By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen Blog, March 11, 2014
There’s a “request for standing offer” posted Tuesday for someone to get the geese away from Petrie Island. If that works, additional contracts could expand to other city parks and beaches.
You’ll recall the apparently successful trial last summer with a remote-controlled drone harassing the honkers at the east-end beach:
By Carys Mills, Ottawa Citizen, March 11, 2014
OTTAWA — Put away your skates, Ottawa.
The Rideau Canal Skateway season officially ended Tuesday evening, when the National Capital Commission said ice conditions had become unsafe.
The canal had been closed since Monday when warming temperatures left the ice messy, but there had been some hope the skateway would reopen.
By Michael Woods, Ottawa Citizen, March 11, 2014
OTTAWA — Nearly three weeks after a nine-square-metre sinkhole opened up near the intersection of Waller Street and Laurier Avenue, the city has some answers as to why the road collapsed.
An investigation by the Rideau Transit Group — the consortium building the city’s light-rail system — has determined the Feb. 21 road collapse in Sandy Hill was due to “unanticipated soil conditions.”
By Donna Chiarelli, Ottawa Citizen, March 10, 2014
Wellington West is one of the best places in Ottawa to live. It’s a tight little urban community with a village feel. With close friends next door, across the street and down the street, it is almost like we have an extended family and support network right in our front yard. We see each other often, and even more when spring arrives, when our kids embrace the pavement as they eagerly jump on their bikes and scooters and make their way to the nearby schools, parks, shops and restaurants.
Sounds like a pretty good lifestyle, but there’s a problem. We constantly fear for the safety of our kids, our pets, and the many seniors who live here because of an aggressive driving culture and an archaic speed limit of 50 km per hour that puts us at risk of a fatal collision.
By James O'Neil, Ottawa Citizen, March 10, 2014
The magic number I had hoped for was $500 in gas costs for the year. It turned out to be $697.
That was still a significant saving from $3,000 in gas and another $3,000 in maintenance. Those figures are the difference between driving our old 1997 Volvo 850, at $6,000 a year, and our new 2013 Toyota Plug-in Prius at $697.
By Ottawa Community News, March 6, 2014
Deer change their behaviour in winter as the snow deepens, moving into thicker forests and relying on established trails to move to and from feeding areas.
The Ministry of Natural Resources reminds people to not feed deer this winter.
By Alison Sandor, CFRA News, March 10, 2014
Ontario Power Generation has signed a 20-year deal with an independent power plant that provides electricity to the provincial grid.
The TransAlta plant located at the Ottawa Hospital's General campus also supplies steam and hot and cold water services to not only the hospital, but CHEO, the Ottawa Health Sciences Centre, the National Defence Medical Centre and the Rideau Veterans Health Centre.
By CFRA News, March 8, 2014
The City of Gatineau has announced that the preventive boil water advisory issued on Wednesday for parts of the city has now been lifted.
The advisory affected about 1,000 residents in Gatineau. City officials say the water has been tested and shown to meet quality standards.
By Mai Habib, CFRA News, March 9, 2014
OC Transpo service is taking a break, along with students this week.
The City says buses will operate on a reduced schedule until Friday because many schools are closed for March Break.
By Ottawa Citizen, March 9, 2014
OTTAWA — Rideau Canal skating enthusiasts will have to hang up their skates for at least a short time as the onset of more springlike temperatures has seen a deterioration in ice conditions on the 7.8-kilometre skateway.
As of midnight on Sunday, the skateway “will be temporarily closed because of current weather conditions and their negative impact on the ice,” the National Capital Commission announced.
By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen Blog, March 7, 2014
The expansion of the hydro generating plant at Chaudière Falls is good news for the City of Ottawa, Bob Chiarelli says:
“Today’s announcement is truly a win-win for the City of Ottawa,” Chiarelli said. “This is clean, healthy electricity. It’s been here for a hundred years and it’s going to be here for another hundred years.”
By Ottawa Citizen, March 8, 2014
OTTAWA — Work crews were out on the Rideau River Saturday blowing things up in the last steps to try to guard against spring flooding.
The process began back in February when snow was removed from the ice and “keys” were cut to prompt an orderly breakup of river ice.