On November 15th and 16th, Ecology Ottawa, Greenspace Alliance, Community Association for Environmental Sustainability (CAFES) and the Youth Climate Ambassadors hosted a workshop on Climate Solutions and Ottawa’s Official Plan. Individuals and organizations from all areas of the city, from the downtown core to the rural wards discussed and co-created targeted climate solutions that can help shape the Official Plan.
The City declared a climate emergency last spring. It is now in the process of developing its new Official Plan, which will frame land use in Ottawa over the next 25 years. Effective climate action must be central to the new Official Plan.
Over 100 participants from environmental groups, community associations and the general public worked together to develop a climate action message. It is organized around the four building blocks (nature, food, buildings/infrastructure and transportation) and the priority actions defined by the working groups at the event. It also draws on ideas presented at the workshop and in prior documents developed through the People's Official Plan (POP).
Visit this link to read a Declaration, which is a more contextual and strategic summary of our demands, and here for a graphic summary that was created at the workshop.
We have also posted to the internet the outstanding video by Diane Saxe (https://youtu.be/773nlW13agw).
In the meantime, we need your help! Please use any of these materials to engage urgently with your neighbours, your neighbourhood associations and with your Councillor on this topic. There is little time left to influence members of the joint Planning and Agriculture and Rural Affairs committee meeting in March 2020.
Please contact [email protected] if you want to join a team of residents from your ward and meet with your councillor, participate in our phoning campaign or help with our petition.
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