July 2009


More sewage flows into river
Clogged pipe sends 6.5M litres of raw sewage into Ottawa River

Ottawa Sun, July 31, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

Ottawa residents are finally getting a sunny and hot long weekend - but they won't be able to go into the Ottawa River to cool off.

The city's medical officer of health closed two beaches at Petrie Island after 6.5 million litres of raw sewage spilled into the Ottawa River yesterday.

"It's unwise to have full body contact with the river," said Dr. Isra Levy.

The latest sewage spill started when city crews discovered a 2-foot by 4-foot steel plate prevented the Keefer St. regulator from working.

The regulator is located near the prime minister's home at 24 Sussex Drive.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/31/10328631.html

Ottawa stops sewage spill at Keefer Regulator

Ottawa Citizen, July 31, 2009

City workers said Friday they have stopped a sewage spill at the notorious Keefer Regulator in New Edinburgh.

A spill at the Keefer regulator began at 12:45 a.m. Friday and city crews worked through Friday afternoon to close the regulator and stop the flow, according to a note from city officials to elected councillors.

They were still trying to determine the amount of the spill, but as a precaution, the city said it was closing Petrie Island beaches for the weekend. They're the only ones downstream of the Keefer regulator's outflow.

The city has been rocked in the past two years by problems with its sewage system, with large spills into the Ottawa River due to old, malfunctioning equipment.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Ottawa+battles+sewage+spill/1849995/story.html

System foul-up sees raw sewage dumped into Ottawa River

Ottawa Citizen, July 31, 2009
Patrick Dare

If they aren't there already, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his family may want to head to Harrington Lake for the holiday weekend to avoid an unpleasant sewage spill near 24 Sussex Drive.

Raw sewage ran into the Ottawa River at the Keefer regulator, a component of the city's sewer system just east of Rideau Falls, from 12:45 a.m. until city crews were able to stop it at 4 p.m., city officials said in a Friday afternoon news conference.

The city is upgrading the regulator, which is meant to allow waste to run into the river only when there's too much to handle, so that such needless spills don't happen. But somehow a steel plate got stuck in a large steel shaft that brings waste down to a sewer line that runs on to the city's sewage-treatment plant in Gloucester. The sewage then went into the bypass, directly into the river.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/System+foul+sees+sewage+dumped+into+Ottawa+River/1850751/story.html

2 cities, 2 floods, 2 different results
Hamilton hit with similar storm, but its emergency plan kicked into high gear ... and worked

Ottawa Sun, July 31, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

The City of Ottawa may want to take a lesson or two from the City of Hamilton regarding how to deal with a flash flood.

In an eerily similar event to the flooding of almost 1,000 west-end Ottawa homes last weekend, Hamilton was also hit with a torrential downpour that flooded about 1,100 homes in that city. For many Hamiltonians, they were also faced with sewage gushing into their basements; for some it was the third and fourth time.

The Hamilton Spectator newspaper reported this week that city's emergency line was overwhelmed by calls from residents whose homes were flooded, but unlike Ottawa, Hamilton's emergency measures kicked in right away. The mayor and city councillors held an emergency council meeting to discuss how to immediately help residents deal with the disaster.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/31/10326991.html

Dismal weather has one plus: no smog
Fewer should suffer from air pollution this not-so-summer

Ottawa Citizen, July 31, 2009
Tom Spears

Horrible July weather has brought Ottawa one benefit that's unheard of in mid-summer: A full month without smog.

There are always little bits of air pollution - car exhaust and so forth. But on hot summer days, our air quality often shifts from the provincial Environment Ministry's "good" category to the moderately polluted level.

Occasionally it even reaches "poor."

Air pollution records aren't as extensive as weather records, but most years we'll have six or eight smog days in July.

This year, our last smog day was June 25.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Dismal+weather+plus+smog/1846624/story.html

Red Flag Summer at the Beach

CFRA, July 31, 2009
Josh Pringle

It hasn't been a day at the beach at two of Ottawa's public beaches this month.

Ottawa Public Health reports the Petrie Island River Beach has been closed 17 of 30 days in July because of high counts of E.coli bacteria.

The red flag has been flying at Westboro beach for 16 of 30 days so far this month.

Meantime, Britannia Beach has been open 29 of 30 days this month.

http://www.cfra.com/?cat=1&nid=66799

More sewage spills into the Ottawa River

Ottawa Sun, July 30, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

Another 16 million litres of sewage has spilled into the Ottawa River. As a result of Monday's rainfall, the city's network of sewage pipes couldn't handle the flow and was forced to spill into the busy waterway. The latest spill brings the total amount of sewage dumped into the river to about 716 million litres this year - almost two times what normally spills into the river in one year. The city has informed the Ministry of the Environment's Spills Action Centre, the city's Public Health Branch and water system operators downstream.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/30/10317131.html

City to investigate flooding

Ottawa Sun, July 30, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

The city has launched a massive investigation into last weekend's flash flood in the west-end.

A city councillor and former regional chair suggest the city first look at the pipes carrying the sewage and storm water.

In a memo obtained by the Sun, deputy city manager Nancy Schepers says the city wants to determine why raw sewage backed up into some people's basements and why some city roads were impassable.

"This investigation will review system design, maintenance and operations in relation to their designed purposes," said Schepers, who also wants to know what can be done to reduce the risk of future flooding.

City staff have been heavily criticized for the way it responded to the more than 900 homeowners who have complained about flooding. Five days after the flooding, officials admitted they failed to implement emergency measures even after hundreds of calls were made to its 311 information line.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/30/10318066.html

Après le déluge, la colère des sinistrés

Le Droit, le 30 juillet 2009
Catherine Lamontagne

Le nombre de sinistrés s'alourdit dans l'ouest d'Ottawa, où au moins 900 propriétaires ont eu le choc de découvrir des refoulements d'égout dans leur sous-sol après les pluies torrentielles de vendredi dernier.

