News Releases
PRESS RELEASE–For immediate release
Ecology Ottawa Welcomes City leadership on climate change
Commitment to reboot the City’s Climate Change Plan is a critical first step
March 25, 2013 (Ottawa): In response to Saturday’s unprecedented Greenhouse Gas Roundtable at Ottawa’s City Hall, Ecology Ottawa is releasing the following statement from its Executive Director, Graham Saul:
“The Mayor has announced that he wants a renewed Climate Change Plan for the City of Ottawa within a year and that is the kind of leadership that we need. Saturday’s climate change roundtable was a huge success and now it is time for action.
“Community and business associations, health groups, local environmental organizations and individuals across the city have been calling for action on this file for months and it is great to see that the City is listening. We want to thank Councillor Holmes for spearheading the Environment Committee motion that called for the Greenhouse Gas Roundtable and Councillor McRae for launching this exciting process.
“A critical challenge moving forward is to ensure that the development of a new Climate Change Plan is closely integrated with the ongoing review of Ottawa’s Official Plan, Infrastructure Plan, Pedestrian Plan, Cycling Plan and Transportation Plan.
“Most Canadians live in cities, so it is not surprising that most of the greenhouse gas emissions that Canada produces are associated with activities that occur in Canadian municipalities. Every level of government has a responsibility to do its fair share to help us break our dependence on oil, coal and gas. While the federal government is headed in the wrong direction, it is great to see a renewed commitment from our municipal leaders.
“We could save hundreds of millions of dollars a year in the City of Ottawa if we stopped wasting so much energy. Most of Ottawa’s greenhouse gas pollution comes from how we heat, cool and electrify our homes and buildings. By conserving energy, improving energy efficiency and accelerating the transition towards renewable energy we can save money and fight climate change at the same time. In recent months, City Hall has said that it wants to find a way to promote both rapid and appropriate intensification, to explore opportunities to encourage green building practices, and to look for ways to help residents retrofit their homes.
“About a quarter of Ottawa’s greenhouse gas emissions come from the oil, gas and other fuels that we use in the transportation sector, and City Hall can help us move in the right direction. By encouraging compact town centres that are bustling with pedestrians and cyclists and that are connected by world class public transit, City Hall can provide residents with real transportation options. These kinds of actions, combined with a renewed commitment to protect our valuable greenspace, will help clean the air, encourage healthy lifestyles and fight climate change. The City of Ottawa’s commitment to hold the line on the urban boundary, to make unprecedented investments in public transit and to develop a Complete Streets policy are all good examples of how our municipal leaders have a role to play.
“The Greenhouse Gas Roundtable and the announcement that the City intends to renew its Climate Change Plan is a first and important step down a long path towards a more prosperous, healthy and environmentally responsible city. We look forward to working closely with the City to identify immediate actions that can be taken and to ensure that it follows through on this important commitment in a timely way.
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For more information, please contact:
Graham Saul
Executive Director, Ecology Ottawa
Cell: 613-710-2819
PRESS RELEASE–For immediate release
Community groups, citizens mobilize to voice strong support for Complete Streets
Media invited to info session and campaign launch March 26 at the University of Ottawa
March 25, 2013 (Ottawa, ON)–Ecology Ottawa and a variety of community organizations are mobilizing their supporters and citizens across the city to voice support for Complete Streets for Ottawa.
Ryan Anders Whitney, of the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation and Complete Streets for Canada, is the keynote speaker tomorrow at an information session happening at the University of Ottawa. Ryan will discuss how a Complete Streets policy can direct Ottawa’s planners and engineers to create streets that work for all users at this key moment in the City’s planning history. The event coincides with the City’s review of its Transportation Master Plan:
What: Complete Streets for Ottawa information session and campaign launch
When: Tuesday, March 26 starting at 5:30 p.m.
Where: 90U Residence Lounge, 90 University Private (University of Ottawa campus)
Additional speakers at the event include Dr. Rosamund Lewis, Associate Medical Officer of Health, Ottawa Public Health, who will discuss the public health benefits of complete streets, and City Councillor Keith Egli, Chair of Ottawa’s Transportation Committee and Member of the Ottawa Board of Health, who will welcome people to the event and encourage a discussion on Complete Streets in Ottawa.
“We are pleased the City of Ottawa is considering Complete Streets as one of the Preliminary Policy Proposals related to the review of the Official Plan, and Transportation Master Plan,” said Trevor Haché, policy coordinator at Ecology Ottawa. “We look forward to working with the City to ensure a comprehensive Complete Streets policy is implemented into the planning documents under review.
The policy should be applied to the entire urban boundary area so that all residents of Ottawa, whether they live downtown, in the suburbs or in a rural village, will benefit from Complete Streets.”
The information session and campaign launch is being organized by Ecology Ottawa, the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s Bike Coop, Walk Ottawa, Citizens for Safe Cycling, Green Communities Canada, EnviroCentre, and the Toronto Centre for Active Transportation.
“Complete Streets help ensure that safe and comfortable access to streets for pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users of all ages and abilities is not an afterthought, but an integral part of the planning process for the construction, retrofitting, and maintenance of all roadways,” said Barbara Hayes, chair of the Ecology Ottawa Transportation Committee.
A diverse group of organizations are voicing support for the city’s plans to create a Complete Streets policy and those groups will be sending representatives to the event. They include:
The Council on Aging of Ottawa
“The Council on Aging of Ottawa (COA) supports the Complete Streets movement that directs that streets need to be designed to be safe and convenient for travel by car, foot, bicycle and transit regardless of age or ability.”
Ottawa Public Health
“We are pleased to be part of this important city-building conversation as we recognize the important connections that exist between the places we live and the streets we travel, and our overall health and well-being,” said Dr. Rosamund Lewis. “Complete streets designed to be safe, comfortable and convenient for everyone contribute to the improved health, vibrancy and liveability of our
communities.”
