Category: water

Seeing Ottawa in New Ways

GreenLivingOttawa
Background image in grey tones showing a group of people facing away from the camera, one holding a flag with an icon of a person walking. Blue, red and white graphic frames the text "May 4-5: Jane's Walk Ottawa-Gatineau, JanesWalkOttawa.ca"
Image courtesy Jane’s Walk Ottawa-Gatineau

There are quite a few opportunities this weekend to think about our city, and what it could be, in different ways. (Apologies for the last-minute post—life happens!) Here are some highlights:

Jane’s Walk Ottawa-Gatineau

Jane’s Walk Ottawa-Gatineau is happening Saturday, May 4 and Sunday, May 5, 2024. Jane’s Walk is an annual series of community-led walks through the places and neighbourhoods of the city, in honour of Jane Jacobs, whose ideas influenced how we understand cities and city-building. This year’s walks explore and celebrate local art, architecture, histories, communities, pathways, greenspaces, habitats and biodiversity. For example, you can learn about the unique ecosystem of the Pinhey Sand Dunes; tour green homes, community gardens, or rewilding efforts; see downtown Ottawa from an Indigenous perspective; and much more. Because this year’s theme is “Towards water,” many of the walks explore the significance of waterways as meeting places, habitats and city shapers. That means you can contemplate an Indigenous canoe portage site connecting the Ottawa and Rideau Rivers; the history of the Ottawa River; or the microbes of Mud Lake. There are virtual and self-guided walks, too. Walks are conducted in English and/or French; some require pre-registration. Check the Jane’s Walk Ottawa-Gatineau website for details.

Image of an Indigenous woman (her head and shoulders); she is looking up, and her mouth is covered with red-handprint-shaped paint. Image appears on a black background, between two small red beaded dress images. Text in white and red below the image reads "MMIWG2S need justice; reconciliation demands action"
Image courtesy Families of Sisters in Spirit

Red Dress Day

I’ve posted before about the connections between environmental action and the need to address the ongoing harms of living on unceded Indigenous territory in ways that perpetuate ongoing violence against Indigenous peoples, including Indigenous women, girls and 2SLGBTQQIA people. On Sunday, May 5, 2024, Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS), in collaboration with Assembly of Seven Generations, the Ottawa Coalition to End Violence Against Women, and Les Femmes Michif Otipemisiwak, is hosting an event to commemorate Red Dress Day in support of local families affected by the crisis of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, and Two-Spirit people. They’re welcoming donations of food and other items, as well as financial support. See the event page for details.

Ottawa International Writers Festival

The Ottawa International Writers Festival is bringing several eco-focused authors to the stage on Saturday, May 4, 2024. These include Lydia Millet and Michael E. Mann, who, in different ways, use the power of story to help think through the climate change and environmental crisis. Check the Festival website for details.

+Local Action for Palestine: INSAF and the University of Ottawa Palestinian Students’ Association are asking people to support their efforts, including the “Occupy Tabaret” campaign calling for the University to divest from genocide in Gaza. See their website for more information, and Decolonize Palestine for additional background and why this is relevant to environmental justice globally and locally.

Protect the Kichi Sibi / Ottawa River

GreenLivingOttawa
Colourful Indigenous art depicting aquatic animals (turtle, birds, fish) in black, green, orange, red and blue, on a blue background; the text "Protect our Water" is superimposed on the image.
Image courtesy of Stop Nuclear Waste

A million cubic metres of radioactive waste, to be stored permanently a kilometre from the Ottawa River, upstream from Ottawa-Gatineau, on unceded Algonquin territory: that’s what Canada’s nuclear regulator recently approved.

Despite objections from 10 Algonquin First Nations, more than 140 municipalities, many environmental groups and concerned individuals, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has authorized Canadian Nuclear Laboratories to build a “near surface disposal facility” on its site at Chalk River. CNL already houses nuclear waste at the site, but says the new “containment mound,” which it intends to start building this year, will replace existing “temporary” storage.

Algonquin First Nations have been actively raising concerns for years about the proposed facility and the risks it poses to the area’s biodiversity, land, waters and peoples. They emphasize that the Kichi Sibi–the Ottawa River–is culturally and spiritually significant, and the source of drinking water for millions of people—including Ottawa residents. The First Nations point out that CNSC made the decision without the required consultation with, or consent from, their communities, contrary to the sovereignty of Indigenous Peoples and Canada’s own Act ratifying the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

A coalition of First Nations, other groups and individuals have set up Stop Nuclear Waste to explain the situation and call for support. Here are some of the ways you can help:

  • Support the First Nations’ legal case: Kebaowek First Nation, with support from Kitigan Zibi Anishinabeg and Algonquins of Barriere Lake First Nations, filed a judicial review with the Federal Court of Appeals to challenge the CNSC decision. They’ve set up a Go Fund Me page where people can support the legal case against proceeding with the facility. They describe the case as potentially precedent-setting in terms of its implications for rulings related to Canada’s UNDRIP-related legislation. The Canadian Coalition for Nuclear Responsibility and two other citizens’ groups have also launched a court challenge.
  • Learn more:
    • The Stop Nuclear Waste website provides further information and suggested actions.
    • Concerned Citizens of Renfrew County and Area have outlined important considerations and problems with the project. They also share an open letter calling on federal government decision-makers to halt the project, which could serve as a template for people to draw on to write to their MPs.
    • The Ottawa Riverkeeper has also documented concerns with the NSDF project, including its proximity to the watershed, weaknesses in the plans for operation and monitoring, the problems of “legacy waste” at the site, and the failure to adequately consult with Anishinabe Algonquin peoples.