À ce jour, 25 résidants ont dû évacuer leur domicile et ont été placés par la municipalité temporairement dans un hôtel. L'Armée du salut était présente, hier, au Complexe récréatif de Kanata pour offrir à manger et à boire aux résidants.

La Ville rapporte 900 appels au centre d'appel 3-1-1 de résidants aux prises avec des inondations dans les secteurs Kanata, Carp et Stittsville.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/ottawa-est-ontarien/200907/30/01-888678-apres-le-deluge-la-colere-des-sinistres.php

It's official: July rains set record

Ottawa Citizen, July 30, 2009
Neco Cockburn and Katie Daubs, with files from Brendan Kennedy

After a storm that snapped trees and drenched an already soggy city, July now holds the regrettable title of the wettest month ever in Ottawa.

Peter Kimbell, warning-preparedness meteorologist at Environment Canada, said 38 mm fell in a one-hour period Wednesday afternoon -- enough rain for this month to break the June 2002 record of 224.8 mm by almost 10 mm.

Residents of an east Ottawa community gathered in the street after the storm blew through their neighbourhood, tossing garbage cans, drenching the streets and knocking down a pair of trees.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/official+July+rains+record/1843538/story.html

West-side drainage problems rising
Sewer systems must err on side of caution

Ottawa Citizen, July 30, 2009, page C1
Randall Denley

Next to fire, flooding is a homeowner's worst nightmare. It will turn your basement into a stinking mess, destroy your possessions, make it difficult to get insurance and slash your property values if it's chronic.

In the Kanata suburb of Glen Cairn, some homes have been flooded three times in 13 years. Naturally, people are demanding that the city fix it, but it looks as if it's not going to be that simple. It's difficult to accept that in the 21st century we are incapable of building a stormwater system that works reliably, but that appears to be the case.

The city managers in charge of building and operating the stormwater system are scratching their heads about the latest flood and there are no obvious answers as to why the system failed to perform as expected. It's particularly troubling in Glen Cairn because the city spent $7 million improving surface drainage after a big flood in 2002.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/West+side+drainage+problems+rising/1843610/story.html

Hazardous waste roundup set for Aug. 8

Ottawa Citizen, July 30, 2009, page C4

The city will hold a household hazardous waste depot Aug. 8 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre on Green Creek Drive. It will accept up to 100 litres per person. Pesticides, barbecue tanks, paint cans and fluorescent lightbulbs are among items that can be dropped off, but no commercial waste will be accepted. For a complete list of acceptable wastes, visit www.ottawa.ca/hhw. "Numbers have been a little down from last year," said Anne Robinson of the city's solid waste department. "But at our last depot we received over 54,000 litres of material."

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/life/Hazardous+waste+roundup/1843617/story.html

‘Right hook' of drivers a knockdown blow for cyclists
One in three collisions in 2008 occur on right turn

Ottawa Citizen, July 29, 2009
Cassandra Drudi

Nearly one-third of drivers involved in collisions between motor vehicles and cyclists in Ottawa last year were turning right, according to statistics kept by the city.

"It's something we call the right hook," says Charles Akben-Marchand, past president of Citizens for Safe Cycling. "Often times, a motorist won't do a right shoulder check to see if the cyclist is coming behind them."

Statistics from the city's 2008 Annual Collision Report, which breaks data about collisions involving motor vehicles and cyclists into categories that include apparent driver and cyclist manoeuvres, show that 91 of 292 drivers involved in collisions were turning right at the time. Of 96 drivers charged in collisions with bikes, 34 were turning right.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Right+hook+drivers+knockdown+blow+cyclists/1838334/story.html

Water recedes, but financial, health fears surface

Ottawa Citizen, July 29, 2009
Brendan Kennedy and Patrick Dare

Cathy Best says she feels more than 300 years old.

"They tell us we've lived through three 100-year storms, so I must be that old," she says, sharing a laugh with a few of her Dundegan Drive neighbours Tuesday morning.

It was déjà vu all over again this weekend on this most unfortunate of Glen Cairn streets, whose residents have had their homes flooded three times in less than 15 years.

"The city assured us we'd never be flooded again," said Theresa Davis, who lives at 22 Dundegan and was commiserating with Best among the piles of wreckage and waterlogged garbage bags that line the street.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Water+recedes+financial+health+fears+surface/1838346/story.html

Storm likely a‘once-in-100 years' event
Friday rainfall may have passed design limit, drainage chief says

Ottawa Citizen, July 28, 2009
Kate Jaimet and Patrick Dare

The rainstorm Friday night that flooded hundreds of houses in west Ottawa may have been bigger than the once-a-century storm the city's drainage systems are built for, the city's manager of wastewater and drainage operations said Monday.

And that huge volume of rain probably caused a chain reaction, in which water overwhelmed the storm-sewer system, leading in turn to an overflow of the sanitary sewage system - even though the two systems are separate in that part of the city, said Michel Chevalier.

Chevalier said the stormwater system is designed to handle a once-in-a-century storm - roughly defined as 90 millimeters of rain falling in 24 hours, though a storm may also qualify if it dumps less water in a shorter period of time.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Storm+likely+once+years+event/1834618/story.html

Ottawa River turned into toilet bowl

Ottawa Sun, July 28, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

The enormous amount of rain that fell on the city in two days has resulted in a massive sewage spill.

The city estimates 175 million litres of sewage overflowed into the Ottawa River from Thursday to Saturday. That's almost double what has spilled into the river since the beginning of the year, and brings the total amount dumped into the river to about 700 million litres, almost double the annual amount.

To help stem future sewage overflows, the city is installing five real-time control systems to monitor and manage the flow of stormwater and sewage into the river.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/27/10282236.html

Heavy rains push Carp River above banks
Fields, basements flood as water rises to highest point in year

Ottawa Citizen, July 27, 2009, page B1
Brendan Kennedy

In nearly 20 years living next to the Carp River, Greg Yocum says he's never seen it as bloated as it was after Friday's torrential rains pushed the waterway above its banks.

