Pour cette page en français, cliquez ici.

 

Welcome to the Council Watch webpage! 

Council Watch is a volunteer-powered group coordinated by Ecology Ottawa that 

  • Identifies issues of ecological significance before Ottawa City Council
  • Recommends actions for Ecology Ottawa and/or the Ottawa community to take on these issues
  • Shares information on ecological issues with the general public

Our goals with these activities are to increase the public’s awareness of ecological issues that come before Council, to empower the public with information to take ecological action, and to hold City Council accountable for their decisions.

Currently, we’re a group of around 20 volunteers. Apart from meetings of the entire City Council, we also monitor activities of the following committees/commissions: Environment and Climate Change, Transportation, Planning and Housing, Transit, and Agriculture and Rural Affairs. (See here for a complete list of committees.) We also monitor media and other reports of council activity. Our newest initiative is our Watch Party program. Please join us!

We also develop resources for learning about Council and engaging with it:

If you’d like to join us, find out more about the group, or send feedback, please contact the group’s current coordinator, William van Geest. We welcome a variety of participation, including watching meetings, writing reports, policy analysis, producing media, keeping records, translating, or webpage support.

In the meantime, if you’d like to watch City Council on your own time, here are few resources to get you started:

Ask Council to approve a land purchase for environmental conservation!

Ask Council to approve a land purchase for environmental conservation!

City of Ottawa staff have identified an excellent opportunity to advance ecology in Ottawa: the purchase of a 223-acre forested parcel near Fitzroy Harbour. The hitch? It may not make it through City Council. Read on for details—and what you can do.

2025 Budget: Ecology Ottawa calls for more trees, CCMP funding, and engagement

2025 Budget: Ecology Ottawa calls for more trees, CCMP funding, and engagement

At a meeting of City Council's Environment and Climate Change Committee on Wednesday, November 13, Ecology Ottawa called for further funding of climate action in Ottawa, improvements to the City's budget consultation process, and more trees—many more trees

An Amendment to Ottawa’s Site Alteration Bylaw—An Affront to Protecting Trees in Rural Areas

In November of 2023, staff recommended that the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee (ARAC) vote to extend Section 11 of the Site Alteration Bylaw from 2 kilometres outside the urban area to the entire rural area. Among other regulations, Section 11 prevents people from clearcutting trees without the approval of the city. Despite the recommendations of staff, on October 3, 2024, ARAC proposed that this area (initially the entire rural area around Ottawa) be restricted to just 1 kilometre outside of the urban area of Ottawa. Instead of a step forward as recommended last year, this is a step backwards. This amendment puts the natural environment at unnecessary risk, and Ecology Ottawa calls on the City to vote against the amendment to this bylaw which will be brought to council on Wednesday, October 16.

Ecology Ottawa urges protection of Ottawans from Idling Pollution

Ecology Ottawa urges protection of Ottawans from Idling Pollution

Ottawa City Council's Environment and Climate Change and Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committees met today to discuss staff recommendations for amendments to the City's Idling Control By-law. Ecology Ottawa made a delegation, supporting the recommendations and adding a few of our own to better reduce our GHG emissions and Ottawans' health—especially that of our most vulnerable.

Stop Harmful Idling Emissions!

Stop Harmful Idling Emissions!

As part of their review of the Idling By-law, Ottawa City staff have issued new recommendations for the By-law. These recommendations come to a joint meeting of the Environment and Climate Change and the Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committees this Thursday. Here’s what you need to know!

Budget 2025 Directions: Where are the Strategic Priorities?

Budget 2025 Directions: Where are the Strategic Priorities?

Ottawa Council's Finance and Corporate Services Committee considered the City's 2025 Budget Directions this morning. Ecology Ottawa called out the Directions' failure to respond to the crises—climate, biodiversity, housing affordability, addictions—facing Ottawans, as well as their failure to incorporate any of the City's Strategic Priorities. You can watch our delegation or read it below.

Waste management and equity: the dangers of incineration

Waste management and equity: the dangers of incineration

As Council conducts a feasibility study on incineration, learn more about the environmental inequity of waste management and its impacts on marginalized communities. 

Direction to staff: Community Waste Reduction and Diversion Program

Direction to staff: Community Waste Reduction and Diversion Program

Pour le français, cliquez ici.

During deliberations on the City’s Solid Waste Master Plan at the June 18 meeting of Council’s Environment and Climate Change Committee, Councillor Shawn Menard gave a Direction to Staff calling for funding for a grant program partnering with community agencies to be included in staff's annual budgeting exercises for the SWMP.

While this Direction is an important step in addressing our petition calling for for greater support of community organizations involved in waste reduction and diversion, it doesn't go far enough. Please see below the direction and a brief analysis.

Direction to Staff (S. Menard):

Re: Solid Waste Master Plan Action Suite Funding Process

The Waste Avoidance, Reuse and Reduction Initiatives Action Suite recommends the development of a grant program as a way to incentivize waste avoidance, reduction and reuse, among a series of other actions including repair cafes and re-use events in partnership with community agencies. For the purposes of the Solid Waste Master Plan and Long Range Financial Plan, rolled-up budget estimates for the first 5 years have been presented. Staff have indicated that an estimated $350,000 per year has been included in the Solid Waste Long Range Financial Plan to fund initiatives in this action suite and that funding that aligns with the Council approved Long Range Financial Plan will be presented as part of the annual budget process.

Staff in Solid Waste Services are directed to work with Finance Services to develop a comprehensive process to present annual budget requests for each action suite supplemental to the budget tabling process every year. Staff are further directed as part of the development of a grant program to be presented to Council for approval, to include the grant funding as part of the multi-year budget. The first year to be approved by Council as part of the annual budget process and the final three years identified as forecasted to provide transparency to community agencies and partners wishing to apply for financial support.

Staff agreed to take on the above Direction.

While this direction addresses our petition’s requests, it falls short in several ways:

  • The sum identified falls short of the $500,000 per year that we proposed
  • The sum identified is the entirety of the funding in the SWMP for community initiatives in the action suite
  • The Direction makes no mention of staffing, rent, and insurance costs, which are essential

We will continue monitoring the City’s action on reducing and diverting waste and advocating for increased investments in these critical aspects of waste management.

 

Let’s Not Forget About Our Wetlands

Let’s Not Forget About Our Wetlands

Do you remember when Bill 23, the More Homes Built Faster Act, was passed in Ontario in 2022? City Council recently examined the bill’s implications in regard to wetlands.

Take action

Sign Our Petitions
Council Watch
Make a Donation

Connect with us

Make a donation

Email:
Phone: 613 860 5353
Address:
123 Slater St, Floor 6
Ottawa, ON K1P 5H2