New rules to ensure city listens to public input on planning, development

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, December 2, 2013

OTTAWA — A damning report laying out the many ways Ottawans feel their city government ignores them has officials rushing to improve how they engage the public in important decisions.

“What it’s about is, how do you move from being that collection of small little villages and move to being a city and having a conversation and consultations as a city?” said Aaron Burry, the senior city manager in charge. “Smaller-tier municipalities had councils that were involved in every single little issue. ... We have to get better about having the conversations that are important to people without it being process-laden.”

Domtar lands proposal a ‘must not miss’ opportunity, Gatineau mayor says

By Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen, December 3, 2013

OTTAWA — With two cities, two provinces, the federal government and the National Capital Commission involved, plans to redeveloped the Chaudière Islands will be “administratively, very difficult to manage,” Gatineau Mayor Maxime Pedneaud-Jobin said Monday.

But the newly elected mayor said redeveloping the site on the islands in the Ottawa River is so important that there must be political will to think outside the box to make it happen.

OC Transpo hopes to test new $25M fare-payment system by 2016

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, December 2, 2013

OTTAWA — OC Transpo is ready to spend as much as $25 million to revamp its system for collecting transit fares once the new light-rail system opens.

The plan, to be debated by the city’s transit commission next Monday, includes new fare gates at all of the LRT stations and vending machines selling tickets, passes and Presto cards at each gate. The idea is to make transfers from buses to trains and back as smooth as possible by minimizing the number of times any rider has to prove he or she has paid to get into the system, and that means adopting a system that looks a lot like the one Toronto’s transit commission uses, but with elements borrowed from Montreal’s and Vancouver’s.

CFRA - More road work in Ottawa - News Talk Radio

By Mai Habib, CFRA News, December 1, 2013

Starting Sunday there will be off peak lane reductions on Highway 417 in both directions between Parkdale Avenue and Walkley Road and on Highway 174 between Montreal Road and the Hwy 417/174 split. Lane reductions between Parkdale and Rochester include 2 closed lanes in each direction, overnight during the week and also during the day on the weekend.

In addition to lane reductions, full closures will occur at 15-minute intervals between 1 a.m. and 4 a.m. on the following dates:

CFRA - Dense fog and freezing drizzle for Ottawa and region - News Talk Radio

By Mel Hahib, CFRA News, December 1, 2013

Environment Canada says our region will likely be getting dense fog patches and freezing drizzle Sunday night and Monday.Their weather alert includes Ottawa, the Valley and Gatineau.The weather system is moving in from Southern Ontario and should be here by Sunday evening. Visibility could be reduced to 100 metres or less through Monday morning.

Tree planting top-of-mind for environment budget

By Laura Mueller, Ottawa Community News , November 28, 2013

News -The city\'s environment committee reconfirmed a planned seven per cent hike in water and sewer rates, but not before much discussion on forestry services.

A spotlight is being shone on the department as the city grapples with losing a large number of trees to the emerald ash borer beetle.

Beer: Kichesippi goes green
Ottawa Citizen Style

By Victor Pilieci, Ottawa Citizen, November 27, 2013

As brewers everywhere work to build better ties with their communities, many are creating environmental responsibility programs to lower their environmental footprints.

Kichesippi Beer Co. has, for example, hired a full-time “sustainability officer” to take a fine comb through its day-to-day operations and try to figure out how and where the brewery can do things better.

Chianello: Harmony at city council comes at the cost of flexibility

By Joanne Chianello, Ottawa Citizen, November 29, 2013

Faced with having to approve a whopping 16-per-cent fare increase for the so-called Community Pass at last week’s transit commission meeting, public commissioner Blair Crew asked a very reasonable question: how much would other OC Transpo fares have to increase in order to keep the passes for disabled residents at the same rate?

Turns out, not that much.

Sale of Domtar lands expected within days, opening door to development

By Elizabeth Payne, Ottawa Citizen, November 29, 2013

OTTAWA — The long awaited sale of the Domtar lands on the Chaudière Islands is expected to be complete within days, say officials with the company that wants to turn the post-industrial site into an eco-friendly, heritage rich community.

Windmill Developments will hold a public consultation about the project it is calling “The Isles” on Dec. 11 at the Canadian Museum of Civilization to unveil early plans and design principles for a project that has the potential to transform Ottawa and Gatineau’s waterfronts.

Province pledges $375,000 to study truck tunnel under Sandy Hill, ByWard Market, Lowertown

By David Reevely, Ottawa Citizen, November 29, 2013

OTTAWA — Three days after city council voted to ask the provincial government to pay half the cost of a study to see whether a truck tunnel could be built under Sandy Hill and Lowertown, Transportation Minister Glen Murray showed up Friday at City Hall with $375,000.

The idea is to hide the trucks that ply Nicholas and Rideau streets and King Edward Avenue, moving between Highway 417 and Quebec. A new east-end bridge was supposed to be a partial solution, but local opposition killed that idea last summer. The idea of a tunnel that mimics the current route has been rejected as a costly absurdity, but nobody has ever studied it serious

Environmental audit criticizes city over at-risk species and wetlands

By Derek Spalding, Ottawa Citizen, November 29, 2013

OTTAWA — The city lacked a comprehensive understanding of how to protect at-risk species when developing land and had no way to determine the quality of its protected wetlands, according to an early assessment of environmental risks.

The analysis is included in a report from Ottawa’s outgoing auditor general, Alain Lalonde, who this week outlined a five-year plan to evaluate how well the city meets its own climate-change commitments and environmental guidelines set by the federal and provincial governments. Failing to adhere to guidelines could lead to hefty fines and serious environmental damages.

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