Month: October 2015

CPAWS Talks Forests and Birds

GreenLivingOttawa

Thanks to Cristina Scaini for the information. Posted by Denise Deby.

CPAWS

Happy Anniversary, CPAWS-Ottawa Valley!

For 45 years now, the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society (CPAWS)’s Ottawa Valley chapter has been working to protect biodiversity and land in our region.

They’ve sent in this information on their upcoming celebration:

TWO DYNAMIC, ENGAGING SPEAKERS. ONE GREAT EVENING FOR NATURE LOVERS!

Don’t miss this opportunity to hear two terrific conservation biologists share their insights into the importance of the Ottawa Valley for North America’s boreal songbirds.

Come and get inspired by these big-thinking speakers, see old friends and meet new ones!

This event will be followed by a free reception celebrating 45 years of conservation by CPAWS’ Ottawa-Valley chapter, including nibblies, cash bar and door prizes.

Location: Tabaret Hall, University of Ottawa, 550 Cumberland St, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5

Paid parking, easy access by OC Transpo (Laurier Station)

Time: Doors open: 6:30 PM; Lecture: 7 PM

Tickets: $15  Seating is limited.”

The speakers are Michael Runtz, a naturalist, nature photographer, natural history author and “superteacher,” and Dr. Jeff Wells, bird expert, conservation biologist and science and policy director for the Boreal Songbird Initiative.

You can find more information and purchase tickets here.

 

 

 

Wellness Support Through Babes4Breasts

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

http://oicc.ca/en/news/events/post/68
http://oicc.ca/en/news/events/post/68

Here’s a way to try out some health and wellness products, hear some excellent music and support a good cause: The Babes4Breasts and Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre’s silent auction, concert and CDs.

The silent auction runs October 1-31, 2015. You can bid online for any of the items, which include:

  • An organic fruit and vegetable box from Goodfood2u, delivered to you;
  • Personal care product baskets from Bee Real, Lilou Organics and Green Beaver;
  • Passes to Empower Me Yoga;
  • A studio d yoga tunic;
  • A basket of goods from Beau’s All Natural Brewing Company;
  • A glass art frame and drinking glasses made of recycled materials from Out of Ruins;
  • A “Babes4Breasts Superfan Package” that includes five Babes4Breasts CDs, two T-shirts a concert poster and more.

Other offerings include yoga CDs, sport and therapy passes, grocery and restaurant gift certificates, culinary lessons, health products, spa packages, family portrait sessions, vintage art, framed photos, handmade quilts, Ottawa Grassroots Festival passes, Ottawa 67’s tickets, a signed hockey jersey, ski lift tickets, hotel stays and more. Check out the auction items here: http://oicc2015.eflea.ca/view.

The Babes4Breasts Annual Benefit Concert is Saturday, October 24, 2015 at St. Albans Church (King Edward at Daly). It features Ana Miura, Oh Susanna, Amanda Rheaume, Jeremy Fisher and Sarah MacDougall. Tickets have sold quickly, so check out availability here. Even if you can’t get to the concert, you can buy the CDs here.

The Ottawa Integrative Cancer Centre, a non-profit centre of the Canadian College of Naturopathic Medicine, provides research, education and complementary therapies (such as nutrition counselling, massage, exercise and yoga therapy) that work alongside conventional treatments (such as chemotherapy, radiation and surgery) in an integrated approach to wellness. The OICC’s Head Start Program, supported by Babes4Breasts, helps women who’ve been diagnosed with breast cancer—a scary, overwhelming time—and helping ease anxiety and treatment side effects.

Babes4Breasts are Canadian recording artists who use music to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer prevention, education and support. Since 2007, they’ve made lot of good music and donated more than $125,000 to breast cancer charities. That’s music to the ears!

