May 5, 2020
OTTAWA - Former Environmental Commissioner of Ontario Dr. Dianne Saxe will join an upcoming 'Hold the Line' rally hosted by Ecology Ottawa. The rally, scheduled to take place on Friday, May 8 from 12:00 p.m. to 1:00 p.m., is a call to action in advance of critical votes by council on the issue of whether to expand Ottawa's urban boundary.
In February, we attended two meetings: the Planning Committee and City Council. The highlights of these meetings were motions regarding a new subdivision, traffic control, and public transportation, as well as an inquiry by Councillor McKenney.
We are thrilled to be launching our first ever online trivia night this coming Earth Day and you’re invited!
Come join us online to celebrate Earth Day’s 50th anniversary with some fun-filled trivia on Ottawa’s native plant species.
Did you know?! The first Earth Day took place on April 22nd, 1970 and is credited with the emergence of environmentalism as a mass movement. Over the years, collective action taken on Earth Day has resulted in some significant political achievements around the world. But our work is not done!
How are you doing? These are strange and difficult times, and as much as we all know that physical distancing is what’s needed to combat this global pandemic, it doesn’t make the process easier. Here at Ecology Ottawa, we’ve been thinking about how we can continue to engage Ottawans and give you the tools to green-up your communities.
During these strange times of self-isolation and physical distancing, there's no better chance to catch up on reading. Even better, to read something inspiring and relevant to a world that seems to change with each passing hour.
Our Board Member Charles Hodgson recently came across The Future We Choose: Surviving the Climate Crisis, by Christiana Figueres and Tom Rivett-Carnac. We wanted to share his note with you below.
As the Covid-19 pandemic continues to do profound damage around the world, cities are working to find to safeguard public health while providing residents with access to fresh air and exercise. Meanwhile, struggling businesses are seeking outdoor access so that they can operate in a safe way.
by Linzi Redekop
One of our supporters, Linzi, is "very passionate about protecting the land zones currently in place and discouraging urban sprawl". As part of one of her assignments for her environmental justice class at Carleton, she was tasked to write a story linking to environmental justice theory. She chose to write hers based on the Hold the Line campaign. Enjoy!
With the rapid spread of COVID-19, we have entered a period of crisis for our city and the global community as a whole.
At Ecology Ottawa, we're monitoring COVID-19 developments and following all recommendations from Ottawa Public Health. Following these recommendations, our team has moved to an online work mode and we are postponing all public events until further notice. If you need to contact us, please connect by email (using [email protected] or our direct email addresses), as our office line isn't being regularly monitored at this time.
We recently wrote Anita Anand (Minister of Public Services and Procurement Canada) and Ottawa Centre MP Catherine McKenna with an inquiry on the status of funding for the switch to carbon neutral heating for the National Capital Region district energy system.
Investments in decarbonization of our local energy system is critically important for climate progress in Ottawa and across federal government operations.
(Edited on March 12)
On May 4, city council will be deciding on the fate of our urban boundary. This may be the most important and long-lasting climate decision council will make this term. We need your help to fight climate change, protect our city’s greenspaces, and rein in costly urban sprawl.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
This article is part of the Council Watch series, a volunteer-driven program designed to inform Ottawa residents of environmentally significant decisions at City Hall. Council Watch consists in a systematic and strategic attendance of city council and committee meetings. Our goal is to keep you informed and, together, to hold municipal representatives accountable. The views expressed below belong to the author and are not necessarily those of Ecology Ottawa.