"I guess the earth can't take any more rain," Yocum said on Sunday, standing outside his home where about 30 centimetres of water had come up through the basement's floor drain during the worst of the storm.

Yocum lives on Rivington Street, where the Carp River runs under Carp Road, and where on Saturday the river spilled its banks and covered an entire cow pasture.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Heavy+rains+push+Carp+River+above+banks/1832364/story.html

OC Transpo fined for not calling out stops

Ottawa Sun, July 27, 2009

OC Transpo was hit with a $5,000 fine Monday because some of its drivers continue to not call out major and requested bus stops.

The Canadian Transportation Agency levied the $5,000 penalty. In a November 2007 decision, the agency found that OC Transpo's failure to call out stops was an obstacle to transportation for persons with a disability, in this case people with visual impairments.

"One of the agency's key responsibilities is ensuring accessibility to transportation," said Geoff Hare, Chair and CEO of the Canadian

Transportation Agency, in a press release. "We trust that OC Transpo will ensure that major and requested stops are called out and join the ranks of other service providers who help make Canada's transportation system accessible to persons with disabilities."

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/27/10278306.html

Winds of change at Wolfe Island
Towering power turbines could do more than generate electricity

Ottawa Sun, July 23, 2009
Tom van Dusen

WOLFE ISLAND - After years of controversy, 86 industrial wind turbines are up and running on this agricultural island south of Kingston ... and now a former Liberal provincial cabinet minister wants to help turn them into a major tourist attraction.

Armed with small route maps, visitors are already coming on their own to see the 260-foot-tall towers up close, but as yet there are no organized tours, said Ken Keyes, mid-1980s minister of correctional services and solicitor general in the David Peterson government.

Closing in on 79 and a native Wolfe Islander who resettled here, Keyes, a member of the local business and tourism association, knows everything there is to know about the mighty windmills and gave visiting members of the Ottawa Valley Seed Growers Association a trial tour last Sunday.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/22/10227666.html

Wildlife gardens get new life before council
Doucet to bring bylaw changes before committee in fall

Ottawa Citizen, July 23, 2009
Kate Jaimet

Changes to the property standards bylaw that would allow people to cultivate wildlife gardens on their properties are in the works and could be put before city councillors for debate as early as this fall.

Capital Councillor Clive Doucet says he will ask the environmental advisory committee to look into the bylaw over the summer and make recommendations, which he will then bring to city's planning and environment committee in the fall. He said a new bylaw should allow legitimate wildlife gardening, but not allow people to neglect their lawns.

"You don't want to have it become a safety net for bad property standards or dandelion jungles," Doucet said.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Wildlife+gardens+life+before+council/1818572/story.html

Moncton councillor wants to close Main Street to cars in summer

CBC News, July 22, 2009

A Moncton city councillor is pushing to turn Main Street into a pedestrian walkway during July and August to spur on more activities in the downtown core.

Coun. Daniel Bourgeois said the idea would allow the city to capitalize on the popularity of the big festivals such as the motorcycle and car shows that are hosted on Main Street each year.

"My guess is that it would enhance the vitality and dynamics of downtown at least for the summer months," Bourgeois said.

Bourgeois would like to see restaurant and bar tables spilling out all over the sidewalks with performers, musicians and jugglers filling the areas now used by cars.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/07/22/nb-moncton-main-street-1146.html

NCC hopes transit can cut traffic in Gatineau Park

CBC News, July 21, 2009

Soon, fewer visitors might be travelling through Gatineau Park with their car windows down and their stereos turned up - the National Capital Commission is working on a transit plan it hopes will slash the number of cars that drive to and through the park.

Park director Marie Boulet said giving visitors transit alternatives would be good for the heavily used green space.

"It is not uncommon that we have real traffic congestion in the park," she said. "We're concerned with the impact motor vehicles can have on the park environment. But also on the recreational experience in the park."

Boulet said the NCC is currently gathering data in order to come up with alternatives to cars, which could include building transit links inside the park.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2009/07/21/ottawa-gatineau-park-transit-cars.html

Transit committee to review age cap

Ottawa Sun, July 21, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

The city's transit committee is going to review the age cap for discounted student bus passes.

Committee chairman, Bay Coun. Alex Cullen said Monday that because of the growing opposition from student federations at the University of Ottawa, Carleton University and Algonquin College, the city's pedestrian and transit advisory committee has passed a resolution asking council to rescind its decision to limit student passes to students under 28 years old.

"Transit committee will have to consider it," said Cullen. The next time committee meets is Sept. 1.

The age cap came into affect July 1 as called for in the 2009 budget. If committee members decide to review the age cap, the final decision will rest with council.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/20/10201321.html

What cyclists -- and drivers -- can do to keep shared roads safe

Globe and Mail, July 21, 2009
Dakshana Bascaramurty

When Eleanor McMahon got news of a hit and run in Ottawa that sent five cyclists to hospital with serious injuries on Sunday, she was instantly transported to the gut-wrenching day in 2006 when she learned her husband had been in a bike accident.

"I didn't sleep well last night - all I could think about was the night when my husband died," she said yesterday from Burlington, Ont.

Her husband, Ontario Provincial Police Sergeant Greg Stobbart, was cycling up a hill in Milton, Ont., when a truck driver travelling 70 kilometres an hour swerved up beside him. He was struck in the head by the dump truck's side-view mirror, thrown into a ditch, and died of various injuries. The driver was charged with reckless driving.

