15 minute neighbourhoods - walkable shopping destinations

In November 2022, we held a workshop with Walkable Ottawa on making successful walkable shopping destinations within 15 minute neighbourhoods.

The City of Ottawa has put 15 minute neighbourhoods at the centre of the plan of how our city will grow and flourish in future. A key component of a 15 minute neighbourhood is a walkable shopping destination. Imagine small shops where you could buy milk and some basic groceries, a small bakery? A café where you could meet your neighbours? An ice cream shop?

Join us in oppostition to Bill 23!

The Province's Bill 23 'More Homes Built Faster Act', uses the housing crisis as a cover for destroying tenant and environmental protections. All the while building unaffordable homes on wetlands & farmland and bankrupting municipalities across Ontario.

Join Ottawa ACORN, Ecology Ottawa, Horizon, CAWI, city councillors and the many other organizations and residents organizing against Bill 23 for a rally on Wednesday, December 7th at 9AM at the Provincial Courthouse (161 Elgin St).

Public consultations on the bill end Dec 9th - we need all of Ottawa to stand together against Bill 23! You can RSVP to attend the rally here.

Bill 39 is fundamentally undemocratic

We have just made a written submission on Bill 39, the Better Municipal Governance Act, or as it is being labelled here, the Minority Rule Act. Along with many organizations across the province, we protest against the autocratic tendencies of this Progressive Conservative Provincial Government, culminating in Bill 39, which would allow approval of by-laws with just one third of Council votes using so called "strong mayor" powers. Bill 39 is not democratic and must be withdrawn. 

The People's Official Plan written submission on Bill 23

The member organizations of the People's Official Plan (POP) coalition reject Bill 23 on the basis that it will not meaningfully increase affordable housing nor take into account environmental and food security impacts while also contributing to costly expanding sprawl. The proposal will lead to environmental destruction during a climate emergency, when we need to be protecting the green space, watersheds and foodlands we have left. The host of policies proposed in Bill 23 are detrimental to legitimate and pressing concerns, including homelessness and core housing needs, food security, climate risk, affordability, urban trees and parks and public engagement in the planning process.

Submission to the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy Re: Bill 23

It is clear that the complex changes introduced in Bill 23 go far beyond the mandate of increasing affordable housing. Critically, nothing in the Bill ensures that new homes, built with public incentives, are affordable. The attack on Conservation Authorities, wetland protection, urban parkland, green building standards and encouraging even greater urban sprawl, undermines decades of work on environmental protection and must be withdrawn. The public consultation period is woefully inadequate and must be extended to at least three months and must include legislative hearings outside the Greater Toronto Area.

Environmental, community and social justice groups stand resolutely with the City of Ottawa in rejecting Doug Ford's Bill 23

New omnibus housing legislation is a threat to environmental, social, and economic well-being - so it needs to be withdrawn

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Ontario’s new home building legislation is a threat to democracy, environment, and affordability

Here’s why - and how - we should say no to Bill 23 in the next seven days. 

Introduced the day after Ontario’s municipal elections, Bill 23, the "More Homes, Built Faster Act", has a laudable aim of increasing gentle density within Ontario’s urban centres. By allowing coach houses and granny suites to be built on existing lots, three units can now be developed where only one single family home once stood, allowing intensification within the urban core beyond the coach house regulations currently in place in Ottawa.

OPEN LETTER on the Zoning amendments - Nov 7 2022

OPEN LETTER on the Zoning amendments for 1015 Tweddle

To: The outgoing Council of the City of Ottawa
Cc: The newly-elected Members of Council

 

Dear Members of Council,

On November 9 you will be asked to endorse a recommendation from the Planning Committee to adopt Zoning amendments for 1015 Tweddle. These amendments will see four very large towers built on a narrow strip of land between Jeanne d’Arc and the Ottawa River, within 30 meters of the Provincially Significant Wetland at Petrie Island. We strongly urge you to reject this Committee recommendation, on the basis that there has been insufficient community consultation which could erode trust in local government, and significant flooding risk and weakened resilience for citizens and communities in Ottawa.

Ecology Ottawa Board of Directors - Call for Applications

Ecology Ottawa is inviting interested people to join our volunteer Board of Directors. At this point in time, we are looking for people with a strong interest in environmental issues and those who can provide skills or expertise that will help support our organization in financial, legal and governance matters, and in advancing equity.

International Walk to School Month

Did you know that October is International Walk to School month? Wrap up in a warm jacket and help your little ones enjoy some of the myriad of benefits of physical exercise, including improved academic performance, reduced anxiety, better sleep, a sense of independence and an opportunity to notice small details. There are lots of resources to keep the kids entertained on the way, and start building the habit of active travel in our children.

MARCHE CLIMAT / CLIMATE MARCH

70+ candidates in the Ottawa election weigh in on how they plan to take climate action

New survey sheds light on how candidates will act on energy, transit, sprawl, and more

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