Heart and Stroke Foundation
“When communities opt for active, healthy design, they set the stage for community members to be more active, protect their heart health and enjoy a healthier lifestyle. Supporting Complete Streets for the City of Ottawa is a great opportunity for residents and groups to work together to develop in ways that support active living,” says Micheline Turnau, of the Heart and Stroke Foundation.
Walk Ottawa
“Our streets are important public spaces that need to be safe, comfortable and convenient for all of us, no matter how we get around. It’s time to complete our streets,” says Michelle Perry of Walk Ottawa.
Green Communities Canada
“Complete streets are safer streets for everyone including our kids. I can’t think of a better way for us to start making our roads and neighbourhoods safer for children to walk and bike to school, the park or a friend’s house,” says Wallace Beaton, Coordinator of the Ottawa School Travel Planning Project, Green Communities Canada.
Citizens for Safe Cycling
“Now the infrastructure to get into downtown by bike is improving, we really need to look to the neighbourhoods and ask ourselves: are these roads safe enough to send our kids to school without parents’ company? We have forgotten that we can cover many of our daily distances by foot. The corner store, Tim Hortons and the library are in walking and cycling distance for many of us. As a city,
we have to make sure that we provide the facilities to get to these destinations. It is really a no brainer: cycling goes through a real big boom, simply because car ownership is declining among the next generation. We need to prepare our streets for this.”
Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s Bike Co-op “Students are a vital part of the city of Ottawa and we rely on economically and environmentally responsible transportation to get to school, work, and home,” says Seamus Wolfe of the Student Federation of the University of Ottawa’s Bike Co-op.“Students have already invested substantial amounts of money in the OCTranspo U-Pass as well as cycling infrastructure on campus—we urge the city of Ottawa to hold up their side of the bargain and make Complete Streets a reality.”
EnviroCentre
“EnviroCentre supports the adoption of a Complete Streets policy in Ottawa as a way to ensure that our roadways are open and inviting to all residents, regardless of their chosen mode of transportation. A Complete Streets policy fits with municipal objectives to encourage sustainable transportation and provides clear guidelines for planners and engineers,” says Jamie Stuckless, Transportation Demand Management Coordinator at EnviroCentre.
Vanier Community Association
“The Vanier Community Association promotes planning and development that emphasizes the interests of pedestrians, cyclists and transit-users alongside drivers—interests such as safe and enjoyable cycling; an enhanced pedestrian environment on our main streets; and green elements in the renewal of our residential streets. A Complete Streets policy will help ensure that the streets in
our neighbourhood—and in all neighbourhoods—are developed in this way,” says Mike Bulthuis, President, Vanier Community Association.
C.U. Cycling
“Complete streets mean everyone is included. C.U. Cycling supports the complete streets initiative to make roads safer for the entire community and for citizens of every age and ability. The Carleton University campus is home to many students, staff, faculty, alumni, and neighbours. We rely on public and active transit to get to campus and to get around the city. Therefore, we support the complete streets initiative.
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For more information, please contact:
Trevor Haché
Policy Coordinator, Ecology Ottawa
cell: 613-789-0604
work: 613-860-5353
trevor.hache@ecologyottawa.ca
MEDIA ADVISORY – For immediate release
Ecology Ottawa applauds the City of Ottawa for holding the Greenhouse Gas Roundtable
Awaits refreshed action plan to fight climate change at both the ‘community’ and ‘corporate’ levels
March 20, 2013 / Ottawa, ON — Ecology Ottawa’s executive director, Graham Saul, will be speaking as a panelist at the City of Ottawa’s Greenhouse Gas Roundtable scheduled for March 23, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., at Ottawa City Hall.
Mr. Saul is available to speak with the media about this important event and is pleased to provide the community’s perspective on the City’s efforts related to climate change.
“We look forward to participating in the climate change Roundtable,” Mr. Saul said. “It’s time to refresh the City of Ottawa’s plan for doing its fair share to fight climate change and we appreciate the leadership that we are beginning to see from City Hall. The City can’t win this fight on its own, but every level of government has a role to play in confronting the greatest challenge facing humanity today. We’d like to work with the City to have a new plan in place by the end of the year. ”
In advance of the Roundtable, Ecology Ottawa is circulating a two-page backgrounder called “A Guide to Refreshing the City of Ottawa’s 2004 Air Quality and Climate Change Management Plan.” It is also available on-line here: http://www.scribd.com/
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For more information, please contact:
Graham Saul
Executive Director, Ecology Ottawa
613-710-2819 (cell)
graham.saul@ecologyottawa.ca
Trevor Haché
Policy Coordinator, Ecology Ottawa
613-789-0604 (cell)
613-860-5353 (work)
trevor.hache@ecologyottawa.ca
MEDIA ADVISORY: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Ecology Ottawa turns trash into treasure with the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale
5th annual event to raise funds for local environmental group and The Ottawa Food Bank
May 9, 2012, Ottawa—The national capital’s leading local environmental group, Ecology Ottawa, will be hosting its most exciting event of the year, the 5th annual Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale, on Saturday, May 26 at 680 & 690 Bank Street (at Glebe Avenue, in the Rogers Plus and Kunstadt Sports parking lots).
The Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale is expected to be the biggest single sale during the wider community event, powered by the grassroots and volunteer-driven Ecology Ottawa, the city’s largest environmental group. Ecology Ottawa will grow community support in a fun environment as thousands of people across the city descend on the Glebe.