“I want to be very clear: the Algonquin Peoples did not consent to the construction of this radioactive waste dump on our unceded territory. We believe the consultation was inadequate, to say the least, and that our Indigenous rights are threatened by this proposal. We demand the cancellation of the NSDF project. The focus should instead be on a real and successful cleanup of the site to permanently eliminate old radioactive waste.”

Chief Lance Haymond, Kebaowek First Nation

“This nuclear waste facility will damage the water and we all know that.

Conscientious people are rising. We must rise together, we are all in that medicine wheel. No matter our colour, our creed or our title, we are all related in the human family and we must stand together.”

Claudette Commanda, Algonquin Elder
Poster titled "Scrap the NSDF Project Rally #2" beside a small photo of three Indigenous people with traditional drums on Parliament Hill. A larger photo below this shows several people standing with banners and posters in front of the Parliament Building; the banner reads "Scrap the Chalk River NSDF Project Approval StopNuclearWaste.Com." Text below the photos reads: "Who Should Attend: All concerned citizens of the Kichi Sibi - Ottawa River watershed. Where: Outside Westin Hotel, 11 Colonel By Drive. When: Canadian Nuclear Association Conference February 28th through March 1st. Daily demonstrations 9am-5pm. For more information: www.StopNuclearWaste.com. Stronger Together: Protect the Kichi Sibi."
Image courtesy of Stop Nuclear Waste

Vote for a Sustainable Ottawa on October 22 2018

GreenLivingOttawa

What’s the most important thing you can do for the environment on Monday, October 22? Vote.

Our municipal government is responsible for many of the systems that affect our ecological footprint as citizens and determine the city’s environmental health.

The people we elect need to lead the creation of sustainable, equitable and safe systems in many areas: planning and management of our built urban and rural environment (including development, infill, and affordable housing); action on climate change (including renewable energy); protection of our environment (including greenspace, trees, flora and fauna, water sources and quality); transportation (prioritizing pedestrians, cyclists and public transit users); a strong local food system; and waste and recycling. They need to prioritize these in funding decisions. They need to value and support community engagement, local action, and accountability to residents as essential dimensions of our city’s governance. They need to work toward a different and better relationship with the Indigenous peoples on whose land we have built this city.

Some of the candidates for mayor and councillor have clear platforms on these issues (some may have even written the book on them). Others have positions or track records that indicate that these are not among their priorities.

If you need more information on the candidates for mayor, city councillors and school trustees before you vote:

  • Ecology Ottawa has done a survey of all candidates about their positions on local environmental issues.
  • The Greenspace Alliance of Canada’s Capital has posted the results of a survey of municipal candidates on environmental issues.
  • The Ottawa Food Policy Council’s survey of candidates covers food issues.
  • OttawaStart has published a list of links to municipal candidate Q&As and debates.
  • The City of Ottawa website has lists of all candidates, including their websites, as well as information for voters about how and where to vote.

See you at the polls on Monday, October 22.

 

Ottawa Election 2018

GreenLivingOttawa

The municipal election is still a couple of months away (Oct. 22), but it’s time to be hearing from candidates about their plans for a greener Ottawa.

Ecology Ottawa has a useful tool to help understand candidates’ positions on environmental issues. They’re doing a survey of mayoral and councillor candidates about their plans for climate change action and an active and green city, and are posting the answers.

So far more than 50 candidates have answered the questionnaire, but more than 60 have yet to reply. You can help by contacting the candidates to ask them to make their views known by Friday Aug. 10.

There are additional questions that candidates need to be asked—about plans for cleaner rivers, and for restoring Chaudiere Falls and the islands, for example—but the survey covers a wide range of important issues.

“For example, in the last budget round, the city committed only $500,000 in new money for Energy Evolution while committing over 80 times that amount – $43 million – on new road building and expansion. …Environmental leadership is needed at City Hall. Ottawa needs a greener city council and the 2018 election on Oct. 22 is an important opportunity to make it happen.” – Robb Barnes, Executive Director, Ecology Ottawa in the Ottawa Citizen

See more about Ecology Ottawa’s municipal election campaign on their website.

Walk for Akikodjiwan

GreenLivingOttawa

All are welcome to join the Spirituality Is Unity: Walk For Our Sacred Site, Akikodjiwan on Friday, Jun. 22, 2018.

The Walk will bring Indigenous leaders, settler faith leaders and other community members together to reinforce the call for the restoration of this important site at the heart of Ottawa.

“Akikodjiwan—the Chaudière Falls and the Albert, Chaudière and Victoria islands—is a sacred site for Anishinaabe and many Indigenous peoples. It was publicly promised to be returned to Indigenous Peoples for a natural sacred site and public forest by all levels of government.

…The walk on June 22, 2018 is to remind the government of its promises and responsibilities towards Indigenous Peoples and to bring together all faiths in Ottawa to support the right of Indigenous Peoples to their sacred sites and ceremonies.”

– from It Is Sacred website

Read more here: http://www.itissacred.ca/

The Walk starts at 10 a.m. on Friday, Jun. 22 on Victoria Island, Booth St. entrance. See details on the Facebook event page or Anishinabe (Algonquin) Elder Albert Dumont’s website.