Media Releases

The Urban Forest: From Science to Poetry

Join the NCC for a discussion on the urban forest and the vital role it plays in the city. This oresentation will explore the benefits of the urban forest in terms of community health and regional biodiversity, as well as the aesthetic and ecological benefits it provides.

This event on the urban forest is presented by the National Capital Commission (NCC) in the Capital Urbanism Lab.

Energy East Won’t Get Built

Massive Oil Pipeline Incompatible with Federal Government’s Climate Pledge, Hundreds of Thousands of People Already Opposed to Energy East Pipeline

For Immediate Release

December 17, Ottawa –The Energy East pipeline cannot be built now that Prime Minister Trudeau has agreed to a climate plan that limits warming to 1.5° Celsius, say numerous environmental groups in response to TransCanada’s updated Energy East application announced today. Estimates show the upstream production emissions of the pipeline, in Alberta alone, would be as high as 32 metric tons of CO2E a year, or 7 million new vehicles, while total lifecycle emissions are estimated at a staggering 220 million metric tons per year --- more than what’s allowable under the new climate pledge.

The oil industry isn’t waiting. Neither are we.

Two weeks ago, just as we were winding down from the 100% Possible climate march, Mike Fletcher, one of Ecology Ottawa’s most active volunteers in the fight to stop Energy East, informed me about an information session on safety and response procedures held by TransCanada at the Carp fairgrounds for the local community, last Wednesday, December 10th.

[VIDEO] 100% Possible March

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See also the 100% Possible Facebook page (there the video is posted too)

THANK YOU Sun Life Financial Centre for your generous seasonal giving!

Tree Ottawa would like to thank Sun Life Financial Centre for their generous seasonal donation of $900.00. Because of renovations to prepare for the Light Rail Transit Parliament station, they had to clear the 100+ plants from their atrium. Seeing this is an opportunity, Bentall Kennedy Property Management organized an atrium plant sale fundraiser, asking for voluntary donations which were then matched by Sun Life Financial Centre. Not only was this an excellent fundraising initiative, but it also opened up an opportunity to discuss the importance of keeping the established trees alive. Thank you!

Congratulations to St. Anthony School for winning the Aviva Community Fund!

Read the full OCSB announcement here: NR 15 09 OCSB - St Anthony School wins $100,000

Congratulations to the St. Anthony School for winning the grand prize of $100,000 to green their yard! With this money, the school is set to take out the old asphalt and replace it with a water-permeable surface. This will allow for proper drainage, cooling of the surrounding area, as well as providing a child-friendly surface for the children to play on. St. Anthony School has partnered with Ecology Ottawa in the past to design a new concept for their yard that is more suitable for the students, as well as more environmentally friendly. They also participated in an Ecology Ottawa depave event in September 2015 (pictures to left and below).

A Road Much Travelled - Wheelchair Audit

By Karen Scott

On the afternoon of November 19^th, representatives from Ecology Ottawa, Walk Ottawa and the Bel-Air & Copeland Park Community Associations, joined volunteers of the Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Society for a transportation audit which began at the MS Society on Woodward and culminated on Navaho.

An audit sees volunteers walking and rolling a predetermined route to identify obstacles to pedestrian and public transit.

Change is in the air

It’s moments like these that put everything into perspective.

Last Sunday, Ecology Ottawa partnered with organizations from across Canada for the largest climate mobilization in the history of Ottawa. We rallied with 25,000 of our friends from as far away as Vermont and Lac Saint-Jean to tell our government that a transition to a clean energy economy is 100% Possible.

"Protecting and Growing an Ottawa Urban Tree Canopy for Generations to Come"

Below is the Tree Task Force's "Input to Phase 1 Consultations, Urban Forest Management Plan", which highlights a list of asks being made to the City of Ottawa to consider for the new Urban Forest Management Plan.

November 24, 2015

Inputs from the Tree Task Force consisting of: Ecology Ottawa, Tree Ottawa, Members of Champlain Oaks, Members of Big Trees of Kitchissippi, Members of Community Association Forum for Environmental Sustainability, Members of Federation of Citizens Associations, Members of Greenspace Alliance, and Hidden Harvest

[SUMMARY]: City of Ottawa Urban Forest Management Plan Workshop

Last Tuesday, November 24th, the City of Ottawa held an Urban Forest Management Plan (UFMP) workshop. Members of community organizations, community associations, and everyday Ottawa residents were able to voice their opinions and concerns regarding the establishment of a new UFMP. The session began with welcomes from Martha Copestake, Forester - Planning Land Use & Natural Systems, and David Chernushenko, Councillor for Capital Ward, the City of Ottawa. This was followed by a presentation and Q&A session from the lead of the consulting firm. This general presentation covered topics such as the importance of a diverse urban forest canopy, as well as what steps the consulting firm will take to ensure Ottawa's trees are protected. The project study area and timeline was also outlined:

[VIDEO] EcoGala 2015 Highlights

November 26th EcoGala Keynote Speaker Kevin Page. Vidéo en anglais seulement.

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Municipal Climate News

On November 25 Ottawa hosted a joint signing ceremony for the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and the Union des Municipalites du Quebec whereby the two groups pledged to do more to fight climate change. They also urged the provincial and federal governments to assist them by provision of tools and funding needed to achieve this.

AMO have posted a fair amount of information on this initiative including