After collecting donations from supporters across the city, the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale will have mountains of treasures waiting to find new, loving homes. The event offers residents the perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning, donate un-wanted items, divert potential waste from the landfill, and turn their trash into cash for a good cause. Ninety per cent of the proceeds from the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale will go to support Ecology Ottawa, and 10% will support The Ottawa Food Bank. Since its inception in 2008, the event has contributed more than $20,000 to these great organizations.
The lively event will also feature music performed by local artists and DJs, a vegetarian BBQ and bake sale, face painting for kids, relaxing massage therapists, and lots of fun for the whole family!
- WHAT: Ecology Ottawa’s 5th Annual Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale
- WHEN: Saturday, May 26, 2012, 8 a.m.-4 p.m.
- WHERE: 680 & 690 Bank Street (at Glebe Avenue, in the Rogers Plus and Kunstadt Sports parking lots)
- INTERVIEW OPS: Josh Snider, event Founder and Co-chair
- PHOTO OPS: Garage sale, live musical performances, DJs, kids face painting, massages, volunteers, BBQ, and bake sale
- PERFORMANCES: The Pelts, The Hornettes, Umbrella Protest, DJ Eric Roberts, and DJ Hobo vs. DJ Sweet Cheeks
Folks across the city can support this fun and important event by donating unwanted items for the sale, volunteering, contributing something yummy for the bake sale, and spreading the word to family, friends, and colleagues. And, of course, everyone is encouraged to take part in the event on May 26 to find a bargain, grab a coffee, have lunch, enjoy the performances, and learn more about Ecology Ottawa. For more information, please contact garagesale@ecologyottawa.ca or visit www.ecologyottawa.ca/garage-sale.
The organizers would like to acknowledge the event’s major partners—Kunstadt Sports, Loblaws on Isabella, PODS, and Rogers Plus in the Glebe—as well as the generous sponsors and community supporters of the event: Bread&Sons Bakery, Bridgehead, Camino, CouchAssassin.com, EnviroCentre, Fadi’s Fabulous Foods, Four Sisters Foods, FROGBOX, Katimavik, Kettleman’s Bagel Co., Life of Pie, Martin Sound & Lighting, Roy Sims Display, Sage Wellness, Smart Toilet Rentals, Subway at Bank and Gladstone, The Natural Step Canada, The Table Vegetarian Restaurant, VRTUCAR, ZaZaZa Pizza, and more to be announced soon.
“We invite everyone to join us at the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale,” says event Founder and Co-chair Josh Snider. “Come out to find a bargain, enjoy some tasty treats, dance to some great local music, and support the environment in Ottawa.”
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About Ecology Ottawa
Ecology Ottawa is a non-partisan, non-profit, volunteer-driven organization working to promote citizen participation in decisions that shape Ottawa’s environment and to hold city council accountable for its environmental performance. Our mission is to make Ottawa the green capital of Canada. For more information, please visit: www.ecologyottawa.ca.
For media enquiries and event information, please contact:
Josh Snider, Founder & Co-chair, Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale
Work: 613-748-3001 x230
Home: 613-321-3392
garagesale@ecologyottawa.ca
Trevor Haché, Co-chair, Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale
Work: 613-860-5353
trevor.hache@ecologyottawa.ca
PRESS RELEASE
Community Associations, Ecology Ottawa ask Ottawa-area MPs to ‘Cut the Crap, Fund the Plan!’
Environmental organization says it is not fair to ask the city to choose between public transit and clean water
March 7, 2012 (Ottawa) – At a press conference this morning at Britannia Beach, Ecology Ottawa and Community Associations called on the federal government to help the nation’s capital clean up its rivers, and asked that it stop calling on the city to choose between public transit and clean water.
“We’re glad the federal government is supportive of making the Ottawa River Action Plan a priority in 2014, but the feds are planning to spend billions of dollars on jets, jails and oil subsidies, so we don’t think they should be asking the people of Ottawa to choose between light rail and clean water,” said Graham Saul, chair of Ecology Ottawa. “Minister Baird has called this a moral issue, so now is the time to act.”
To illustrate the fact that Ottawa dumps hundreds of millions of litres of untreated sewage into the river, a male model sat on a toilet bowl in Britannia Beach, with his pants around his knees during the press conference.
Ecology Ottawa has collected 750 signatures on a letter to all Ottawa-area Members of Parliament (MPs) urging them to fight to ensure funding for the Ottawa River Action Plan is included in the federal 2012 budget. During a press conference this morning at Britannia Beach, Saul said he was dissatisfied with the response to the funding request received from the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities.
Pierre Poilievre, M.P. Nepean-Carleton, stated that: “The cleanup of the Ottawa River remains the federal government priority now and for 2014. We wished the city shared that priority.”
“The basic argument from the federal government that if the City is serious about the Ottawa River Action Plan it can just use money from federal transit funding is unfair,” Saul said.
Saul was joined at the press conference by representatives from two Community Associations (Riverview Park and Westboro Beach) upset with beach closures and untreated sewage in our waterways. These representatives also expressed dissatisfaction in the response received from the federal government so far.
“We are asking the federal government to do what is right and fund the Ottawa River Action Plan in Budget 2012,” said Mari Wellman, chair of the Westboro Beach Community Association.
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For more information, please contact:
Graham Saul
Chair, Ecology Ottawa
Phone: 613-558-3368 (cell); 613-860-5353 (work)
MEDIA RELEASE — For immediate release
Environment Committee to discuss bold new vision (or total waste of taxpayers’ money)
City Council to decide the fate of “Choosing Our Future”
For more information, contact Graham Saul, Chair of Ecology Ottawa, at 613-558-3368
Feb. 21, 2012 (Ottawa) — The City of Ottawa’s Environment Committee is set to discuss three plans today that fall under the heading of Choosing our Future. These plans are the result of a four-year planning process and, if fully embraced, they would save Ottawa residents billions of dollars a year in energy costs, increase support for local farmers, help protect our parks and rivers, promote high-tech businesses, and build a world class public transportation system, among many other things. However, the staff report to be approved at Committee today does not commit the city to do much more than “receive” the plans.
