January 2009


Council looks to move beyond strike

Ottawa Citizen, January 31, 2009
Mohammed Adam

A chastened Ottawa council yesterday unanimously ratified a tentative deal with the city's biggest transit union to end the 51-day strike, vowing never to let it happen again and extending an olive branch to the union.

The mood was sombre as councillors reflected on 51 days of the most debilitating strike in the city's history. All of them were happy to see the end of it and all agreed everyone had lost.

Several councillors spoke of their dismay at the terrible consequences of the seven-week strike on the city, and demanded a post-mortem to find out what went wrong and what lessons could be learned.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Council+looks+move+beyond+strike/1237719/story.html

Tentative Deal Hits the Brakes on OC Transpo Strike

CFRA, January 30, 2009
Josh Pringle

It's the end of the road for the 51 day OC Transpo strike.

The City of Ottawa and the Amalgamated Transit Union have reached a tentative agreement to end the eight-week OC Transpo strike.

Under the deal, all outstanding issues in the strike will be sent to binding arbitration, including the issue of driver scheduling.

Mayor Larry O'Brien told reporters both sides have agreed to return OC Transpo service immediately once the tentative deal is ratified, adding the end of the strike is "now inevitable."

http://www.cfra.com/

Transit strike vs. environment

Ottawa XPress, January 29, 2009
Sara Falconer

Many of the effects of the dragging transit strike are readily apparent: snarling traffic jams, the eternal commute to work or school, and your conspicuous lack of a social life for the past two months. But the invisible impact on the environment looms just as large, and it's one more reason that citizens are calling on council to get to the table and reach a deal.

"Over the course of the strike, the environmental toll has been increasing, with emissions of over 30,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide," says Mike Buckthought of Ecology Ottawa. Other pollutants include particulate matter and nitrogen oxides from cars, which can contribute to higher rates of respiratory problems and heart disease. The estimate is based on increased car use by the more than 360,000 people who rely on public transit daily.

Michael Fitzpatrick, chief of public affairs, says that although the city cannot confirm Ecology Ottawa's estimates, the environmental impact of increased traffic is a concern.

http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=16526

Petition calls for council to settle strike

Ottawa Sun, January 28, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

As Ottawa hits Day 50 since OC Transpo workers went on strike, voices of those calling for the city to do something more to settle the dispute are getting louder.

When city councillors arrive at this morning's meeting they will be greeted with a petition signed by 4,600 residents demanding a settlement to the longest transit strike in the city's history. Members from the group Ecology Ottawa intend to hand over the petition to councillors in the lobby just outside council chambers prior to the 10 a.m. meeting.

The group also has plans to deliver a copy to the Amalgamated Transit Union, Local 279.

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2009/01/28/8174926.html

Environmental reviews could be trimmed

Toronto Star, January 27, 2009
Allan Woods

The federal budget will include $1 billion for renewable energy, but the government has also signalled it wants to break down environmental roadblocks that stand in the way of a speedy economic recovery.

A so-called green infrastructure fund, part of $7 billion in stimulus funds that were revealed yesterday, is intended to spur the creation of clean energy infrastructure in the country, Infrastructure Minister John Baird says.

But to move fast on all of the projects designed to get the economy moving - the money is to be spent between now and the end of 2010 - Ottawa is planning changes to the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/577813

Ottawa transit talks to continue Tuesday as strike goes on

CBC News, January 26, 2009

Officials from Ottawa's striking transit union and the city will meet again Tuesday in an effort to end a strike that was in its 48th day Monday.

Randy Graham, international vice-president of the Amalgamated Transit Union, met informally with city staff Monday to review the city's new bargaining strategy, passed by city council over the weekend.

ATU local 279 represents about 2,300 striking transit drivers, dispatchers and maintenance staff for OC Transpo, the public transit company owned and run by the city.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/01/26/ot-090126-transit-protest.html

City, transit union head back to the table

Ottawa Citizen, January 25, 2009
Tim Shufelt

Union officials say they will be all ears when they return to the bargaining table on Monday morning, after councillors emerged from an emergency meeting over the weekend with a revised strategy to settle the record transit strike.