Ms. McMahon has since been on a mission to prevent similar collisions as the founder of Share the Road Cycling Coalition, an advocacy group.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/what-cyclists-and-drivers-can-do-to-keep-shared-roads-safe/article1225059/

Suspect remains in custody
Police try to piece together horrific collision that injured five cyclists

Ottawa Citizen, July 21, 2009, page A1
Andrew Seymour and Glen McGregor, with files from Nicole Massé, Neco Cockburn and Brendan Kennedy

An Ottawa man accused of running down five cyclists and fleeing the scene will spend at least three nights in jail as police continue to investigate the Sunday morning crash.

An officer with the collision investigation unit was at the Civic campus of The Ottawa Hospital on Monday interviewing three of the victims to help reconstruct the moments before they were struck down on March Road in Kanata.

One rider remains in critical condition and could not be interviewed.

Police believe a minivan pulled into the bike lane on the northbound side of the road at 7:48 a.m. and collided with the riders before steering back into the vehicle lane.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/Suspect+remains+custody/1810770/story.html

OC Transpo fails to enforce policy to call out bus stops
City faces fines for breaching ruling

Ottawa Citizen, July 21, 2009, page A1
Jake Rupert

OC Transpo has failed to meet a deadline to have all major and requested bus stops called out for riders and faces possible fines as a result.

By the end of the week, Terrance Green says he will file a request with the Canadian Transportation Agency asking the regulatory body to impose fines on the city bus company for breaching the agency's latest ruling on the issue.

Green, a blind lawyer who has been trying for years to get OC Transpo to announce stops, said he didn't want to do this because it will likely cost taxpayers money, but he feels he has no choice.

"It's been almost two years since they were ordered to call stops, and four months since they were required to call stops, and they still aren't calling them out," he said. "It's time to motivate them. It's a simple thing to do, so I don't understand why they can't do it."

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Transpo+fails+enforce+policy+call+stops/1810767/story.html

Kids' lower IQ scores linked to prenatal pollution

CTV News, July 20, 2009
Associated Press

CHICAGO -- Researchers for the first time have linked air pollution exposure before birth with lower IQ scores in childhood, bolstering evidence that smog may harm the developing brain.

The results are in a study of 249 children of New York City women who wore backpack air monitors for 48 hours during the last few months of pregnancy. They lived in mostly low-income neighborhoods in northern Manhattan and the South Bronx. They had varying levels of exposure to typical kinds of urban air pollution, mostly from car, bus and truck exhaust.

At age 5, before starting school, the children were given IQ tests. Those exposed to the most pollution before birth scored on average four to five points lower than children with less exposure.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20090720/iq_pollution_090720/20090720?hub=Health

Bus pass policy changes draw fire
U of O president joins protest over student age limits

Ottawa Citizen, July 20, 2009, page B1
Tim Shufelt

As opposition grows to a new city policy restricting student discounts on transit passes to those under 28, Councillor Alex Cullen says the move was ill-conceived.

Among the voices speaking out against the change, which took effect on July 1, is that of University of Ottawa president Allan Rock.

On Thursday, Rock sent a letter to Acting Mayor Doug Thompson encouraging council to remove the age limit on discounted transit.

In the letter, Rock said the new policy will "have a significant impact on a large segment of our student body; in particular those students pursuing their graduate studies."

Until the start of the month, all students in Ottawa qualified for a discount of about $20 on a monthly bus pass. Council approved the change as a way to save money and balance the budget.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/pass+policy+changes+draw+fire/1807559/story.html

Vancouver: Airport solar wind turbine a first for Canada

Metro News, July 20, 2009

Evergreen Technologies of Vancouver has installed the first solar wind turbine lighting system in an airport application. The off-grid hybrid installation, now supplying power to light a pumping station at Vancouver International Airport, is the first installation of its kind at an airport in Canada.

The company completed the hybrid lighting system project in collaboration with Vancouver Airport Authority and Nav Canada. The project consists of an Innoair 1000 wind turbine and an InnoPV photovoltaic panel, which together are expected to generate approximately 2,000 kW/hrs of energy annually.

"This project results in the reduction of 1.8 tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually," says COO Michael McLennan.

The use of wind power not only has high environmental value, but also has the potential to reduce an airport's reliance on the power grid.

http://www.metronews.ca/vancouver/live/article/264800--airport-solar-wind-turbine-a-first-for-canada

Five injured as van slams into cyclists

Ottawa Citizen, July 19, 2009
Glen McGregor and David Guy

OTTAWA - Five bicyclists were injured - including one listed in critical condition - after they were struck by a van on March Road in Kanata just before 8 a.m. Sunday.

An off-duty Ottawa bylaw officer who witnessed the crash told paramedics the cyclists were struck by a van at 7:52 a.m., said Ottawa Paramedics superintendent of operations Darryl Wilton.

Ottawa police say in a release that they are searching for a late-model beige or brown mini-van, last seen heading north on March Road. Anyone with information is asked to call 911.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Five+injured+slams+into+cyclists/1806223/story.html

Woman struck, killed by O-Train

Ottawa Citizen, July 18, 2009

OTTAWA - Ottawa police are investigating after a woman was struck and killed by an O-Train Saturday morning.

Police received a call from OC Transpo at about 10:05 that a pedestrian had been struck by an O-Train near Walkley station, on Walkley Road west of Bank Street.

The woman was pronounced dead at the scene.

Police are investigating to determine the nature of the death.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Woman+struck+killed+Train/1804788/story.html

Small T'Sou-ke reserve one of most solar-power-intensive in country

Victoria Times Colonist, July 18, 2009
Judith Lavoie

B.C. Hydro meters on the T'Sou-ke Nation reserve were whizzing around counter-clockwise yesterday as, nearby, the sun beat down on banks of solar panels.

The backward-spinning meters mean clean, surplus power is being returned to the electrical grid, helping to pay for the band's solar-power project.

"Look at how fast they are spinning. They really can go backwards," said elder Linda Bristol, who, like other band members, is proud that, after a year of intensive work on the project, the small reserve has turned into one of the most solar-power-intensive communities in the country.

