Ecology Ottawa

News Clippings

Ottawa needs a new Wildlife Strategy

By Anita Utas, Stittsville Central, May 14, 2023

With the recent killing of coyote in Riverside South and a young black bear in Kanata, it has become even more apparent that the City needs a progressive and humane Wildlife Strategy. The Wildlife Strategy falls under the City’s Environment and Climate Change Committee. The Chair of this committee is Councillor Shawn Menard, but so far he has been silent about wildlife and biodiversity. We are facing a biodiversity crisis, and a Wildlife Strategy is a critical part of this crisis. Ottawa, as the nation’s capital, must ensure that it takes this situation seriously.

Find the whole article here.

Deachman: 3D Lansdowne model provides a chilly look

By Bruce Deachman, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed, May 14, 2023

“The $330 million plan to “revitalize” Lansdowne isn’t new. But the community association’s model shows it in a light — or shadow — that architectural renderings provided by the Ottawa Sports and Entertainment Group don’t.”

...Meanwhile, the city’s public consultation process has been woeful. A 15-question Overall Concept Survey, for example, part of city staff being “directed to engage in a robust public engagement program on the Lansdowne concept plan,” doesn’t actually ask the public what they think of the plan, instead asking such things as how often they visit Lansdowne, how they get there, their postal code and age, and how they heard about the revitalization plan.

Find the whole article here.

In a 'battle of the emergencies' council votes to delay implementing new green building standards

By Blair Crawford, Ottawa Citizen, May 10, 2023

City Council jammed the brakes on its plans to enact rules for greener, high performance buildings Wednesday, voting to delay implementation of the policy until more guidance comes from the provincial government.

“Measure twice, cut once,” is how Barrhaven West Coun. David Hill likened his motion to defer adopting the city’s own High Performance Development Standards (HPDS) until the province is expected to clarify its rules some time this summer.

The HPDS, which would be phased in over the next seven years, would force builders to meet new standards for energy efficiency and impose zoning requirements for such things as electrical vehicle parking. Councillors who supported the changes say the standards are needed as the city copes with the climate emergency it declared in 2019.

Find the whole article here.

 

Everything you need to know about Ottawa’s proposed bag-tag garbage plan

By Jenna Legge, Ottawa Citizen, May 9, 2023

Here’s what you need to know about Ottawa’s proposed bag tag garbage program, also called “partial pay-as-you-throw.”

Q. What, exactly, is “partial pay-as-you-throw”? What does this refer to?

A. “Partial pay-as-you-throw” means residents pay extra for municipal garbage collection if the amount of waste they leave for curbside pickup goes over a certain limit. If they stay under the limit, they don’t pay extra; their taxes have already covered that basic service.

Find the whole article here.

Les autobus électriques d’Ottawa répondent aux attentes, conclut la Ville

Par Kate Porter, ICI Radio Canada Ottawa, le 6 mai 2023

Les quatre autobus électriques mis à l’essai au cours de la dernière année à Ottawa répondent aux attentes de la Ville, a conclu l’administration municipale dans un rapport qui sera présenté la semaine prochaine à la Commission du transport en commun.

Les résultats démontrent également que la technologie serait une bonne solution de rechange au moteur à diesel.

Au cours de la dernière année, les ingénieurs d’OC Transpo ont constaté que les autobus électriques du modèle New Flyer XE40 n’avaient pas de problème à gérer la charge de travail des chauffeurs d’autobus à diesel.

Les autobus parcourent régulièrement des trajets de plus de 10 heures et de plus de 200 kilomètres.

Lisez l'article au complet ici.

La Ville d’Ottawa souhaite limiter la quantité de déchets permise par résidence

Par ICI Radio Canada Ottawa

À partir du printemps 2024, les résidents d’Ottawa pourraient devoir apposer une étiquette sur leurs sacs d’ordures avant de les déposer pour le ramassage. La Ville souhaite ainsi réduire la quantité de déchets acheminés vers la décharge.

...Selon la proposition de l'administration municipale, les ménages ottaviens recevraient 55 étiquettes par an pour les déchets et seraient autorisés à en acheter d'autres pour 3 dollars chacun. Pour ceux qui utilisent des conteneurs à ordures, la limite serait de 15 kilogrammes.

L'idée est d'encourager les résidents à envoyer davantage de déchets dans les bacs de recyclage bleus et noirs et dans le bac vert pour les matières organiques.

Lire l'article au complet ici.

