‘We trust our students:’ Ottawa universities reopen residences during COVID-19
Dorm living will be different in Ottawa this year as the universities must adhere to public health guidelines to help limit the spread of COVID-19.
City, housing advocates, landlords launch ‘blitz’ to move renters in need into 100 affordable units by October
The Ottawa Housing Blitz initiative is looking for 100 affordable-housing units from private landlords before October to help people in need of housing in the capital. The Alliance to End Homelessness Ottawa is working with the City of Ottawa and community partners to match people with rental units and supports.
Opioid overdose crisis outstrips COVID-19 pandemic in Canada, frontline workers say
The rules of physical distancing and recommended isolation due to the COVID-19 pandemic have resulted in a spike in overdoses across the country. According to drug policy experts and advocates, the opioid epidemic has overshadowed the pandemic while also increasing the risks faced by drug users.
Ottawa finally considers bird-friendly building guidelines 15 years after Toronto, Vancouver
Ottawa City Council is set to approve guidelines for protecting birds, almost 15 years after Toronto and Vancouver adopted their own. This move comes one year after a 2019 report by the U.S. North American Bird Conservation Initiative showed a 30 per cent decline in populations across North America. It’s estimated that 1 billion birds die per year as a result of humans, with collisions being the second largest human-related causes of death besides pet cats.
Police chiefs urge decriminalization of drug possession; policy experts urge faster, broader reform
Despite police chiefs urging the decriminalization of personal drug use, Canadian drug policy experts say that more needs to be done to keep community members safe.
Keep cats inside to reduce toll on birds, small mammals and other urban wildlife: conservation experts
Wildlife experts list cats as one of the greatest threats to urban wildlife caused by ordinary people.
Vehicle collisions biggest threat to urban wildlife, say experts, but little roadkill data available to alter course
In Ontario alone, 14,000 wildlife collisions occur annually. Vehicles continue to be a major threat to the province’s urban wildlife, according to experts, but the government has fallen short of implementing necessary policies to protect them because of the lack of records and data available.
Lack of volunteers during pandemic leaves Ontario’s wildlife centres overflowing with critters
Wildlife care centres are suffering from a series of pressures during the pandemic: more animals in need, fewer volunteers, and always a lack of funding.
Nature’s baby season during COVID-19 leads to rekindled love of wildlife — and a spike in unnecessary ‘rescues’
With ‘baby season’ in full swing across Ontario, experts are sharing their advice for reconnecting with urban wildlife while dealing with the realities of COVID-19.
Angry Ottawa cyclists protest for safer streets after string of serious collisions
Following a dangerous week of serious car-bike collisions in Ottawa, cyclists are gearing up Thursday for a protest ride to the corner of Elgin and McLeod streets to demand greater safety on city roadways. The Bikes on Elgin protest ride was planned as a peaceful procession from City Hall and down Elgin Street to McLeod in response to a crash…
Altered state: Places of worship cope with reopening during COVID-19
VAUGHAN, Ont. — As Ontario allows places of worship to reopen at 30-per-cent capacity across the province Friday, religious communities in the Greater Toronto Area are coping with the challenging and changing realities posed by COVID-19. Premier Doug Ford has outlined plans to permit social gatherings of up to 10 people, along with the restricted reopening of shopping malls, personal…
Diversity in hockey starts with youth and has a long way to go
In light of recent news, the state of hockey culture in Canada has been brought into the spotlight. Youth leagues are grappling with the question: is hockey really for everyone?