“Council should be congratulated for coming up with a plan that will save residents money, promote local business, and protect the environment, but it is still not clear if they intend to follow-through with the plans,” said Graham Saul, Chair of Ecology Ottawa, who will be making a public intervention at the Environment Committee meeting today. “The Choosing Our Future reports will be remembered as a bold new vision for a sustainable and healthy Ottawa, or a colossal waste of taxpayer resources, it’s up to Council to decide.”
The plans propose measures that would, among many other things, help: build complete neighbourhoods and communities; retrofit the suburbs; reduce greenhouse gas emissions, promote public transportation and electric vehicles; encourage high performance buildings and renewable energy; protect and restore green and natural systems; protect the quality of our water; attract new businesses at the leading edge of sustainability; help reduce waste and increase recycling; and support local food and agriculture.
The staff report to Environment Committee states that the plans can be used to guide the soon to be initiated refreshes of the Official Plan, Transportation Master Plan, and Infrastructure Plan, among others. The three plans also identify examples of actions and catalyst projects that could be taken but, with a couple exceptions, there is as yet no indication of whether or not the Environment Committee intends to proceed with the implementation of these proposed measures.
“This is an opportunity for Council to move forward with a vision that people across the city can rally around and that will make us proud to call Ottawa home,” said Saul. “The city spent four years and presumably millions of dollars consulting people and coming up with these plans, they need to make it count or it will just feed the cynicism that surrounds these kinds of initiatives. Ecology Ottawa is going into the meeting with two questions: How are you going to move forward, and how can we help?”
Ecology Ottawa is a grassroots environmental organization that is working to promote environmental leadership in the City of Ottawa. We have more than 5,000 supporters across the city and over 400 volunteers.
For more information, contact Graham Saul, Chair of Ecology Ottawa, at 613-558-3368.
Background:
This afternoon, the Environment Committee is set to receive the final results of Choosing our Future, an initiative of the City of Ottawa, in partnership with the City of Gatineau and National Capital Commission, to guide Canada’s Capital Region towards a more liveable and prosperous future. The initiative includes three long-range plans that have been created as the culmination of the initiative. They are as follows: A Plan for Sustainability and Resilience Plan in Canada’s Capital Region, An Energy and Emissions Plan for Canada’s Capital Region, and A Risk Prevention and Mitigation Plan for the City of Ottawa.
These plans are the outcome of a five-step process beginning in 2008 that included: the commission of a series of papers, and public forums; the establishment of advisory groups and preparation of baseline analyses; extensive modelling to explore the implications of some of the strategies; the production of a series of discussion papers and a series of workshops to discuss them; the production of the final plans. Ecology Ottawa does not know what the full cost of this process was but it presumably ran into the millions.
You can view the staff report to Council here: http://ottawa.ca/calendar/ottawa/citycouncil/ec/2012/02-21/03-ACS2012-ICS-CSS-0005%20Feb%202012.htm
Links to the extensive supporting documentation can be found at the bottom of the staff report. The documents include:
- Energy and Emissions Plan (78 pages – most important document)
- Sustainability and Resilience Plan (120 pages – parent document)
- Risk Prevention and Mitigation Plan (50 pages)
- 2011 Sustainability Baseline (31 pages)
- Agenda item: Choosing Our Future – Long Term Plans (city website – summary)
- Choosing our Future End-State Goals (1 page graphic)
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MEDIA RELEASE — For immediate release
COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE– Pour diffusion immédiate (une version francaise suit le texte anglais)
Ottawans voice support for the federal funding of the Ottawa River Action Plan
Ecology Ottawa disappointed in lack of response from area Conservative MPs
Feb. 14, 2012 (Ottawa) – More than 500people across the city have written to Ottawa-area Members of Parliament (MPs) inrecent days urging them to include funding for the Ottawa River Action Plan inthe 2012 federal budget, but Conservative MPs have not yet responded.
While responses have been received fromlocal NDP and Liberal MPs (see below), the signatories have not yet had thecourtesy of an answer from the Government of Canada representatives— Hon. JohnBaird, Royal Galipeau, Gordon O’Connor, Pierre Poilievre and Pierre Lemieux.
“People are taking the time tovoice their concerns, the least they can do is respond to the letter,” saidGraham Saul, Chair of Ecology Ottawa.
Every year, the City of Ottawa dumpshundreds of millions of litres of untreated sewage directly into the OttawaRiver. The City of Ottawa has developed a plan that will solve the problem, calledthe Ottawa River Action Plan, and both the province and the city have agreed toput up their share of the money. But in order for the plan to move forward, thefederal government needs to approve its share of the funding in the upcoming2012 federal budget.
Ecology Ottawa has launched anon-line letter writing campaign to encourage Ottawa residents to show theirsupport for the Ottawa River Action Plan. More than 500 people have alreadytaken the time to send letters, and the letters keep coming in.
“This is a concrete opportunity to cleanup our river and help build a better city,” said Saul. “We want our MPs tofight for this funding, and we think they should be taking the time to let everyonewho writes to them know exactly where they stand.”