'Pay as you throw' garbage collection likely coming to Ottawa

By Kate Porter and Joseph Tunney, Ottawa Citizen

Ottawa residents will likely have to put tags on every garbage bag or bin they set out at the curb starting next spring, the city's latest move aimed at reducing the amount of garbage headed to the landfill.

The City of Ottawa has been concerned that its landfill on Trail Road could be full within 13 to 15 years and hopes the plan — put forward Thursday at a technical briefing — can buy them two more years of time.

The idea is to encourage residents to sort more waste to the blue and black recycling bins and to the green organics bin.

...The city has found that about 58 per cent of what goes in trash cans could have been diverted to blue, green or black bins.

Find the whole article here.

They're replanting trees at Lansdowne Park. Will they survive?

By Giacomo Panico, CBC News Ottawa, April 27, 2023

Lansdowne Park has struggled to grow trees since its major redevelopment. This spring, renewed efforts are underway to create a long-term solution for a greener entrance to the space.

...A lack of soil depth for the roots to take hold and contamination from road salt all contributed to the trees' demise, said Villeneuve.

... (Shaun) Menard said a pilot project will see the city plant 10 trees on Bank in front of Lansdowne in special planters that use stormwater collected from the sidewalk and the road.

The goal is to keep stormwater away from the city's infrastructure by filtering it through the planter to remove salt and other contaminants, then using the water to irrigate the trees. 

Find the whole article here.

Kitts: Ottawa's new transportation plan must not overlook South Orléans

By Catherine Kitts, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed, April 25, 2023

Ottawa Council is set to vote Wednesday on the city’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP, Part 1). It’s a document that will guide how people, vehicle and goods move through our city for the next 25 years. While it aims to improve transportation infrastructure across the city, it is vital that the east end is not forgotten in the process.

... I am told by city planning staff that development in my ward accounts for one-fifth of current new development across the city. However, our transportation infrastructure has struggled to keep up with the rapid pace of development. As a result, our residents face daily challenges with traffic congestion, inadequate public transportation options and limited, unsafe active transportation infrastructure.

It is high time to lift the east end from mobility poverty to mobility possibility.

Find the whole article here.

Buckles: Ottawa Council failed on the Tewin tree-cutting controversy

By Daniel Buckles, Ottawa Citizen Op-Ed, April 24, 2023

Recently, Ottawa Council had an opportunity to hold accountable the parties in the Tewin tree-cutting debacle, including the city bureaucracy. By directing staff to seek guidance from the province and the provincial Normal Farm Practices Protection Board, council explicitly acknowledged that city staff members may have made a mistake in their interpretation of the Farming and Food Production Protection Act (FFPP Act).

Staff granted the Taggart Group of Companies and the real-estate arm of the Algonquins of Ontario (AOO) an agricultural exemption to the municipal Tree Protection Bylaw after they hired a logging firm to remove at least 25,000 trees on a 70-hectare property in Carlsbad Springs. The controversy has further tarnished the image of the two developers involved because, in the words of Coun. Riley Brockington, their shifting explanation “does not pass the smell test.”

Find the whole article here.

Ottawa aims to close cycling 'missing links' in new transportation plan

By Laura Glowacki, CBC News Ottawa, April 18, 2023

Ottawa's transportation committee approved the first part of the city's new transportation master plan on Monday, laying out a vision to see fewer people relying on cars over the coming decades.

"This is just going to set the path for the next 25 years — that we want safer cycling. We want safer walking," transportation committee chair Coun. Tim Tierney said.

... The city plans to increase cycling routes by 50 per cent by 2046, which will add dozens of routes across the city.

The focus will be on addressing "critical missing links," the plan said, which means adding or upgrading roads, sidewalks and paths to ensure cyclists aren't left stranded trying to connect between routes.

Find the whole article here.

 

Ottawa falling behind on climate change action plan

By Laura Glowacki, CBC Ottawa, April 18, 2023

While some progress is being made, Ottawa isn't meeting its own targets to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or increase climate change resiliency according to goals set out in the climate change master plan, the city's environment and climate change committee heard Tuesday.

"I'd probably give us a B," said Capital Coun. Shawn Menard, who chairs the environment committee, when asked what grade he would give Ottawa on climate change progress.

... (Andrea) Flowers said new annual funding of $5 million for her office laid out in this year's budget will help make up some of the lost ground. 

...The environment committee unanimously supported several staff recommendations, including to lobby upper levels of government for more climate change funding and looking at the feasibility of setting carbon budgets for city departments to encourage climate accountability across city services.

Find the whole article here.