Water unsafe for swimming at Westboro Beach Friday
Ottawa Citizen

By Marie-Danielle Smith, Ottawa Citizen, July 4, 2014

Higher-than-average E. coli levels in a water sample from Thursday morning caused the City to issue an advisory against swimming at Westboro Beach Friday. Donna Casey, a program and project management officer at Ottawa Public Health, said significant rainfall Wednesday could’ve played a role in the unusually high rate of harmful bacteria. via Water unsafe for swimming at Westboro Beach Friday | Ottawa Citizen.

Ecology Ottawa organizes info session against Energy East pipeline
Ottawa Citizen

By Samantha Wright Allen, Ottawa Citizen, July 3, 2014

Ben Powless spent the last number of years working with indigenous communities in western Canada in opposition to Northern Gateway. Powless, who is Mohawk, never dreamed he’d be fighting against a pipeline in his traditional territory or in his hometown in Ottawa. Now he’s paired up with Ecology Ottawa as a community organizer to push against TransCanada PipeLines Ltd.’s Energy East oil pipeline project. Powless said public opposition and political pressure is a large reason that the pipeline stalled in B.C. With a little work, he said, “we should be able to do that in Ottawa as well.” So, Powless has been planning events, knocking on doors and on Thursday night, he organized a public information session in the Kitchissippi ward, an area he said will be up for grabs in October’s municipal election. Part of their ongoing advocacy will be to push candidates to voice where they sit on the issue.“We need to get a critical mass of councillors against this pipeline,” said Powless, adding the city should pay for a risk assessment that could be presented to the National Energy Board which will review the proposal once submitted. via Ecology Ottawa organizes info session against Energy East pipeline | Ottawa Citizen.

Carp dump rezoning reluctantly approved by committee
Ottawa Citizen

By Carys Mills, Ottawa Citizen, July 3, 2014

Rezoning for the Carp landfill expansion was approved by the agriculture and rural affairs committee on Thursday.Councillors lamented the province’s approval last September for the landfill, saying it forced them to accept that the dump will be expanded, and it’s now a matter of mitigating concerns as much as possible through a site plan and community liaison committee. Plans for Waste Management’s West Carleton Environmental Centre were approved by the province after an environmental assessment and public consultation. via Carp dump rezoning reluctantly approved by committee | Ottawa Citizen.

Cyclists asked to craft O’Connor bikeway vision

By Laura Mueller, Ottawa Community News, July 2, 2014

Participants at a June 26 workshop put markers, rulers, stickers and transparency sheets to work to try to design their own O’Connor bike lane. Around 100 amateur transportation planners – mostly cyclists – were asked to use the crafty tools to build separated cycling lanes for a 2.1-kilometre stretch of O’Connor Street from Parliament Hill to Glebe Avenue. via Cyclists asked to craft O’Connor bikeway vision.

Winners to open Lansdowne Park store
Ottawa Citizen

By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen, July 2, 2014

Lansdowne Park’s so-called “unique urban village” is poised to get a familiar face.Discount retailer

Winners will open a store there this fall — its 11th outlet in the Ottawa-Gatineau region.

Orgaworld arbitration is just the beginning — wait until next week’s audit report
Ottawa Citizen

By Joanne Chianello, Ottawa Citizen, July 2, 2014

That the city came out on top of a long-standing dispute with Orgaworld is undeniably good news. An arbitration ruling, released to the public this week, dismissed the waste management company’s $1.3-million claim against the city. Even better, the decision left no doubt that by refusing to accept and process tens of thousands of tonnes of leaf and yard waste over the past few years, Orgaworld was in default on its contract with the city. via Orgaworld arbitration is just the beginning — wait until next week’s audit report | Ottawa Citizen.

‘Microburst’ struck Pontiac on Canada Day, Environment Canada confirms
Ottawa Citizen

By Marie-Danielle Smith, Ottawa Citizen, July 2, 2014

Environment Canada has confirmed a Canada Day storm that caused significant damage in the Pontiac area Tuesday was a microburst.

A microburst is a column of air that sinks down toward the ground at a high speed. Winds reportedly reached speeds of up to 170 to 180 km/h causing widespread damage in Quyon.

City hunts for $150K for St. Patrick multi-use path
Ottawa & Region
News
O

By Jon Willing, Ottawa Sun, July 2, 2014

The city is trying to free up about $150,000 to build a multi-use path along St. Patrick St. and please cyclists who have been calling for infrastructure on the busy road. Council's transportation committee approved a motion from Rideau-Vanier Coun. Mathieu Fleury to design the path between Cobourg St. and Beausoleil Dr. after Mayor Jim Watson asked staff to review citizens' suggestions for the road project via City hunts for $150K for St. Patrick multi-use path | Ottawa & Region | News | O.

580 CFRA News Talk Radio :: Many questions need to be answered in green bin audit: councillors :: News - Article

By Sarah Anderson, CFRA News, July 2, 2014

The three-year wait for the City's green bin audit will finally come to an end Wednesday, July 9. The audit delves into how the City entered into a contract with Orgaworld to pay to process 80,000 tonnes of organic waste.

Councillors, and taxpayers, are looking for answers when the audit is made public Wednesday.

Environment Committee Chair Maria McRae has already seen the audit and, while some things may change because of it, she said the rules were already updated back when the audit was ordered."We now have a protocol in place that says that contract must look like X, Y, and Z. And if there are material changes to that contract, whether it's the drafting stage or coming up in the future staff must bring that back to council for re-approval," she said.

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