Randy Graham, the union's international vice-president, confirmed the meeting with a federal mediator and city representatives, but said he still doesn't know the details of the city's new bargaining position.

"I'm going to go and listen to what they have to say," Mr. Graham said. "We're just going to see what's there."

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Business/City+transit+union+head+back+table/1211704/story.html

Developer to foot Richmond studies after city backs out

Ottawa Citizen, January 24, 2009, page F1
Patrick Dare

While the City of Ottawa doesn't have the money to pay for studies for the future development of Richmond village, the development company involved has stepped in to finance the work.

Mattamy Homes has agreed to oversee and pay for consultants studying the proposed 121.5 hectares housing subdivision on the western side of Richmond, a development that could add 1,000 houses to the community, almost doubling its size.

Councillor Glenn Brooks, who represents Rideau-Goulbourn, had approached the city and asked for a master servicing study for the huge project that would look at key questions such as future water supply and wastewater management not just for the Mattamy property but also the whole village. The city said it didn't have the funds -- about $800,000 -- and Mattamy volunteered to cover the entire cost.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/todays-paper/Developer+foot+Richmond+studies+after+city+backs/1212541/story.html

NCC waits for City of Ottawa's input on Kettle Island bridge

CBC News, January 23, 2009

A decision about whether to build a new interprovincial bridge at Kettle Island has been put off due to a lack of input from the City of Ottawa.

The city was supposed to make a recommendation last week to the National Capital Commission, the federal agency in charge of co-ordinating the development of a new Ottawa River crossing between Ottawa and Gatineau.

Ottawa city council isn't scheduled to vote on the issue until next week, prompting the NCC board of directors to postpone a vote Thursday on whether to proceed to the next step in the process, the second phase of an environmental assessment study.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/01/23/ot-090123-kettle-island.html

Editorial: At last, a working waste plan

Ottawa Citizen, January 22, 2009, page C4

A great amount of hazardous waste finds its way into the neighbourhood landfill. That has a lot to do with human nature.

Most residents either don't know or don't care that there are hazardous waste depots in the community. In a busy world, the green garbage bag is much more convenient than a long drive to the landfill. Furthermore, people without cars who don't live near landfills are unlike to go to toxic waste depots. Enter, again, the garbage can.

Landfills cannot handle all the toxic chemicals sent to them. Sure, modern landfills have liners that protect surrounding areas and groundwater from toxic chemicals and base metals.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/todays-paper/last+working+waste+plan/1204936/story.html

Strike having impact on environment: Group

Metro News, January 21, 2009
Tracey Tong

A local environmental group is rallying the city's transit users to help them ask the city to speed transit talks.

So far, hundreds of people have signed Ecology Ottawa's online petition, which calls for an end to the transit strike.

The petition, which launched earlier this week, will be presented to council members a week from today, said Ecology Ottawa steering committee member Mike Buckthought.

"We need all parties to sit down at the negotiating table and produce a fair deal that will end the transit strike and get our city moving again," the petition reads.

http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/local/article/169913

Recycling Cellphones Website Kicks Off

CFRA, January 20, 2009

Today, it's your cellphone; tomorrow it could be dental fillings.

A new online program is showing people where they can recycle their cellphones in cities across Canada.

The program was launched in Halifax because Nova Scotia is the first province to officially adopt the program. The Recycle My Cell site will give users a list of locations based on their postal code where they can drop off their old cellphones and components.

A spokesperson from the Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Network says it will help cut down on the number of phones ending up in landfills.

http://www.cfra.com/?cat=3&nid=62560

Architects, councillor urge Ottawa to open bid process for Lansdowne Park

CBC News, January 19, 2009

The City of Ottawa's consideration of only a single, unsolicited proposal for the future of Lansdowne Park is not the right way to manage a valuable piece of public property, says a group of local architects and the councillor for the ward containing the park.

Barry Padolsky, who has worked as an architect in Ottawa for 40 years, was one of four architects who held a news conference with Capital Ward Coun. Clive Doucet Monday to criticize the cancellation of a municipal competition to redesign the park.