"Instead of us sending B.C. Hydro a cheque each two months, they send us a cheque," said project manager Andrew Moore.

http://www.timescolonist.com/technology/Small+reserve+most+solar+power+intensive+country/1804583/story.html

Students protest age limit on OC Transpo bus passes

CTV Ottawa, July 17, 2009

Students in Ottawa are stepping up their battle against OC Transpo's new age limit for student bus passes.

Student representatives from Ottawa's colleges and universities met with the city's transit advisory committee Thursday night to argue that the policy is unfair.

The new rule, which came into effect on July 1, restricts students who are 28 years or older from being able to buy a student bus pass.

The students said the age restrictions unfairly target single parent students and laid-off workers who are returning to school for retraining.

They argued the city should be promoting bus ridership, not making decisions that encourage people to travel by car.

http://ottawa.ctv.ca/servlet/an/local/CTVNews/20090717/OTT_Student_Pass_090717/20090717/?hub=OttawaHome

ROPEC releases too much chlorine

Orléans Star/East Ottawa Star, July 17, 2009
Laura Cummings

One east-end councillor is calling recently-publicized findings on an area wastewater facility "a step in the right direction," after environmental monitoring showed its impact to be mainly within provincial standards.

A report on Environmental Effects Monitoring (EEM) of the Robert O. Pickard Environmental Centre (ROPEC) was tabled at the city's the planning and environment committee late last month and carried by council on July 8, noting that "with very few exceptions, the quality of river water is generally within guidelines."

Since 1998, city staff have conducted a number of field and laboratory studies to determine the impacts of ROPEC effluent on the Ottawa River, under criteria established by Ontario's Ministry of the Environment. EEM, according to the report, is an integrated approach that aims to seek out any changes or impacts in the selected environment.

http://www.eastottawa.ca/article-359614-ROPEC-releases-too-much-chlorine.html

Bureau manque le train, disent ses opposants

Le Droit, le 17 juillet 2009
Catherine Lamontagne

L'absence de la Ville de Gatineau dans une vaste étude concernant l'implantation d'un train à grande vitesse (TGV) entre Québec et Windsor démontre le manque de leadership du maire de Gatineau, Marc Bureau, selon deux candidats à la mairie.

Aurèle Desjardins et Tony Cannavino sont convaincus que la Ville de Gatineau doit faire partie d'un éventuel tracé d'un TGV reliant le Québec à l'Ontario. Le maire de Gatineau ne semble toutefois pas du même avis.

Il y a quelques mois, le maire de Québec, Régis Labeaume, a approché la Ville d'Ottawa pour lui proposer de financer avec lui - et cinq autres villes - une étude sur les retombées de la mise en place d'un TGV.

http://www.cyberpresse.ca/le-droit/actualites/economie/200907/17/01-885196-bureau-manque-le-train-disent-ses-opposants.php

Comox, BC: Drive-thru ban bylaw given first approval

Comox Valley Echo, July 17, 2009
Marcel Tetrault

If new fast food restaurants open in Comox, it looks like their customers will be going indoors for their Big Macs and double-doubles.

Comox council split down the middle over a motion to ban future drive-thrus in the seaside community, with the final vote coming down 4-3 in favour of the ban.

The decision has no effect on existing drive-thrus.

Councillors Russ Arnott, Ray Crossley, Patti Fletcher and Marcia Turner all supported the motion, with Mayor Paul Ives and councillors Ken Grant and Tom Grant opposed.

The next step will be to draft a bylaw that will have to wind its way through the approval process, including a public hearing where Comox residents can weigh in on the issue.

http://www.canada.com/Drive+thru+bylaw+given+first+approval/1800771/story.html

UK: Greenlight given for first British 'eco towns'

Ottawa Citizen, July 16, 2009
Agence France Presse

LONDON - The government gave the green light Thursday to four so-called "eco towns," claiming it is playing a leading role globally in promoting carbon neutral communities.

The green towns are designed as the first of 10 such projects Prime Minister Gordon Brown's government wants to set up by 2020, despite criticism and local opposition in some cases.

"The revolutionary concept of eco towns is a unique opportunity for us to confront two of the most urgent priorities" facing Britain, namely providing more cheaper housing and fighting climate change.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/environment/Greenlight+given+first+British+towns/1796957/story.html

$40M to repair LRT link to Gatineau
Bridge over Ottawa River would need major retrofit

Ottawa Sun, July 15, 2009
Susan Sherring

It will cost $1.5 million and take eight months just to get an accurate estimate of how much it will cost to repair the Prince of Wales rail bridge - but initial figures suggest it could go as high as $40 million.

That's according to a memo sent to Ottawa council from Wayne Newell, the city's infrastructure director.

The Prince of Wales Bridge is formed by two structures - which were built in 1879 - and is separated by an island. The structures were last rehabilitated in 1926.

In May 2005, the city purchased the bridge as a possible future transit crossing from Canadian Pacific Railway as part of the now-defunct north-south light rail transit project.

The structure is currently "out of service," but not abandoned.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/14/10130886.html

Buy-local push prompts Ontario grocers to go independent

CBC News, July 15, 2009
Alison Crawford

Dale Kropf calls it Independence Day: On July 3, his five grocery stores in southwestern Ontario ceased to be Sobeys franchises.

Corporate policies prevented him from buying local products, he says, so he joined forces with four other former Sobeys franchisees and formed the independent Hometown Grocers Co-Op.

"We feel that local food, local presence is huge in our market and we wanted to take advantage of that," Kropf says.

