Repair Café showcases circular economy’s role in fighting U.S. trade war
Advocacy groups are urging residents and Ottawa city hall to focus on strengthening the local circular economy — including the voluntary repair and recycling service provided by the Ottawa Tool Library — as part of the community response to the on-going U.S. trade war with Canada. The U.S. has imposed tariffs on many Canadian exports, including vehicles, steel and aluminum,...
The Beaver turns 50 as a Canadian symbol: Why we should give a ‘dam’
Before Canada became analogous with our beloved beer, hockey, and maple syrup, there was another emblem that captured the nation's heart and spirit 50 years ago: the beaver.
Watershed watchers issue flood alerts along swelling Rideau, Ottawa rivers
Flood season has arrived in the Ottawa Valley and conservation officials are warning local residents to prepare for the springtime swelling of the national capital’s waterways. After record-breaking mild weather — including a high of 16.3 C on March 16, the highest temperature for that date in Ottawa — heavy snowmelt and rain are rushing over frozen ground and gushing...
U.S. withdrawal from Paris Agreement may disrupt Canada’s climate push, but shouldn’t stop it, experts say
As wildfires raged across California in January, U.S. President Donald Trump lit a match on his country’s commitment to the Paris Agreement on climate change with one of his first executive orders. The move came as the World Weather Attribution, an international research consortium that tracks the impacts of global warming, says elevated carbon emissions in Earth’s atmosphere have intensified...
Councillors welcome plan to make Ottawa’s vehicle fleet zero-emission
City councillors welcomed Ottawa’s latest Green Fleet Strategy, which staff predict could drop greenhouse gas emissions (GHG) from city vehicles 93 per cent by 2040, compared with 2012 levels. The strategy aims to move the City of Ottawa vehicle fleet, including ambulances, fire trucks, cars, and snowplows, to low carbon and zero-emission options by 2040. This is aligned with the...
As Canada’s big banks leave Net-Zero alliance, young people think about alternatives
The move by Canada’s biggest financial institutions to walk away from the UN-backed Net-Zero Banking Alliance has many Gen Z young people pondering a breakup with their bank, though some admit that the convenience is a major stumbling block.
Reports of illegal garbage dumping jump raising concerns for councillors
Following the start of a three-item garbage limit per household in the fall 2024, Ottawa city councillors have raised concerns over the rise in illegal dumping reports and who is responsible for managing the excess garbage.
At Petrie Island, a community maximizes survival odds for imperiled baby turtles
With Friends of Petrie Island gathering often-imperiled eggs around the island and Ottawa Riverkeeper hatching them safely in the NCC River House’s science lab, hundreds of baby turtles are already defying their odds of survival before even hitting the water.
Kebaowek First Nation benefit concert raises $14K to help fight nuclear waste facility
Members of the Kebaowek First Nation are buoyed by a successful concert fundraiser they say will help them continue their fight against a proposed nuclear waste facility that would be located near the Ottawa River.
Talking turkeys: Development bringing the big brown birds into more contact with humans
While the turkey population is stable, there's a reason Ottawans are seeing them more often.
Ottawa EV drivers navigate shift to battery-powered vehicles as charging infrastructure slowly improves
Ottawa is getting greener by shifting to no fuel emission vehicles. EV drivers say the battery range on their electric vehicles can be worrisome.
Ottawa homeowner dismayed to find high levels of radon, a potentially deadly gas
A 2024 Health Canada statistic showed that radon exposure may result in as many as 3,200 deaths annually, more than car accidents (1,898), carbon monoxide (300) and fire (109) deaths combined.