By Matthew Pearson, Ottawa Citizen, January 2, 2014
OTTAWA — From a promise for better pensions to a possible light at the end of the tunnel for the long-running gas plants committee, 2014 could be a big year at Queen’s Park.
Here are 14 things to watch for, including the big prize — a possible spring election.
By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, January 2, 2014
OTTAWA — Thinking of heading south to escape the cold? It’s a good idea — no matter how far south you go.
When Ottawa was bracing against a bone-chilling -27 C Thursday morning, the temperature at the South Pole, where it was already Friday, was a balmy -23 C.
By Robert Bostelaar, Ottawa Citizen, January 2, 2014
OTTAWA — Energy giant TransCanada Corp. says it has accepted the keys to a $61-million solar energy farm west of Ottawa — the company’s fourth such facility in Eastern Ontario.
The Pakenham-area farm, which is capable of generating 10 megawatts of electricity, was built by Chinese specialist Canadian Solar Solutions Inc. as part of a $500-million deal to construct nine solar facilities in Ontario for TransCanada.
By Rachel Aiello, Ottawa Citizen, December 29, 2013
OTTAWA — A Christmas Day collision that took the life of a 31-year-old man has prompted a safety expert to call for measures to reduce Eastern Ontario’s deer population.
“There’s a heck of a lot of deer out there and they’re not going to go away, and I think at some point governments are going to have to decide how big the herd is and how many do they want to cull,” said Emile Therien, past president of the Canada Safety Council.
By Joanne Chianello, Ottawa Citizen, December 29, 2013
The last city council meeting of 2013 saw a number of our local politicians walk new business onto the council agenda at the 11th hour, a move that is so clearly in contravention of the procedural policy that doing so requires three-quarters of council to vote to waive the usual rules.
The councillors will tell you they needed to break with procedure because they were pressed for time, that because the next council meeting was six weeks away, they had to rush their items through.
By Ottawa Citizen, December 27, 2013
Elected: 2003 (served several terms in pre-amalgamated Ottawa)
Positions of power: none
Are you running again for city council in 2014?
Yes
What’s your biggest achievement of this term?
Light-rail transit would have to be the biggest. Others include the Laurier bike lanes, upgrading four community parks (Piazza Dante, Chaudiere, Primrose and McNabb to come in 2014), Beaver Barracks housing units
By Sandra Napoli, Ottawa Citizen Letter to the Editor, December 28, 2013
Re: It\'s time to re-think our approach to intensification Dec. 20.
I found it very refreshing that in his opinion piece, Randall Denley has signalled a need to review and rethink the city\'s strategy towards intensification. It has always mystified me that there was so much coverage and discussion of the problems surrounding downtown condo development when, as Denley rightly points out, the majority of growth in Ottawa takes place in the suburbs.
Unfortunately, in most cases, this building occurs with very little thought or creativity.
By Cassie Aylward, CFRA News, December 27, 2013
If you got a new snowmobile under the Christmas tree this week, The Ottawa Police Service wants to remind you of how to stay safe while playing with your new toy.
Drinking and driving snowmobiles comes up every winter, according to Const. Marc Soucy of Ottawa Police, but he says speeding is the most common factor in serious snowmobile accidents.