"It seems that that process has been aborted and that we are acting something like a totalitarian regime somewhere in southern Africa or South America," Padolsky said. "This is really not Canadian. It's really not open. It's not transparent."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/01/19/ot-090119-lansdowne.html

Toronto: Getting the lead out

Toronto Star, January 18, 2009

There is renewed worry about the safety of Toronto's water pipes, with newly disclosed data showing that a surprisingly large percentage of older homes have higher-than-acceptable levels of lead in their water. That gives special urgency to the city's ongoing effort to replace the source of the problem: lead water-intake lines leading to about 65,000 at-risk homes, mainly those built before the mid-1950s.

The municipality has begun a nine-year program to get the lead out, replacing about 8,000 water service connections last year. But responsibility for that work isn't the city's alone. Homeowners are obliged to pay for replacing the pipe beneath their property, at an average cost of $1,500 to $2,000, and sometimes considerably more.

That outlay poses a heavy burden for some Torontonians. The municipality would do well to explore ways of helping people pay.

http://www.thestar.com/comment/article/572643

Wild Bird Care Centre founder dies
Kathy Nihei rescued thousands of birds, and ruffled a few bureaucrats

Ottawa Citizen, January 17, 2009
Charles Enman

For decades, Ottawans knew her as "the bird woman," the primal force who, since 1981, dedicated her life to nurturing injured birds and returning them to the wild.

Kathy Nihei, the founder of the Wild Bird Care Centre on Moody Drive, died on Thursday after a bout with cancer. She was 65.

Ms. Nihei was responsible for the rescue of many tens of thousands of birds since she began her work in her own basement in 1981.

She faced, and faced down, many difficulties. She found it difficult to convince bureaucrats that her efforts deserved public funding. And during the initial 11 years, when the centre was in her basement, she received many complaints from people who did not want the centre in their neighbourhood.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/Wild+Bird+Care+Centre+founder+dies/1184592/story.html

Kettle Island Bridge shouldn't touch Kettle Island, Ottawa Riverkeeper advises

Ottawa Citizen, January 16, 2009

A new bridge across the Ottawa River shouldn't touch down on Kettle Island or run salt and road dust into the river, says Ottawa Riverkeeper.

The non-profit agency monitors and defends the river's water quality. Its executive director Meredith Brown says in a statement to be released Tuesday that the route the National Capital Commission's consultants have identified for a new bridge is a problem for the river environment

"We're facing a difficult reality, however, and that's the fact that there are NO good locations for a bridge over our river," Ms. Brown writes. "The environmental impacts and consequences for each of the proposed sites are significant for the health of the river.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Kettle+Island+Bridge+shouldn+touch+Kettle+Island+Ottawa+Riverkeeper+advises/1185511/story.html

Le futur pont fera mal aux autobus

Le Droit, le 14 janvier 2009
Patrick Duquette

La construction d'un nouveau pont interprovincial nuira au transport en commun. Or l'étude sur les ponts demeure silencieuse sur ce phénomène, déplore Alain Pilon.

Le conseiller municipal de Gatineau prédit que beaucoup de gens délaisseront l'autobus au profit de la voiture advenant la construction d'un nouveau pont sur la rivière des Outaouais.

Or l'étude sur le futur pont interprovincial, dont un rapport d'étape a été présenté mardi au conseil municipal de Gatineau, néglige d'en mesurer les impacts. Un oubli impardonnable aux yeux d'Alain Pilon, qui siège depuis trois ans à la Société de transport de l'Outaouais.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/gatineau-outaouais/200901/14/01-817734-le-futur-pont-fera-mal-aux-autobus.php

Council votes to consider second bridge plan

Ottawa Citizen, January 14, 2009
Jake Rupert

City council narrowly voted Wednesday to ask the National Capital Commission to include a possible interprovincial bridge at Lower Duck Island in the next phase of its project aimed at getting another Ottawa River crossing in the city.

However, immediately after the 12-11 vote, Orléans Councillor Bob Monette successfully moved to have the decision reconsidered at the next council meeting.