To read the responses received from PaulDewar and David McGuinty, please visit the Ecology Ottawa website:
http://ecologyottawa.ca/2012/02/ottawa-river-action-plan-responses-from-area-members-of-parliament
To view the online letter, see:
http://ecologyottawa.ca/our-community/take-action/ottawa-river-action-plan/
For more information, please contact:
Graham Saul
Ecology Ottawa, chair
613-558-3368 (cell)
graham.saul@ecologyottawa.ca
COMMUNIQUÉ DE PRESSE– Pour diffusion immédiate
Les résidents d’Ottawa expriment leur appui en vue d’obtenir des subventions fédérales pour le plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouais
Écologie Ottawa est déçue de l’absence deréponse de la part des députés conservateurs de la région
14 février 2012 (Ottawa) – Plus de 500 personnes à travers la ville ont écrit aux députés de la région d’Ottawa récemment, les exhortant à inclure du financement pour le plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouais dans le budget fédéral 2012, mais les députés conservateurs n’ont pas encore répondu.
Bien que des réponses aient été reçues des députés néo-démocrates et libéraux de larégion, voir ci-dessus, les représentants du gouvernement du Canada, Hon. John Baird, Royal Galipeau, GordonO’Connor, Pierre Poilievre et Pierre Lemieux n’ont toujours pas eu lacourtoisie de répondre aux signataires.
“Ces gens prennent le temps d’exprimer leurs inquiétudes, la moindre des chosesserait de leurs répondre,” a affirmé Graham Saul, président d’Écologie Ottawa.
À chaque année, la ville d’Ottawa déverse des millions de litres d’eaux usées nontraitées dans la rivière des Outaouais. La Ville d’Ottawa a établi le plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouais pour résoudre ce problème, et la province ainsi que la ville sont d’accords pour partager le coût du projet. Mais pour que le plan aille de l’avant, le gouvernement fédéral doit approuver sa part du financement dans le prochain budget fédéral 2012.
Écologie Ottawa a lancé sa campagne épistolaire pour permettre aux résident(e)s d’Ottawa de montrer leur appui en faveur du plan d’action de la rivière des Outaouais. Déjà plus de 500 personnes ont pris le temps d’envoyer des lettres et les lettres affluent.
“Voici une excellente occasion de nettoyer notre rivière et d’améliorer notre ville,” d’affirmer Saul. “Nous voulons que nos députés luttent en faveur de ce financement, et nous croyons qu’ils devraient prendre le temps de répondre à ceux et celles quileurs ont écrit et de les informer de leur position sur cet enjeu.”
Pour lire la lettre en ligne, voir :
http://ecologieottawa.ca/notre-communaute/a-vous-dagir/passez-a-l-action-pour-proteger-nos-rivieres/
Pour de plus amples renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec :
Graham Saul, président, Écologie Ottawa
613-558-3368 (cellulaire)
graham.saul@ecologyottawa.ca
Ecology Ottawa praises the NCC’s greenbelt expansion plan, denounces developers opposed to the idea
Jan. 26, 2012 (Ottawa) — Ecology Ottawa praised the National Capital Commission (NCC) today for its plan to further expand Ottawa’s greenbelt and denounced members of the development community who are already working to undermine this responsible move.
“The NCC’s intention to add a 10 per cent expansion beyond the existing Greenbelt over 50 years is exactly that type of visionary idea that Ottawa needs more of,” said Graham Saul, chair of Ecology Ottawa.
The local environmental organization denounced those in the development community that are speaking out against the plan.
“These businesses and associations seem to be acting like the opposite of good corporate citizens,” said Trevor Haché, the group’s policy coordinator. “Greedy agendas driven by vested interests should be outright rejected by the National Capital Commission, Ottawa city council, and Ottawa’s citizens.”
“Developers already cost the city hundreds of thousands of dollars appealing the previous council’s decision to limit the expansion of the urban boundary,” added Saul. “And now they are suggesting that we should pave over our parks and farms instead of focusing on building a world class city that we can all be proud of.”
Ecology Ottawa believes that the NCC’s plan will further allow the city to become both environmentally and financially sustainable. Indeed, sprawl’s destructive effects are well known. It promotes pollution and excess energy consumption from car traffic, and increases run-off of polluted water from miles of asphalt. It is also expensive, creating far-flung infrastructure that is costly to service and maintain.
“The success of the city’s light rail plan depends on greater density inside the Greenbelt—not more sprawl,” Saul said. “Compact and walkable neighbourhoods, a concentration of residential development around public transportation corridors, and the preservation of green spaces and rural areas are critical to ensuring our nation’s capital realizes its full potential.”
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For more information, please contact:
Graham Saul, chair, Ecology Ottawa
613-558-3368 (cell); 613-860-5353 (work)
Trevor Haché, policy coordinator, Ecology Ottawa
613-860-5353 (work)
Ecology Ottawa congratulates Mayor Watson and city councillors for one of the greenest budgets in years
Community group hopes to make further progress with city hall in 2012
November 30, 2011 (Ottawa, ON) – Mayor Jim Watson and Ottawa’s city councillors were congratulated today by Ecology Ottawa for passing a fairly good budget, from an environmental perspective.
“This is the greenest budget in years, but unfortunately it lacks a clear vision on the greatest challenge facing the world today: climate change,” said Trevor Haché, policy coordinator of Ecology Ottawa.
However, the local environmental organization was impressed by the investments made in cycling (70 kilometres of paved shoulders, an additional $12.1 million of funding for cycling infrastructure over three years) and pedestrian infrastructure, and the commitment to establish a “Green Express Lane,” for those builders who strive to be more energy efficient and who set the bar high on water conservation, incorporate reused materials, minimize waste from construction and demolition, and work to reduce strain on our roadways by being close to transit.
As Mayor Jim Watson said in his budget speech:
“We will examine and pre-approve the new Better Build techniques we want to give priority to and we will support them. Builders and homeowners who include these Better Build techniques such as solar hot water heaters, photovoltaic systems, storm and gray water re-use systems will not face barriers, they will instead get express lane service.”
