, 2015

If city staff get their way, construction and development in Ottawa is going to be governed by a new set of rules that sound like they came from a Disney movie. It would seem self-evident that turning a natural area into a subdivision or shopping mall would destroy the habitat on the site and drive out whatever creatures live there. Nevertheless, city staff are proposing a new wildlife protection plan that will make development slower and more costly in an attempt at a fairy tale happy ending where all the displaced creatures find a good homes in the country. via Denley: Pointless new rules for wildlife protection | Ottawa Citizen.

Minto named Green Builder of the Year at EnerQuality awards

Ottawa Citizen

By Meghan Hurley, Ottawa Citizen, February 20, 2015

Minto has once again been recognized for its leadership in energy-efficient home building, taking three awards at the annual EnerQuality Awards Thursday night in Toronto. The Ottawa-based company, which marks its 60th anniversary this year, was named Ontario Green Builder of the Year, won the Energy Star award for New Homes Builder of the Year and took the prize for Best Green Marketing Campaign. In the nine years that the awards have been held, that brings to seven the number of wins Minto has received. via Minto named Green Builder of the Year at EnerQuality awards | Ottawa Citizen.

City Hall Blog: How the city lucked out on Plasco

Ottawa Citizen

By Joanne Chianello, The Ottawa Citizen, February 18, 2015

The city is having a little trouble extricating itself from its relationship with Plasco Energy. As our Matthew Pearson reports, the environment committee voted to officially cut ties with company on Tuesday, but city solicitor Rick O’Connor (left, in photo above) says the city can’t unilaterally cancel its contract with Plasco without a judge’s permission now that the company is under creditors’ protection.

It won’t be entirely smooth sailing over the next while for the city when it comes to Plasco, and not just because the city needs a court’s permission to unilaterally end its contract. Decommissioning the Plasco site, which sits on city land, looks like it’ll take 18 months. Plasco had already given the city a $300,000 deposit for the decommissioning and Tuesday, Kirkpatrick told councillors that he was “comfortable” that the deposit would cover the winding-down costs. Let’s hope he’s right.

Draft environment budget passed by committee

Ottawa Citizen

By Joanne Chianello, The Ottawa Citizen, February 17, 2015

The city’s environment committee unanimously approved the 2015 draft budgets — both tax- and rate-supported — for the city’s environmental services without any changes, but discussions hint at the difficult decisions looming in the weeks to come.The proposed net operating budget for the environment department — which includes garbage and recycling, plus forestry management — is $49.1 million. That’s $1.1 million, or 2.2 per cent, lower than the 2014 budget. The savings come primarily from the decline of Plasco Energy, as the city had been paying to send some of its waste to the company for processing. Now that Plasco has filed for creditor protection from the courts, and that the environment committee Tuesday voted formally to end its relationship with the company, the city will be saving the fees it would have paid Plasco. via Draft environment budget passed by committee | Ottawa Citizen.

Environment committee votes to dump foundering Plasco

Ottawa & Region

News

By John Willing, The Ottawa Sun, February 17, 2015

The city doesn’t have many regrets about sticking with Plasco Energy Group, the Ottawa company having trouble cashing in on the world’s garbage woes. The city’s official partnership is down to its final days. The environment committee on Tuesday voted in favour of ending the agreement, giving council the final say Feb. 25. While Beacon Hill-Cyrville Coun. Tim Tierney dismissed Plasco as “something that amounts to a Grade 8 science fair,” Rideau-Goulbourn Coun. Scott Moffatt saw the bright side of the soon-to-be cancelled contract. via Environment committee votes to dump foundering Plasco | Ottawa & Region | News |.