The result is a small victory for people opposed to building a bridge at Kettle Island, which is the NCC's preferred option, because the city has little control over the project.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/ottawa/Council+votes+consider+second+bridge+plan/1177881/story.html

Council votes to include Lower Duck bridge option
Then votes to vote again next month

Ottawa Sun, January 14, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

City council has reversed its decision to endorse only one location for a new interprovincial bridge.

In a 12-11 vote Wednesday, council decided to request the National Capital Commission also study Lower Duck Island as a potential site for a bridge across the Ottawa River. Council did so despite having endorsed Kettle Island last year as the best site.

However, councillors also voted to reconsider yesterday's decision next month.

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2009/01/14/8025426.html

City looks at alternate bridge site
Decision to consider Lower Duck Island crossing 'absolutely bizarre': Harder

Ottawa Sun, January 13, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

The city has added another option to the ongoing debate about where to build another inter-provincial bridge.

Despite city council's decision last year to endorse Kettle Island as the sole location to build a $500-million bridge across the Ottawa River, the city's transportation committee has voted in favour of adding an alternative - a possible bridge crossing at Lower Duck Island.

With so many homes near the proposed Kettle Island location, committee decided to include Lower Duck Island as another option.

http://www.ottawasun.com/News/OttawaAndRegion/2009/01/13/8009246.html

Special meeting convenes at city hall on Kettle Island bridge

Ottawa Citizen, January 12, 2009
Patrick Dare

Forty-five delegations have showed up at Ottawa City Hall to talk about the proposed new bridge across the Ottawa River.

The proposal to build a $400-million-to-$500-million bridge between Ottawa and Gatineau has generated stiff opposition in neighbourhoods along the proposed corridor via Kettle Island. City council's transportation committee is holding a public meeting Monday morning on the proposed project, which is being led by the National Capital Commission but involves the governments of Quebec, Ontario, Ottawa and Gatineau.

Ottawa city council has already selected Kettle Island as the preferred route. But residents, especially on the Ottawa side, say the project would destroy neighbourhoods and not meet the goal of taking all the heavy truck traffic out of downtown Ottawa. Opponents have suggested building the bridge farther east, outside the urban area.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Special+meeting+convenes+city+hall+Kettle+Island+bridge/1168495/story.html

North Gower residents getting look at wind farm proposal
Plan featuring total of 10 turbines subject of open house

Ottawa Citizen, January 8, 2009
Tom Spears

People in the North Gower area will have a chance today to hear about the region's first proposal to build two wind farms, with a combined 10 wind turbines, proposed by Prowind Canada of Kemptville.

The open house will explain the proposal and address questions from neighbours, some of whom feel that the sight and sounds of turbines will disturb them and could cause property values to slide.

The event runs from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Marlborough Community Centre at Pierces Corners, west of North Gower (3048 Pierce Rd.)

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/North+Gower+residents+getting+look+wind+farm+proposal/1153951/story.html

Coalition says no to bridge
Communites forgotten in Kettle Island consultant's report: Groups

Metro News, January 8, 2009

A dozen community associations and even more individuals will urge councillors to reject the Kettle Island bridge site when the city's transportation committee meets next Monday.

"Ideally, all three levels of government would reject this recommendation and choose an alternative to go to Phase 2," said Judy Lishman, chair of the Manor Park Community Association's bridge committee.

Consultant ROCHE-NCE, which released its final recommendation this week, said all outstanding issues, such as noise, traffic and environmental effects, could be reduced, but Lishman said the affected community associations disagree.

http://www.metronews.ca/ottawa/local/article/163744

MP proposes high-speed rail for three cities

Ottawa Citizen, January 7, 2008
David Akin, Canwest News Service

The MP who leads the non-partisan "rail caucus" in the House of Commons is pushing a new high-speed rail plan - a super-fast tri-city train link between Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal.

"If you were to start a line that connected these three major centres, you would have a line that would be well-supported, would offer significant economic benefits, and, obviously, you'd have significant environmental benefit," said Dean Del Mastro, a Conservative MP from Peterborough, Ont.