Ecology Ottawa has been calling for such an express lane since at least March 2009 and we look forward to working with staff and elected representatives at city hall to ensure that bar is set high with regard to which projects will qualify for this expedited service.[1]
“We are also glad to see money ($1.4 million) dedicated toward the Environmentally Sensitive Land Fund created last year,” said Haché.
There were, however, numerous things in the budget that Ecology Ottawa was opposed to, including:
- another 2.5% fare increase to OC Transpo, we already have some of the most expensive fares in the country, if not the most expensive
- a decision to increase the cost of the U-Pass to $180 per semester, which could lead to the program being voted down in students’ referendums in 2012
- despite some $5 million in targeted investments to reduce congestion and over-crowding, the $22 million cut earlier this year in annual funding from OC Transpo’s operating budget was not restored
- millions of dollars committed to widening roads
- millions of dollars committed to building new roads
“Ultimately, the city needs to move in the direction of having the services used by personal vehicular users paid for by those drivers,” said Haché. “Parking is currently the only user fee of this sort. Why are there not fees for the use of roads, when fees exist for almost every other service the city provides? In the case of transit, users are expected to cover 50% of the cost of service directly through fares. Something along the lines of road tolls, a municipal gas tax, a vehicle tax, and increases in parking rates are clearly needed if the city is to balance its budgets in a way that is equitable and consistent across service areas.”
Ecology Ottawa sent a letter to the Mayor’s Online Pre-budget Public Consultation and made a presentation on the draft budget to the Environment Committee, asking for city council’s support for three programs (Municipal Financing of Energy Retrofits, Community Owned Solar Power Systems on City Facilities, and a Low Income Energy Efficiency Assistance Strategy), none of which had funding dedicated toward them in Budget 2012.[2]
We hope to work with city staff, the mayor and city councillors to find funding in the existing envelopes to make progress on these issues in 2012. And, if no progress can be made with the existing funding, we will be back when the 2013 Budget is being discussed to ask for them again.
“Overall, this budget is a good first step in charting a new course of action for the city of Ottawa, environmentally speaking,” Haché said. “We hope the nation’s capital will soon become a nationwide leader in taking action on climate change, by doing more to promote renewable energy and energy efficiency, and building a world-class, affordable public transportation system. We also want to see progress on waste diversion, as Ottawa can do a better job at reducing, reusing and recycling, and should be involved in pushing for individual producer responsibility, i.e., make individual producers fully responsible for meeting waste diversion requirements for both residential and IC&I waste.”[3]
With the city’s Environmental Strategy, Choosing Our Future, and Phase 2 of Ottawa’s Waste Plan all scheduled to be released in 2012, Ecology Ottawa looks forward to working with the mayor, all city councillors and staff to build on the environmental successes of this year’s budget.
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For more information, please contact:
Trevor Haché
Policy Coordinator
Ecology Ottawa
(613) 860-5353
[1] Ecology Ottawa. “Building Ottawa’s Energy Revolution: How the City of Ottawa Can Encourage Greener Building Practices.” March 2009. Available on-line: www.ecologyottawa.ca/webyep-system/program/download.php?FILENAME=88-17-at-PDF_File_Upload_2.pdf&ORG_FILENAME=Building_Ottawa%27s_Energy_Revolution-march-2009.pdf
[2] Ecology Ottawa. “Ecology Ottawa 2012 Budget Recommendations on Greening Ottawa’s Homes and Buildings.” Letter to Mayor Jim Watson’s Online Pre-budget Public Consultation. October 5, 2011. Available on-line: http://bit.ly/r32yTQ
[3] Association of Municipalities of Ontario. “Waste Diversion should be among the Province’s Top Environmental Priorities States Ontario’s Environmental Commissioner‘s Annual Report.” AMO Breaking News. Website text. 29 November 2011. www.amo.on.ca/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Home&Template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=163932
How green is Ottawa City Hall under Mayor Jim Watson?
Ecology Ottawa grades mayor and city councillors for 2011
November 23, 2011 (Ottawa, ON) – Ecology Ottawa today released the 2011 edition of its environmental report card of Ottawa City Council. This fifth annual report card is the first for Mayor Jim Watson and many first-time councillors.
The majority of councillors received grades in the B & C range. Only Councillor Doug Thompson earned a lower grade, coming home with a D. Councillors Chernushenko, Fleury, Holmes and Hume each netted an A. Mayor Jim Watson earned a respectable B, which represents a dramatic change from his predecessor, Mayor Larry O’Brien, who consistently scored at the back of the class. The closer grouping of grades in this year’s report card is reflective of a less divided, more unified council and the tighter governing style of Mayor Watson. Council members’ grades are based on how they voted on key environmental decisions made at City Hall during the past year.
“Under Mayor Watson and the new Council, Ottawa has enjoyed some positive environmental decisions related to cycling and renewable energy,” said Alison Harman, co-chair of the 2011 Council Watch report team. “However, Ecology Ottawa is concerned that cuts to OC Transpo’s budget and service levels, together with spending on new roads, is failing to make Ottawa a leader in combating climate change. Ottawa is being left in the dust by other Canadian cities like Vancouver.”