Canadians are increasingly subscribing to the "buy local" and "100 mile diet" philosophies due to concerns over imported food, Kropf adds. "The pressure was always mounting - the more recalls, the more bad press from China or wherever the product was coming from. I know that in our case, our private label pickles are made in Indonesia. I couldn't believe that."

http://www.cbc.ca/consumer/story/2009/07/14/f-grocery-stores-independent-buy-local-meat-produce.html

Editorial: Sunny days ahead

Ottawa Citizen, July 14, 2009

Even people who have never hugged a tree ought to embrace the solar farm project in West Carleton. That's because it represents another kind of green, namely, the colour of money. The economic winners of the future will be those who develop the strongest green technologies. The next Bill Gates won't be a computer geek but a green technology entrepreneur.

Old fashioned fossil fuels are falling out of favour owing to scarcity and high cost, not to mention the political headache that these carbon-spewing energy sources cause. The demand for green alternatives is only going to rise -- and rise and rise and rise. The country that produces the strongest sector in green technology will have an unparalleled global advantage.

And so the race is on.

The West Carleton project will see 300,000 solar panels installed on 200-acres, producing enough electricity to power 7,000 homes during peak hours. If successful, West Carleton will become home to one of the biggest solar-energy farms in North America. The company behind the project says it wants to "make a revolution happen in solar energy in Canada."

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/opinion/Sunny+days+ahead/1788236/story.html

Ottawa on track to break trail on green power
West Carleton farm poised to become massive solar hub

Ottawa Citizen, July 13, 2009, page B1
Mohammed Adam

As controversies over green power projects erupt across Ontario, Ottawa is quietly leading a revolution in solar farming that will soon make the nation's capital home to one of the largest solar-energy plants of its kind in North America.

A 200-acre farm in West Carleton is about to undergo a $100-million investment that will see 300,000 silvery solar panels installed there. Once this solar farm becomes operational at the end of the year, it's expected to generate about 20 megawatts of electricity, enough to power 7,000 homes during peak hours. It will be Canada's largest photovoltaic plant, one that converts sunlight directly into electricity.

The project, which is being undertaken by EDF EN Canada, the Canadian arm of the French renewable-energy firm EDF-Energies Nouvelles, is made up of two parallel installations feeding into the provincial grid. The land has been leased for 20 years from a local farmer.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/Ottawa+track+break+trail+green+power/1785439/story.html

No worries for Ottawa green bins: manager
Diverting plastics will avoid snags like Toronto's, official says

Ottawa Citizen, July 13, 2009
Patrick Dare

The manager in charge of the city's garbage services says Ottawa will not have the same problems as Toronto with its green-bin program.

Dixon Weir says Ottawa's green-bin program will be an aerobic process with a lot of yard waste tossed into the mix to create airflow. He says the aerobic process, which uses oxygen, will help ensure better-quality compost and minimize odour.

Weir was responding to concerns over the past several days about Toronto's green-bin waste-diversion initiative, an ambitious program with much fanfare. But Toronto Star reports concluded some materials are not composting properly and the salt content is too high for use in gardens and at nurseries. There have been complaints about odours. And, the newspaper reported, some materials have been incinerated in Michigan.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/technology/worries+Ottawa+green+bins+manager/1784782/story.html

Vancouver gives boost to electric cars

Globe and Mail, July 12, 2009
Jane Armstrong

As it begins a novel experiment to hand more road space to cyclists, Vancouver has signalled a commitment to another form of greener transit: the electric car.

Although its electric-car owners number in the dozens, the city has become the first in North America to require developers to put electric-car plug-ins in a percentage of new condominiums and apartments.

The city vote was unanimous, and supporters say the bold move will draw manufacturers to Vancouver when they look for cities to roll out new electric cars. Nissan and Mitsubishi, both of which produce electric cars, took note of Vancouver's move.

Don Chandler, past president of the Vancouver Electric Vehicle Association, predicted that electric vehicles are the way of the future. Once the infrastructure for charging vehicles is in place, usage will rise, he said.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/british-columbia/vancouver-gives-boost-toelectriccars/article1215643/

Laws growing wilder than lawn weeds
Manicured lawn or natural look -- let the property owner decide

Ottawa Citizen, July 12, 2009, page A3
Randall Denley

Let me see if I have this right. The new standard for Ontario lawns is that they should consist primarily of healthy, organic weeds, but the weeds have to be cut short. That's what I would deduce is the sweet spot between a city bylaw that says weeds can't be too long and a provincial law that says homeowners can't use anything unpleasant to kill their weeds.

You'll note that we're talking here strictly about how to handle our weeds. Grass is now so 20th century.

Hank and Vera Jones of Constance Bay are having 15 minutes of fame this week because some of the neighbours think their naturalized half-acre property is unkempt. Letting weeds grow is against a city bylaw, although the city is giving an exemption to the Joneses, who say they are just trying to help the bees and butterflies by providing natural plants. That's not quite good enough for Hank, though. Now he says he might go to court in an attempt to invalidate the bylaw itself, and all similar ones across the country. It's the kind of thing one would blame on the heat, if there was any.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/columnists/Laws+growing+wilder+than+lawn+weeds=/1783165/story.html

Housing project gets underway on Catherine St.

Ottawa Sun, July 11, 2009
Aedan Helmer

There are more than 10,000 people in Ottawa still on a waiting list for affordable housing, and for 248 families, the wait will soon be over.

Construction of the Beaver Barracks housing project on Catherine St. is underway.

The project, which received an $18.3-million boost from federal and provincial governments through the Canada-Ontario Affordable Housing Corporation, and an additional $11.9 in municipal incentives, will feature five apartment and townhouse buildings forming an inner courtyard around a community garden.

The community-run Centretown Citizens Ottawa Corporation developed the concept, and when completed, the CCOC will own and manage over 1,500 units in 50 properties across downtown Ottawa.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/10/10094516.html#/news/ottawa/2009/07/10/pf-10094516.html

Recycled garbage smells a lot like Christmas

Ottawa Sun, July 11, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

Editor's Note: Over the next two months, City Hall reporter Derek Puddicombe will periodically share his experience of the Green Bin pilot program.

It smells like Christmas at the Trail Rd. dump.

