Month: September 2016

Celebrating Trees

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

Healthy Trees--Healthy City: A Celebration of National Tree Day image courtesy City of Ottawa
Healthy Trees–Healthy City: A Celebration of National Tree Day image courtesy City of Ottawa

Ottawa is celebrating trees this month.

The Ottawa Fall Tree Festival continues until Oct. 15. Every Saturday, Tree Fest Ottawa is hosting a photography exhibit, walks and other activities that celebrate the people and groups working to protect and promote trees in our city. The Festival happens in Brewer Park; see the website for details.

The Healthy Trees—Healthy City event, hosted by the City of Ottawa in collaboration with Ottawa Public Health and Tree Fest Ottawa, is happening on National Tree Day, Wednesday, Sept. 21, 2016. A Healthy Communities Expo with community organizations starts at 6 p.m.; at 7 p.m. there’s a talk by University of Chicago professor Marc Berman, who led a multi-country study on the health effects of increasing the urban tree canopy. Tree Fest Ottawa’s new photography exhibit, PhotoSynthesis 2, launches the same evening. Find more information on the City’s website.

The Champlain Oaks Project is a great example of what community members can do to support trees and tree habitat. Residents and the community association have reached an agreement with the NCC to restore the natural forest in their urban neighbourhood. Check out their latest post.

 

Ottawa Fall Tree Festival, Our Moment to Lead and More

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

http://treefestottawa.org/
http://treefestottawa.org/

There are some great eco-events happening in our city right now.

Our Moment to Lead

As part of its efforts to encourage Ontario to adopt an effective environmental bill of rights, Blue Dot Ottawa is hosting Our Moment to Lead on Saturday, Sept. 10, 2016. Learn what you can do to support Ontario as a leader on environmental rights. It’s at Claudette Cain Park, 660 River Rd. from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Whether or not you attend, you can have a say in Ontario’s public consultation on an environmental bill of rights. The Blue Dot movement is a David Suzuki Foundation and Ecojustice initiative; they provide a template for input here. The Environmental Commissioner of Ontario has some useful information here.

Ottawa Fall Tree Festival

Tree Fest Ottawa celebrates people and trees in our city. This year, they’ve organized the Ottawa Fall Tree Festival, featuring an impressive array of activities all about trees and the people and groups who protect and promote them. The Festival runs every Saturday from Sept. 10-Oct. 15 (10 a.m-5 p.m.) in Brewer Park by Brewer Pond, and includes photography and art exhibits, guided walks, food and drink, ecosystem talks and much more. Check out the schedule here.

Green Energy Doors Open

Green Energy Doors Open, an initiative of the Ontario Sustainable Energy Association, showcases sustainable energy systems and technologies. The public is welcome to tour homes, see green properties by bike, and visit the energy showcase. It’s from Friday, Sept. 9-Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016 at various sites around the city.

Also this weekend: Bug Day, Savour Fall, 613flea and Capital Pop-Up. Let us know in the comment section what you check out.

Safe Streets

GreenLivingOttawa

Written by Denise Deby.

Bicycle by dejavu159 on pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/bicycle-basket-flowers-pansies-1629641/ CC0 Public Domain
Bicycle by dejavu159 on pixabay https://pixabay.com/en/bicycle-basket-flowers-pansies-1629641/ CC0 Public Domain

One cyclist death is too many. Yet the killing of people on bikes in our city continues, most recently with the tragic death this week of Nusrat Jahan on Ottawa’s flagship “protected” bike lane. A devastating loss for her family, friends, and our community.

Many people are not letting go of this. From the #ottbike community, to the leadership of councillors Catherine McKenney and Jeff Leiper, to members of the media who are keeping this visible–people are calling for action, investment, infrastructure and legislation (e.g. protected intersections, separation of truck and cycling routes, truck sideguards) to make our streets safe for everyone.

What you can do:

  1. Read this post by Graham Larkin of Vision Zero Canada.
  2. Contact your city councillor and the mayor, and tell them you want to see change. Support the councillors that are taking action on this.
  3. Get involved with Vision Zero Canada and Citizens for Safe Cycling.

Together, we can do this.