To read the full report card, please click here. The grades of each councillor and the mayor are as follows:
| Jim Watson | Mayor | B |
| Stephen Blais | Cumberland | C+ |
| Rainer Bloess | Innes | C+ |
| David Chernushenko | Capital | A+ |
| Rick Chiarelli | College | B |
| Peter Clark | Rideau-Rockcliffe | C+ |
| Mathieu Fleury | Rideau-Vanier | A- |
| Diane Deans | Gloucester-Southgate | C+ |
| Steve Desroches | Gloucester-South Nepean | B |
| Keith Egli | Knoxdale-Merivale | C+ |
| Eli El-Chantiry | West Carleton-March | B |
| Jan Harder | Barrhaven | C- |
| Katherine Hobbs | Kitchissippi | B |
| Diane Holmes | Somerset | A+ |
| Allan Hubley | Kanata South | C- |
| Peter Hume | Alta Vista | A- |
| Maria McRae | River | B |
| Scott Moffatt | Rideau-Goulbourn | B |
| Bob Monette | Orleans | C- |
| Shad Qadri | Stittsville | B |
| Mark Taylor | Bay | B |
| Tim Tierney | Beacon Hill-Cyrville | C+ |
| Doug Thompson | Osgoode | D |
| Marianne Wilkinson | Kanata North | B |
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For more information, please contact:
Trevor Hache
policy coordinator, Ecology Ottawa
Work: 613-860-5353; Cell: 613-866-9912
E-mail: trevor.hache@ecologyottawa.ca
Ecology Ottawa turns trash into treasure with the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale
4th annual event to raise funds for local environmental group and The Ottawa Food Bank
May 25, 2011, Ottawa—The national capital’s leading local environmental group, Ecology Ottawa, is planning their most exciting event of the year, the 4th Annual Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale, on May 28. As thousands of bargain-hunters descend on the Glebe, the grassroots organization’s dedicated volunteers and staff will be hosting what is expected to be the largest single sale of the event at 99 Glebe Avenue.
After collecting donations from more than 75 supporters across the city, the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale will have mountains of treasures waiting to find new, loving homes. The event offers residents the perfect opportunity to do some spring cleaning, divert potential waste from the landfill, and turn their trash into cash. Ninety per cent of the proceeds from the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale will go to support Ecology Ottawa, with 10% directed to The Ottawa Food Bank. Since its inception in 2008, the event has raised over $12,000 for these great organizations.
The lively event will also feature a bake sale, vegetarian BBQ, massage therapists, henna artist, music performed by local artists and DJs, Hula Hoop lessons, and face painting for kids—lots of fun for the whole family!
- WHAT: Ecology Ottawa’s 4th Annual Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale
- WHEN: Saturday, May 28, 2011, 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m.
- WHERE: 99 Glebe Avenue (between Bank and O’Connor)
- INTERVIEW OPS: Josh Snider, event Founder and Co-Chair; Sabrina Bowman, event Co-Chair; Hilary Hove, event Co-Chair; Jessie Rust-Smith, Ecology Ottawa Communications Coordinator; volunteers; and performers.
- PHOTO OPS: Garage sale, live musical performances, DJs, kids face painting, massages, henna tattooing, volunteers, BBQ, bake sale, and the coolest and most beautiful canopy tent in the city (made from reclaimed umbrellas!).
The Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale is proud to present an impressive musical line-up of Ottawa-area talent, including:
- 9 a.m.:DJHobovs. DJSweetCheeks
- 10 a.m.:ThePelts
- 11 a.m.: Angèle Desjardins
- 12 p.m.: Shores & Acres
- 1 p.m.:CelesteCôté
- 2 p.m.:Timekode‘sDJEricRoberts, with a specialhip-hopperformance at 2:15 p.m. byJakuKonbit‘sGreenStarEnterpriseyouthgroupmembers
In addition to the main event at 99 Glebe Avenue, the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale will also have a presence at 680 Bank Street (at Clemow), courtesy of major sponsor Kundstadt Sports. Expect a second veggie BBQ and bake sale, information about Ecology Ottawa, and some fun surprises!
Folks across the city can still support this fun and important event by donating unwanted items for the sale, volunteering, baking something yummy for the bake sale, and spreading the word to family, friends, and colleagues. And, of course, everyone is encouraged stop by the event to find a bargain, grab a coffee, have lunch, enjoy the performances, and learn more about Ecology Ottawa. For more information, please contact garagesale@ecologyottawa.ca or visit www.ecologyottawa.ca/garage-sale.
The organizers would like to acknowledge the generous sponsors and supporters of the event: A Channel’s A Morning Show, Arbour Environmental Shoppe, Bread and Sons Bakery, Bridgehead, City Repair Ottawa, Comfort Station Toilet Rentals, CouchAssassin.com, Jaku Konbit’s GreenStar Enterprise youth program, K6 Media, Katimavik, Kettleman’s Bagel Co., Kunstadt Sports, Life of Pie, Loblaws, Martin Sound & Lighting, Real Canadian Superstore, Roy Sims Display, Sage Massage Therapy, Shoppers Drug Mart, The Scone Witch, and more to be announced soon.
“Everyone is invited to join us at the Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale,” says event Founder and Co-Chair Josh Snider. “Come out to find a bargain, enjoy some tasty treats, dance to some great local music, and support the environment in Ottawa.”
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For media inquiries and event information, please contact:
Josh Snider
Great Glebe GREEN Garage Sale Founder & Co-Chair
Ecology Ottawa Steering Committee Member
613-321-3392
MEDIA ADVISORY – For Immediate release
Collaborate with Ecology Ottawa to Create Energy Efficiency
May 24th, 2011 (Ottawa) – Ontario’s micro feed-in tariff program provides an unprecedented opportunity for everyone to become generators of clean electricity. Ecology Ottawa and the Tucker House Renewal Centre are hosting a workshop tonight for those who are interested in installing solar panels, either individually or with others in the community. This workshop provides an opportunity to learn about how you can install solar panels under the microFIT program.
When: Tuesday May 24th, at 7 p.m.
Where: Ron Kolbus Centre, 102 Greenview Ave, come learn
Building Community Power with Ecology Ottawa in Nepean
“Building Community Power” is a program to foster leadership on clean energy in Ottawa’s communities. The program is hosting meetings and workshops across Ottawa over the course of two years, currently in Ottawa’s west end. Church groups, schools, community associations, and businesses are learning about how they can play a role in the clean energy future. Many are teaching others about the importance of clean energy and putting up solar systems to lead the way.