For the past several months the city has been grinding up thousands of pine and spruce trees that graced the homes of local residents during the festive season into small wood shavings.

The results are left to compost in several 90-metre-long piles at the dump. When they're done, the resulting product will be fine enough to be tossed into any garden.

Also thrown into the mix are the smelly contents of the city's green bin pilot project, in which almost 5,000 households are currently participating. That includes 95 homes involved in a smaller scale pilot using the official green bins the city will begin distributing in September.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/11/10102711.html

City Offering 'Green' Way to Dump Unwanted Items

CFRA, July 11, 2009
Jason McIntyre

If you are double-checking your Sunday itinerary, City officials are asking you to add 'Household Hazardous Waste Depot' to the list.

The municipality is holding another collection event at the Kanata Business Park.

Dixon Weir, Ottawa's general manager of Environmental Services, tells CFRA News that there are a host of materials that can be safely tossed - from energy-efficient lightbulbs to disinfectants.

Weir adds that a full list can be found at www.Ottawa.ca/HHW.

No commercial waste will be accepted at 411 Legget Drive.

The City depot runs from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

http://www.cfra.com/?cat=1&nid=66465

City composting

Ottawa Sun, July 10, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

Ottawa Sun Reporter Derek Puddicombe visits the Trail Road waste facility to find out how the city is currently composting household waste. For more information on the new city composting project visit the City of Ottawa website: www.ottawa.ca.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/10/10093071.html

St. John's bike plan gets $1.6M boost from province

CBC News, July 10, 2009

The first phase of St. John's bike plan is officially underway after the provincial government cut the city a cheque for almost $1.6 million on Thursday.

Under the first phase of the plan, the city will paint 43 kilometres of bicycle lanes. It will also install signs on 73 kilometres of roads without bike lanes designating them as bicycle routes.

The city will install bike racks on all its buses and create 20 new bike parking facilities.

Environment and Conservation Minister Charlene Johnson, Mayor Dennis O' Keefe and city Coun. Shannie Duff announced the funding Thursday.

"I am absolutely thrilled that the city is finally realizing its long-term goal of a cycling master plan, thanks in no small part to this financial support of the provincial and the federal governments," said O'Keefe.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/07/10/stjohns-bike-plan532.html

Wildlife garden row could end up in court
Environmental-law group considering bid for injunction

Ottawa Citizen, July 9, 2009, page C1
Kate Jaimet

A Constance Bay man who ran afoul of a city bylaw over the long, meadow-like grass in his front yard says he may begin legal proceedings against the city as early as today.

Hank Jones says he is taking advice from the environmental-law organization Ecojustice and is seriously considering filing for a court injunction to prevent the city from mowing the long grass and wildflowers that make up the budding wildlife garden in his front yard.

Although the city does not appear to be imminently poised to mow down Jones' wildlife garden, and has sent a bylaw supervisor to work with him on a compromise, Jones said Wednesday that a bigger issue was at stake.

"I'm ready to go national. I understand all cities have bylaws like this, and it's because of aesthetics, and aesthetics are what somebody else wants you to do," he said.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Wildlife+garden+could+court/1773028/story.html

Bid to pause wind-farm growth dies

Ottawa Citizen, July 9, 2009, page C6

A request to the Ontario government to place an 18-month moratorium on wind turbines was defeated by Ottawa city council Wednesday. Councillor Glenn Brooks wanted councillors to seek the moratorium because he said the health effects of wind turbines on neighbours were not entirely understood. Brooks said these turbines, which have been encouraged by the Ontario government, would be built in rural areas of Ontario and some of them would tower over the treeline. Council agreed to have the city's public health officials look into the scientific evidence about health effects of turbines, though city officials said they would be relying on the provincial government for expertise in this area. Council voted 14-8 against a request to the province for an 18-month moratorium on new wind turbines. Councillor Jan Harder pointed out that Ontario's Green Energy Act did not give municipalities the power to restrict such alternative energy sources.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/pause+wind+farm+growth+dies/1773050/story.html

Not in their backyard: Bylaw threatens to mow down couple's ecological, back-to-nature, meadow-like yard following complaint

Ottawa Citizen, July 7, 2009
Patrick Dare

Henry and Vera Jones have a dream of a new kind of backyard, one that is an oasis of nature. But that dream is threatened by a City of Ottawa bylaw that appears to suggest they should mow it all down.

For nine months the Constance Bay couple have been planning a new ecologically tuned garden on their half-acre lot on Allbirch Road. No manicured lawns to be watered, fertilized, cut and weeded. Just lots of flowers, trees and vegetables to create a sanctuary for wildlife, especially the kind that pollinate flowers.

They call it the Allbirch Pollinator Garden. The city calls it a violation under bylaw 2005-208.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/their+backyard+Bylaw+threatens+down+couple+back+nature+lawn+after+complaint/1765684/story.html

Editorial: A green idea with a future

Ottawa Citizen, July 6, 2009

Graham Findlay's unsuccessful attempt to secure permission for a backyard wind turbine should not spell the end of urban wind power in Ottawa.

Findlay lives in the Island Park Drive area and was hoping to erect a 10-metre-high tower with turbine in a back corner of his yard. It didn't fit into city zoning regulations, and a city committee rejected it. Findlay went to the Ontario Municipal Board, which also rejected the idea.

Some of the neighbours -- not all -- were nervous that the turbine would be too close to their properties and might create a hazard or excess noise. Findlay worked hard to allay those fears, although the neighbours did have some valid concerns. The very fact that Findlay started this conversation makes him a pioneer, and in that regard he's done the city a service.

Change is always a little scary. It is also inevitable. Ontario needs to embrace small, low-emission power generation. Turbines and solar panels put generation into the hands of consumers. That can turn a sense of entitlement into a sense of appreciation, and foster conservation.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/green+idea+with+future/1763078/story.html

Hydro draws the line on mixed-use project
Councillor, architects say something must be done to help small developer who did everything right

Ottawa Citizen, July 6, 2009, page B1
Maria Cook

Nicolas Ibrahim is a small real-estate developer who thought he was doing everything right.