Del Mastro said that, given the geography such a line would run through, the trains would probably be limited to speeds of about 240 kilometres an hour but that would still cut the rail ride between Ottawa and Toronto, which now takes a little more than four hours, down to about two hours.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/proposes+high+speed+rail+three+cities/1152387/story.html

Drive-thrus hit speed bump in St. John's

Toronto Star, January 7, 2009
Canadian Press

ST. JOHN'S-The ubiquitous Tim Hortons drive-thru has brewed a controversy in Newfoundland and Labrador's capital city.

Municipal politicians in St. John's have passed a motion that prohibits the establishment of new drive-thru operations unless businesses can prove to the city's traffic department that vehicles won't spill out onto public streets.

Mayor Dennis O'Keefe said while there wasn't much public pressure calling for the legislation, it came about because of safety concerns arising from traffic lining up along drive-thrus and spilling out onto roads.

http://www.thestar.com/News/Canada/article/562800

Le recyclage bondit de 28 % à Gatineau
Les nouveaux bacs bleus ont encouragé les citoyens à recycler davantage

Le Droit, le 6 janvier 2009
Patrick Duquette

Les Gatinois recyclent plus que jamais depuis la distribution des nouveaux bacs bleus de recyclage.

La quantité de matières acheminées au centre de tri de Tricentris, à Chelsea, a bondi de 28 % entre juin et novembre 2008. D'ailleurs, Tricentris peine à écouler tout ce stock sur des marchés mondiaux en pleine crise.

Six fois plus volumineux que les anciens bacs verts, les nouveaux bacs roulants de 360 litres ont connu un succès immédiat dès le début de leur distribution, en juin dernier. Au total, Gatineau a distribué 85 000 bacs bleus.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/actualites-regionales/200901/06/01-815281-le-recyclage-bondit-de-28-a-gatineau.php

Kettle Island best place for a new Ottawa River bridge, NCC says

Ottawa Citizen, January 5, 2009
Patrick Dare

The National Capital Commission's consultants have confirmed that Kettle Island is the preferred location for a new bridge linking Ontario and Quebec.

The NCC's consultants, ROCHE-NCE, in September said Kettle Island was the preliminary choice for a bridge aimed at easing inter-provincial traffic and diverting trucks from downtown Ottawa. Today the NCC released the consultant's final report in the first phase of the bridge project.

This report goes to the board of the NCC in the third week of January for approval.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Kettle+Island+best+place+Ottawa+River+bridge+says/1143446/story.html

L'île Kettle répond aux critères techniques

Radio-Canada, le 5 janvier 2009

Une firme de consultants embauchée pour déterminer le meilleur emplacement pour construire un nouveau pont entre Ottawa et Gatineau choisit le tracé de l'île Kettle.

Le corridor de l'île Kettle arrive en tête parmi la dizaine de sites évalués par la firme Roche-NCE, puisqu'il répond à tous les critères techniques de l'étude.

Le rapport décrit ce tracé comme étant « le choix le plus équilibré pour une nouvelle liaison enjambant la rivière des Outaouais ». L'évaluation réalisée a permis à la firme de déterminer que cette option aurait « une forte performance en matière de transports, des impacts environnementaux réduits et un coût de construction raisonnable ».

http://www.radio-canada.ca/regions/ottawa/2009/01/05/005-rapport-kettle_n.shtml

Ontario to make companies pay for tire disposals

CTV Ottawa/Canadian Press, January 4, 2009

A provincial agency is recommending Ontario scrap the $5 per tire "disposal" fee charged to drivers when they get rid of their old tires, and replace it with a levy charged to manufacturers and importers that they could pass on to consumers.

The fees paid by the tire producers would be used to fund the Ontario Tire Stewardship, an industry-administered plan to track, collect, store, transport, process and market scrap tires with a goal of having 95 per cent of them recycled in the province.

Currently, about half of the 12 million used tires generated in Ontario each year are sent to the United States or Quebec to be incinerated.

http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090104/old_tires_090104/20090104/?hub=OttawaHome