With Ontario’s Green Energy and Green Economy Act, there exists an unprecedented opportunity right now to shift energy systems to clean ones. Everyone has a role to play and the Building Community Power project is helping communities become clean power havens!
Media are invited to attend the community meetings and workshops. Details are included below:
- May 27, 7-9pm, Trinity Church, 1099 Maitland Ave
- June 7, 7-9pm, First United/ All Saints Anglican Church, 347 Richmond Rd.
- June 8, 7-9pm, Beaverbrook Community Center, 2 Beaverbrook Road
For more information, contact janice.ashworth@ecologyottawa.ca
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Editor’s Note:
Click here for more information about Ecology Ottawa’s clean energy projects.
For more information about Building Community Power, please contact:
Janice Ashworth – Community Organizer
Ecology Ottawa
E-mail: janice.Ashworth@EcologyOttawa.ca
Work: 613.860.5353
Local Group Launches Unprecedented Ad Campaign to Protect Ottawa-Area Clean Energy Jobs
Ecology Ottawa wants Ontario’s political leaders to come clean about their long-term energy strategy
May 16, 2011 (Ottawa) - Ecology Ottawa launched an unprecedented advertising campaign today to draw attention to the clean energy jobs that are being created in Ottawa and to call on Ontario’s leaders to come clean about their long-term energy plans for the province. Over the next week, roughly 100 radio ads will run on two Ottawa-area radio stations, and the campaign will be extended to other stations and local newspapers in the weeks and months to come. This is the first time that a local environmental organization has launched a radio and print advertising campaign to highlight the value of jobs associated with the growing clean energy sector in Ottawa.
“Ontario’s clean energy policy is putting people to work across the City of Ottawa,” said Graham Saul, Chair of Ecology Ottawa. “The province is on track to phase out dirty coal, meet more of our energy needs with renewable energy, and create tens of thousands of clean energy jobs in the growing solar, wind, small-hydro and biogas industries. We are running the ads because we want to do our part to keep the province moving in the right direction.”
The 30 second radio ads, which will start running today on Lake 88.1 and 1310 News, express concern that Ottawa area jobs will be “taken away because some politicians may not like solar power.” The ads ask: “Do they like dirty coal?”
“Politicians should come clean about their long-term energy strategy and avoid ill-conceived announcements that will kill renewable energy initiatives in the Ottawa-area and put thousands of people across the province out of work,” said Graham Saul. “Ontario needs clean energy jobs, not more dirty coal.”
The ads are being launched by Ecology Ottawa in cooperation with other organizations involved in the website comeclean.ca, and Ecology Ottawa is also holding events across the city to help people save money through energy efficiency and invest in clean energy opportunities. This week’s events include a workshop on May 17 at 7pm at the Ron Kolbus Centre where participants will learn 25 low cost ways to save 25% on their energy budget, and a community meeting on May 17 at 7pm at the First United/All Saints Anglican Church in Westboro, where community members are invited to learn about opportunities to generate solar power. For more information on Ecology Ottawa’s work to promote clean energy in communities across the city, see: http://www.ecologyottawa.ca/community-energy/
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For more information: Graham Saul, cell: 613-558-3368, email: graham.saul@ecologyottawa.ca
# # #
To hear our clean energy radio ad, airing starting on May 16, click the link below:
clean_energy_jobs_radio_spot
MEDIA ADVISORY – For immediate release
Clean Energy Petition Show of Support at City Hall
March 8, 2011 (Ottawa) – Ecology Ottawa is mobilizing citizens citywide to attend the Special City Council meeting related to Budget 2011happening in Andrew S. Haydon Hall today in a show of support for the organization’s Clean Energy Petition.
As of today, 1,750 Ottawa citizens (representing every Ward in the city) had signed the Clean Energy Petition, which says:
“We, the undersigned, fully support clean energy in Ottawa. We recognize that investing in clean and efficient energy systems is about saving money and doing the right thing at the same time. With this in mind, we call on Council to invest in the health and prosperity of our city and to make clean energy a funding priority during the upcoming budget debate.
We call on our Mayor and all City Councillors to use Budget 2011 to show financial and political support for renewable energy production— such as solar panels on municipally-owned buildings—energy efficiency improvements to social housing, a program to leverage community investment in renewable energy, as well as incentives to ensure more green buildings are built in Ottawa.”
Ecology Ottawa supporters will don green hard hats to signify our desire for the city to commit to clean energy and the creation of green-collared jobs.
Media are invited to attend the event and photo opportunity at City Hall. Details are found below:
What: Clean Energy Petition Show of Support
Where: Ottawa City Hall, 110 Laurier Ave. W. (Lisgar Street entrance)
When: 12:15-12:45 p.m.
As well, please find the event agenda below:
12:15 p.m. — Individuals assemble at Lisgar St. entrance to City Hall (at Cartier St.)
12:25 p.m. — Brief remarks from Ecology Ottawa
12:30-12:45 p.m. — Individuals wearing green hard hats silently walk into Council Chambers and respectfully watch the proceedings for 15 minutes*
* Though we will be silent, and will in no way interrupt the proceedings of the City Council meeting, dozens of people walking into the Council Chambers and sitting together (while wearing the green hard hats) is an action that will surely get the attention of City Council.
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Editor’s note:
Click here for more information on Ecology Ottawa’s budget priorities. Media can view the text of Ecology Ottawa’s Clean Energy Budget petition here.
For more information about the event please contact:
Janice Ashworth
Community Organizer
Ecology Ottawa
(613) 860-5353
janice.ashworth@ecologyottawa.ca