Ottawa International Writers Festival Fall 2015

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

Image courtesy Goose Lane Books http://www.gooselane.com/media/1248.jpg
Image courtesy Goose Lane Books http://www.gooselane.com/media/1248.jpg

Here’s how the Ottawa International Writers Festival describes their fall schedule in their latest newsletter:

From Canada to Ireland and Tanzania, First Nations communities to the oil sands and rural Quebec, through the world wars, to the fight against ISIS, this week our festival is bringing stories from around the world to Ottawa.”

A few highlights:

First Peoples, First Stories with Lee Maracle, Bev Sellars and Joseph Boyden, hosted by Waubgeshig Rice, on Thursday, Oct. 22, 6:30 p.m. (Important things to know, and new ways to think.)

Oil, Gas and Water with Marq de Villiers, Louis Helbig and Andrew Nikiforuk, hosted by Neil Wilson, on Saturday, Oct. 24, 6:30 p.m. (The politics of water, the “beautiful destruction” of the tar sands, and the fight against fracking.)

The Dorito Effect with Mark Schatzker, hosted by Sean Wilson, on Monday, Oct. 26, 6:30 p.m. (How food flavours have shifted from real and healthy to “craveable” but empty.)

The Reason You Walk with Wab Kinew, hosted by Waubgeshig Rice, on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 6:30 p.m. (A memoir and a reconnection.)

There’s lots more, so check the schedule.

As well as food for thought, the festival has food—including local dishes from Dash Mobile Cookery, Bridgehead and local breweries served in the Festival Café (check the schedule for times). There’s also a Literary Luncheon with Margaret Atwood on Tuesday, Nov. 17.

Vote

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

Maple leaf by Kapa65 on pixabay Creative Commons CC0 https://pixabay.com/en/maple-maple-leaf-autumn-leaf-482558/
Maple leaf by Kapa65 on Pixabay, Creative Commons CC0 https://pixabay.com/en/maple-maple-leaf-autumn-leaf-482558/

One of the most important things you can do for the environment: vote.

For context, here are some of the things the current Conservative government has done:

  • Weakened laws protecting the environment, to make it easier for industries to operate in ways that harm species, habitat and waterways;
  • Dismissed thousands of scientists and other public servants working on environmental issues; cut environmental programs;
  • Restricted government scientists from speaking to the media or reporting on their work;
  • Closed science libraries and destroyed research findings;
  • Shut down or defunded the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, the Experimental Lakes Area, the Canadian Environmental Network and other groups;
  • Hampered or withdrew from the Kyoto Protocol, the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and other international agreements;
  • Used audits to increase scrutiny of environmental groups;
  • Promoted unsustainable oil, gas and tar sands production and expansion;
  • Failed to consult Indigenous people on environmental and other issues, or address their concerns.
  • (For more examples, see Ecology Ottawa’s page or this A\J article.)

Meanwhile, almost 5 million Canadians are living in poverty, and more than 3 million people are food insecure. Two-thirds of First Nations communities have been under at least one drinking water advisory in the last 10 years. And so on.

The current federal government has also cut support for international aid to address water, health, food security and other challenges, despite Canadians’ willingness to provide this.

By voting on Monday, Oct. 19, 2015, you can change this path.

Find out how and where to vote from Elections Canada here.

Learn where the parties and candidates stand:

On climate change policies (via Environmental Defence and Equiterre)

On the environment (via David Suzuki Foundation)

On science and research (via Evidence for Democracy)

On food policy (via Ottawa Food Policy Council)

On health care, housing, inequality and other social determinants of well-being: (via the Canadian Association of Community Health Centres, Canadian Health Coalition, Ontario Health Coalition, Canadian Nurses’ Association, Healthy Debate, Coalition of Community Health and Resource Centres of Ottawa, Homeless Hub and Housing for All)

On support for municipal issues (via the Federation of Canadian Municipalities).

(For more on the issues that will be affected here in Ottawa by the election outcome, see also http://www.makingvotescount.ca/federal/i-care-about and http://www.fcm.ca/home/issues/roadmap-for-election-2015.htm.)

See more on Ecology Ottawa’s Election 2015 analysis here.

And please vote on October 19!