His plan for a four-storey mixed-use building on Main Street in Old Ottawa East was supported by the community, its city councillor and both the city's official plan and the community design plan.

Last March, however, he learned from Hydro Ottawa that the utility requires a five-metre distance from overhead power lines, forcing him to dramatically alter the building.

Councillor Clive Doucet says the Hydro rule is a city-wide issue that threatens the city's goal to beef up main streets and encourage mid-rise development.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Hydro+draws+line+mixed+project/1763588/story.html

Green bin gets test run

Ottawa Sun, July 5, 2009
Derek Puddicombe

The greening of Ottawa has begun - and it's not a lot of work.

Last month, the city kicked off its green bin recycling pilot program with a few guinea pigs, my suburban family of five being one.

We guinea pigs are diverting our wet kitchen waste from our usual trash can to a green bin in an effort to slash what's trucked to the dump.

City councillors and staff have spent a lot of time debating the pros and cons of separating organic materials from other garbage. It's been a lively debate - concerns have included smells, fruit flies and crafty critters getting into the bins - but the city is now moving full steam ahead with recycling everything organic.

I decided to jump into the program and put it through the wringer before the official rollout at the end of the year.

http://www.ottawasun.com/news/ottawa/2009/07/04/10027111.html

Montréal: City adds 2,000 new Bixi bikes

CBC News, July 3, 2009

The City of Montreal announced Friday it's expanding the Bixi bike-rental program several months earlier than expected.

By the end of the summer, the city plans to have 100 new bike stations and about 2,000 new communal bikes available to people in five new neighbourhoods, including Park Extension, Mercier/Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and parts of Côte-des-Neiges/Notre-Dame-de-Grâce.

This will bring the total number of Bixi bikes to 5,000, spread out over 400 stations across the city. These new additions bring the overall price tag of the program to $23 million, but city officials said it is on track to pay for itself within three years.

So far, rental stations have been concentrated in the plateau, downtown, and the western part of Rosemont.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2009/07/03/montreal-bixi-2000-more.html

Councillor offers parks for wind turbine tests
Inspired by resident's failed bid for green energy solution at home

Ottawa Citizen, July 4, 2009, page C3
Brendan Kennedy

Graham Findlay may have been denied the chance to operate a small wind turbine in his backyard, but his efforts have inspired his local councillor to suggest that the city should try out small-scale wind projects in its urban parks.

"I think it would really be a great opportunity if we could look at piloting something in an area where the (bylaw) variances are not going to be an issue and people can see how these things operate," Kitchissippi Councillor Christine Leadman said, adding that she would like to see infrastructure money for two parks in her ward -- McKellar Park and Parkdale Park -- go toward renewable energy initiatives, such as wind turbines and solar panels.

"Why not be innovative and start with our own facilities?" she said.

Findlay, a 55-year-old commercial wind farm developer, wanted to install a 10-metre-tall wind turbine in the backyard of his Iona Street home so he could send power to the provincial grid and reduce his home's energy consumption.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/Councillor+offers+parks+wind+turbine+tests/1758709/story.html

Province says no to backyard wind turbine

Ottawa Citizen, July 3, 2009
Brendan Kennedy

OTTAWA-The city's first application to put up a small wind turbine in a residential area has been denied by the Ontario Municipal Board, and the Ottawa man behind the proposal says he is giving up the fight for his backyard power generator.

"It's an opportunity lost to try something new," said Graham Findlay. "I guess people ran away from that opportunity out of fear - fear of the unknown."

Findlay, a 55-year-old commercial wind-farm developer who lives near Island Park Drive on the west side, appealed to the board to allow him to skirt the city's zoning bylaws to erect a 10-metre-tall wind turbine in his backyard at 70 Iona St.

In a February hearing, the board heard that Findlay's application is the first of its kind in Canada, and maybe North America, but perhaps the leading edge of an effort to promote more backyard power generation - something that would take some of the load off the provincial power grid and make individual households less vulnerable to shortages.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/Province+says+backyard+wind+turbine/1753999/story.html

Tree-huggers unite

Ottawa XPress, July 2, 2009
Sara Falconer

A tree protection bylaw passed on June 24 has Ottawa's trunk-huggers cheering and some of its land owners moaning. But environmental advocates are saying it still doesn't go far enough to protect smaller trees.

Although the recent clear-cutting of a large growth of mature and allegedly endangered trees by developers at Cardinal Creek made the issue top-of-mind, city council has actually been working towards a new conservation strategy for over a year. The not-for-profit citizens' group Ecology Ottawa submitted a proposal to council last fall calling for this bylaw, and encouraged thousands of supporters to contact their council members.

"We think that this is really starting to make a difference, because we've seen councillors turn around on this," says Lori Waller, Ecology Ottawa's policy co-ordinator. "Tree protection bylaws have been proposed several times in the past 10 years, and now we're finally seeing progress."

http://www.ottawaxpress.ca/news/news.aspx?iIDArticle=17724

Trees' death proves need for bylaw
Difficulty in getting saplings to take shows why mature plants must be protected

Ottawa Citizen, July 2, 2009
Jake Rupert

The city's forester says the death of about 50 young trees planted as part of the Woodroffe Avenue widening project in south Ottawa is a good example of why the city needed a tree-protection bylaw.

The trees, maples, were planted over the last few years about 10 metres away from the busy road, which now has six lanes of traffic including a dedicated busway.

Last year, they appeared to be doing well, but they struggled and failed to come out of hibernation this spring and are now dead.

Municipal forester David Barkley said this is typical when trying to get trees to grow in "high-stress" environments next to busy roads or downtown.

http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Technology/Trees+death+proves+need+bylaw/1750292/story.html